Hello and welcome to episode 2 of the weekly scroll.
Today we will be going over Troika which is a wild and wacky
tabletop RPG. It is described as A complete
science fiction, fantasy RPG, full of critically, acclaimed,
riding built in Wonder and room for everyone at the table to go
wild. So this should be interesting.
We'll see how this goes. I have read through this book a
little bit, a little bit, but what I want to do here on the
weekly scroll is whether it takes an episode or two is to
pull up the the PDF of the book as long as there's a PDF of the
book and really dig through it. Page by Page cover kind of like
what we did with last week with Merck Borg and Jason.
But kind of a little bit more in depth because we already have
characters made him work board. We've been campaigning in Mark
board, so it was a little bit different, but when it's games,
how we haven't played or haven't done anything with, I really
want to dig through the book as much as possible.
Create a character look at some scenarios.
Look at all the world tables. Do all of those things.
So that's what we're going to do with Troika.
So we'll see if we get through all of that today.
And if we do not then we will finish it up next week, but
we're going to do today, like we're going to do most days and
we are going to Kick start the stream.
So we're going to go over a little bit of Kickstarter things
that I'm currently backing things that look interesting
things that are on the horizon. So we will see what is going on
with that this week. I think I only backed one, new
project, if I look at what's a little bit different.
Yes. So this week the only thing I
backed was the mag of holding and it's 5e and I'm Really
personally moving away from five you with a lot of content and
stuff. I think the evil campaign we run
over on the adventure archive will be the last five E campaign
to run for probably a while. So the mag of holding one of the
reasons I decided to back this. Not even backed it at a physical
level. We'll see if I just drop back
down to PDF is just because I'm a fucking 36 year old Edge Lord
who likes dark evil shit. And this apparently this is like
something that's, this is the third mag of holding the others,
being the Frozen wastelands and Pirates and seafaring.
But this one is gothic horror. It looks interesting there's a
lot of stuff going on with it. There are new items.
There are new encounters there are evil creatures.
There are classes and subclasses involved.
So The day modifiers, spirits of nine, Hells are born without
shape or form wondering as amorphous Spirits, across the
inhospitable Landscapes until summoned, were sent to the other
planes on behalf of their fiendish.
Masters Twisted subclasses pack to the aberration new Feats of
magic items. So a lot of fun dark stuff.
And the cool thing about a lot of things like this is, I'm
always going to do dark stuff. So, even if it is for 5e, it can
Still be used as inspiration for other games or One-Shots or
things like that. So I thought this looked really
interesting I'm going to check it out as I said, right now it's
25. The issue is that it is, it's
from the aisles, it's in the UK. So not only is it more expensive
because it's conversion of USD right now, which is terrible,
but it will be shipping to. So there's a good chance that I
will drop down to PDF for this, but I do always like, to have
physical copies of things as much as possible.
I personally find it easier to read So that is the only thing I
back this week. But coming up, I think we might
have talked about this last week.
As far as saved projects, I did not end up backing starts
without numbers. I did not end up backing
blackbirds. I looked into this by hand or
system. Maybe I'll snag it as an art as
a PDF sometime soon. But spy hander is it's in the
osr realm and blackbirds is for those by hand or gay.
So, that's what I'm looking at now.
It's a game called. It's a, it's a Kickstarter
called blackbirds. It looks amazing.
The setting looks amazing, but I don't have Sly hander.
You need spy handler to run it, and if I hand, her looks like a
rules medium game, which is not really what I'm into right now.
So this will always be out there in the future.
It definitely met its funding goal.
So so we will not have any issues finding another feature,
if we want to start looking at a game, like spy handler.
But again it is more of a rules medium game.
So I decided to stay away from that.
It did get backed at 121 thousand dollars.
So if you want to check out the Blackbirds RPG, I'm sure there's
late pledges and things you can look at but I chose not to
because and another a number of projects that look interesting
if it's systems I don't have in systems, I don't plan on
imminently running I'm going to stop backing a lot of things on
Kickstarter. I think the last time we talked
about the two-point game night fell, I don't have to Bunk and
in order to get night fell unfortunately with Myself.
What I would want to do is then by all things to him, Punk and I
need to stop doing that. So that's what I'm doing.
So if I'm not going to immediately run it and I need an
entire new system to do it. I'm going to stop backing in so
we did not back blackbirds this week.
There is some other interesting things coming up though.
I thought I had, I thought I had saved it to be.
Maybe it's not even a project yet.
So it won't be in my My in my stuff, but let me bring up
something coming up. I'll probably talk about this
more and more as we move forward.
I might have talked about this previously as well, that has
been brought up over on her Discord Channel.
And that is this right here. Hopefully, the music.
Let's just not have the music playing?
Just in case it's not copyright free.
But this is something I am incredibly excited for for those
that are not that are listening and podcast for it is the box
set of Mothership. Apparently Mothership has been a
in beta this entire time published put out there, you
know, games being written games being remedied by the people
that put, Put the game out but supposedly has been in beta this
entire time. So the official game, the
official box set, everything will be dropping for Mothership
are the kickstarter will be releasing on November 2nd 2021 I
am very excited for it. I have the current Mothership
game. I have a lot of Mothership ziens
already in Adventures. I think I've got five or six
already like gosh, they're there right there.
You I can jump to you sometime, but box that coming out, I'm
sure there's going to be some Adventures associated with it.
It's going to be a slightly updated set of rules.
I don't think it's going to be too much different, so most of
the adventure should still be able to be run with it.
So very, very excited, big news. And tabletop role-playing games
is the official Mothership boxset dropping on Kickstarter
November 2nd 2021. So I am very, very, very excited
for that. We will be running that on the
adventure archive which is what you're listening to right now.
Now is the adventure archive on, either Jason or myself or both.
At some point will be running those those Adventures.
I'm very excited for that. I know critical role did a mix
in there. One shot of alien and Mothership
mixed together. So it would be really
interesting to see how that could a Homebrew came together.
I did not watch that one shot but I know it is it is out there
and they did it and it seems interesting.
So we'll see how well those two go together.
Mothership is Is not part of free League press.
I don't remember who does Mothership, it's like Tuesday
games or something like that. But yeah, so that's what's
coming up. That is the news and tabletop
role-playing games and on Kickstarter soon.
And that's Mothership the RPG. So, Getting into what we're
getting into for the day, which is Troika the numinous Edition,
man. I am tired this morning and I am
just not doing a good intro into the entire session today.
Today, all the weekly scroll, we will be going over Troika and
after I go over to Erica, probably about an hour and a
half, our resident blood sorceress and cheese mistress
Jess will be coming on to talk about.
The first experience you had as a GM which was on this channel,
doing the cheese tabletop role-playing game which was a
cheese themed Adventure using a rule set that I kind of slapped
together. Let's to D6 system that she
adapted to fit even more so into the campaign that she wanted to
run. So she will be on in about an
hour and a half, probably around like 9:30 10:00.
And we will talk to her about tabletop role-playing games
about being a player about being a GM.
I am about all things associated with that, and we'll go over the
cheese Adventure, a little bit, kind of get her inspiration.
You know, talk about Maps, talk about a lot of things like that.
So she did a drow. How is it going?
The cheese Adventure? She absolutely killed it.
It was wonderful. It was so much fun.
I don't know why my chat box looks way.
It currently does. Let's make that this Said it
should be. So yeah if you have not seen
cheese, hey drought and Emerson. How's it going?
Good morning guys. If you have not seen cheese,
definitely go check it out. It is over on our YouTube, it is
up on our website. It was super fun.
It was a great adventure. She did a really, really
wonderful job. So yeah, you should definitely
go check that out when you You get a chance, our YouTube is
youtube.com slash the adventure. Archive, our website is the
adventure archive dotnet again, for whenever this becomes a
podcast, I need to remember that you can't see what I'm writing.
Good morning, friends. Yeah, so we're going to talk
about that today with Jess. So that'll be really good time.
So for for what we're getting into today, we are getting into
this. We are getting into Troika.
As I said, previously, this is the Troika book.
It comes with a lot of weird Wacky Adventures.
As far as I know, the way Troika is written.
This is a system that has kind of like a base kind of weird
Wacky, World set up in it. Like there are like characters
Within For the character creation and they make like, 66
of them 66 6, not 6D 666. And the way that the adventures
work is that I think they're basically spheres within this
universe and you go into these fears kind of in a planescape,
kind of way and basically to create a new world is not that
difficult. You just come up with a bunch of
these, these different Character, creation, tools, and
little bit of lore and then you just start going.
So that's what we're going to do right now.
Is go over this book. So for those who can't see, you
know, check out the vibe here on Twitch or over on YouTube when
you can at some point but looking at the book itself
because we'll talk about it, it's from the Melt sounion, Arts
Council, you can find it on their website.
I don't think, I think most of the most of the books go
directly through Milestone. Ian Art Council and I think you
can also get them on the exalted funeral.
New shirt. I'm rocking today. and, And
yeah, it's a nice hardback book. Well printed there is no there
are colors which is interesting. I think in this numinous
addition if for those of you that can see what I'm looking
at, right now, you can see that it is color coded, it looks like
a lot of the rule set is just in plain color or that least a
character creation set is in plain color.
Part to the rule set is in part 3, the looks like the skills
section is on blue paper. And then you get to what looks
like it would be part for the Spells are on like a lavender
paper. Gosh, there's a lot.
There's a bestiary that's on like a dark reddish paper.
In the back, there is an introductory Adventure.
I like an orangish paper and then there's character sheets in
the back and on the front and back, cover our role.
Which I always love to see is roll tables on the front and
back, not wasting any pages on the inside, cover of the actual
book, you can see roll tables. And arouse says, the Merc
borgstrom was killed, by the way.
Thank you so much drought. Yeah, we haven't seen you as
much around on a. We have been streaming as much
either, but we appreciate you saying that.
Thank you so much. Yeah, for those who don't know,
we also do Merc board right now on Thursdays switching in and
out between various tabletop role-playing games.
So a lot of The games that you will see here.
Here about here on the weekly scroll, you will be able to see
at some point on our Thursday sessions, with either Jason on
myself, running them for our tabletop role-playing, Thursday
night, or Thursday games, which were currently running like our
third or Arc of Merck board. So yeah, so the Troika book
itself is a great looking book. I do like that the various
sections are color-coded. It's a really nice touch to have
Our pages in the book itself. So, going over the outside of
the book, that's what we see. So going into the inside of the
book, this is the cover of Troika.
Let me shrink it down a little bit so you can see the full
cover all at once. And this is what that looks
like. It's a, it's a definitely, a
weird wacky cover. There's some interesting art,
you can just Google it if you want.
I have no idea what's going on, but I do love all of the artists
and their art is throughout the book.
And we'll see all that. Let's see who's listed as the
artist in here. Illustrated by Jeremy Duncan.
Dirk Detweiler lichty Sam Mele and Andrew Walter.
Cool. See ya.
The art is wonderful. I think it definitely adds to
the vibe of the game. It kind of gives you that right
off the bat kind of weird wacky, sci-fi Vibe and the art
illustrations within the book as we go through it, you'll see as
well, really add a very interesting take to it.
So going into the book itself. This PDF is in spreads, I wish
it wasn't, but it's fine. So going in, this is right off
the bat on the first two pages, which should be Inside cover in
the very first page of the book we see roll tables.
They look like melee weapon. So there's damage roles for and
I have no idea what this means yet.
I haven't actually when we get to the ruleset, does make more
sense but there's sword axe. Knife staff, Spears, number of
things for melee weapons. There's another section for
range weapon stress. As it looks like Gamma World
art. I don't really have a lot of
experience with Gamma World, so maybe we'll review that as well.
And we'll see how Gamma World goes.
There's range weapons, and beastly weapons.
Those are the three things on the inside of the cover.
Roll table on the opposite page is random spells which are
hyperlinked in the PDF, which is nice.
Oh, and just to let you know, I'm pretty positive that Troika
right now. Let's bring up the Troika
website is 30% off for Troika. Oh, and the word Troika means a
Russian vehicle drawn by three horses of breast.
Interesting? Macedonian Art Council.
Yes Troika. No.
This is our ETO page. I want your official page Mouse
sounion Arts Council. Yeah, Troika this stuff.
Good morning Steph Steph is a wonderful friend of ours.
Over at the the Gilded troll. Make sure you check them out.
I know tomorrow, unless I'm completely mistaken is their
second session of um, the which light into the which light I
accidentally wanted to talked about stuff.
I accidentally bought this So I don't know what I'm gonna do
with it. I'll send it back.
Maybe I'll talk to you guys about if you want to do anything
with it. But when I say this, I said I
accidentally bought the Dyson miscellany for the, which like
Carnival. Oops.
So um, How did I accidentally buy it?
So I think I had it in the cart. Didn't realize it was in the
cart and then I think bought it way back in the day and then
like pre-ordered and then didn't realize it was still on
pre-order. So, so, yeah.
So that's how you accidentally buy something, because you buy
too much stuff. So if you go to the actual
sounion Art council's, website, Site, which is what I'm
currently looking at right now, you can buy the Troika bundle
for 30% off right now. Actually, let's go to the Troika
starter bundle. You get three adventures with
Troika and I have all of these. You get fronds of benevolence,
you get very pretty pal, azoic, Pals Permian Nations, and you
get acid, death fantasy and the Troika numinous.
It Right now for 30% off, they're doing that.
They've been doing it for the for a while now.
I think they'll continue to do it for a while now so if you're
into Troika you can buy the starter bundle which is most of
the games that they have put out for it, most of the adventures
and the numinous Edition which is the newest addition of torque
0, which is what I'm holding in my hands for 60 pounds, which
again US dollars to pounds right now.
