Troika! Tuesday: Thoughts in Troika

The Troika! RPG is explicitly anti-canon, and although I have played a bit of it, again and again I am blindsided by where the city actually is. Sell does an incredible job of hinting at locations throughout his books (the main Rulebook as well as Get it at Sutlers) without fleshing them out. 

One of the ways in which I nest myself in a game or setting (think of a hamster tearing apart newspaper or a weaver-bird spinning their nest) is by very explicitly putting myself in place. By imagining the space and its locations, individuals and their characteristics I am effortlessly able to improvise due to literal and metaphorical cause-and-effect. In a sense this is parellal to the Blorb principles - although that is more about playing a simulationist game. 

 So the question arises: Troika?

Troika is located in a local draining point of the spheres. There are others (Brass City, Bastion), but the Phoenix Throne lays claim to this particular plug/whirlpool. 

(Ah, to elucidate on the nature of the spheres. From the multi-paved streets, canals and monorails of Troika above arcs the Humpbacked sky with the millionmillion spheres. They spin and dance in sometimes predictable ways. To travel to a sphere is different and similar every time. From every sphere one can jump via barge to other spheres. If left to drift under power you would, however, eventually end up in Troika (All roads lead to Rome.)

It is "nowhere" but also "somewhere". It clearly has certain bounds like Wall, the Sea, The Shifting Deserts, the Under City and of course the Hump-backed sky. Some scholars posit that these places are merely large portals to other spheres without an iota of firm evidence.

It has existed forever. Having existed forever it is the accretion of endless civilizations, building styles, periods, vogues and technologies. Perfectly anachronistic. Cobbles give way to tar pavements, to plasteel walkways covering venetian canals to moving sidewalks. One might travel by carriage, by silver gondola, or by vacuum tube. There is no sense of a progression to an idealized future because all futures have already existed - there is merely what is currently practical or in vogue. This fits in neatly with the tides and orchestras of the spheres. 

The past epochs fad of spherical travel via portal is slowly becoming impractical as the inherent issues continue to build up, keys are lost, and attitudes change. The once magnificent Golden Barges which (in lilting and mesmeric odes sung by fossilized thinking engines) used to adorn the skies are being reclaimed and put to work once again, and their bizarre traditions along with it. Nearly all Barges suffer from poor maintenance, and those that do still fly are either museum pieces, kludged family homes, time-lost, nearly fossilized port ornaments, or family heirlooms 

Campaign26

I feel the inexorable pull of Campaign26. 

There is no stopping it now. 

 

I am being spaghettified in its event horizon.

 

 

My relationship with the hobby is, as many, mostly theoretical. We dream worlds while collecting books and pdfs in dusty and unfragged piles. Some of us play, but usually our jobs get in the way. 

My job is somewhat busy, so this will be difficult, but I will try. For now I will put my hat in for two certain Campaigns. One solo, the other with a group. The others are idle fantasies for now.

Solo

A solo playthrough of B2 The Keep on the Borderlands using the Scarlet Heroes Ruleset by Kevin Crawford.

I'll indulge myself in the deliberate 'Eastern Pastiche' aspect of the ruleset. Partly as a way to encourage myself to do some deep research about...well a lot of things really. Trying to make my way through The Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the other Classics.

Already did some prep!

In Person

I want to run a Troika! game but getting players is tough. Mostly you get those who want to "play D&D". 

I love Troika! and its choice to dwell in grounded psychedelics. My mind constantly returns to Bas-Lag, Zothique, DCO, Viriconium and Zamonia's Atlantis when cast my eye towards it. I want to explore those worlds and that particular mind-space. I have opinions on the particular American-style gonzo/zanyness that it seems to have attracted. To my delight the Melsonian Arts Council is somewhat successfully filtering this overwhelming particular cultural expression of Troika! and is sticking to an almost personal vibe - admittedly I struggle to replicate it without resting on those american cultural exports.

So screw it. Hell yeah I am running OSE. Or maybe my hack of Knave (the original edition) which includes Giant Folk and GLoG spells. 

I dunno what with adventurewise but yeah.

