Video episode originally posted Feb 15, 2023.
Introduction
“Troika is a science fantasy RPG in which players travel by eldritch portal and non-Euclidean labyrinth and golden-sailed barge between the uncountable crystal Spheres strung delicately across the hump-backed sky. What you encounter on those spheres and in those liminal places is anybody’s guess. Although inside this book you will find people and artifacts from those worlds which will suggest the shape of things. The adventure and wonder are in the gaps. The game is defined by the ways in which you fill them.”
I’ve been reading The Dying Earth by Jack Vance, which is an inspiration for not only Troika, but also original D&D and a lot of the early role-playing games. It’s science fantasy and it’s totally nutty. Recommended.
My understanding is that Troika is a very lethal system, which means the characters may die frequently. Because of this, I want to set up a structure where we could keep the threads going without the characters needing to survive.
In The Dying Earth, there are a number of capricious and miserly wizards with palaces full of magical objects and gewgaws. So let’s have a wizard quest giver who hires adventurers to expand their collection of magical trinkets. As our characters come in, they’ll go on quests for this wizard, and as they die, they wizard will simply replace them on the team and we’ll move forward. That’s the starting point at least. Where we end up is anybody’s guess.
Transcript of Play
What is this wizard’s name?
- Story Cubes: [mushroom] [butterfly net]
- Mien: Angry.
The study of mushrooms is called mycology. Myco-net. Myconet. We’ll change the mien to Mad, just so there’s alliteration, and add him to our NPC list. Myconet the Mad.
Troika characters are called backgrounds, which are basically descriptions and lists of starting equipment, which we flesh out through play. We’ll roll two random backgrounds for our starting characters.
- Background: Dwarf.
“You are a short, hairy, belligerent creature. Dwarfs are a fabricated people, each made in turn by another, and as such there are no Dwarf children or Dwarf parents to prevent you from fully committing to the important Dwarfy endeavors of creating fine art in unusual places. You intend to find the most unusual places in all the million spheres.”
It starts with a masonry hammer and a roll of artists supplies.
Name?
- Story Cubes: [pointing] [package]
Pointage the Dwarf.
- Background: Wizard Hunter.
“Some people say that man is the most dangerous prey. They are wrong. Can men ignite the air and freeze your blood? Can men turn into flocks of seagulls when cornered in an alley? No, they can’t. Wizards are the most dangerous prey.”
Starts with a large sack, witch hair rope, crossbow and bolts, sword, pocket gods, and a ruby lorgnette.
Name?
- Story Cubes: [magnet][maze]
Magnaza the Wizard Hunter.
I’m going to create placeholder threads for each of these characters. They have ties to NPCs and personal goals. We don’t know what these are yet and they will be discovered during play.
We’re in a large palace on the outskirts of Troika. There are large verandas carved into the side of a mountain, and balconies and doorways and arches. In the central greeting room, lined with curtains, is a large chair, and in the chair is a shriveled, bearded wizard with long eyebrows named Myconet the Mad.
In front of him are a little grubby dwarf creature, very small and a little bit dirty with sort of a twinkling glimmer in the eye, and a wizard hunter, a woman with a practical traveling cloak and a large hat and very tough appearance about her.
Myconet speaks and says, “You may be wondering why I’ve asked you here to my grand palace here today.”
Magnaza nods, confused. She doesn’t trust or like wizards, but there’s coin involved, so she’s hearing him out.
Myconet: “There is something that I need for my collection and I would like you two to obtain it.”
What is it?
- Story Cubes: [spacesuit] [mushroom cloud]
Myconet: “It is an Explosive Suit of great power. In old days it was most revered as a warrior’s suit. It could not only create large explosions but could also survive them. I need it to add to my vast collection.”
The dwarf and the wizard hunter look around. They see that this place is already filled with all sorts of magical objects. What on Earth could this wizard possibly need with more? But it seems like the price is right.
Myconet: “So this is what I want you to do. I know where you might find it but it’s not going to be easy. I have hired you two specifically for this task.”