I don't know why it's it's so, Why it's so far off?
60 pounds is $81. So for books, $80.
Well, there you go. Still normally runs around 90
pounds, which would be even more expensive.
So if you're looking for Troika it is weird wacky and
interesting and we will find out more about it as we continue to
go through the book. But just so, you know, they are
holding a sale. They have been holding us out
for a little while. So first page in random spells.
Will this be the inside page, not the inside cover the inside
page? I believe it would be considered
page number 12345. Nope.
Not actually pages in the book still just the beginnings before
he even gets to anything else. So then we go into the credit
page to copyright 2015. They do have an interesting
license which is really nice when A games do this.
Anyone May publish free or commercial material based upon
and or declaring compatibility with Troika without permission.
For from El sounion, Arts Council, as long as they follow
the various rules associated with it.
And if your product like, your product declares compatibility
rhetorica, you must State the following in your legal text on
any web sites from which commercial product is sold
product, name is independent production by publisher, and is
not affiliated with Missoni an Arts Council.
So a lot of These smaller games are really really good job of
allowing people to create things for their systems which D&D and
W E. They really like to keep a tight
rein on what they allow people to do.
That's why they have the DMS killed.
But it I personally think that, that's great but also stunts
growth because people can only do things in the parts of D&D
that 5e allows you to which is basically Only published
material and or the SRD which is fine.
But there's a lot of loopholes when you look at that,
loopholes, a lot of a lot of red tape and stuff and you look at
actually producing things for 5th edition, and W.
He does come down hard on people.
So a lot of these smaller game companies, basically, say, do
whatever just say that it's not us so Merc board does the same
thing storica here? Does that as well and it's
really nice to see. People can actually Create
content without fear. And I think that really creates
a tightness to communities where they don't want to be bat do bad
by the game. So, Moving on, we get to the
index broken down into looks like 16 Parts Plus tables on the
inside of the PDF is all hyperlinked, which is really,
really nice. The only thing that kills me
about hyperlinked PDFs. No, they do it.
Oh my God, my heart just stopped Troika.
You want me over already? One of my favorite things about
a PDF whenever I make a PDF, I do this, I'm going to have never
seen. I don't I can't recall a single
time I've ever seen another PDF, do this, but Troika again just
just found a place in my heart forever.
At the top of each page on Troika is the word Troika and
the, thus the chapter that you're in, whether it's in Amis
or spells or whatever, if you click on, either of those
things, If you click on, let's go to damage.
If you click on the rule section, it will take you back
to the beginning of the rule section.
So the top right page, there's a head of it always says the
section. You're in the chapter, you're
in. It takes you back to the
beginning of that chapter and on the top left page, which be the
even number Pages. It just has the word Troika on
every page. If you click that, it takes you
back to the table of contents. Genius, genius genius.
I wish every PDF You this hyper linking to a page and then
having to scroll all the way back up to the top, to find the
next hyperlinked page, is a pain in the ass.
It's Reika, not only does it once, but it twice to take you
back to the beginning of the chapter and the beginning of the
book itself to the table of contents page.
Wonderful job may also need an art Council big kudos for that a
huge huge ups for functionality as far as that is concerned.
So that will definitely win. We get Get to the review, give
points for layout and functionality, especially within
the PDF itself, which in 2021, we have to talk about the PDF as
well as the book. So, moving into this, we go to
the introduction, which has some beautiful art again, weird
wacky, bright-colored art, it looks like some type of Green
horned mustachioed man with an eye patch in full armor talking
to what might be a merchant. And yes staff, the style is cool
as shit. Again, the the the even just the
the book art itself is gorgeous, there's five or six
illustrators. One thing that I really think
that a lot of smaller companies, it can do with a rule set, just
putting rule set on black and white pages and putting it out.
There is does not in my opinion. You could have the greatest rule
set ever but if you don't have great art, that really gets
people in the mindset of the system that you're putting out
there. I think that it it's not
beneficial, it is incredibly beneficial to have great art
that Um, gives a Vibe of the set that you're putting out there
in. Out there if that makes sense.
And I'm stumbling on my words a little bit.
Great art will make people like your game more and will help
them immerse into your rule set in the vibe that you were going
for for the rules that if that makes sense.
So yes, when I look at Troika, it honestly looks like a fucking
acid. Trip is what it looks like to me
the cover art. Like this art again, it looks
like a green. It looks like a green night of
some kind with horns and an eye patch, and a wonderful mustache
talking to some blue merchants and a yellow dress, the bunch of
weird wacky, interesting items on her table, a tapestry going
across the top and like, a magenta, fuchsia color, and
little creatures with eyeballs staring at butter, from
underneath the table, it is definitely an acid trip on paper
step says, yeah. Like, you want to know the
author's? And what their envisioning.
So the players can get in the mindset.
Yes art definitely helps that immensely Merc Borg is a perfect
example of that Merc board without the art.
Just the rule set is pretty straightforward osr Merc Borg
with the amazing art from Johan or really really really put you
in the mindset and their intentions of the of the Authors
and creators. So they do a wonderful job with
that and I think Troika also does a wonderful job that that.
So looking at the introduction Are you back down inside of the
tubing? There we go.
So another great graphic on the top introduction, you are
reading and tabletop role-playing game in which one
player takes a part of the game master and prepares the world
and controls of people in Peril in it.
While the other players create characters on a journey through
that selfsame world, you know how the context and key terms to
explore the medium independently.
And nothing I say here, can fully instruct you on what is a
deep and Rich form of entertainment on par with Cinema
or fly-fishing? Treat it like you would any new
hobby but know that this activity is You engage in with
others. Use best practices and safety
tools to ensure that everyone playing feel safe.
That no unkind line is crossed that no one is made to feel to
their detriment, and everyone can enjoy themselves.
Fully beyond that. Here is Troika science fantasy
RPG in which players travel by Eldridge, portal, and
non-euclidean Labyrinth and golden Sail Barge between the
uncountable crystal spheres, strong delegate delicately
across the humped back sky. And what you encounter on those
fears. And in those liminal places is
anybody's guess. I wouldn't presume to tell you
though. Inside this book, you will find
people and artifacts from these worlds which will suggest the
shape of things the adventure and wonder are in the gaps, or
game is defined by the ways in which you fill them.
So, a couple of things from this introductory page that I really
like they immediately start talking about what Tim top
role-playing games are and using safety tools that are
appropriate for your group. Safety tools are For resource to
have, I think everyone needs to at least be aware of their use,
not every table uses them. Some of those things can be
hashed out in zero sessions, but safety tools are never bad thing
to have, especially with a newer or different group.
We're not going to go deeply into safety tools right now.
I think that for the most part any rational human being, that's
not a garbage person understands why safety tools would be used
in anyone that wants to argue about the use of safety tools
can fuck off. So if they are appropriate for
your table, use them. And I like that, any game that
has that suggestion right? In the beginning.
But the beyond that section, it really gives you the immediate
Kind of definition of Troika, right?
Time and tells you what it is and it tells you how it works.
As I said, in the beginning, I flipped through this before and
said, I think there are spheres in which it works.
So again, it says beyond that, it's a fan.
Science fantasy, not science, fiction, science fantasy, where
players travel between portals and labyrinths and on gold until
barges between uncountable, Crystal spheres, right?
So basically Much like planescape, I'm sorry, like
spell Jammer. All of these worlds are in
Crystal spheres spread across the universe and You can access
them through various different ways.
So basically that allows anybody to create any sphere, they want
and anything on that sphere is is the game, which you can play
and it moves on to the next section and again talks about, I
wouldn't presume to tell you what's in these fears.
You you find them on your own, you make up the world you want
but within the book itself is basically a collection of
various things across those various spheres.
To give you a sense and what they call a shape of things.
Basically give you the vibe of the world introduction to some
character creation tools, various characters and items
that could be in your worlds to give you a starting point on
creating your own world which I really enjoyed games at do that.
I like games that give you broad Strokes because I feel like it
allows for more player agency and player creativity.
I think one of Of the issues that I have.
And a lot of the my for those who don't know me.
Hi, I'm Ryan. I don't think I introduced
myself in the beginning either my main role playing game
experience is D and E 5e. I didn't play previous editions,
I have read through the previous editions.
I would love to run previous editions or variations of those
like osc which will go over at some point on this podcast.
So I will compare a lot of things to what I know about D&D.
5 e + w e versus other tabletop role-playing games which I'm
digging deeply into it. This point, one of the things I
don't like about 5 e + w e is the way that they write things
is. I know there's names for these
rules and I need to figure it out but it's like the various
rules when you when you interpret law and the
Constitution. Same thing there are games where
if it oh you can only do what it says you can do.
And there are games where You can do anything that it says
anything you want as long as it doesn't explicitly, say you
can't. And I prefer games that give you
a lot more freedom where you can do anything you want as long as
the rules don't say, you can't do that.
Same thing with creativity. If you give every aspect of the
world or you give every aspect of the adventure, you don't
allow player creativity. If you give too many suggestions
for the activities that somebody can do, they will feel
restrained by activities, whether you continuously tell
them or not, you can do things Beyond this list.
But here's a list of 20 things. For the most part, the way the
human brain works, most people will only do those 20 things.
So if you give people a lot more, if you get people less,
they can by themselves do more because they don't feel
restrained. And that's one thing I do like
about Troika on this page is basically saying this is just a
framework and some inspiration you can.
Is it, but do whatever you want beyond that and then they
release Adventures that are completely different and crazy
and of and with a very good again, inspiration and a guide
or or reference to be able to do that.
So I think that's a great, a great thing from Torico.
Okay, let's move into the book itself past the introduction.
So right off the bat on page 2, we go into character creation.
Okay. So, let's go over the character
creation section, and maybe even create a character.
After we go through some of this.
So character, creation overview, go get the character sheet found
on page 110. Okay, roll 1 D 3. + 3 to
determine skill. Roll.
Okay, let's just let's just do that right now.
I have a Post-It note. I will grab my Dungeons and
Dragons pin. And I will bring up.
I will bring up a dice roller. Dice roller.
It doesn't even. Let me do.
What dice I need to do. Let's do roll a die.com.
Okay, so we are going to do roll 1 D 3 plus 3 for number one to
determine skill. Number two, it says world to D6.
+ 12 to determine stamina and 13.
It says, we're all 1 D6 + 6 to determine luck number 4, it says
record Baseline possessions at every new character starts with
2D six silver, pints a knife, a lantern and flask of oil, a
rucksack. Six provisions.
And number five roldy 66 on the background table and record
possessions and skills. Okay?
All right. So we got one, two, three, four,
five, six. So the first one is we're all
One D 3 plus 3 for skill. Okay, so roll one D3, Ro 1 D 3,
go that's a 2 2 plus 3 is 5 or skill.
Okay, rule to D6 + 12 to determine stamina.
Okay, so I will go to six sided dice.
I actually really like this roll a die.com, that's what I'm using
right now roll. A die dotnet.
Let's add that to D and D. So we're going to go to D6 + 12.
That is 8 plus 12, so that will be 20 or stamina.
Number 3 Row, 1 D6 + 6 to determine luck.
So we'll go 1 D6 + 6. That's a three.
So I start with 9 luck, that's my character.
We have all the Baseline things so let's do 2D six silver to
start. That's 11 silver.
And then we have those other things and then roll d66, we're
going to roll one. Sixty six sided dice.
That's a 57. I roll on that one.
Okay, so that is first page on character creation.
So I have those down and we'll see what What those mean?
At some point, I think it literally gives me my character
based on the book, okay? So backgrounds backgrounds are
everything your character was before you got hold of them.
They provide you, with skills, possessions, and other special
benefits where noted slide into the role and make it your own
roll, randomly to determine your starting background.
Notice that they only touch the edge of specificity, it is up to
you to tailor them to the world you play in rework them.
Remove them entirely and replace them with your own unique
versions, your own unique vision of the Spheres boldly, lay claim
to the games you play create content recklessly and always
write in pen, interesting. I like that.
That's a nice. As a nice line there, boldly
laid, claim to the games you play create content recklessly
and always write in pain. There's the section on creating
your own backgrounds, when creating your own backgrounds as
a general rule stick to 10. Or so total points distributed
in a Range of one to three with three.
Being someone who is already mastered their trade.
Do not miss the importance of a description.
They are the players window into the world, but don't feel
intimidated by them. Keep them.
Simple. And pack as much information
into them, as you are able, when they are short and evocative,
the player will fill in the gaps.
The backgrounds need not be balanced or equal to one
another. But should instead be fun and
flavorful after making a new background, take a moment to
consider the reaction of someone receiving it, instead of some
other entry in your particular, and Changing list, balance, the
enjoyment rather than the numbers.
Again, I really like that. So, this is not necessarily a
game for you, min, max, there's out there.
This is a game for people that want to to be free with their
creativity and our P. So let's look over this first
background, so it's d66. I think they talked about.
I don't think you roll d66 if I remember correctly.
I think you roll a D6 and a D6 and those two numbers together.
Give you your number so I got 57.
So we'll look at 57, but we can also just roll to D6.
So that's why it starts the very first one is eleven, it's not
one. So it's 11 through 66 because
It's 11:30 66 because it's 126 on a die and they do a 6 and a
6. So you just rolled to D6.
So that is a three and a six. So that would be 36.
We'll look at 55, 57 a look at 36.
But look at this at the very first one.
If you were to roll a 1 and a 1 on a 6 and a 6 for d66, it is
the Ardent giant of Corte, every giant has a different story
about A well-told, an interrupted with tears and
laughter of how they lost it and mean to find it soon enough.