Idle Fantasies

• A proper Troika! Sphere hopping campaign
• A game of Any Planet is Earth or Nighttripper or Offworlders
• An Into the Odd game using the OG Hexcrawl
• A Electric Bastionland game set in a semi-subtropical borough of Bastion.
• Mythic Bastionland. Need I say more?

Troika! Tuesday: d6+1 Spells

I absolutely loved Unturned Hovels small set of spells for Troika. See the First and the Second. 

So, in my first Troika Tuesday post I will throw my spells into the ring - these were thought up several years ago and posted on the Melsonian Arts Council Discord channel, except for one.  

 Next week I hope to post about either my Lensmen (emanations from a plane of all-plastic) or the various ways a golden barge may enter the spheres. 

Cairn in Nehwon

 

1. Northman

You have a distinctive feature: Purple Eyes, White Hair, Black Teeth, Massive Scar

1. Named Massive Weapon (d10, Bulky) 
2. Fur/Felt/Leather Cloak, coloured
3. An instrument
4. Snakefur belt.
5. A crude statue of a jug with a figure half in it.
   

2. Scoundrel

You bear a psychological or physical scar from a previous life (An aversion to magic, Burnt Hands, Melancholic Love, An obsession with gaudy wealth)

1. Named Smallish Weapon (d6)
2. Tightfitting Silk/Velvet/Leather Clothes
3. Random Spell
4. An Amulet belonging to a Noble
5. A pack of cards
   

3. Arcanist

You were cast out of a College  (I sold the last Scroll of Tsepatus the Wise, I provided a Familiar pet to an adored noblewomen, I entered one of the old temples.)

1. A bizarre familiar/homunculus (+1 Fatigue) (1hp)
   
2. Alchemy equipment
3. A flowing dark-hued robe.
4. Fatigue
5. 3 Spells
   
   

4. Sorceress

 You left your homeland being pursued by your sisters.

1. A Spell, dealing ranged damage of a particular element or damage type.  
2. 2 Rituals
   
3. A purse full of trinkets, used as currency in your land
4. A Blade, of curious design (d6)
   
5. A debilitating Scar (uses a slot)

5. Mercenary

Your previous band all died besides you.

1. A stolen sword
2. A shield, previously decorating a wall somewhere. 
3. Ill-fitting armour
4. A map of an area not far from here.
   
5. d10+2 assorted types of currency (each type is more or less enough for an ale)
   

6. Noble

 Are you even of nobility?

1. A black toga
2. d4+5 bejeweled rings, d6 are hollow and filled with various poisons
   
3. A jar of your favorite perfume
4. d4 bathing oils
5. An obsequious servant (3 hp, d4 Held Fan)
   

 

This was a fun little creative exercise, mostly for myself. Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser are excellent stories; I had to riff. If you wish to truly see an Into the Odd hack of Sword & Sorcery stories, see Weird North by Classless Kobolds and for more backgrounds see d66 Starting Loadouts for Cairn, also by Classless Kobolds

Vigilantes of Bastion

You are all part of the local boroughs street-level crime-fighting unit. Previously a long defunct local joke, but a bureaucratic debt has allowed it to jump back to life. You are named the (d3)... 

1. The [grouping] against [vice] 
2. The [grouping] of [virtue] 
3. The [virtue][grouping]
   

Grouping:

1. Team
2. League
3. Society
4. Squad
5. Allies
6. Union
7. Force
8. Friends 

Vice:

1. Evil 
2. Vice
3. Crime 
4. Sin 
5. Villainy 
6. Trouble 
7. Heresy 
8. Corruption

Virtue: 

1. Order
2. Good
3. Godliness
4. Truth
5. Peace 
6. Moral 
7. Justice
8. Temperance
   

You all get: an ill fitting suit, a dagger (d6) OR pistol (d6), a Secret Identity, a stuffy mask.

The Protector

You get; A smelly, troublesome van 

You rely on your...

1. Shield - Emblazoned with the team logo. +1 Armour, Bulky
   
2. Vicious Pet - It has claws, it has teeth, it is loyal. (3HP, bite d6)
   
3. Experimental Taser - Bulky, does d8 damage to Dex.
   
4. Body Armour - Lovingly Homemade. Armour 2
   
5. Noble Hunting Rifle with Scope - In a velvet case. Shoots at long range. Bulky, d10 Damage. Jams on a 1, requiring a Rest to fix.
   
