O.A.R.: Operations and Reconnaissance
Welcome, Agent.
Created by Designer Jordan Schmidt, and Simone Alicea, O.A.R. is a cinematic tabletop roleplaying game of high-stakes espionage, where secrets, strategy, and survival define every mission. You and your team are agents of the Raven Initiative—a covert organization operating across worlds, realities, and timelines to maintain balance and eliminate threats before they unravel entire dimensions.
Your mission is clear: Gather intelligence. Neutralize threats. Escape unseen. Failure is not an option.
With just a character dossier, a pen, and three six-sided dice, you'll navigate a world of danger and deception—where every move you make can shift the balance between success and catastrophe.
The world is watching. Will you succeed in silence?
Welcome to the Raven Institute
You are an Agent of O.A.R.—a member of a secretive interdimensional spy agency tasked with maintaining order across realities. Each mission sends you into a new world, where the rules of magic, technology, and physics shift with every assignment.
One Mission, Infinite Worlds — Each mission is set in a unique reality, ranging from futuristic cyberpunk megacities to medieval fantasy realms, allowing for near-limitless variety.
Adapt or Die — The laws of each world can change instantly. One day you're hacking a corporate AI, the next you're bargaining with an eldritch god.
Trust is a Weapon — Every agent has their own agenda, and alliances are as fluid as the realities you cross.
O.A.R. isn’t just about completing missions—it’s about surviving them.
The Raven Initiative's Six Rules
To survive in O.A.R., you must follow the six unyielding rules of the Raven Initiative:
The Agency Above All: The mission is paramount. Personal agendas come second.
Maintain the Balance: Intervene only when absolutely necessary—never to dominate.
Trust Is Earned: Collaboration is vital—but blind trust is a weakness.
Discretion Is Survival: Leave no trace. Erase your presence.
The Mission Comes First: Your team is expendable. Civilians are expendable. You are expendable. The mission is not.
Accept the Cost: Every mission has a price—brace for the fallout.
These aren’t suggestions—they’re law. Break them at your own peril.
How It Plays
Rules-Light, Narrative-Driven Espionage
O.A.R. uses a streamlined 3d6 system that balances fast-paced action with tense, collaborative storytelling. The focus isn’t on tracking every bullet or gadget—it’s on the decisions you make under pressure and the consequences that follow.
The core of the game revolves around:
Spector Method Engine — Using a lightweight streamlined version of the Arcane method Engine, the Spector Method Engine allows you to focus more on directing your games and telling the story you want to tell.
Aptitudes: Every agent has three core stats—Gather (intelligence and influence), Destroy (combat and sabotage), and Escape (stealth and evasion). Your skills shape how you approach each mission.
Field Specialties: Choose from specialties like Combat, Charm, Hacking, and Stealth—granting you the edge when the mission demands precision.
Risk Factor: Every action affects the Risk Factor—a dynamic mechanic representing how much attention you’ve drawn. The higher the Risk Factor, the more dangerous the mission becomes.
Pressure Track: Injury, panic, and exhaustion push you closer to your Breaking Point. When you hit it, your fate lies between capture, death—or betrayal.
Collaborative Combat: Fights are fast, chaotic, and cinematic. Forget initiative rolls—your team moves as one, planning and executing in the moment.
The Luck Die: Espionage thrives on unpredictability. Every roll comes with an extra D6 Luck Die—introducing twists of fate, good or bad, at every turn.
In O.A.R., success isn’t about overpowering your enemies—it’s about outsmarting them before they even know you were there.
Your Role in the Raven Initiative
Every agent begins as a recruit at Clearance Level 1—but your path is yours to forge.
Aptitudes and Specialties define your strengths:
Gather: Intelligence, charm, deception, and data analysis.
Destroy: Combat, sabotage, demolition, and hacking.
Escape: Stealth, agility, disguise, and cover-ups.
As you complete missions, you rise through the ranks—unlocking new Gear, Field Specialties, and Additional Weaponry.
But O.A.R. isn’t just about the mission—it’s about loyalty. The Loyalty Test mechanic ensures that every mission tests not just your skills, but your team’s trust in each other. Betrayal is always a possibility—by your enemies… or within your own ranks.
Will you follow orders, or will you break protocol?
Create Your Operative
Build your agent. Define their story.
In O.A.R., character creation is sleek yet impactful—letting you dive into your role without getting bogged down in rules. You just need to do 5 things and you’re ready to start!
Choose Your Codename
Your real name is irrelevant. Your Codename is your identity now—something sharp, memorable, and deadly. Your legend starts with a name whispered through the dark.Distribute Your Aptitudes
Your skills are broken into three core Aptitudes:Gather — Intelligence, charm, deception, and data collection.
Destroy — Combat, sabotage, hacking, and demolition.
Escape — Stealth, agility, disguise, and cover-ups.
Distribute your points—your strengths will define your approach to every mission.
Select Your Specialties
Choose four Specialties tied to your Aptitudes—like Surveillance, Demolition, Deception, or Agility. These are your tactical edges—the skills that will make or break an operation.Equip Your Loadout
Pick one Authorized Weapon and one piece of Authorized Gear—the tools of your trade. A silenced pistol to protect yourself, an EMP Capsule for hacking, or even a 30 Second Mask to hide when found—your loadout shapes how you tackle the unknown.Define Your Motivation and Background
Where are you from? What are you? Why are you here? What drives you?Revenge — An enemy you must destroy.
Redemption — A mistake you can't erase.