But oh, what of today we should drink and cheer will search once
again, in the morning. Possessions an artifact of lost
kurta being either an enormous blue star map which can tell you
where any portal leads with the successful astrology test or a
pocket barometer for forecasting.
The weather five, and six accuracy, or a ruby Lauren at
granting plus 2 s site and they give you a list of advanced
skills. So I think these are skills
Beyond skill, stamina luck, strength, astrology, run and
climb. So since it's normally a range
of 1234 must mean super strong, but it makes sense because
they're a giant and each one of these backgrounds has this
beautiful illustration. So this one looks like again,
every piece of art in this book looks like an acid trip.
It looks like a giant in space with wings and some type of Kind
of Darth Vader, ish face mask but it's like a globe on top,
interesting. Number 12 is a buffet Fowler of
ponds a wise man, a high priest, in a pond kisser, a typical but
committed adherent of P. Estimation, when psms Point SS,
shrp the bloated, toad God 13 is a burglar. 14 is a cat koujun
those filthy born spawn in the humpback.
Sky lit, only by great. Black anti sons and false light.
Your mother was selling on the golden, barges or cotton some
more abstract fate when she passed, you far from their
protective malaise of the million spheres.
You were receptive to the power and the glory a degenerative
time and it shows in your territory form, interesting,
chaos champion. Clavin, sure, demon stalker.
So these are all things that you could theoretically find in the
humpback sky in various spheres Across the Universe.
So, all of these are character backgrounds that give you a
description, possessions, Advanced skills.
And some give you special abilities as well.
So there's one that's just dwarf.
You are short, hairy belligerent creature.
Dwarves are a sculpt a sculpted people on gendered and thus
there are no dwarf children or dwarf families.
To prevent you from fully committing, the important dwarfy
Endeavors of creating Fine, Art and unusual places, you intend
to find the most unusual places in all the millions fears, your
possessions are a masonry hammer and a role of artist supplies.
You have a massive list of advanced skills, awareness.
Think painting metal working construction strength,
fist-fighting wrestling, and Hammer fighting, and your
special ability as a dwarf. Lords may eat gems and rare
Metals as food Replacements you. In fact, vastly prefer the taste
of Rare Minerals, too mundane food.
Interesting. So let's look at what we
enrolled. We'll start with number 36, this
would be our background, we're going down to page, 4436.
Interesting. Because of the way the numbers
work again, d66 is not one through 66 inch a rolling, a 6
and a 6 in the same way that you would roll.
Like D100 on 2D tens, there are numbers that are missing as in,
you can't have 37 38 or 39, or 40 for that matter.
So from 36, the next number is 4141, is a necromancer that
would be full. That would be cool, but 36 is a
monkey monger. Life on the wall is hard.
One is never more than a few yards from an endless fall.
Yet those precarious Villages still need to eat.
This is where you come in with your edible monkeys.
The distinction is purely for appeal.
Since all monkeys are, of course, edible you used to spend
days on in dangling, your feet off the ledge.
Oh, that's why we can't do 57. So we won't even.
Look at 57. Watching over your chittering
livestock while they scampered hither and thither but there was
no future in Monkey meat. You wanted much more and so
stepped off or you fell off, either way you and some unlucky
monkeys are here now and that's all that matters.
Possessions you have a monkey Club, I guess you can make up
with that. Is I assume it's a club either
made of monkey or to hit monkeys.
You have a butcher's knife, you have 1 D6, small monkeys, that
do not heed commands but are too scared.
Hungry to travel from you. So let's see how many monkeys I
get. I get three monkeys.
Okay and you have a pocket full of monkey treats.
Cool Advanced skills I have for to climb to trapping 12 Club
fighting and 12 knife fighting. Okay and my special the GMA
choose to roll on this table. Anytime the mean of monkeys must
be determined. So there's a 1 D6 on basically
it sounds like the the attitude or the disposition of the
monkeys, there's playful stocking hungry, tired, austere,
and a Rusev. So and then the graphic is a
nice, white yellow, and red graphic of a person, holding a
bunch of monkeys. In robes monkeys, even popping
out of the robes. It's interesting.
So this page 20 on Troika for the monkey Monger.
Alright. Necromancer parchment.
Which derivative dwarf. So interesting, a derivative
dwarf is basically like a specialized dorf.
Again, every single one, every every page has a different
character background that consists of description,
possessions Advanced skills, and possibly special, and a
beautiful trippy as fuck illustration on each page as
well again. Talking about the art once more.
The are really like sets into your mind, the vibe of the game,
what step said the author's intentions and what the players
can Envision. And these are very kind of, like
trippy sketchy. Gosh, it reminds me a little bit
of like Alice in Wonderland but like, even trippier a lot of red
and yellow, blue and yellow It also gives me kind of a very
like face cards in a poker deck Vibe too.
All all line work and solid colors, no shading, almost a
little bit of a woodcut feel too.
Am thinking engine vengeful child venturesome academic,
wizard Hunter, Zoe anthrop. And then at the end, another
interesting graphic page of looks like maybe a wizard and a
night. being the way into a Trippy castle with a magenta
colored dog with them. Yeah, drought got to get that
monkey action and then we move into the blue Pages which is the
actual rules, okay? So again for the most part of
besides these d66 backgrounds Troika is more of a system than
a world. They say, I think they
specifically say this is not a world, these are just all of the
items and backgrounds and things like that are just suggestions
and that you can use to play in a world, but come up with your
own world. So, The rules number one,
rolling the dice. There's only one die type used
in tariqa that being the D6 as I said before.
So this can be used as a D3, a D6, a d66, or a d66 and so on to
roll a D3 just roll a D6 and have it rounding up to roll a
D6, D 6 and D 6 6, 6, or more or more just roll a D6 as many
times in order as there are six. Has so Six would be a D6,
followed by another D6, as I said before, when we were going
over the background and stuff like that.
So, d66, backgrounds does not mean 66 backgrounds.
It's probably more. Like, well, I mean, I guess we
can actually count it. I'm not going to.
That's probably more like 2025 backgrounds to do more actions.
You'll be required to roll to D6 to do.
Most actions, you'll be required to roll to D6.
Adding them together as a role under Laurel role.
Versus. Okay.
So roll under Yes also drives that DCC games art is killer
too. Yeah, a lot of the official DCC
Adventures has really really interesting.
Are I do have a Dungeon Crawler Classics.
I bought the leather bound a leather at bound special edition
foil cover because I fucking of course I did and we will be
going over Dungeon Crawl Classics at some point.
My only hesitancy with dungeon called Classics is The book is
600 pages long. 600 Pages. Troika, I considered to be a
long book. It's 110 pages but much smaller
like like a like a small paper bag size, but it is hard back
dungeon. Our classes is a massive fucking
home. That's 600.
Pages long. So we'll get into Dungeon Crawl
Classics at some point and its Associated game.
I think it's, I think MCC is there to like mutant crawl
Classics or something, but anyway, so Troika, roll under a
role versus so rolling under is throwing them to D6.
The intention of scoring equal to, or under a number.
This is mainly used in unopposed situations, like climbing a wall
or casting a Spell rolling to d6s always results in Failure.
So, roll under is what you want to do.
So ruling high is always a failure.
Okay, that's a little different role versus mostly used for
combat or other contests occurs. When two opponents each world to
D6, add any applicable bonuses then compares.
Results. The higher total winning in a
duel, you might be rolling to D6. + your sword fighting total
looking to beat your opponent who is doing similar.
Okay. Roll under role versus and the
only dice you need is a six a D6.
I like that. That's fun.
It's simple Advanced skills and spells characters have a variety
of events skills and spells granted them by their
background. The number given in the
background plus their skills is referred to as their skill.
Total write this on the Good morning Jax.
How's it going? Testing Advanced skills and
spells most tests of advanced skills and spells are roll
under. When you successfully test an
advanced skill or spell put a tick next to it on your
character sheet, these are used to get better.
Okay, so we'll talk about get better when we get there and
then there's luck. Okay.
Number three, luck of all the numbers on your character sheet.
Luck is likely to fluctuate the most, this number represents
your characters, fortune and intuition tested, whenever fate
swipes at them, when this happens, the GM will ask you to
test your luck or suffer the consequences.
All right, so 3.1 testing your luck.
Roll equal to R less than your current luck score.
My Luxor in the character, I created is 9.
Every time you test your luck, reduce your current Luxor, by
one regardless of whether the test was successful or not.
So, you're using up your luck even if you use it successfully.
And is it roll under reduce roll equal to R?
Less than your current luck score?
Okay? So it's a roll under Testing
your luck is optional. You may always refused to roll
an extent and instead accept your fate, the GM is not obliged
to give you details of the consequences if they are not
already obvious interesting. Okay.
All right. 32, gaining and losing luck for every eight
hours of rest. You may regain to D6 luck luck,
may not exceed, the starting value role that character
creation. Say for exceptional situations,
running out of luck and flex. No special penalty.
Okay, so basically you can use your lock in a situation.
I assume to have a better outcome.
Does it actually specifically say what?
The point of luck is, You can test it.
Okay, let's see if it talks about what the point of luck is
use of luck. Okay.
Yeah. It doesn't really explain a lot.
Or suffer consequences. So when bad shit happens,
basically, you can test your luck to make that bad thing not
happen or accept your fate so, you don't.
So it specifically says, running out of luck, inflectional
special penalty, but it's basically it's luck.
It's you roll to see if you have it.
And if you run out of it, you're SOL.
You're literally Sol, right? Use of luck in combat.
Yeah, you just want it you want to have luck.
So I rolled a 9 to start with my luck.
Not terrible. So I have 9 Luxe but again every
time you use it, whether you fail or succeed, you lose a
point of luck, use of luck in combat, in the case of a tie,
the character May test their luck to break it in their favor
when a character successfully hits an opponent.
But before rolling for damage, they may decide to test their
luck and if successful may add to the damage roll.
Okay, I like that. That's interesting.
So luck is a big luck, is a very interesting mechanic in the
game. It really allows things up to
fate. You can break ties with it to
make your hit successful or you can roll to add additional
damage basically getting a lucky hidden.
Interesting, that's clever. I really like that.
That's really clever. And an optional rule Luck versus
death. If you find your games or two
fatal, and that the turnover of characters is too much to bear,
the GM might optionally allow characters who have died to test
their luck and Set of dying, the incapacitated wounded or saved
by some bizarre twist of fate. So, Interesting.
So you as an optional rollout probably allow this Luck versus
death allows you to to potentially avoid death being
saved by some bizarre twist of fate.
Good morning Juno. Um, okay number for stamina for
one running out of stamina. So my stamina score, I roll
those 20. When reduced to zero stamina,
you were in danger of dying in must be healed.
In order to survive. If this is doing an initiative
round, the next time, the end of the round token is drawn you
die. Interesting.
So if you're in combat and your stamina is reduced to 0, you
have to be healed by the end of by the next end of the round
token, which I guess we'll get two tokens is drawn.
If this happens out of initiative, your friends have
one opportunity to heal you or else you are dead.
Interesting. Healing you regain to D6
stamina, if you sleep for 8 hours.
So to D6 would be a Max of 12, so that's barely over half of my
total stamina. You may also eat a provision to
regain 1 D6 stamina. Okay, so potential up to 18 a
maximum of three Purdue Provisions per day.
Provide healing benefits, there may be other forms of healing
available at your GM's, discretion such as visiting bath
houses or drinking potions. You may never have more stamina
than your starting total. So, what your role in the
beginning is, Your character. I'm curious what they getting
better part does. I assume it only adds to your
your ability is your skills and your Advanced skills. - stamina
if you ever go below zero salmon.
Are you are dead? Deaf, you may immediately make a
new character While others mourn your loss and fight over your
possessions. This new character starts.
Exactly. According to the rules, found
the beginning of the book. So every time you come in, I
like games, we're not necessarily built for long
campaigns like a 1 through 25. Ye level things.
I really enjoy that I really enjoy that.
Maybe like a maybe like a short Arc or just a story or like a,
you know, like a short campaign not, you know, destine for 34
years. So basically I'm curious what
getting better looks like later. Okay, trick another beautiful
graphic here at the top red. Yellow, white, trippy sketchy,
graphic of a knight on a horse with a tripped out sky in the
background. What appears to be a giant
night? Or a statue as he stands on
Cliff. Interesting.
Okay, so initiative. Okay, so this is, this is a part
of torque. That's really interesting to me.
I did flip through this and its really, really interesting.
It's weird. So this is, this is, this is,
this is fun. So initiative number 5, a
symbol, the stack during combat or other times.
When it is important to know who goes first, you need to assemble
the initiative stack. To do this, get a container and
a selection of colored dice or other convenient markers,
consider cards, poker chips, and so on, I did read this before
and just a reference for those of you who think that 5e
initiative takes too long, this would take even longer.
So I don't imagine troike as a super combat heavy game, it
feels more roleplay to me, but when you go into initiative it's
interesting and fun but it does take a little while so Actually
what they're saying is gather a number gather colored item,
whatever it is Dice, poker, chips, whatever, and you put it
all together in a container assign each character to tokens
of a single color. So you need a bunch of.
There are a lot of multicolored objects and every character gets
22, total tokens of one color. So we'll say that my tokens are
black and I have two black tokens.
Add tokens to the stack for the enemy's equal to their total
combined initiative. If you have fate lizard-men that
our initiative to, you would add 16 tokens to the stack.