6. Sawn-off Shotgun - Greased. Blast, d8 Damage.
   

You are protecting...

1. Home - You have a small family home in a truly run-down part of the borough.
   
2. Family - Take a family with d4 grandparents, d6 siblings and 2d6 assorted children, nieces and nephews.
   
3. Inheritance - You are flush with cash, but withdrawing takes a very long time.
   
4. Reputation - You are the last member of the previous team, respected.
   
5. Belief - You have full access to a sturdy temple. Its flock is small and the place in disrepair.
   
6. Love - They are all you have. You can't bear them being hurt.
   

The Slicer

You get; a contact, an Armourer 

Your signature weapons are...

1. Knives - Take d6+2 ornate butterfly knives (d6)
2. A Sword - Take an engraved katana (d8)
   
3. Darts - Take 2d6 darts (d4) OR 2d6 shurikens (d4)
   
4. A Chakram - A throwing frisbee of sharpened steel, glows blue (d6)
   
5. Shingle-Bow & Arrows - For Urban fighting. Bulky, d6 Damage.
   
6. Polearm - You know what it's actually called. Bulky, d8 Damage.
   

Your outlook on life is...

1. Pessimistic - your suit is garishly coloured
2. Optimistic - your suit is dark-toned
3. Supercilious - your suit is stylish
   
4. Entirely delusional - your suit lacks pants or shirt.
   
5. Paranoid - your suit covers you entirely
   
6. Non-committal - your suit is instantly forgettable.
   

The Gizmologist

 

You get; a small attic filled with your stuff.

Your specialty is in...

1. Drugs - You get three vials, one Deprives you, one Enhances your attacks, one heals you d8 damage.
   
2. Explosives - d6+1 Cobble-Bombs (d8 Blast).
   
3. Fire - a Flamethrower (Bulky, d8 Blast).
   
4. Surveillance - a small screen and d6+1 clockwork cameras.
   
5. Acids - d6 vials of acid (d6).
   
6. Movement - a loud Jetpack (Bulky), OR sticky gloves and shoes, OR Turbo-Skates.
   

You have a hobby

1. Music - take a couple pages of scribbled experimental sheet music.
   
2. Writing - take a set of notebooks and a chewed pencil nib.
   
3. Clothes - take a self-tailored dinner outfit.
   
4. Cooking - take a platinum diners club card, granting you a table at any restaurant.
   
5. Gaming - take a deck of peculiar cards OR crumbling polyhedral dice.
   
6. Art - take a set of well-used painting supplies.
   

The Mastermind

 

Read Injection

You get; a radio which randomly skips across channels

You know almost everything about...

1. Crime - Those nasty criminal goings on in the Borough.
   
2. Trade - Major ports, major faces, major routes.
   
3. Oddities - Those publicly known. Most are incredibly well protected.
   
4. Electricity - Its effects and uses.
   
5. Politics - Those mustache-twirling political factions and faces in the Borough.
   
6. The City - You know all the in-ways and alleys around the Borough.
   

You know so much because...

1. Books - Take a library card.
   
2. Formal education - A ragged degree.
   
3. Obsession - A stuffed notebook.
   
4. Survival - A tattoo.
   
5. An alien - A spoon/tuning fork.
   
6. Job - An official stamp with your name.
   

The Strongman

You get; Nothing, you're strong aintcha?

Your loved weapon is a...

1. Gym Club Anniversary Club - 25th if you must know. d6 Damage.
   
2. Fists - Your bare fists count as d6 Damage.
   
3. Random Items - You have learnt how to wield crude weapons. They count as d8 Damage in your hands.
   
4. Knuckledusters - Simple, effective. d6 Damage.
   
5. Legacy Weapon - It's big, it's spiky, it's heavy. You're sure you're holding the right end. (Bulky, d8)
   
6. Alien Sledgehammer - Used to knock down walls. Or heads. Or knees. (Bulky, d8)
   

You were..

