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Silent Step

Assassination
Agility
Intuition
Self Discipline

Short Description

You move rapidly and silently across short distances, covering a few meters without making a sound - ideal for striking, repositioning, or escaping before you're noticed.

Success Criteria

Effects

Modifiers and Restrictions

Action Examples

  • Dash 3–5 meters across metal flooring past distracted target – DR 100
  • Move into cover from shadow without alerting nearby enemies – DR 110
  • Sprint 3-5 meters up behind a target mid-conversation for an attack – DR 120

    +20 to DR if your presence is known, but not your exact whereabouts.
    + Add target general perception to the DR

    Will often end in opposed rolls if target is actively looking/listening for you.
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    • Long Description

    Silent Step is essential for infiltration, assassination, or ambush setups. Unlike Hide in Shadows, it works even in brightly lit or open areas—so long as no sound betrays your presence. It’s especially effective when sneaking up on targets, bypassing listening posts, or setting up stealth takedowns.

    Often used in sequence with:

    • Hide in Shadows – for full sensory concealment
    • Backstab  – for a lethal follow-up
    • Sabotage – to approach and tamper without being heard
    • Shadowstep Module – to blend movement into semi-phased silence
    • Cloaking Field – combine visual and sound suppression for elite infiltration

    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.