It's a lot of tokens. So if you have four characters,
you would have eight character tokens each, you know, to each
of a different color. And then if you have eight
lizard-men with initiative to you would add 16 green tokens or
whatever. To the stack 51.3 add one token
of a distinct color to the stack.
This token signifies, the end of the round.
So the round could go on and on and on and characters could have
multiple turns for every round. On five point, one point for
optional, rule enemy initiative limit.
It is very likely that sometimes the characters enemies grossly,
outnumbered them and make it very hard for them to act.
The GM May optionally limit. The number of enemy initiative
tokens, Placed in the stack to double that, which the
characters contribute. So if a Party of Five Ten
initiative tokens, total is attacked by 50 goblins. 50
initiative tokens the Goblins only contribute okay let me the
GMA optionally limit, the number of enemy tokens, placing the
stack to double that which the characters contribute.
Okay, so regardless, so if the characters put in 10, if there's
50 goblins you only put in 20 so it's just double what the
characters have bear in mind, that the GM should feel free to.
Balance initiative stack is it seems appropriate drow says no
way roll a D6. Yeah.
So I think what what this is doing to set up, is just it adds
to the weird wacky craziness since you could theoretically go
twice in a round. You could theoretically go twice
back to back. If your token gets drawn and you
have no idea when the round is over because there's one token
that signifies the end of the round.
If that's a very Last token. You pull.
You could literally pull through every token for a round.
Let's see. There's a using, the stack
section. So, so this is what I'm saying.
So, it seems like a really fun interesting mechanic, but I but
I can't imagine doing If I was the GM I would probably prep
this prior to combat. If I'm prepping the game I would
probably get a container and put all of these tokens in or at
least have them in a stack ready to go like a bag in a big glass
and I would just pour the bag into the glass that way you can
add or subtract tokens based on what's going on.
I don't know why in my mind I'm picturing those colored like
little glass. The colored little glass.
Things at the bottom of the fish tank.
I don't know why. I don't know why.
But that's what that's what pops into my head.
I think those would be really cool and you could get those in
entire rainbow of colors, or yeah.
Just go online and get a bunch of a bunch of Dice from like a
cheap. Like, just go on wish and get a
million dice all different colors, but if you need 20
tokens of something, I mean, that's a big stack and I imagine
like a big glass, like a big container.
You can basically shake up and This pop one out at a time.
So again, this takes a while as a GM.
What I would probably do is, have each combat prep beforehand
with or even just in a bag. Yeah.
Just a dice bag. Just a dice bag.
With with all of these different little glass, glass tokens in
them. You can even if you have a 3D
printer buddy just have those all 3D printed you can 3D print
little little objects or tokens and then just paint them all
different colors. But basically this game takes a
lot because theoretically, if you have 50 goblins and you want
to put 50 initiative tokens and you need 50 tokens of something,
you can have like a giant giant stack.
Okay, let's so let's see how we use the stack.
Anyway, as I was saying, I would, I would I would prep this
in advance. I would literally just have like
a container like below the table or behind me or a bag, just a
bag of tokens, and I would just clop the bag down and just kind
of swirl through and pull out a token each time just like a big
ass like dice bag. Using the stack, the GM removes
the token, from the stack of random, the color, or design of
which determines, who holds the initiative, and who takes a
turn, consider giving a copy of their token to each player.
So, Everyone remembers which color or design is there's yeah
absolutely. So that's that's the initiative
staff. You literally build a massive,
massive, just Container full of various colored things in order
to to see what your initiative order would be interesting.
But again I can I can personally see that getting kind of old
especially if you don't prep it before and having the cow.
Out out, everyone's individual tokens.
Honestly, what I would probably do is at the end of each combat
session either. Give everyone their tokens back
and have them put their tokens in each time.
I think that would be interesting and then basically
plop down a big bag in the middle have everyone has three
tokens they would keep one put their two tokens in the bag and
then I would say okay there's 20 goblins, here's 20 tokens,
there's three of this, let's throw thousand.
And then I would close up the bag, I would shake the bag, Stir
It Up a little bit and then throw in that.
End of end of round token and again, stir that in and then
start from there. So I think that would be a fun
way to do it. If everyone had to literally
throw their tokens into the bag, the GM throws, the bad guy
tokens it and the in around token into the bag, you shake it
up and just go. That's probably easiest way to
do it. All right, 6 actions.
When you hold the initiative, you may take a turn and can
generally perform one action. The following list is not
exhaustive and the GM is encouraged to interpret player
intentions as best they can. So this is kind of a list of
roughly like moves a little bit but I like I like games where,
what am I Knox? You know said make enemy tokens
plastic and PC tokens metal so you can use a magnet to pull
their tokens out at the end, but if you shake metal tokens in a
bag, little plastic tokens, metal tokens will be at the
bottom of the bag, and they will always go last so that might not
be what everyone's to go for. So making the stack sounds
interesting. But again if you don't prep that
beforehand or have at least the bad guys prep beforehand, so you
can pour those in That could be a pain in the ass, we'll see.
And I and running that online you would have to have some kind
of you would have to have some kind of module.
Like there has to be like a making the SEC module or
something. Because I can't imagine just
rolling that like I can't imagine doing some type of turn
order and the way roll20 is now I imagine there's a Troika
Foundry module or at least a Troika add-on that you can do to
create the stack. We'd have to see and check that
out to actually run this online. Okay, so we're talking about
actions, you can take good morning.
Jedi Mama, how are you doing this morning for those on
listening, on the podcast in the future?
Please go check out the mother of Jedi.
Twitch. She is a wonderful person and a
wonderful streamer. So, But we're talk about actions
here, there's like four options that it has five six options,
five options. And it says, this is not
exhaustive. One of the things that I have a
knock-on, I still have to go over a little bit more but
things like dungeon world and powered by the apocalypse, they
give you a list of moves. And in the games that I've
played, that have a lot of those moves listed, people stick to
those moves. Even though it says you can do,
you can do other things. They're really, they cover a lot
of things, and I feel like people get restricted by that.
So I like the idea. If you save ahead of time,
here's some really basic stuff you can do.
But don't don't don't say, I want to hit someone or I want to
shoot, someone just tell me as in, like the name of this
action, just tell me what you want to do.
Like what we're writing a story here.
I'll tell you what you got to roll.
If you say I want to jump off that wall and punched that dude
in the face, I'll have you roll for hit someone.
If you say you plot your bow and shoot.
Someone in the arm then I'll have your role for shoot someone
if you want to do something crazy and wacky all figure out
as a GM. What I want you to roll, you
just tell me what you want to do, and that's what this is GM
is encouraged to interpret player intentions as best I can.
So when you hit someone to stab bludgeon, otherwise physically
interfere with someone so it could be pushing could be
grappling role to D6. + skill plus Advanced skill.
Versus an opponent doing the same thing, the winter rolls for
damage and the loser deducts, the number generated by the
damage roll from their stamina, okay?
So stamina is your HP. Stamina is your hit points.
So I have 20 hit points. Okay.
Note that either party in any exchange can potentially win in
a tie. Both parties, have avoided
hurting each other. Also note that this means you
can potentially hit an unlimited number of people in a round but
you may only initiate once per turn.
Interesting? Okay.
I like this. This is interesting.
So it's not like you can do you can initiate one action per turn
which I guess is interesting. What if you pull both of your
tokens? We'll have to see if explain
that. But basically, if you're
fighting 20 things 20 goblins, for example, and all 20 try to
hit you, you could hit all of them, instead, all 20 of them
because every verse it, every action, like this, like I hit
someone action. Is a versus thing and the winner
gets to roll damage every time. I like that.
I like the role versus. I think it's a really
interesting, interesting thing. So it really reduces the whole
concept of of everything happens at the same time.
In 6 seconds, it's literally this is just a series of actions
that everyone is taking Interesting.
Okay so once again to sum that up when you physically interfere
with someone like hitting or stabbing them, you world to D6,
+ your scale, plus your Advanced scale versus an opponent
rolling, the same roles and regardless of who initiated the
action, the winter rolls damage dice And the loser takes that
nut total number away from their stamina.
And you can only initiate. You can potentially hit an
unlimited number of people on around, but may only initiate
once per turn, Okay? So, 62 shooting someone
shooting, and opponent, is resolved by Rolling versus their
skill or appropriate, evasive Advanced skills, such as a
shield or Dodge shooting in a melee.
When shooting into melee on a successful hit assign a number
to every individual involved in roll a die.
If their number comes up, they receive the damage.
Okay, so if you're shooting into like a bunch of people, you
don't pick You assign them all a number and you roll and that
person gets it, so you can shoot your friends, aim on your turn,
you may decide to take a and with your ranged weapon to do.
So hold on to your initiative token.
When your next initiative token is drawn, you may roll twice and
pick the best role. If he in there on, token comes
up and you haven't used your aim token.
You may decide to hold on to it for the next round.
Interesting. So it's kind of like, for
ranged, a my attacks, you can basically hold your action until
your next token comes up. Roll twice. the best one and you
can even hold it over in the next round if you want and
continue to have your a.m. I assume then you would only put
one token back in back in the back into the into the stack.
So when you shoot at somebody, it's a role versus their skill
or appropriate Advanced skill. What skill would show their
skill score so you just have a skill score unless you own
Advanced skill. So my skills for is 5, so
someone would need to roll over a 5 in order to hit me, okay?
63 cast. A spell, each spell has its own
instructions on how it should be used.
But in general you need to spend a certain amount of stamina and
roll under or role versus for spells that require You to touch
an unwilling party for instance, in order to create some kind of
effect, unless the spell says otherwise, it requires at least
one hand free and the ability to speak roll on the loop stable.
If the result is a fumble, okay, we'll get to the hoop stable in
one second, real quick. Okay, so interesting.
Each spell has its own instructions on how it should be
used. But in general, you need to
spend a certain amount of stamina and roll under a role
versus okay delay. You may choose not to act when
you hold initiative in that case, put your token back in the
stack. Interesting.
So if you don't want to act you just throw it back into the
stack and keep going, all right? Every action is assumed to have
a bit of movement involved in anything less than 4 meters.
This folded into whatever else you might be doing if you wish
to chase after someone or perform some other involved,
Locomotion then just spin to turn doing it.
Okay. So you can move for m is like 12
feet. It's kind of the same Merc board
style of crossing a regular sized room can just be part of
an action and if you want to go beyond that, you take a move as
your action. That's pretty.
That's I like that. So we're not looking at that
necessarily like, I guess you can do this on a grid, but I
feel like the concept, the games concepts are more free form than
that. So it's just roughly, you're
talking about, like, you know, close or farther away.
All right, retrieve an item. If you need to get something out
that you weren't already holding in your hands, roll to D6 and
scored equal to or if you need to get something out that you
weren't already holding your hands, roll to D6, and score
equal to her a higher than its position on your inventory list.
Interesting. So if you want to be able to
access something more easily, put it at the top of your
inventory list, if you succeed, you can pull it out and do what
you intended, otherwise you spend your entire action, fine.
It double ones. Always indicate a failure.
Okay. So there are times where double
ones are failure in the game and times are double.
Sixes are failures in the game. Retrieving a narrow counts as an
item retrieval. Make sure they're packed on top.
C-sections, 10 3 and 10 for 14 your, for more on inventories.
Okay. So, exactly as I said, you can
you pack your bag in the order that your inventory list is?
So if you're a ranged person using bows and arrows, you have
to roll, not only to hit someone every time you have to roll to
pull a Roll out of your inventory.
Every time unless you're walking around, holding, like, six
arrows in your hand, so that's an interesting thing to do.
I don't know if I like having to have multiple roles on a turn,
but it makes sense. And you could theoretically try
to you could theoretically, Pale at pulling an arrow out, and
that is your turn. That's, that's your entire
action because if you succeed, you pull it out and do what you
intended. So if you say, you want to shoot
somebody, you have to retrieve the item and then fire on a
person. So you could just miss.
You could just not, you could have be digging in your bag, to
pull out a narrow and If you can't quite get it, if it gets a
little stuck, you take your whole action playing on a
narrow, and on the next action, it's in your hand already, then
you can fire it interesting. If an item is in your hands.
You may use it, however, you like 6.8 grapple role versus
okay. So hitting someone in grappling
or two different things. 68 role versus your opponent's wrestling
skill. If you win, you may either
knocked him to the ground or deal damage as unarmed and knock
you both to the ground from throwing or tack.
Um, them on a mighty blow part, 7 for, we'll get to that, you
render them unconscious for 1D. Six rounds.
If you fail to Grapple them, they made a deal damage to you
as though they've attacked you normally wear as if you fumble.
They deal a mighty blow. So I'm a mighty blow sounds like
a critical hit basically so you can try to Grapple someone and
if you fail they can hit you interesting.
I do like again as you go through the PDF, everything is
broken down into sections and subsections.
So section 66.7 6.71 things like that.
Anytime it references. Something else, there's a
hyperlink to that other section. So mighty blow is section, 7.4
there is a hyperlink to that section.
They did a really good job of this PDF of making sure that
it's very well hyperlinked Okay, other concerns before start
section 7, I'm going to take a quick break.
This would be when we throw it to our sponsors, but we don't
have any. So it's just going to be some
music and I'll be back in in just a minute.
All right, and we are back at it.
So going into section seven, other concerns, 7.1 cover when
attacking someone in cover, they receive a bonus to their role.
To not be hit because it's a versus consider.
A waist-high bush to be +1 while.
A castles crenellations would be plus 6, okay?
And then I assumed that you would just kind of give a bonus
on a scale between the one and the sixth.
Based on what they're hiding behind and things like that.