Myconet has hired these two for a reason, so the plan must have something to do with their specific skills. The Explosive Suit is already in the possession of a different wizard. Maybe someone who Myconet has had a rivalry with in the past. He wants Magnaza to hunt down this other wizard and then he wants the dwarf Pointage to create a facsimile of the actual suit and swap them out. The other wizard won’t know that the suit is missing for long enough for them to get away.
Myconet explains this plan: “You, wizard hunter, are going to hunt down the wizard who’s currently in ownership of this suit and you, dwarf, you’re going to create a suit replacement and we’re going to switch them out.”
Pointage and Magnaza look at each other and say, “Okay, I guess that’s what we’re doing.”
Myconet: “So here’s what you need to know.”
- Distance: On the same sphere, but close.
- Point of Interest: factory.
- Story Cubes: [satellite dish]
It’s in a factory that creates listening dishes for communication, owned by this other wizard.
We’ve got our first thread. Retrieve the Explosive Suit.
Pointage and Magnaza leave the palace. They look at each other and they introduce themselves to each other.
First thing, they’re going to need to get to this place. It’s not within walking distance. It’s close by, but it’s still going to take some time to journey. They need to find some means of travel.
- Story Cubes: [shouting]
There’s a method by which people can magically shout and push a transport down a chute and it flies off into the distance. Magnaza and Pointage find such a place, strap themselves in, and they say where they want to go. There’s a big gust of wind, shouting and they fly off on their little pod.
They land in a smaller town outside of Troika where this factory is located.
Magnaza suggests, “I am going to go scout the area. You can go gather your supplies, and then we can meet back here at the local inn and develop a plan for how best to get this Explosive Suit.”
Who are we going to follow first? Pointage needs to gather supplies, but he doesn’t know what the suit is made out of yet. Let’s have Magnaza do some scouting and gather information.
She asks around for the factory, which, being a point of interest, locals would know where it is.
Does the factory have security or defenses?
- Oracle: No Plus.
It is totally undefended. Which is strange. Everybody knows where the factory is and people come in and out all the time. A lot of the people and creatures in this town work, or are involved at, this factory that makes the communication dishes.
She can just wander right in. She goes in with a flow of workers.
Does she find any evidence of the wizard who owns the Explosive Suit?
- Oracle: Yes But.
She finds evidence, but the wizard themself is not there. There are many small versions of the communication dishes hung up in the factory that magically teleport sound. She hears the wizard speaking, encouraging the workers.
Does this seem like a nice boss?
- Oracle: Yes.
Wizard’s voice: “Keep up your great work, workers. You’re doing an excellent job. You’re fine workers and your craftsmanship is impeccable. Keep working! Keep it up!”
The workers seem like they would be talking, and it seems like the environment is pretty open. Pretty free. Pretty happy.
What do the workers say?
- Story Cubes: [drama masks]
They say, “Well, the master is in a good mood today. But that’s not always the case. So I’m glad you caught him on a good day and not on a bad day, because when it’s a bad day, it’s real bad. But today is good! It’s all good today! No problems today!”
Magnaza asks around, “What’s this wizard’s name?”
- Story Cubes: [cage][Olympus]
We’ll call him Cagalympus the Mercurial, as it seems like his moods change very frequently.
I’m going to roll an event for this next section to see what happens. This is inspired by the random events from Mythic. How this works is, we come up with a plan for the scene and then we roll on the event table and that is going to change our expectations and surprise us.
- Event: NPC.
- NPC: (blank)
We can either choose an NPC from our list or we can add somebody new. Let’s come up with somebody new.
- NPC: enthusiastic burglar.
Magnaza and Pointage are spending some time out on the plaza of this town, and there’s workers streaming in and out, and people going on with their daily lives. Maybe they’re sitting at a café.
From the alley comes this darkly dressed person who slinks over to their table and says, “I recognize your type. We don’t get outsiders here very often. You might be here to, say, procure certain items?”
Magnaza says, “Well, what’s it to you?”
Pointage is just sipping on his drink.
Burglar: “I could maybe help you.”
Does this burglar also want to steal the explosive suit?
- Oracle: Yes But.
Yes, but, of course, for themselves.
