Troika! | Voidbound Tales

Creating your character

🎭 Character Creation In Troika!, character creation is fast, strange, and endlessly surprising. You won’t spend hours planning a build or charting out feats—you’ll roll a few dice, jot down some numbers, and suddenly you’ll know who you are. Half the fun is discovering what kind of person tumbles out of the spheres and onto the golden barge beside the other players. ✨ Step One: Background Instead of picking a class, you’ll roll randomly (or choose) from a vast catalog of eccentric Backgrounds. This is the heart of Troika! A Background tells you: Who you are (Failed Wizard, Monkeymonger, Befouler of Ponds, Lonesome Monarch, etc.) What you’re good at (Skills and possessions tied to your past). Where you came from (a snippet of lore, absurd or profound). Your Background will shape your first adventures but never trap you—what you become is up to you. 🎲 Step Two: Skills & Stats Troika! uses a simple core mechanic: roll 2d6 + Skill to beat a target number. Your Background gives you some Skills and Possessions to start with, while your base Stats are rolled with a few dice: Skill (your overall competence) Stamina (your health and willpower) Luck (your fortune, both good and bad) This is quick and light—expect to have a character ready in minutes, not hours. 🧰 Step Three: Equipment Your Background comes with quirky, useful, or bizarre starting gear. This could be anything from a pouch of frogspawn to a laser rapier, from a riding beast to an egg that has never been opened. The equipment list is part of the fun—you’ll immediately have props to roleplay with and odd tools that might become the key to survival. 🚪 Step Four: Step Through the Door Once you’ve rolled your stats and chosen your Background, that’s it—you’re ready. Characters in Troika! are fragile, ridiculous, and heroic all at once. Don’t worry about min-maxing or making the “right” choice. This is a game about embracing the unexpected and seeing what happens when your oddball character collides with the impossible. 🌌 What to Expect Fast Play: You can make a new character in minutes—even mid-session if your last one meets a sudden fate. Shared Spotlight: Everyone’s Background is equally strange, so no one gets lost in the shuffle. Endless Variety: There are 36 core Backgrounds in the main book, plus hundreds more in fan supplements. Every session can bring entirely new kinds of heroes to the table. In Troika!, you don’t plan who you’ll be—you discover it. Whether you’re a sorcerer’s apprentice with too much ambition, a perfumed noble who has lost their court, or an animated glass automaton with questions about existence, the only certainty is that you’ll be unforgettable.

Preparing for the session

🧳 Player Preparation One of the joys of Troika! is how little you need to bring to the table—your curiosity and imagination are more important than any pile of rulebooks or spreadsheets. This game thrives on whimsy, surreal imagery, and unexpected choices, so come ready to be surprised by your character, the world, and yourself. 🎲 Rules Knowledge No prior knowledge of Troika! is required. I’ll teach everything you need at the table. The system is intentionally light: roll a few dice, check a few numbers, and then lean into the story. If you’ve never rolled dice in your life, you’ll still be able to play confidently within minutes. If you’re an experienced roleplayer, Troika!’s oddness and elegance will feel like a refreshing shift from heavier systems. 📜 Character Creation We’ll build characters together at the start of play. It takes just a few minutes and is one of the highlights of the game. You’ll roll or choose a Background, which instantly gives you skills, gear, and a hint of story. Your Background might be heroic, ridiculous, melancholy, or bizarre—and often all at once. Don’t worry about balance or optimization; in Troika!, the strange mix is what makes the game shine. 🪐 What You’ll Need A way to roll six-sided dice (physical dice or digital roller). Something to take notes with—digital sheet, index card, or paper works fine. An open mind and a willingness to lean into the weird. Access to our Discord server (for voice chat and community). A free Roll20 account (where we’ll play the game itself). Links to join the Discord and Roll20 game will be shared once you’ve signed up. ☕ Table Expectations Troika! isn’t about “winning” or “beating” the game. It’s about discovery, improvisation, and sometimes failing in hilarious or cosmic ways. Here’s what you can expect: Collaborative Play: Build on each other’s ideas. The stranger, the better. Fluid Tone: Surreal whimsy and absurd comedy exist right alongside danger and melancholy. Don’t be surprised if tea with a talking lizard leads directly into a battle with a celestial horror. Short Arcs, Long Voyage: Each session tells a complete story, but together they weave into an ongoing journey. ⏳ Session Length & Pacing We meet for about three hours per session. This length keeps the pace brisk, ensures everyone has time in the spotlight, and helps each session feel complete. Sometimes we’ll end with a satisfying resolution, other times with a thrilling cliffhanger that propels us into the next adventure. Either way, the three-hour rhythm balances immersion with real-life schedules, keeping the game both engaging and sustainable week after week. 🌌 Final Notes Bring your curiosity. Bring your sense of humor. Bring your willingness to ask, “What if…?” You don’t need to memorize rules or prepare character sheets in advance—the fun of Troika! is discovering who you are and what you can do once the golden barge sets sail. If you’ve ever wanted to drift through dreamlike worlds,