1. An Urban Soldier - You have a friend in every area. Also an enemy.
   
2. A Strongman - Your face is well known, and people will ask for your autograph.
   
3. A Tradesman Bodyguard - Personal friends with a big CEO.
   
4. A Shingle Lacrosse Jock - Your team is having a bad season. People support you, in secret.
   
5. A Farmer - Smells don't phase you.
   
6. A Father - You are Deprived if you haven't visited their graves once a day.
   

The Warped

"Your dastardly plans are no more Homo Chiroptera!"

You get; a set of ragged clothes

Your power is...

1. Linguistic Telekinesis - When hearing a certain language, you can move most items (not bulky) with your mind.
   
2. Olfactory Memory ESP - When you concentrate on your favorite smell, you can hear thoughts.
   
3. Invisibility - Constantly. Take some paint OR powder OR bandages
   
4. Hyper-sense - Smell, Taste, Touch, Hearing or Sight, choose which.
   
5. Squishy Body - somehow your body can squeeze through keyholes
   
6. Strong Skin - You have 2 Armour.
   

You were changed by...

1. A Mad Mockery - Raygun Gothic, lightning electricity, crazy hair; the works. You get a Raygun (d6).
   
2. Magisterial Experimentation - You get a skeleton key which works for any government building.
   
3. Star-Stuff - a strange rock, if you give it, and then take it back, people are Deprived for the day.
   
4. Your Heritage - a Pitchfork (d6) and family tale.
   
5. A Mistake - Something spilled on you. You can drink anything.
   
6. Underground Games - A map of a local underground.
   

Maus-Spells

Blood Pact

For [DICE] turns, the HP of [SUM] mice is a pool. When this ends, the individuals with the lowest HP have theirs drained fully first.

Recharge: Submerge in the blood of three mice, dead or alive. 

 

Wings

For [DICE] hours, your hands become wings. Lose your hand slots.

Recharge: Do a favour for a flying creature, no charge.

 

Revulsion

For [SUM] turns, you are overcome with a debilitating nausea.

Recharge: Serve a revolting meal on the tablet. The individual must hate it & eat it of their own free will.

 

 

Muck

[DICE] creatures slots are now filled with a sticky, stinking mud. They are encumbered. Takes a full turn to clean enough to carry items, and a long rest to clean fully.

Recharge: Travel in muddy terrain for a full watch. The tablet must be held uncovered in both hands and not be dirtied. 

Iron Tooth

For [SUM] turns, your teeth and jaw become indestructible, able to bite or chew through anything.

Recharge: Open a locked metal chest/box with the spell inside.

forget everything you know and play a game.

I feel swamped. I have so much to read, to play, to analyse, to steal from, to collate, to collect, to admire, to critique. 

Troika!OSEB/XWorldWithoutNumberGodboundScarletHeroesDungeonWorldStarsWithoutNumberElectricBastionlandHeartseekerMorkBorgMausritterIntoTheOddFKRStarFrontieersKnaveTypewriterFantasyMazeRatsGammaWorldWarlock!TekumelGLoGFightingFantasyLabyrinthLordOtherDustCallofCthuluCthuluDarkIronsworn5e4ee3.5eAD&DOD&DChainmailWhiteHackBlackHackMachiattoMonstersTunnelGoonsPbtAFatePathfinderPF2eIndexCardRPGTravellerRuneQuestAnyPlanetIsEarthWeirdNorthDungeonCrawlClassicsWarhammerFantasyRPGMesserspielShadowrunFiveTorchesDeepOffWhiteCubeWhiteBoxFantasySwords&WizardryLamentationsoftheFlamePrincessBestLeftBuriedMothershipNumaBasicFantasySpearsoftheDawnWolvesofGodPariahandandandandandandandandandetcetcetcetcetc

Let's be clear. The best games have been played with nothing but a crappy rulebook, half-understood principles, and some dice. A match was lit in the dark room of Pen & Paper Roleplaying and revealed majesties you still struggle to comprehend. 

All you love was borne from stumbling in the half dark - until, slowly, you began to understand a shape of things. And now you are bored, glutted with syrups and processed mulch. 

Forget all of it. The assumptions, loves, stories and hates. Throw it all away. 

Pick up a book, get some friends, a place, paper, pencils, some dice

and play.