Burglar: “Listen. You may have come across, or heard about Cagalympus the Mercurial who, among other things, runs the factory in this town. He has certain powerful artifacts including, I am told, an Explosive Suit. If you would be willing to help me procure it you would get a vast share of the eventual selling price.”
Now Magnaza and Pointage have an interesting choice. They are already off to steal this Explosive Suit. Then there’s someone else who also wants to steal it, but is going to cut them in, presumably.
Is what this burglar is offering more than what Myconet is offering?
- Oracle: No But.
There’s something about working with Myconet that is a disadvantage. Well, Magnaza doesn’t like wizards. So the choice is: they can work with this burglar and make less money, or they can keep working for a wizard, which Magnaza finds distasteful.
Magnaza says, “We’ve been hired together, Pointage, so it should be a unanimous decision, whether we should break this contract with Myconet.”
Pointage raises the fact, “Well, it’s not wise to cross a wizard, especially one as powerful as Myconet. I don’t know if breaking our contract with him would be such a good idea.”
They’re talking in private. The burglar has gone off, but they’re probably listening in.
“But on the other hand, Pointage,” says Magnaza, “We know that this burglar is going to be going after the same quarry. If we don’t work with him, we’ll be working against him.”
This is an interesting dilemma. What are they going to do? They could maybe use the burglar’s help to get in, and then betray the burglar, and then take the suit. Using whatever the burglar already knows and then cutting out the burglar when they get the opportunity.
That’s the plan. They don’t want to be working against this burglar, they’re going to pretend to work with them for as long as it’s helpful, and then they’ll cut them out and take the suit back to Myconet, if only because they don’t want to anger a wizard who has hired them.
What is the burglar’s name?
- Story Cubes: [vial] [igloo]
Vialgloo, the enthusiastic burglar.
Does Vialgloo know anything about the Explosive Suit?
- Oracle: No But.
No, he doesn’t know anything about the suit, but he has already scouted a way to get into the place where the suit is stored.
Tell us about this place.
- Story Cubes: [wizard]
There’s a wizard’s tower on the outskirts of this town, and Vialgloo knows how to get there and how to break in.
What happens next?
- Event: Local event
- Story Cubes: [fighting]
Are there more burglars? Is this a burglar hotbed that everybody knows and are constantly trying to break in? That is too good.
- Oracle: Yes But.
Forget the but because that’s just too funny.
On the way to the wizard’s tower, they hear scuffling and shouting. They hide behind some foliage and see all these other burglars fighting each other, trying to get into the tower.
Magnaza turns to Vialgloo and says, “Did you know this was going to happen?”
Is there something particular about tonight that it’s going to be a good night to burgle?
- Oracle: Yes.
- Story Cubes: [rocket ship]
Vialgloo: “Cagalympus is away on a trip to a distant sphere, and this is known, so that is probably why all these other burglars are here to break in.”
Magnaza says, “Did you have a plan for how to get past these other burglars or is your plan sort of the same?”
- Oracle: Yes Plus.
- Story Cubes: [starry night]
Vialgloo pulls out a little satchel of, let’s call it, Night Dust. They get close and Vialgloo throws out the bag of dust and this sphere of night settles over all the other burglars. They can’t see. They stop fighting. Vialgloo takes Magnaza’s hand and Magnaza takes Pointage’s hand and leads them into the wizard’s tower.
How many obstacles are they going to have to overcome before they get to the Explosive Suit?
- d6: Quite a few.
This will be similar to a dungeon crawl, going up the levels of the tower.
What’s on the first level?
- Story Cubes: [laser]
There’s a laser trap. Can they see how the laser trap might be operated?
- Oracle: Yes But.
Yes they can, but it’s protected. Magnaza is going to fire a crossbow bolt and try to disable the trap.
- Skill roll: fail.
She tries to fire at the protected control panel that operates the laser trap, but she’s not able to break it.
Pointage can see gaps in the lasers. He’s small enough. Can he crawl through the laser trap?
- Skill roll: success.
With his very high awareness charts a path and crawls through the laser trap.
Can he punch the control panel?
- Skill roll: success.
