Pain Suppression

Empathy

Self Discipline

Reasoning

Short Description

As an immediate reaction, delay the debilitating effect of a critical hit on an ally, giving them time to act before the injury fully manifests.

Success Criteria

Opposed Roll: Pain Suppression (Skill + d100) vs. Attack/Spell Effect (Source Roll)

Effects

Success: You postpone the effect (not the damage) of a critical hit for 1 round (happens on attacker's action phase).

For each +20 success rate, you postpone the effect 1 extra round.

Modifiers and Restrictions

Must be within melee range of the target ally when the critical hit occurs.

Must be called before you know what the critical effect is (so between the critical hit being registred and the effect being found.

Action Examples

Pain Suppression vs. Piercing Critical Roll (DR 120): You react instantly, touch your ally, and roll 82 + 45 (Skill) = 127 → success - The effect of the critical hit is postponed 1 round

Long Description

Pain Suppression is an advanced medical support technique that allows you to intervene at the exact moment a critical hit lands, delaying its secondary effects. This skill doesn’t prevent damage but buys crucial time by postponing limb failure, bleeding, paralysis, or other debilitating outcomes.

Used as a Reaction, it requires touch range and gives allies a chance to reposition, complete vital actions, or receive more thorough treatment before the effect takes hold. However, once the delay expires, the full effect strikes unless otherwise removed or reduced.

Sequencing

As it needs to be a reaction, it is hard to sequence this skill

Potential Counters

No direct 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.