FAQ for Order of the Magpie
What Is the Core Mechanic?
The system uses beat-based difficulty, where challenges shift depending on the narrative tension. Players roll a number of dice equal to their relevant trait. Higher rolls signal success, while lower rolls indicate failure. As stakes rise, outcomes become more unpredictable, keeping the pace dynamic and the narrative engaging.
How Does Character Creation Work?
Characters are built through traits that define strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. You choose an archetype that reflects your character’s role, select traits rated 1–5, and identify a personal drive that shapes their actions. This approach focuses on who the character is and what motivates them, rather than rigid stat blocks or optimization.
How Does Magic Work?
Magic flows naturally, without prepared spells or mechanical restrictions. It emerges from innate talent, ancestral gifts, or pacts with mysterious entities. Its effects range from subtle manipulations of reality to mythic feats that reshape existence. Success depends on narrative context and the character’s proficiency, allowing for creativity over constraint.
What Happens When Characters Die?
Character death isn’t a punishment, but a narrative turning point. When death occurs, it signifies the end of a journey and reshapes the ongoing story. However, the system encourages exploring consequences and alternatives before resorting to death, ensuring that sacrifice is meaningful and not arbitrary.
Is Combat the Focus of the Game?
No. Order of the Magpie values exploration, problem-solving, and preservation over violence. Conflict can arise, but combat is never the default solution. Characters are encouraged to negotiate, uncover secrets, and approach situations with creativity and strategy. When violence occurs, it’s because all other paths have been exhausted.
What Is the Order of the Magpie?
The Order is a multiversal society dedicated to safeguarding knowledge, recovering lost artifacts, and preventing the misuse of power. Operating from The Museum, an extradimensional archive of vast knowledge, the Order’s agents traverse realities to ensure that the past remains intact and dangerous knowledge doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
How Does the Order Influence the World?
The Order operates subtly, often through intermediaries, guiding historical narratives and preventing catastrophic discoveries. They shape events by influencing key figures, uncovering hidden truths, and keeping dangerous knowledge from spreading. Their mission requires moral flexibility and careful judgment, leading to ongoing debate about the best path forward.
What Are the Seven Valleys?
The Seven Valleys Philosophy defines the core tenets of the Order: Community, Compassion, Creativity, Justice, Knowledge, Peace, and Stewardship. These principles guide the Order’s decisions and actions, shaping faction conflicts and influencing character motivations. Each valley represents a moral framework that players can explore, question, or challenge throughout their stories.
What Role Do Hero Points Play?
Hero Points let players shape the narrative during critical moments. They allow characters to succeed when failure would derail the story, mitigate catastrophic consequences, or introduce beneficial complications that deepen the narrative. Hero Points ensure that tension remains high while keeping the narrative focused on the characters’ choices.
Is There a Leveling System?
No. Character growth is tied to narrative development rather than experience points or leveling up. Characters evolve through the consequences of their choices, taking on new responsibilities and overcoming challenges. This approach focuses on character arcs and meaningful growth rather than mechanical progression.
Can I Use This Setting with Another System?
Yes. While Order of the Magpie is designed for The Simple Approach, it can be easily adapted to other systems that emphasize character-driven storytelling and moral complexity. The setting’s depth, narrative structure, and faction dynamics provide a rich framework that can overlay any system focused on meaningful choices.
Is Solo Play Possible?
Yes. Solo play is supported through beat-based charts that facilitate meaningful story progression without requiring a gamemaster. The system maintains narrative focus and consequence-driven storytelling, offering a deep, immersive experience for solo players exploring the setting on their own.
Where Can I Find Additional Resources?
The core rules are available digitally without restrictions, offering the complete system with no previews or missing content. Additional resources, expansions, and narrative tools are available through Lightspress, providing everything you need to expand your stories and deepen your exploration of Order of the Magpie.
What Motivates Characters If There’s No Gold or XP?
Characters are driven by personal goals, philosophical convictions, and a commitment to the Order’s mission. Their choices shape the world, creating ripple effects that extend beyond material rewards. This approach places narrative consequence above traditional resource accumulation, giving characters meaningful reasons to act.
What Happens If I Want to Explore Different Moral Paths?
The Seven Valleys Philosophy offers multiple moral frameworks that shape the Order’s decisions and character motivations. Players are encouraged to explore, challenge, and reinterpret these principles through their characters’ actions. The system supports moral ambiguity and complex dilemmas, allowing for meaningful choices that shape the narrative.
Is It Possible to Fail Completely?
Yes, but failure drives the narrative forward rather than halting progress. When characters fail, the world reacts, introducing new challenges, shifts in power, and unexpected consequences. Failure isn’t a dead end but a catalyst that deepens the story and expands the scope of the characters’ journey.
How Do I Get Started?
Explore the core rules to begin building your character and shaping your own journey with the Order. Whether you’re playing solo or with others, Order of the Magpie offers a framework where curiosity, knowledge, and consequence define the adventure. Additional resources from Lightspress provide tools for expanding your stories and deepening the experience.
424 pages. PDF and epub files included.
ISBN 9798313085975