Some point to enemies. Mechanically, speaking, an
opponent is typically reduced to three numbers, skill stamina in
initiative Beyond this. They may have an advanced skill
or two or some peculiar special rules, 7.3 hitting someone
unawares. If your opponent is not aware of
your presence, your attack is a role under rather, than a role
versus they may not attack back and you may add to your damage
roll. That's nice, okay?
So referencing that 25e, if you do a surprise on somebody, since
everything is usually roll, This is in this game.
It's a role under instead and you get bonus damage.
That's cool. Okay, mighty blows 7.4 if you
roll a double six while attacking Ajax, thank you so
much for those 24 Bitties. I appreciate that.
If you roll double six while attacking, you might strike a
mighty blow when the exchange and inflict double damage, okay?
If both parties strike a mighty blow, a spectacular clinches,
formed shattering both weapons and the case of Beastly claws.
Tentacles and so on, they lose 1 D6 stamina and said wow wow.
Okay If you roll a double D6 while attacking you strike a
mighty blow. So it's so basically if you roll
to D6, you get a critical, hit a mighty blow.
If both do a mighty blow you shatter both weapons, Jack says
a priori incantatem like an HP and gof I do not I assume HP.
My be Harry Potter. I have no idea what gof is.
I'm not a Harry Potter fan or person so I do not know what you
are rocking. Seeing my friend 7.5 fumbles, a
role of double ones in combat results, in the roller, losing
the exchange and their opponent, adding one to their damage roll.
If both parties fumble, they each deal damage to the other
adding 1 to the damage role, a role of double ones and combat
results in the roller, losing the exchange in their opponent.
Adding one. Okay.
They both fumble that each at 10K Shields Shields reduce
damage Rolls by one to a minimum of one. oh, Ah, got you.
Yeah, so it is a Harry Potter thing.
Gotcha. So you can't get away.
Unscathed damage Shields reduced damage to a minimum of one.
So you will get hit, you will take damage.
Regardless is that's how I read that.
I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong Shields reduce
damage Rolls by one to a minimum of one. 7.7 use of multiple
weapons, when rolling damage, you may choose which weapon to
reference the damage roll against After Rolling.
You must be holding in your hands or nearest.
Approximations obviously. So you can't hit with multiple
weapons. You can just pick which one you
hit with. And you can pick after you roll,
interesting, 78, falling over. When on the floor, you suffer -
to, to all physical rolls against those standing,
including damage rolls. Okay?
And you must spend a turn getting to your feet.
It sucks to be prone, falling too far when engaging an
uncontrolled Falls, you lose, 1 D6, stamina / 2, m Fallen when
you land. Okay.
So you could definitely die falling in this.
I like the M thing I will. I like that.
They give you a reference but I think that to meters six feet
roughly for us, filthy Americans is Is a good round thing like
two feet or 2 meters, four meters.
It's enough of a distance to basically say, like a person's
height or 4. Meters is like across a room.
So it's a good range of distance without being too specific, all
right, drowning, when you fail a swimming test, you didn't to
drown and lose 186 stamina for each consecutive swimming test.
Where you make no progress, you roll an additional 1 D6.
So for instance, your third failed, swimming role in a row
would lose you 3 D6 stamina. Once you lose all stamina, you
drown, that's fun. Hey, truly rageous.
Yeah. So I assume with the swimming
you could potentially have an advanced an advanced swim skill
which would be beneficial but if you fail and fail and fail, You
only drown if you would otherwise die because as you
fail your swimming test, making a progress.
You take damage for each consecutive swimming test.
Where you make no progress, you roll an additional 1 D6. so, for
instance, Yeah, so every time you fail swimming test you lose
1 D6 stamina and it's a role that's not 6, it's 1 D6 0, it
could be 1, it could be six so that you could you could try to
swim for a long time. If you get great low rolls, or
for a very short period of time. If you don't, some point, nine
point one, fire poison and bleeding any ongoing.
Debilitating effects should be treated.
Similarly, to Drowning unless you have a specific effect in
mind, unless you have a specific effect in mind how the victim
lose one day. Stamina per turn with it.
Optionally, becoming more severe unless either pass or related
events. He'll test or successfully test
their luck. Improvisation is strongly
encouraged. Okay.
So basically any ongoing effects and they specifically Reference
fire poison and bleeding acts just like drowning.
Okay, degenerative effects test for drowning fire Etc.
Only when the end of the round token is drawn okay, all right.
So anytime the in the round token is drawn anyone with
ongoing effects would Test those effects.
All right. So you could act prior to if
you're drowning and your token comes up, you could try to take
an action. And then when the end of the
round token comes up in the stack, you would test to see if
you're drowning. Okay?
Henchman henchmen are created. As you would a monster with
truncated abilities, Only covering their Essence.
They are their own people with their own motivations and are
not just pieces of equipment. It is up to the GM and players
to flush them out or not. As the case may be also
C-section 5.4 time. There are two main units of time
in the game, turns and rounds. A turn is what someone does when
they hold an initiative and is a few seconds, long around is the
period between drawings excessive End of the round
tokens and is roughly equal to 1 minute, okay?
Damaged Section 8, when you win a role versus an opponent
combat. You inflict damage after
successfully hitting someone roll D6 and consult the damage
charts on the inside front, cover of this book reference,
your damage roll across the top row and the weapon down the
side. The result is the damage
inflicted and is in dutton's deducted from your opponent
stamina. Okay, let's let's actually go
back to the inside cover of the book.
And and see what this after successfully hitting someone
roll a D6 and consult the damage chart on the top of the inside
front cover of this book. Reference your damage roll,
across the top row and the weapon down the side.
Okay, so let's bring up our dice roller again.
So it's 1 D6 and I roll for, okay?
So let's say I have like a short sword.
Let's go to the inside cover, And my damage roll for down a
little bit. My damage roll for, let's just
say sword. Okay, was for.
So I do six points of damage. Is that what that says?
Is that what it meant? I'm going to hold the book in my
hand and then go back to the other page and see what it says.
Okay. So again, I have the physical
book here as well. So, going back to the table of
contents. Go back to Section 8 for damage
when you win a role versus an opponent.
After successfully hitting roll a D6, I got a for consult the
damage charts reference your damage roll across the top.
So again, I rolled a 4 and the weapon on the side sword.
The result is the damage inflicted.
Oh so yeah. So your damage inflicted there.
So there's a chart here for how much that's kind of, um, I don't
know how I feel about that. I don't know how I feel about.
Literally everybody needing to have the like their weapon chart
in front of them. So what you roll is not the
damage. What you roll is a reference to
the damage And they do have 7 plus as an option, but you're
only rolling in D60. I don't know talks about damage
modifiers here. So let's get into that when
striking a mighty blow, you double the amount of stamina
lost as a result. So if I do, if I roll when I hit
them and I roll the to d6s if I roll a 4 they would take 12
stamina damage damage modifiers, all modifiers that add bonus to
damage unless otherwise specified, modify the roll of
the dice, not the actual damage inflicted.
So for instance, I have a plus one to my damage Roll and Roll a
5 on the sword entry do too. Bonus.
I'm Canada's having rolled a 6 and I inflict 8 damage.
I don't like this. I will say it.
I'm not gonna let us get through the Section.
Eight point three, unusual weapons, it is entirely
acceptable to use existing weapons to provide the damage
Matrix of roughly equivalent exotic weapons, such as
counting, a Rapier as a sword for damage.
This does not preclude the possibility of making specific
matrices for your indexes. I don't like this.
I don't. It's fine.
I understand to a point. I don't like having a damaged
Matrix. I guess you would eventually
memorize what your what your thing is, but instead of Yeah,
I'm not a big fan of having a damaged Matrix.
So when we go back to the beginning for the sword entry,
let's roll this up big. Again we go back to the
beginning with the sword entry looking at the sword if you
roll, it's a 1 D6. And again what they said was if
you have modifiers to damage it's not the actual damage.
It's the role to determine your damage.
So it's a D6 is your damage roll and then you Check the melee
weapon Matrix to see how much actual damage you do.
I don't like that straight off. Like I'm not even gonna pretend
I just don't like it. So say you were all I rolled a
for the damage, the damage to the opponent is 260, basically
on a one the damage is a for on a 2 3 4 or 5, the damage is a 6
On a 6, the damage is 1/8. And on a 7, plus the damages of
10. Again I'm not a fan.
I mean I guess if everyone had a copy of this I'm sure you could
print one of these out. is there a place on the character sheet
to actually write your Okay, so not terrible.
Let's let's reference the character sheet real quick. when
you actually look at a character's character sheet, It
does have your weapons listed and it does have your damaged
Matrix that you can fill in. So, that's not too bad.
I mean, it, I still am not a huge fan of that concept, but
you can fill in your damage Matrix.
So when you look at this, it lists on the character sheet
weapons and then there's one, two, three, four, five, six
seven plus each individual boxes.
I would put sword on the line and I would write four six, six,
six, six, eight, ten, across the rest of it.
So it does give you a space on the character sheet.
Mark to Mark those out. I think it's weird to roll a
damaged eye to get a different number to roll damage.
I don't know how I feel about that.
Some of them are vastly different.
So with the sword, you know, two through five, you know, you have
to two and three chance going one through six of the give the
same damage. But if you look at something
like a mall, going back to back to the first page, you It's if
you roll a 1, it's a one. If you roll a 2 it's a to if you
roll a three it's a three. If you're all the four to six,
if you're all five it's 12 if you're all six of the 13 if you
roll a 7 plus it's a 14 again. I don't I The fact that it's on
the character sheet, makes it easier and makes may not dislike
it as much. I don't know how much of a fan I
am of that. I don't know how much of a fan I
am of that. Okay.
I think today we're going to get through advanced skills and then
we'll bring on our will get to the advanced skills section and
then go through. The rest of this next week
because we're about page 52 out of 110.
So we're going through about half the book.
So let's get through the rest of damage and getting better and
then we'll bring on our guests for the week which will be Jess.
The cheese mistress so armor. I love the British spelling of
anything with an oar and to a know you are We use it all the
time. I will spell mustache with a
know you. I'm a fan, armor offers, a
certain degree of protection to your soft and supple body.
There are four levels of protection that vaguely defined
allowing you to assign whatever assortment of pots and pans.
You might be wearing to an appropriate level without too
much bother. A Target is considered to be
unarmored lightly. Armored modestly are murder
heavily armored each modifies damage Rolls by 0.
Minus 1, minus 2 and minus 3 interesting to a minimum of 1.
So there, To use armor. It reduces your damage.
That's an interesting concept. It reduces your damage roll,
which reduces your damage based on the the, the weapon Matrix.
That's interesting, that that's what they chose to, to be the
detriment to having higher armor, being the damage, you can
output because I can't imagine. I mean, again, it's a game but
in the real world, if you're heavily armored, you can still
swing a sword, pretty hard. So, it's interesting.
Saying that they would they would do that.
Armor encumbrance armor takes up a number of items.
Lots equal to twice its protective value.
So heavy armor would use six slots for example.
Okay. When we get to items that'll be
interesting to go over so armor, wearing armor, reduces the
damage. You can put out and reduces the
inventory slots that you can use.
So armor isn't always the best thing to use really might be
better to have a shield. um, okay, encumbrance you may carry
12. Things without issue on your
character sheet, are 12 spaces to write in the things.
You're lugging around with you. Some items are of
inconsequential individual weight, like arrows and only
ever take up one slot. Unless you have an awful lot of
them, which constitutes a lot is up to your group.
Decide I like that. So Arrow counts as one and you
can carry 50 arrows. It only counts as one small item
scale, large items. How are anything?
You need both hands to hold. They take up two slots in your
inventory. Armor has its own rules.
Yep. So, one of the, one of the
things about Mark, Borg that I'm not the hugest fan of, they do
have inventory, but I feel like the range on inventory.
It gives you like a weight in the weight as part of the
inventory slots. But like a scroll is considered
an item and takes up an item space in your bag.
Has Vie hander is considered an item and takes up one or two
spaces in your bag. But like a sword and a scroll,
or of equivalent, like, they each take up an inventory space
and I feel like those are incredibly unequal.
So I like this idea of having, if you have multiples of small
items. So if I have three Scrolls, I'm
not taking up three slots. I'm taking up one slot, holding
three Scrolls that makes sense to me large items.
If it takes two hands, it takes up two slots.
W. And a retrieving items in a
hurry note that having things near the top of your inventory
list is advantageous. So put things are, rarely need
in a hurry like armor and money near the bottom pack your bags.
Well, so you're already wearing armor but it does count in what
you're carrying. So you can put them all the way
at the bottom. And your inventory list is
considered the way you pack your bag which is cool overburden.
If you find yourself carrying more than 12 items, you suffer -
42 all roles due to the inconvenient.
Wait, if you're okay, 18 items are more.
You suffer - All roles. You can hardly move and you can
is unawares. Damn.
So don't carry more than 12 because every roll you make is a
minus 4. That's crazy.
Dropping things in a hurry. If you want to unburden
yourself, quickly roll 1 D6. The result is how many Slots of
things. You may carefully, put down this
turn at the gyms discretion. You may roll to D6 if you don't
mind them getting broken or lost.
Okay. So you want to drop a bunch of
shit role to see how much shit you drop really quickly so we
will do getting better. We'll finish that.
And then as I said, we will bring on.
Just so getting better life is learning and you cannot
experience without growing in some way.
Your character is Bend and change in response to their
environment when you successfully test an advanced
scale or spell you stand to learn from it, put a tick next
to it on your character sheet, 11:1, how to advance the next
time you have a chance to rest and reflect on your journey
lately. But wait, your character.
