Martial Dance

Agility

Quickness

Strength

Short Description

Martial Dance blends combat techniques with artistic movements, creating a graceful yet powerful display of martial prowess.

Success Criteria

Effects

Modifiers and Restrictions

Action Examples

Roll 1d100 to gain +5 to your defensive bonus for 1 round. For each +20 DR, you gain a +5 further bonus.

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If you are doing the martial dance with an ally back to back, the defensive bonus is doubled.

Long Description

Martial Dance turns combat into motion. Rather than standing still, you flow—twisting, ducking, and striking in a cycle of offense and evasion. This style relies on balance, momentum, and tempo to make you harder to hit and more unpredictable in close quarters.

You’re always moving—rolling from sweeps into counters, rising from a dodge into a strike, or circling foes in tight arcs. It shines in open terrain, duels, or any fight where rhythm and body control matter more than brute force.

Pairs well with:

Blade Dancing – for elegant, high-speed dueling
Evade Multiple Attacks – to stay alive in a crowd
Touch Spell – to strike while staying mobile
Tumbling – for ground transitions and evasive flips
Battle Chant – to enhance performance through internal rhythm

Used well, Martial Dance makes your presence on the battlefield feel less like a fighter—and more like a storm in motion.

Sequencing

Potential Counters

How to use this page

All the information above is intended as a guide to help you navigate the many situations that can arise during your game. Since it's both impossible—and frankly uninspiring—to plan for every possible outcome, players are encouraged to think creatively when using their skills. Game Masters, in turn, are encouraged to embrace and support that creativity.

Whenever possible, aim to resolve situations through narrative choices, logical thinking and role playing. If that’s not feasible, agree on a Difficulty Rating (DR) using the provided Success Criteria and Modifiers. These are not rigid rules, but suggestions - starting points to help you find the right level of challenge. The player describes their intended action, and the Game Master proposes a DR. This should be open to brief discussion at the table, ideally resulting in consensus. If not, the Game Master has the final say.

It’s important to emphasize that all suggested effects, modifiers, and action examples are exactly that: suggestions. If you’re unsure how to resolve something, they offer a reliable fallback—but wherever possible, we encourage you to push boundaries. That’s where some of the most memorable and exciting moments in play are born.

Sequencing and Potential Counters are far from exhaustive. With hundreds of skills, spells, and tech modules in the game, the possibilities are too vast to list. You’re encouraged to explore combinations that make sense in your story and setting and in the situations that arise in your game. Sequencing and countering are core to Cosmic Odyssey - they’re where strategic depth meets dramatic flair, and where legendary moments often take shape. Even if no sequencing and counters are mentioned, some certainly exists and can be smartly utilized.

So explore boldly, improvise wisely, and enjoy the game as it unfolds around your choices.