Taunt

Brawling

Presence

Empathy

Boldness

Short Description

You provoke a chosen opponent into targeting you - disrupting tactics and drawing aggression your way.

Success Criteria

Roll d100 aginst DR 100 + target Resilience

Effects

Per +15 success rate, your allies gain +10 to their attack rolls as the target prioritize attack you over own safety.

Target is put in offensive stance towards you.

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Modifiers and Restrictions

-20 DR if opponent has no current target

0 if target is engaged in ranged combat

0 if target is engaged in melee combat with another as well as you

+20 DR if attacking you is obviously dangerous (requires running past several of your allies etc.)

+30 DR if opponent is engaged in melee combat and has to disengage to attack you

Action Examples

Yell insults from cover to pull sniper attention

Step forward in melee and jeer to draw in sword-wielders

Strike a flamboyant pose to redirect a berserker’s rage

Long Description

Taunt is a tactical social skill that lets you weaponize presence and provocation. While it might seem reckless, skilled use can pull a dangerous enemy off an ally, disrupt a sniper’s aim, or trigger poor decisions. Use this to redirect enemy focus at key moments—either to protect your team or to set up devastating ambushes. Against coordinated foes, success depends on your ability to disrupt their chain of command.

Sequencing

Quick Reposition + Taunt = give allies 1 movement point to adjust to the result of the taunt thus making it tactically very strong.

Taunt + Lunging Attack = Ready yourself to get the initial attack when the taunted come running, partially disregarding their own defenses.

Potential Counters

- Steelmind (Magic Insights)

- Mind over matter - (Psionics)

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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.