In change respond to their environment when you
successfully test and events scale or spell, you stand to
learn from it, put a tick next to it.
So when you test Advanced skills or spells you get a tick on your
sheet, next time you have a chance to rest and reflect on
your journey. You may check to see what you
have learned. Choose up to three Advanced
skills or spells with a tick next to them.
If you roll to D6 over, your current skill total event skill
or spell plus skills. So you to get better on the
scale, you can add the scale to the role.
You may increase it by one. When you have finished rolling
removal takes from a sheet interesting so you don't get any
additions to your basic stuff, your skill, your stamina, your
luck. That's always the same forever.
You can increase the roles for your Advanced skills.
Remove all ticks from your sheet, 12 plus Advanced skill.
When an advanced skill has reached 12.
He must roll a 12 followed by another 12 to improve it
further. There is no upper limit, but you
literally have to roll Max twice in order to fix that.
So that would be kind of crazy if you were to advance it Beyond
12. I'm going to be hard to get
there anyway because you are. Well, is it harder?
You're adding your Advanced skill to your skill roll on a 2d
six to get better on the skills. So the better you get at your
Advanced skill. The more you're adding to the
role each time. So if you get to like a plus 5
on your Advanced skill but then it's also getting higher. so, it
kind of Evens itself out realistically, if you roll to D6
and you add your Advanced skill, plus your skills.
The scale doesn't get higher, the advanced scale has to roll
over your vent scale, so that marks itself out.
So it doesn't, it all comes down to a role anyway, so there's
actually no reason to roll now because you have to do it
against your Advanced skill. Math is hard people.
So, yeah. So eleven point, one point one
we already talked about that training and learning new
Advanced skills. It is also possible to improve
your Advanced skills or to learn new ones that you must find
someone willing to teach you. They must have a higher skill
total then you and most which is your Advanced skill or spell
pleasure skill and most likely require payment unless you they
are your fellow party member or already owe.
You a favor training takes one week plus one week per rank you
already have in the event skill, you're looking to improve.
So if you have a five, it takes six weeks.
At the end of this time, you get one chance at advancement.
Failure means you just have to train harder.
When learning new Advanced skills, you must roll under your
skill on. To D6.
To gain your first point. Precocious students are easier
to teach. Okay.
So if you're bad at it it's a role under on the 2D six.
Not a role under or not a rollover interesting.
Okay. So the only way you advance in
this game at all, is Is Advanced skills, learning new skills and
getting more skills. But your skill stamina and luck
are all what your alternate beginning and that's it.
So you get no more HP. You get no more luck, you get no
more, anything, all you get when you get better is more abilities
and skills which makes sense. You're a grown-up human, being
most likely unless you play a child.
You can't really get much more Hardy than that.
You know you get you get um you can learn new things and that's
about it. I really I like that.
I like that idea that you don't become demigods and and damage
sponges you just get you learn new things which is which is
life. So that's really interesting.
Okay. So next week we will do Troika.
Part do part 2 part 2 and we will start with Skill
descriptions and move forward from there into the Spells, the
best, Thierry, and all of those things.
So we're going to bring Jes our guests for the week, on to the
stream. So I'll just get that set up
real quick. Give me one second.
Good morning. How's it going?
Thank you for waking up. Of course.
I thought you wouldn't just that it's early and it is Saturday.
So yeah, it did wake up its had earlier than normal.
Yeah, usually I'm getting off work.
So this is a good time for me but maybe we'll push a little
bit later. We'll see what we'll see, what
happens going forward. So, yeah.
So this is a weekly scroll and this is our guest this week.
This is Jess, Jess is a player in the dark kingdoms.
She is in Merc Borg. She is our blood sorceress and
our what is your classic denim record?
The esoteric hermit. That's right.
Yeah. Cockroaches in your hair and
most recently, I basically forced her to GM an adventure on
the adventure archive and I'm glad I did because it was very
very fun. It was incredibly well-written
did a wonderful job so that's what we're going to talk about
but to start it off. Um let's let's get there but
let's just start with Tabletop role-playing games.
I mean, that's the premise of this entire stream is to talk
about tabletop role-playing games D and D or we're talking
about today Troika. What?
How did you get into tabletop role-playing games, just in
general, whatever whatever version of it, it was and which
one was your first d? And e was my first and I got
into it when I was working at Trader, Joe's, several years
back and there was a group of friends that started a D&D group
and It didn't last very long. They did it.
Like maybe Maybe we did it like five or six times, but it was
really fun and I always wanted to continue doing it and then
when I met Jason, he was thinking about getting into your
group and then introduced me to it and here we are.
Yeah, so so the group she's talking about was our local
Meetup Group in the area, I had started it and got really For a
while before the pandemic kind of really, really killed it off.
But we used to do starter, you know, like, what am I trying to
say like new player games introducing new people to the to
the system to be in the and I used to run in my house number
of different campaigns and Jess, you've been a part of it at
least. What, like, three campaigns one,
still ongoing, but I think you were in an additional midgard
campaign that we had going. Where you played a Russian
voiced like a halfling. Yeah, one of my two voices.
Yeah, you played in the in myths of midgard.
You are also in that correct. I was you Jason and a couple
other people and that ended unfortunately and then we're
still doing dark kingdoms which is what On Wednesdays and you
played Arianna, Arianna blood, right?
Our alpha mark, Sarah, Paige sorceress, and that's been going
on for over two years. So, yeah, so we've actually
known each other for quite a while now.
Yeah, obviously. And we used to play the game out
of my house. I remember Jess was originally
joining dark kingdoms as kind of a guest in PC.
I used to be this thing where I would have guests show up for
games but then hide them in various places and Have them
burst in when it was their time so they would either stand
outside my door or upstairs in a room and then come in.
Jeff started out as a story on obliterate, do you want to talk
about? Are you kind of came in and what
that was? I remember correctly.
We had a Discord chat going, and I was waiting in my car and so I
wasn't hiding in your house like many other people.
I came to the door. When he told me to, you, would
give a queue and somebody would burst in.
And I burst it, I forget what I said, but I guess I was like,
fighting a, what was I fighting a Troll or a.
I think. What's the zombie ogre?
I think okay, it sounds like you're pretty sir.
Yeah. So sounds right.
Originally, you originally came on because Andy another player
in our game, who plays beat him dabrian had an IRL child, they
gave birth to thing, or at least their wife did.
So he was out for a while. So I wanted to bring Jes on, we
had played other times and you're a great person to bring
on And I think the way that the adventure went, there is a guard
outside. Its the blood v, a sister, all
Cava, which is an adventure by kobold press that.
I fold it into our campaign. It's actually one of my favorite
little sections of the campaign that we run them on my favorite
like kind of stand-alone Adventures that that
cold-pressed put out. It's really well done.
At least at the final battle was in my opinion but there's a
guard up front who's like an undead ogre and as the party
kind of Rises up to see what's happening.
They saw this woman battling, this Undead ogre and that was
you and You came in the door, but my favorite part is not just
that you walked in, but what your character look like.
When you came in a way, your character looks like in general.
So, yeah. And what was that?
So, I did the full makeup. I did like scar with, like, some
some wound makeup and then I put like the strip across like the
red strip across my eyes and like the little Half Moon. and
the line and then, Use like some eyelash glue to attach a ruby
gem kind of thing. I got from like the craft store
on to my chest and then like put fake blood around it and try to
make it look like it was actually set into my chest and I
was actually really fun. I love to do stuff like that.
So yeah, it's Absalom. It was, it was a great.
It was, I mean, I my players are players in dark kingdoms of
always done almost every I think at some point has brought
something to the table like IRL that that fits their character.
Like tongue taker actually brought like hey Aunt like
handmade homemade, like like jelly tongues to the table was
literally eating of the table. Jason wore like a flesh mask
because his character, I said Cuts people's faces off.
So for just like walk in wearing this Ruby and in the game the
Ruby is a magic item that she embedded into her chest that
like pulls in G from herself in order to like Empower spells and
things like that. So it was really cool to see
Jess as her character role in. So it was a great thing to see
and just investing right away in the character.
So we got through alcohol, we got through everything and he
actually ended up coming back to the game after his paternity
leave. And the plan at the time was for
just, it just kind of like right off into the sunset and I think
even in gave you kind of roll the sunset and them.
Then you're like, okay, come to the kitchen for a quack.
Like let's have a powwow and I was like so.
Um do you want to just stay? We have room at the table, it
was fun playing with you. Do you want to like actually
sticking the campaign? And you're like sure why not?
And that was like over a year ago and then I just rode back
and I was like I don't think how we kind of just like shoehorn it
back in. If everyone's gonna like caught
up to you or like when they got to the next area where they are
and you're like, well actually I'm not doing Anything else like
- something like that. Yeah, um so so yeah, and that
was when we were still doing meet up games, that's when we're
still doing the games at my house and the pandemic, it and
then we kind of turn initially the dark kingdoms into,
basically, what we are now, which is the adventure archive,
which is our twitch channel, that you're there watching right
now, or listening to the podcast for.
And and that's kind of how we got to here.
And then at some point, Did a community challenge whether you
were you didn't fight hard enough for me, not to make you
do it. So we did a community challenge
to get Jess to run a game. Of course it succeeded and then
over the course of a couple months, just kind of yes you put
that game together and it ended up being cheese.
Which was I think everyone that watched it fell in love with it.
It's it was a great adventure was really, really well done.
And the production value of Everything you did was lazy.
Like if, if you go check it out on our YouTube, I'll drop the
links in here or over on our website.
You'll see the intro video is amazing.
Intro video is not in the YouTube.
The intro videos on YouTube at all of us, cut out.
Pretty sure Jason we gotta we gotta have a little bit of that
intro video on there but it's on the switch.
Yeah, they twitching Laughs. You cut the.
We got to leave a little bit of the priests room in there.
A little bit of the priest dream.
Set it up with a little bit of music, but, but watch it on at
which their bodies always going to be up here on Art, which you
can also check our Instagram or all of the because not only did
you do intro video in the BRB strains in the entire layout?
You also did a lot of a number of social media graphics and
video leading up into throughout the week, which you And Jason
both do good. You guys are incredibly
graphically artistically. Talented in up doing everyone to
college for defyin. So all of it falls on you guys,
which we very much appreciate, but so check those out on our
Instagram, you can scroll back and look at those, but all of
those videos leading up to it. As I said, the production value
everything was was gorgeous so just all of the lead up into it.
Everyone was super excited for and then we actually run the
game and it was, it was awesome. So do you want to talk a little
It about why cheese and I'm like the whole lead up into the
cheese Adventure. Why she's?
You know, I just I really like cheese.
It's like a joke in my house that I love cheese.
She loves cheese. Yeah, everybody always gets Chi
because supposedly, that's what I do.
But anyway, yeah, I like the idea of having a game set in the
70s, for some reason, just like a more modern time period.
It's not like super high fantasy but is inspired by fantasy
because I feel like a lot of things in the 70s were just
inspired by like Lord of the Rings or inspired by well, a lot
of things that came out in the 70s were just kind of like
mysterious and a culty and fantasy inspired.
So I wanted to like, combine that into the 70s ERA with like
these goofy kind of goofy like 70s Trope characters.
And then I mean she is, I don't know, I just love cheese.
It just kind of came together being in this Mountain Village
where cheese is made and then you can combine that with like
the fantasy element and the 70s and it just became what it what
it was. So the like one of the best
parts of it I think, is that Vibe of the whole thing.
Like you have this nice write-up for everybody on to really set
the mood and it was really well, well said mood.
I know the I ended up being the occultist and I know that for
each of the each of the characters you had us pick a
type of cheese, I should have worked on my Italian accent a
little bit more, but it really helped set the it helps set the
the days. It only it helps set the mood.
So I mean I even like I said, I found a black.
So my character was like super into Black Sabbath and Aleister
Crowley and all this occult stuff and whatever.
And I was actually able to find a Black Sabbath band t-shirt
which had like a skeleton in in like with a shield and armor and
a sword which gave that fantasy vibe.
And I was actually a tortured for 1978 which is the year that
you ran the adventure and so it was perfect.
I loved it. My terrible hair filter, got in
the way. Most of the time but now I have
that, but it really helps set the mood and have the perfect
shirt. Yeah.
But even, even for all the characters, like all the, the
the right up say you did for each one, Jason was born in
1978. You are so old man here, don't
worry but but ya know, the, the lead up into it, I think was
fantastic. Giving us a list of cheeses was
great to be able to, to go through.
Yeah. That was fun because she's
tasting notes. Always have like, weird things
that could be like, personified, I guess if you want to make it
into human, Characteristic or how they look.
So I kind of tied all that into these, these loose characters.
I let you guys choose from and then once you guys nailed down,
which one you wanted, I kind of finessed it into the character
sheet that you guys eventually saw, but that was fun to come up
with all the different cheeses because so many Cheese's could
be named see, you know, yeah. I mean, I was romano and that's
clearly a name that could be done.
I don't remember. We had Stilton, we had Romano.
We had. What else do you want?
Tina and Bruno's. Yeah.
So I hope Jason was Fontina and he had like the whole wig and
the whole thing. He was our female healer truly
asked her Gorgonzola, we actually battled a dimma
Gorgonzola and, and one of the things Gorgonzola was one of the
creatures that we attacked, so leading up into the adventure in
general. I know I you would talked about
cheese and one night at work. I was very bored and basically
started writing a game that I kind of, I don't, I don't know
if I force you to use it or if you're just like, sure that's
fine. I wanted something that was not
Dean d5e because for First Parish first time roaming, an
adventure d5e can be a lot. So, so talk about that a little
bit. I guess just about I know
because you adapted it and really, really fun ways and I
have been building that game off, you know, but my own
advancing that a little bit farther and farther.