He punches the control device, and the lasers are disabled, and the others are able to make it through this first trapped entryway.
What’s going on in this next area?
- Story Cubes: [laser gun]
That was a laser trap, and this is a laser gun. It’s similar, but what’s different about this thing?
- Story Cubes: [magnifying glass]
This one tracks you.
They climb the stairs to the next level. There’s a central pedestal with a laser that can move around, but it hones in on a signal, or a life form. Rather than static lasers that you have to dodge, this one is going to shoot anything that it detects. So how are they going to get through this one?
Magnaza is going to try to shoot a crossbow bolt directly into the nozzle and see if she can break it.
- Skill roll: fail.
As the bolt approaches, the gun turns and evaporates it.
Magnaza postulates that the device might operate by heat detection. If she lights one of her crossbow bolts on fire, and then either shoots it across or throws it across, that might distract the turret long enough for them to sneak past.
So the question is, is that actually how it operates? Will this work?
- Oracle: No, But.
No, that is not how it operates, it doesn’t operate by heat, but it will still distract it. The motion of the smoke is going to distract it. She’s rapidly losing crossbow bolts. She lights one of her bolts on fire and tosses it. The smoke billows up, and the laser turns toward the direction of the smoke.
They sneak past the turret trap, and go up the stairs to the next room.
- What’s in this room?
- Story Cubes: [bow and arrows]
This one has an Indiana Jones-style pressure plate and arrows coming through the walls. Is Pointage able to navigate successfully?
- Skill roll: success.
Pointage sees which pressure plates are the dangerous ones and navigates the crew successfully through the arrow trap.
They finally make it to the level where the Explosive Suit is displayed on a pedestal in the center of the room.
Are there other artifacts here?
- Oracle: No.
Magnaza, Pointage, and Vialgloo break in, and Pointage studies the suit.
Vialgloo says, “Look. We’re here. We’ve made it through all the traps. Why do we have to come up with a replacement? Why couldn’t we just steal it now? We’re here. We know Cagalympus is out, not here, and not going to be coming back soon. We could just steal it now and save us a whole bunch of trouble going through all those traps, again.”
Magnaza says, “Well, I know that doesn’t put your skills to use, Pointage. But you did help us a lot getting up. We wouldn’t have been able to get through the traps without your keen awareness. So what do you think? We don’t have to follow the plan exactly. All Myconet wants is the suit.”
They agree to go ahead and steal the suit. They break it up into pieces. Pointage might be able to carry it by himself, but Vialgloo is going to want some of it too.
They take it apart and they distribute it amongst themselves, and make their way back through the traps and out into the darkness from the Night Dust, which is just starting to subside, and they steal away into the night.
But now they need to do something about Vialgloo. So what does Magnaza do? I mean, she’s a hunter. She’d probably just shoot Vialgloo in the back and take the pieces. This counts as unawares.
- Skill roll: fail.
She misses. This is going to be a problem.
Vialgloo turns and says, “Alright, you want to play it that way? Let’s play it that way.”
We’re in combat.
- Stack: Pointage.
Pointage comes up, takes out his hammer, and fights.
- Pointage vs Vialgloo: Vialgloo wins.
Pointage runs up with his hammer, but Vialgloo’s fingers turn into long claws, and he’s able to slash and scratch and do two damage to Pointage.
Pointage goes, “Ah!”
- Stack: Vialgloo.
Vialgloo, right there, strikes back.
- Vialgloo vs. Pointage: Pointage wins. (double sixes)
Oh! Pointage rolls doubles. That’s a Mighty Blow.
He’s going to not only strike, but he’s also going to do double damage with his hammer. He does 16 damage. Short fight.
Vialgloo strikes back but now Pointage is ready. He steps aside. Vialgloo tumbles to the ground and Pointage is able to smack him in the head with his hammer, with a Mighty Blow, killing Vialgloo instantly.
That was easy.
Magnaza looks at Pointage, and says, “Very impressive.”
Pointage looks back at Magnaza, and says, “Yeah, you haven’t made a shot all night, have you?”
Magnaza: “But, we did get the suit, did we not?”
They put the suit back together and they head back to Troika.