Loyalty — To O.A.R., or to someone you left behind.
Power — Knowledge is a weapon, and you want more.
No two agents are alike—your choices shape your role, your tactics, and your survival.
Clearance Level Leveling System:
In O.A.R., Clearance Levels are more than ranks—they're a measure of trust.
All new agents begin at Clearance Level 1—unproven, untested, and expendable. Each successful mission earns you the chance to rise through the ranks—but with every step comes greater danger, stricter orders, and more complex operations.
Clearance Level 1 (Initiate) — Entry-level recruits. Limited access to O.A.R. intelligence. Missions are straightforward—but no less deadly.
Clearance Level 2 (Operator) — Proved your skill, but not your loyalty. Given access to high-risk missions and better gear.
Clearance Level 3 (Specialist) — Earned the trust of the Raven Initiative. More autonomy, access to restricted information, and first pick of assignments.
Clearance Level 4 (Commander) — Rarely achieved. You oversee teams, coordinate missions, and may hold secrets even your team isn’t privy to.
Clearance Level 5 (Ghost) — A whispered myth. Those at this level are more rumor than fact—agents who operate without oversight, carrying out missions no one else can.
Rising through the ranks unlocks:
Advanced Weapons and Gear
Access to Hidden Intel
Special Directives from the Raven Initiative
But be warned: the higher you climb, the more you uncover—and not every agent survives the weight of the truth.
Infinite Worlds. One Mission.
The Raven Initiative doesn’t operate in a single world—it operates across every world.
In O.A.R., every mission takes you to a new reality, each with its own rules of magic, technology, and danger. The only constant? The mission.
Where will your next mission take you?
Cyberpunk Sprawls — Neon-lit megacities, AI-controlled corporations, and shadowy data heists.
Arcane Kingdoms — Worlds where magic is law, and gods watch from above—or plot from below.
Noir Underworlds — Crime-ridden cities dripping with corruption and hidden supernatural threats.
Post-Apocalyptic Frontiers — Desolate landscapes where survival hinges on information, alliances, and split-second choices.
Alternate Earths — Twisted reflections of our world, where history took a wrong turn—and you’re there to clean up the mess.
Because O.A.R. is settings-agnostic, Directors (Game Masters) can build their own realities—crafting custom dimensions filled with their own lore, threats, and conspiracies.
One session might drop you into a corporate war between rival AI factions. The next? A medieval city where a magical artifact could tear the realm apart.
No two missions are the same—because no two worlds are the same.
One-Shots and Campaigns
O.A.R. is flexible—perfect for both high-intensity one-shots and long-form campaigns filled with espionage, betrayal, and shifting alliances.
One-Shots: Quick, standalone missions that test your adaptability.
Campaigns: Interconnected missions where Risk Factors carry over, agents rise through Clearance Levels, and the Raven Initiative's secrets slowly unravel.
The choice is yours—but be warned: the longer the game, the deeper the conspiracy.
Downloads and Playtesting
Prepare for your mission. Whether you’re a Director planning a high-stakes operation or an Agent stepping into the unknown, these resources will get you into the field—fast.
Join the Playtest today. Below are quick rules and resources to get started right now. Then reach out and let us know what you think. Want to try the full game, contact us for the full Playtesting Kit! Which includes Scenario Builders so Directors can even build their own missions within minutes!
Quickstart Rules – A fast, streamlined guide to the core mechanics—everything you need to dive into the world of O.A.R. and run your first mission. [Download Here] for Quick Rules and Reference Guide.
Director and Agent Cheat Sheet: Designed for Directors, this cheat sheet keeps core mechanics, Risk Factor tracking, and Pressure rules at your fingertips—so you can run smooth, high-stakes missions without breaking immersion.
[Download Here] for your Agent Cheat Sheet.
Build An Agent Guide: Build your operative quickly with a step-by-step character creation guide—covering Aptitudes, Specialties, and Loadouts. No fluff—just the essentials.
[Download Here] for your Agent Creation Guide
[Download Here] for the Weapons and Gear List
Character Sheets:
Use this Character Sheet to build your own agent with all the tools you need to survive. [Download Here]
Downloadable Operations — Download these 2 Free Operations to run your first two sessions of O.A.R. — perfect for one-shots or launching your own campaign! Still in testing, we’d love your feedback, and for more, reach out for the Playtest Core Rulebook Kit!
Operation: The Phantom Veil (Introductory Mission — Clearance Level 1)
Your final test before becoming full fledged agents. A simulated mission at an isolated training facility Eidolon Blacksite 7 turns deadly when an experimental parasitic entity escapes, forcing your team to navigate a high-stakes blend of espionage and survival. [Download Here]Operation: King’s Fall (Advanced Mission — Clearance Level 1+)
Infiltrate a high-society gala in the Fantasy Cyberpunk World Nuketopia to secure a dangerous artifact before a rogue faction can steal and weaponize it, in a mission filled with espionage, shifting alliances, and explosive risks. [Download Here]
Interested in helping us shape O.A.R.?
Playtest sessions are coming soon. Contact us to join an upcoming mission and help us refine the system—your feedback directly shapes the final game. Or check the Events Page for when we are testing local!
Ready to Join the Raven Initiative?
The world is a fragile thread—and you are the hidden hand that keeps it from unraveling.
Join the ranks of O.A.R.. Create your agent. Take on impossible missions. Survive the shadows.
Your mission begins now, Agent.
Will you succeed in silence—or will the world hear your failure?