And you kind of took that and turn it into your own.
So just talk about the system a little bit, kind of how you
tweaked it a little bit kind of how it worked a little bit and
just just that in general, I guess?
Okay, yeah, I when I was thinking of what I wanted to
run, I definitely didn't want to run DNA. 5 a.m.
I just didn't want to open that can of worms.
I knew it would be like too much and would overwhelm man.
I wanted it to be more about like the vibe and the theme.
And I wanted to be super easy for me to be completely honest.
And I had played games that were powered by the apocalypse.
So I kind of like that system and I had played with Mark, Borg
a little, and I like the Simplicity of that.
That. So I definitely wanted to be
something more along those lines.
And in the early stages, Ryan wasn't planning on being in the
game. I don't think I think you it was
more like you were going to kind of help me with my first DM
experience and kind of like help.
Help me with whatever I needed help with.
And so we had a chat and kind of went over like the very basics
of what I was thinking and you came up with the fromage system,
which is like the more loose version of your incursion
system, which you have since refined and made a little bit
more complicated but when when you decide well, I eventually
asked you if you wanted to play and you said sure and so I kind
of I took your game systems and kind of like been to them to fit
my game, I guess a little bit but for the most part to stick
to your rules and I don't know. Do you want me to talk about
this system itself? It's like a 2d six system with
Mick successes and I don't know. I really like that because it
adds to the narrative nature of the game, it kind of encourages
the characters to be more creative urges me to be more
creative. It also requires the GM to think
on their feet which can be tough at times but I feel like it gets
me more. Into the game where I like, when
you're running a game, at least for me, it's easy to get
distracted and kind of like, get out of it.
So when I'm having to make up with the carrier or not, the
characters are doing but like what may be adversaries doing?
It makes me like in the game warm?
Yeah, yeah. So the system basically, like,
we talked about him, I created this it started as fromage, turn
into incursion, I added some more and basically, There's
gonna end up being like two versions of it, like a more
advanced version and a lighter version years.
Basically took the lighter version and added a little bit
of the features of the advanced version.
Like you're like everyone had a couple ability or attribute
traits just like 11 plus 11 minus 1 and like you said just
to D6 make success and what I like about exactly.
You said you liked about it. It really encourages creativity
not so much like there's only this very small list of things
you can do and their specific roles and things you know, it
You can only do what it says you can do versus being able to just
do whatever you want. And the GM just being like sure
role for this which is really fun.
I think you took it and you did a really good job of that.
Not only just in and running the system, but the way that you
did, the character sheets in the items and things like that,
we're really, really clever. Like I really liked the one
item, I had the chaos Magic One. Basically, it's an item that can
either harm or heal and you declare beforehand.
What you want it to do. Do.
But then you roll to D6 and it either does that or I assume it
does the opposite one so I could either try to harm someone in an
appealing them or try to heal myself in an apartment myself or
an ally and that was really clever and I felt like it fit
perfect into the the vibe of the system and then I think everyone
got like 11 bit of healing and like a random item and like a
weapon or something like that. So definitely.
Yeah, I took the thing that I again that bored at work one
day, kind of threw together Made it your own and did a really
really good job with not only the system but you know
everything else associated with it.
Yeah. So is that a did you do you feel
like it's a system that you could run another game and like
it's what you would do again or would you want to do something
else? Yeah.
Yeah it was really easy to run. I had to do a little bit of
balancing with the monsters, but yeah, it was easy and I think
everybody had a good time. Time.
Yeah, definitely run it again. I don't think I'd ever do DND.
I like Dan did I like playing D&D but it's just like too much
on my mind to hold so it's definitely not rules light.
And by any stretch, its kind of rules medium.
But has since just, they keep adding more and more rules to it
with a Tasha's and all the other stuff and like, the step blocks
and everything. It's definitely a lot.
It's not easy to just pick up and start going and I know a lot
of DM's will. It's hard to DM 5 e, really?
Really well. It's one of those things where
you can do it, you can do it. Alright.
And you can make it your own but I think the system in general
without move, going to another hate session on d and e and w.
See it's not super beginner friendly to run the game and the
Way that they cope with that is by basically saying like here's
all the rules but do whatever you want and it doesn't
necessarily make it an easy system.
For some people like some people want the rules to make sense and
to be able to move forward with that.
And not just say sure, I'll make it up because some people
especially as a newer GM, it's hard to make it up.
If you don't have the experience behind it, you know you have to
know all the rules on when on, you know how to bend them and
how to break them. And if you don't it's difficult
but knowing you know, at this point three books like this
thick is a lot. So it makes a lot of sense to
move in. Something that's more especially
for one shots to have something that's a little bit.
Yeah, a little bit more simple and things and the cheese
Adventure itself. The maps are also gorgeous.
What did you use to make the maps?
Thanks, I use dungeon scroll. It's like a free online app and
you can just download the map and plop it into.
I assume boundary and Rule 20 I use roll20.
Just drop the link in chat is just under scroll.com and what's
cool about that is you can there's a lot of different
presets and things for it. I've never done a map as
in-depth as one that you did because a lot of the the base
map is just that kind of like Dyson logos old school D&D Style
just like white 10 foot squares with a little bit of like
shaving on the outsides but you did a like a like a color like
rooms look like rooms. Did you or you adding additional
assets where all those assets part of dungeon, scroll?
Those assets were part of dungeon scroll.
Supposedly, you can make your own and upload them.
I didn't have much luck with that and I was running out of
time, so I just use the existing ones.
Yeah. They have like a layer system
where you make the like bounding boxes of the room stuff and then
you can add an art layer, which you choose from whatever assets
they have available. And you can just like, layer
them on top of each other, or Alarm.
And that's how I came up with like the floor textures and
bookshelves and things like that.
Good like there was a small book shelf and I stretched it to make
it a really long book shelf that like went along the edges of a
corridor, things like that. Yeah, it's pretty cool free
program. It took a little effort but it
was pretty cool map, I think for do it.
Look great. It looks fantastic.
I mean, it's definitely all the things that we needed to be able
to immerse into the into the system and into the game.
I know I also have dungeon draft which is like a similar thing
that's got a lot more tools but realistically like it looked
like it was made in Dungeon giraffe.
Like I wouldn't have thought it was like a free map that you
just put together. So for those of you Don't want
to spend money for something like, Dungeon Drop dungeon.
Scroll is a great resource to use.
And clearly, if you, if you watch the adventure, you can see
how Wild on the maps were, and how about the monsters in the
adventure before we get to, like, the adventure itself and
the Twist and everything, which was wonderful.
I know, we had talked a little bit when I was bored.
I was talking at work about, like, coming up at some of the
names, but you had some really great monsters you created.
So what were those? Yeah.
So what we first started talking about monsters, I think we came
up with like a bunch of monsters.
Esther names, and they were all really fun.
But with the narrative story, I eventually cut it down to four
monsters. I think, one for each character.
And so I picked my four favorite monster names which was the
Camembert, the limb burglar. The dipping gorgonzola.
And the cheese was and that's like an order of how they meet
them. And so I kind of based on the
names like Camembert like what am I going to do here?
I had to kind of add elements to the game to make it fit the
monster names a little and in a way like so there's a Taxidermy
bear in the corner that kind of you see the Taxidermy bear and
then the Camembert comes out. From behind the Taxidermy bear
and it ended up being like Bruno's, dad.
And he was like, this hulking figure that when he was coded
and cheese, kind of like looked bearish.
And then like the limb burglar was stilton's, brother.
And Stilton. This like always up to no good.
And his brother was trying to break into the facility to steal
the recipe and sell it. So he was burgling, And then
Demi Gorgonzola was Van Tina's mom.
And the Cheez Whiz was Romano's grandfather but they didn't know
this when they were playing. So at least three of the
characters killed, their own family member, is that how it
worked? No not intentionally, but it did
end up that way. Bruno's killed the Camembert.
Did the final blow on the Camembert, still into the final
route, blow on the limb burglar. And then you did the final blow
on the Cheez Whiz, unfortunately Fanta.
No is like really struggling to get a hidden.
So she did not do the final blow on her own mom, the demigod
organs all up, but yeah, it was funny how that just ended up
happening. Yeah, and it was a great twist.
I think we all kind of assumed in the final room that, since it
was kind of his den in his office at the Cheez Whiz was
Romano's grandfather. I think I picked that up pretty
quickly, and I think I said something and everyone was like,
yeah, we kind of assume this. This, but I don't think anyone
really caught on that. There were three other people.
There were three other family members, missing and that we're
like, oh shit, it wasn't just, we didn't just kill my grandpa.
We all killed all of our family members, but all of those family
members had in some way, shape, or form, kind of upset the like,
the cheese demon. Yeah.
That had like taken over. Yeah.
The cheese demon so I guess I'll get it.
The story, The Weird store I came up with the cheese demon
lives like this, this I don't know, you never see the cheese
demon but you hear the cheese demon and it's like comes from
deep within this curdles. Berg Mountain that surrounds the
the city of Saint curdles Berg or the town and it brings
prosperity to the town. It's kind of like As long as you
appease this Chiefs demon, the people, the the cheese factory
are where they then this town as prosperous and really wealthy.
And like, I don't know, like think I Switzerland is Rich
right. I think a rich Swiss Village
that just has a lot of Acclaim and a lot of money based on
Their cheese making prowess, and unfortunately at some point
during like the yearly ritual, all of the family members that
worked. So each of their family members
worked at this cheese factory Romano's, grandfather owned it,
and they all proved themselves. Unworthy with something that
they were doing be an affair or stealing or becoming too.
Obsessed with power, and they all did not appease the cheese
statement. And so, the cheese demon took
over their bodies. With this like moldy cheese and
kind of like started to Decay the building and creep into the
village. You could see like an earring
missed and it smelled really bad.
And when His characters went to go check it out.
That's what they found. But yeah, they didn't know the
monsters or their family until they killed them and solved like
finished the cheese whiz at the end and then walked through the
building and saw that their family members were dead on the
ground, where they killed the monsters.
That was the big twist. Yeah.
It was a guy, like I said, it was a great twist.
I did, I called Hermanos grandfather did not expect to
walk back through and see all the dead bodies of the rest of
the family members. So yeah, I tried to see it a
little bit. You'd find Clues like that.
This person worked in this room while you guys were like,
fighting, or after you fought, ya know, you did and looking
back on it, we're just like, oh shit.
Yeah, we totally should have picked that up, but didn't
because I know in the room of dimming Gorgonzola, I think it
was fun Tina's mom's like lab coat or something like thrown
over one of the chairs. And I think it all just kind of
assumed that the like, They were all like captured somewhere and
when we got to the Cheez Whiz, they would be like revealed or
to the final boss and then, yeah, they just wasn't, we
murdered them? I would be too too.
Nice. Yeah.
Right. And then but then at the end of
the adventure as well. I know that you will we had to
either allow the town to fall into ruin more.
We all had to make a pact with the cheese demon to like stay
worthy of Of his powers and maintain Prosperity within the
town. Yeah.
And take over the liquor cottage cheese which was the are the
factory and that's always had to do at the end which just allows
for another adventure to happen. Built almost did not.
He was around. Yes, I come not from here.
Yeah. But he eventually he was just
like a sure I mean, I think the day we're all going to get rich
doing this. If we appeal The demon and I get
a dope as the occultist. Another, a lot of really, a
culty weird stuff down in my grandpa's like, man cave.
So I was like fuck. Yeah.
And even we were, when we were like, we all knew it was the
grandfather and then I think it all points Tilton was even like
so we going to murder and I was like, boom like funderbolt.
Yep. Fuck this guy, we're out.
Yeah, yeah, I get all this stuff I'm in.
Yeah we I remember we took like Gabby, and somebody was like, so
you're cool after completely. Destroying your grandfather, my
God. Yeah, let's do this.
I'm sure he'll. Yeah, you know, Aleister
Crowley. Like, let's just, it's all a
cult, you know, life is like I do.
What? Thou will ya you know, fuck
around and find out I guess Grandpa and the cheese.
Damon was not was not down, I definitely.
As that character would have been way more into appeasing a
cheese demon than dealing with my cheese whiz grandfather.
So, yep, not just gotta sleep, man cave and like cottage
cheese. Yeah.
What what are the odds of you running?
Another cheese Adventure? I mean, as far as they're pretty
sure earned. Yeah.
Yes. As far as the group's concerned,
I think everybody's we have a plan for everyone to kind of run
a game and then just kind of cycle through that again.
So obviously, I run games already.
I'm a DM. Jason does as well, and he was
running a Campaign life happens. But we do have a one shot lined
up with him planning to run that you've run one.
Matt has one in the works, and we're going to start a community
challenge soon for Eric to run one and then that will have been
everybody. And we'll have to start back at
the top so maybe sometime, you know, like middle like early to
Middle next year, you know? Maybe we'll see cheese too.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we might see the fondue,
she is a so many people come up with like super clever name.
So I feel like I have to know. I you have 22, I won't miss you
this time but if you will I listen I can't make you do
anything that you don't want to do.
Did you did you have fun doing it?
Are you glad that you ran cheese?
Yeah, it was really fun. I was just super stressed out
for a long time but I'm glad I did it.
And now I have a lot of things made like it wouldn't change the
character sheet so it be a lot less work.
But for a one shot I did put like so much work into
especially like I didn't come up with the rule set but Else was
hand done. So that was, that was a lot.
