Hey look! Actual gamable content!
I'm running Troika! with my Saturday online group ("The Germans"). The characters are mostly new-comers to Troika, so I'm running it as a light city-crawl (with a lot of influence from Dark Heart of the Dreamer). As the PCs travel from district-to-district I roll to see what kind of weird encounters they have with the locals.
I'll need to come up with more of these soon, as my players are burning through this original batch pretty fast!
City Encounters
Roll 2d6 whenever the PCs travel from one part of Troika to
another.
- 2: Demonic Incursion
- 3: Illicit Magic Dealer
- 4-5: Drinking Contest to the Death
- 6-8: No Encounter
- 9-10: Musical Debate
- 11: Dwarf Artist
- 12: Lamassu Fashionista
Demonic Incursion
A gate of bone and obsidian opens in the middle of the
street. A demon and a demon hunter stumble out, mid-combat. She is Bianca Sten, a young woman with white
hair, a facial scar, crimson cloak, and massive silver sword. He is Skathe, a demon of Rage, eight-foot
tall with red scales, a lion’s head, tuxedo jacket, and eye lasers.
If the PCs do nothing, the fight will last for another 3
rounds. After that, roll 1d6 for the results. 1-4, the demon wins. 5-6
the hunter wins. Either way, the winning side will berate the PCs for not
helping them.
- Bianca Sten: Skill 8, Stamina 13, Initiative 2, Armor 2, Damage: greatsword (silver)
- Skathe: Skill 9, Stamina: 20, Initiative 2, Armor 2, Damage: eye-beams (as fusil), double damage from silver. Gold and jade nose-ring worth 50sp.
Illicit Magic Dealer
PCs are surreptitiously approached by Gambolpuddy Spree,
a weasel of a man with a long gray cloak and battered hat. He offers them a
deal on several bits of contraband magic.
Gambolpuddy Spree: Skill 5, Stamina 6, Initiative 1,
Armor 1, Damage: knife
- No-Pants Powder: Blow this fine pink powder at your target. They must make a Luck roll (Skill for enemies) or their pants will fall to their ankles. 15sp
- Double Trouble Bubble: A fragile glass orb that, when shattered, will create a duplicate of the last person to touch it. They will have identical clothing and equipment, but an entirely different philosophy and moral outlook. 100sp
- Healing Liquor: Potent alcoholic distillation that may or may not heal damage. Roll 1d6. 1-2: nothing happens, 3-5: Instantly regain 2d6 Stamina, 6: Transform into a box tortoise for 1d6 days. 10sp
- A small red book containing the Zed spell. 50sp
Drinking Contest to the Death!
A large crowd gathers around one of the many small beer
gardens in this part of the city.
Two women sit across a table from each other, among dozens
of scattered jugs and steins. What started as a simple IP dispute between the
two women has escalated beyond reason. Juliette
Spank and Marva Ritter have decided to settle their affairs with a
drinking contest… to the DEATH!
If the PCs do nothing, one or both will succumb to alcohol
poisoning in 1d6+3 rounds of drinks. Roll 1d6: 1-3: Juliette dies. 4-5: Marva
dies. 6: Both die.
- Julliette Spank: Skill 4, Stamina 8, Initiative 2, Armor 1 (leather apron), Damage: hammer
- Marva Ritter: Skill 3, Stamina 9, Initiative 2, Armor 0, Damage: pistolette
- Pennyweather Plunk: Skill 4, Stamina 8, Initiative 1, Armor 0, Damage: sword.
Musical Debate
A large group of rough-looking men come tumbling out of a
near-by tavern, violently punching, kicking, and shouting at each other.
The men are divided into two camps, who strongly disagree on
popular music of the day. One group thinks that Trace Crystalis is the freshest
voice in contemporary acoustic vapor-gaze. The other group asserts that Luna
Sixx is breaking boundaries in nouveau autobiographical mope-core.
The violent men will demand the PCs settle their debate.
- Angry Music Lovers (12 per side): Skill 6, Stamina 13, Initiative: 2; Armor 0. Armed only with their fists.
Dwarf Artist
Crimbo Caspacian is carving a large sculpture in the
center of Casternally Cross, a busy intersection. He is currently carving a
giant topaz into a 6-foot tall sculpture of flame at the behest of the Red
Church. When he finishes his work in 1d6 days, the sculpture will glow and
flicker like a real fire.
He is constantly pestered by territorial owls, who are
displeased by this intrusion into their prime brooding space. Crimbo will
gladly pay the PCs 20sp a day each to keep the owls and other pests away.
On the final day of crafting, Crimbo’s hated rival Jangle
Handspan will run out of the crowd, screaming curses, and angrily lob a
bomb into the workspace.
- Crimbo Caspacian: Skill 5, Stamina: 12, Initiative 2, Armor 0, Carving tools (treat as daggers)
- Jangle Handspan: Skill 5, stamina: 13, Initiative 2, Armor 0, Bomb (20’ radius, damage as fusil, Luck roll to avoid)
Lamassu Fashionista
Uk-Ululu, brazen-maned lamassu attended by seven
beautiful androgenes dressed in fragile gold and buttery samite.
Uk-Ululu and his entourage will loudly berate the PCs for
their poor sense of fashion and style.
However, if the PCs show grace, humor, and wit in the face
of such harsh criticism, they will earn Uk-Ululu’s favor. The Lamassu will
treat them to a shopping spree to the tune of 1d3x50sp in fine clothing and
accessories.
- Uk-Ululu the Lamassu: Skill 9, Stamina 20, Initiative 2, Armor 0, Claws (as sword) and Hooves (as club), Spells: Amity, Illusion, Peace
- Beautiful Hangers-On: Skill: 3, Stamina: 9, Initiative: 1, Armor: 0, Unarmed. Spells: Light, Befuddle.
