Shock Treatment

Self Discipline
Presence
Boldness

Short Description

Deliver a life-jolting intervention to temporarily revive a fallen or clinically dead ally for a few precious seconds, buying time to stabilize or heal them.

Success Criteria

Roll: d100 + Shock Treatment skill versus DR 100

Effects

Success: Wake unconscious ally for 1d3 rounds - even if they are technically dead.

After the 1d3 rounds has gone, target will return to their original state unless they have been healed above death or 0 health threshold.

Modifiers and Restrictions

Must touch the target.

Add half of the current negative health of the target to the Difficulty Rating.

+10 to DR per round since death if CPR has not been administered.

Can only be attempted once per round with a +10 to DR per attempt.

+20 to DR if you spend a full, uninterrupted round of AP administering the shock treatment.

Action Examples

Roll 122 vs. target at -12 health = DR 106 (SR +16): Ally regains consciousness for 1d3 rounds

Your ally with 70 health falls down on a severe critical hit that leaves them at -90 health. You step over with the intention of jolting them, but realize the severity of the situation and wait until the next round where you spend all your AP doing it. They are still at -90 health, so the final DR is 100 + 45 - 20 = 125.

Long Description

Shock Treatment is a dramatic, high-risk medical intervention used to jolt a failing body—or even a dead one—back into brief consciousness. Using electric, biochemical, or neuro-stimulant shock, the user forcibly restarts neurological and cardiac responses to grant the ally 1d3 rounds of action before their body collapses again.

This is not true healing: if the revived character is not healed above 0 HP or their death threshold, they fall unconscious (or die again) once the time runs out. The DR scales sharply with severity—especially when CPR hasn't been provided or if the body is deteriorating fast.

Timing, teamwork, and quick follow-up healing are essential to make this window count.

Sequencing

Sequence with skills, spells and modules that enhance skill checks.

Potential Counters

If one full round is spend, then the skill can be countered by interrupting (hitting with weapons etc.).

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.