What Ukulele Mike brings to the table

🌟 What I Provide Running Troika! is about embracing the strange, the beautiful, and the absurd. My role as GM is to guide you through the infinite crystal spheres, keep the pace lively, and ensure everyone has space to shine. Here’s what you can expect when you join one of my games: 📖 Rules & Guidance I’ll teach you everything you need to know—no rulebooks required. Troika! is light and fast, so I’ll handle the crunchy bits and make sure you always know what to roll and when. Whether you’re new to RPGs or a seasoned gamer, you’ll be supported at the table. 🎭 Character Creation I’ll walk you through creating your character step by step. It’s quick, surprising, and fun—half the joy of Troika! is discovering who you are right as the story begins. You’ll have a unique Background, skills, and odd possessions within minutes, ready to leap into adventure. 🌌 Adventures Among the Spheres I provide a rotating tapestry of surreal locations, strange encounters, and dreamlike quests. You might board a golden barge drifting between dying suns, parley with bureaucrats in a city built on the back of a celestial beast, or duel an assassin armed with nothing but a flamingo. Each session offers something new and unexpected. 🐍 A Safe & Welcoming Table I foster a collaborative, inclusive space where player comfort comes first. We’ll use safety tools (like breaks, open door, and stars & wishes) so everyone feels empowered to shape the story together. Weirdness should be joyful, not stressful. 🔮 Immersion & Atmosphere I bring flavorful descriptions, surreal imagery, and a touch of whimsy to every session. Troika! thrives on mood—absurd, melancholy, and wondrous all at once—and I’ll help you step fully into that dreamlike rhythm. 🚂 Smooth Online Play Discord server for voice, community, and table chatter. Roll20 for maps, handouts, and dice rolls. Links provided upon signup, so joining is simple. ⏳ Pacing & Structure Sessions run about three hours. This gives enough time for each story to breathe—whether it’s a self-contained romp or a cliffhanger that propels us into the next chapter. You’ll leave each session feeling like you’ve traveled somewhere truly unusual. 🌠 Decades of Experience I’ve been running online games for decades, honing the craft of balancing story, rules, and table energy. You’ll benefit from a GM who knows how to keep sessions moving, spotlight shared, and the tone just right. ✨ Lasting Memories Most importantly, I provide the opportunity to tell unforgettable stories together. Your Troika! character might be foolish, doomed, or unexpectedly noble, but whatever happens, they’ll be memorable. Expect laughter, wonder, and the kind of tales you’ll retell long after the dice have cooled.

How Ukulele Mike creates a safe table

🛡️ Safety Tools Troika! is a game of surreal whimsy, cosmic danger, and dreamlike absurdity. To keep the table fun and welcoming for everyone, we’ll use a handful of safety tools. These are simple check-ins and agreements that make sure the game stays enjoyable no matter how weird or wild things get. 🕰️ Breaks ⏸️ If you need a pause for any reason, just say so. 🫖 We’ll usually take a short 5-minute break about halfway through each session, but anyone can call for one as needed. 🌬️ Stepping away for a quick breather keeps everyone energized and present. 🚪 Open Door 🚪 You may leave the game at any time, for any reason. 🕊️ If you plan to return, just let me know when—you’ll always have a spot waiting. 🌌 No explanation needed. Life happens, and the door is always open. 📜 Lines & Veils ⛔ Lines: Hard boundaries—these topics will not appear in the game. 🌙 Veils: Content may exist, but only off-screen, faded to black, or mentioned in passing. 📝 We’ll establish Lines & Veils together before play using a shared list. It’s a living document that can be updated anytime. ⭐ Wishes & Stars ⭐ Stars: At the end of each session, everyone highlights a moment they enjoyed—something another player did, a scene, or just a fun detail. 🌠 Wishes: Everyone can share one thing they’d love to see next time—an encounter, a tone, a type of story. 🔮 This helps me tailor future sessions while making sure everyone gets to celebrate what’s working. ❌ X-Card ❌ If something comes up in play that makes you uncomfortable, you can invoke the X-Card. ✋ Do this by saying “X,” typing “X” in chat, or making an X gesture. 🔄 We’ll immediately remove, fade out, or adjust the content—no questions asked. 🌈 It’s not about justification—it’s about keeping the game safe and fun. 💡 These tools are not here to restrict creativity—they’re here to protect it. When players know the table is safe, they’re free to get weird, dramatic, and silly without hesitation. Troika! works best when everyone leans into the unexpected, and safety tools ensure that exploration always feels adventurous, not harmful.