Suppressive Fire

Agility
Intuition
Self Discipline

Short Description

Lay down sustained ranged fire to control the battlefield—forcing enemies to hesitate, duck, and falter under pressure.

Success Criteria

Roll 1d100 + skill bonus vs DR 80 + target’s Resilience

Effects

Targets within the suppressive fire zone suffer –10 plus  –5 for every 10 points of Success Rate to all actions requiring focus or coordination, including:

Attacks, spells, modules and skills

If anyone moves from outside the zone and into the zone, you get a free attack

The suppressive fire zone is a 45 degree zone from you and out to the long range of your weapon.

Modifiers and Restrictions

Must be sequenced with an attack - however, the attack only provides the effect of suppressive fire - it does not deal damage (and yes, it can be used as a second attack. However, using it before your main attack will cause you to have the standard penalty to your main attack (-50).

In the combat round following the use of Suppressive Fire, you yourself as well as anyone successfully targeted suffer a -5 to initiative.

Standard combat modifiers apply - including the -25 for reusing a skill.

Action Examples

You roll 128 vs DR 95 (target Resilience 15) → SR = 33 → Penalty: –25 to all affected actions

Long Description

Suppressive Fire isn’t about accuracy—it’s about dominance. By firing repeatedly into a threat zone, you break your enemies’ rhythm, scatter their focus, and disrupt any attempt to act with confidence or coordination. Whether pinning down sharpshooters, delaying spellcasters, or interfering with tactical movement, this skill allows you to tilt the tempo of the battlefield in your favor.

The effect is tied to Success Rate and scales with execution: the more stable and consistent your fire, the harder it becomes for enemies to act effectively. While damage isn’t the goal, the psychological and tactical impact is devastating.

Sequencing

Must be sequenced with an attack.

Potential Counters

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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.