So, yeah, I should probably use everything that I made again at
some point. Yeah, well, again, you as we
talked about earlier the production value of everything
was absolutely insane. So if we could get like a
cheese, a once-a-year cheese or every six months she's
Adventure. Hey, before we start our weekly
cheese campaign, I think we have we have a lot of stuff to do.
I think everyone that played it, like absolutely loved it.
I think everyone that watched it was super obsessed with it.
We have some awesome cheese merch.
You still need to get me that color corrected cheese.
Oh yeah. I know, but it all on a baseball
tee but I'll drop our merch league in there.
If anyone wants the cheese stuff, I really want to get a
nice, a nice cheese shirt, but yeah, it was it was so much fun
and like I said, I think everyone that watched it was
just like, holy shit. This is so weird and awesome.
At all. Yeah I wanted to be weird and
awesome. Yeah so maybe potentially going
forward will package that up and and allow you know people to
snag that. So you can run cheese for
yourself. It's definitely worth it,
definitely fun. But as far as, as far as GM
aiming a game and everything that came with it, I know that
you took again an added crazy level of stress for the amount
of stuff that you did, all the social media posts, all the
videos, like the layout, everything like that.
At but just like writing the adventure, making them apps
running the game, kind of like the standards of GM stuff.
How how did you feel about all of that?
Going from being a player who has mostly run?
I think you've played 5e more than pretty much anything.
I know we did a lot of casket lands and stuff like that but as
far as as playing 5e versus Jia Ming Your Own Adventure, how did
you feel about all of that? I mean, it gave me a kind of a
new respect for what you guys have to juggle all the time.
I like I knew it wasn't easy but Yeah, it's definitely.
It's definitely a lot harder than just like sitting and
playing your part when your name is called.
But Yeah. I mean, it helps that you had
made the, the ruleset and that Jason pretty much like stream
that you run, he ran the stream while I ran the game, which was
really helpful, but there's still so much to keep in line.
Like, I kept messing up and not like having the music for each
room play. Because I like hand-picked music
for each room and not just like each room, but like the room and
then if there Fight in that room and there would be a battle
music for that room. And I kept like, just fumbling
that and not showing like images of the rooms because there's
just so much to keep in line, but I think I would do better
next time now that I've done it once.
Like, I learned some things but yeah, it was, it was fun.
I think once I got into it once, like the initial nerve, Herbs.
Faded away it was, it was a good time.
You know, especially if you use roll20 in the future, that's one
thing that as a GM, especially early on, I've talked to a lot
of people, especially when we used to do some like GM, like
intro stuff is just like how to balance a lot of it.
And a lot of it is it's kind of what we try to do with you is
just take some of it off your shoulders.
So like Jason running the stream because I mean and Jason runs
the stream for me on dark kingdoms on Wednesdays.
I know Andy was running his own on Mondays, doing the stream and
the game is Like that. And it's just too much.
It's a whole lot. And I can't, I can't, you know,
I won't be able to thank Jason enough for for running it every
week setting up the zoom every week, you know, doing the
Transitions and all of it. It's just so incredibly helpful
because streaming games is a lot different than running games in
person some parts better sometimes worse.
But having to run the stream is just a stress.
I think above and beyond Jia Ming which is a pain in the ass.
So that's really, really helpful that he does.
Is that I know the way that I kind of control a lot of things
eventually. I'll show you guys a map of the
way that I do preps for my stuff, but the GM layer, if you
actually look at it, it's just like pure text for me.
Like it's giant letters, it's like Turtle music, and like,
don't forget this, and like, the images are like already on the
screen, just waiting to be brought to the new layer.
So that's what I found really helpful.
So if that's something that you could do struggled with with the
music, you could literally right in the middle of the room.
Turn on music track and right next to the monster.
You can be like, turn on values. I can every room with like,
yeah, it's going to places and it really helps because I won't,
I don't, I won't remember. My memory is, is going like
crazy. So I have to like, write
actually on the layer, you know what?
My lover self and preps and stuff like that.
Yeah, I don't even know. You could do that.
Like, I learned how to use roll20, like, two days before
the games, especially this message.
Me. I said that I would help with
anything and Jason. Well, I Andre but I meant yeah
well he's used roll20 before. So he kind of showed me like the
basics and I kind of just figured out what I needed to
figure out. I think sit for a monster Doug
and I did not make monster tokens.
I threw one of those in there for you.
Yeah. Ryan made a monster token like
mid game and and discarded it to me.
So I was able to use that. But yeah, I missed a few things
but and I did not pay attention to the chat at all.
I feel really Bad because yeah, I'll all the supporters out
there are really, really Goin ham in the chat.
So I re-watched it and just looked at the job because it was
pretty funny. But yeah, I, so that's something
I would like to next time. Try to do better as pay closer,
attention to the shop. Yeah, you know, I mean and
that's In the list of important things, especially when you're
running games and your early games, I think the twitch chat
is one of the less important things, especially, considering
of other players. I can do that because I know
when I'm Deann, you're pretty active in the chat when we're
going to games and things. So that's, that's one of those
things is, always rolling for dumb shit.
There you go. Well, as do I, especially in my
report, but, you know, that's, we love chat and we love having
chat here, but it's not like you would have chat in the Game
running it at your table. That's another one of those
things that streaming games is a little bit different.
Is its chat but it's just practice, we'll just have to
have you run a bunch of games and eventually you'll have it
all. You'll have it all set up and
ready to go. Yes, see what he's done during
this. He's gone from like, so I'm not
gonna force you to play one game, but maybe you could play
again and then it soon became like a monthly game and a weekly
game. You're going to play it.
You're going to be dming a bunch of games.
This is this is how Ryan works. This is how we like pressure.
As you into things. So you can you can choose what
you want to do, whatever you want to do.
Ya say that the illusion of Freedom losing Freedom.
Listen, this is just being a DM. You know what I mean?
Like, this is just making the players think that they choose
where they're making choices. Yeah, it's the loser on a
railroad track. Yeah, there you go.
No, no. I don't think.
I know I know but but it's also fun just as You know, someone
who's DMG you a lot to actually see you DM as well, because a
number of your character is a little bit more reserved when
you play. So, what was really cool as a to
watch, U GM is to have to be super invested in active the
entire time, which is like a thing.
And how do you, how do you feel like about that?
Just in general, like your play Style versus your DM style and
like the differences in and I don't know, I think you touched
on a little bit but Absolutely more passive as a player, I
think, probably partly. Because a lot of people that we
play with personalities are just like, they're more charismatic
than me. Like I'm much more of like a, an
introvert and so I tend to play introverts because I'm not good
at all. Sighing.
Now I'm okay at it, but Yeah, I just I end up being quiet but
when when I'm dming, I have to not be quiet, like, I have to
run the game. And so I think my personality
came out a little bit more because I was forced to talk.
But yeah, having never DM, like, I've watched critical role.
Watching you watch Jason and want to Other people, DM, and
played in games. And I think during all of that,
I've just kind of been passively collecting styles of dming and
things that DM's do and that all kind of just came out.
Once we got into the game, I don't know if I have a style,
maybe somebody could break that down, but I tried to be tried to
go around like the Of people not neglect anyone I tried to.
Give you guys freedom to do things, even if I like hadn't
necessarily prepared for it, like, at one point, I think Eric
wanted to pick a lock and I definitely did not want him to
have that tour, but I still let him try to pick the lock and he
failed miserably. Luckily.
Because then I would have had to like, think on my feet.
But yeah, I just tried to, like, collect little things are think
of things that I That I've thought about while playing
games and like what I like in a DM GM and what I don't like as
much and just try to use all that information for my personal
style. and again, you did a great job like I would not have
I would not have thought that that's the first game that you
ever jammed. Thank you did a really good job
and I know this system the system is can be simple and
complicated like powered by the Apocalypse in general because
the rolling is pretty straightforward and it but it
also having the players have that much freedom to do whatever
they want really puts an impetus on the GM to make stuff up.
So when those mixed successes, I think are one of the harder
things to do in part about the apocalypse.
It's like, how can I have them? And also immediately come up
with a consequence and I think you did a really good job with
with that and the system in general just that powered by the
apocalypse to D6, mix success system.
It's like I said I would not have you know other than the
fact that I've known you for like three years would not have
guessed that. That was the first time he'd
ever run a game. I think you did a really, really
good job with the Improv and and keeping everything going.
And like you said, like making sure that the spotlight was
spread across people and everything like that.
And I think the way that you The adventure was was just really
well done. There was a really well-written
one shot as far as like an arc to the story.
A Twist at the end, everything felt like it had a purpose,
nothing felt Superfluous, or anything like that.
And it definitely had like a nice line through the whole
thing. So from writing venture to
running the adventure, I think, I don't mean it was like, oh my
gosh, we were surprised, we thought Jess would suck, but I
think a lot of people were just like, like she just didn't like
like just run the adventures like she did a really, really
good job running the And I think a lot of people were like, that
was the kind of mindset across. Everyone was just like, wow,
like we have to do this again next month.
And next week, I was just like a little.
Yeah, it's that little nudge. But yeah.
You think that, um, do you think that G?
I mean, do you think that if you were to GM or and stuff like
that? Do you think that would affect
your play style when you're just playing?
Or do you think that it would just be like, two different kind
of personalities? Because I know I have a
struggle. Maybe.
Yes. I have a struggle with backseat
dming or taking taking lead to often.
So, like I've created characters in the past, like when I run 5e
games, have this character named charity, and I specifically made
her as like a shy quiet character who really only like
acts and talks when she's addressed.
So that I'm not just constantly bogarting like everything.
Pushing the action of doing things that actually make a
character like that to not do that, or like just as a DM,
who's run a lot of Adventures and seeing a lot of Adventures
can kind of see things coming. But don't always want to be the
one that's like, aha, I see this.
Like so yeah. Do you think that dming would
would change your play style at all?
Um, yeah. I mean, possibly, yeah, it's
hard to know because I've been blamed Ariana for so long.
And that's like the one character that I am consistently
playing and, and probably, in too much of a, like, a pattern
with her to break at this point. Even if I was dming a lot to,
like, change her personality, I feel go get into just like this
is how I played Ariana when I play her so maybe if we played a
different game, maybe it would influence me to kind of like
break out of my comfort zone a little bit more just because I I
don't know getting used to talking in front of like a not
just like us but in front of a chat like that's a that's a
different thing to. So yeah.
Maybe getting used to that more would help me be more more of a
vocal character. So there's a big difference from
one, probably not with Darion. Do you think there was a did big
difference? When we went from like the home
games like in, Apartment to streaming online.
Did you feel like a difference? The fact that there's people
watching in, there's a chat and everything. yeah, I think well,
I mean it's pretty much the same Essence, like we're the same
people, more Goofy and stupid, a lot of stuff, but yeah, it
definitely took like a second to get used to in the beginning and
then, you know, just knowing that people are watching that's
like another element of kind of like Not stress, but kind of, I
don't know. There's like a slight like, live
television Vibe. Even though, like, it's not, we
don't have like a million people watching.
It's like it's a much bigger room now.
And so, Yeah, you are a little bit more.
We're like what you're saying? I guess then like if you're just
hanging out in a room full of people.
Yeah yeah. I mean I definitely felt that
when we first started jamming I have that kind of what you
talked about excuse me when you first like getting past those
nerves initially I think the first bunch of sessions, I kind
of had that like, all right, give me a second.
Let me let me, you know, where there's people Beyond those that
are watching this stuff. Now they can critique my
performance. Yeah.
But You know, and I think everyone every GM is always
going to feel like like it, maybe maybe, maybe, maybe not.
Um, but I've known on the bloody the talked about, like, you
always remember the mistakes you made in the game versus like the
things I went? Well, you know, I think early on
especially gyming I have that a lot more now it's just like, I
think I'm a pretty good GM and I have fun doing what I'm doing.
So it doesn't bother me as much but if I miss something big at
bothers me, like, Fi I remember there's a part A while back with
beetham, where he got in a battle with one of his with one
of his when he when he when they had their child and he had to
disappear and I have that guy attack and kidnap him.
There was this whole thing where he got this scroll and he cast
his girl but this girl disappeared, it actually cursed
him and feel like half the battle versus the guy.
I totally forgot to have the curse effect in effect and I was
like God damn it. You know that really bugged me
so you definitely remember the Takes.
But it goes away. But yeah, I think that's just
part of the Jia Ming and everything like that.
Yeah. And as far as playing, you know,
I know that we've done dark kingdoms for over two years now.
I think that beginning of September was two years of
running that game and we've run some other games as as a player
not as a DM, now I know you played Ariana.
No. We just talked about her over
the course of Well, I guess you weren't there in the very
beginning, I think you came on, I don't even remember when you
came on what section you came in because I know this may be may,
I think maybe you've been in for, about a year and a half.
Now, in this, how do you feel about like Diana and the
campaign? Like, you're not, not like the
dark kingdoms has Sarah, like, your character growth and things
like that. Do you feel like as a player,
that that's something that you like are looking for or striving
for, or do you feel like more reactive at the world?
I know you have a an arc going right now and that has to do
with Your family history in this book, that was stolen and
everything like that, and I think yeah recently, you kind of
got a little bit of a little bit of a clue toward some of that,
but how do you feel about your character, your character
growth? And, and as opposed to doing
like a One-Shot having this like long campaign art, we've had to
be this character for close to probably what 45, 50 sessions,
hmm. Yeah, I mean I like the
opportunity to have some character growth.
I don't know how much she's grown, that's kind of my own
fault, but I have enjoyed the This Arc that you made where her
book is gone stolen, and that kind of has intensified her
relationship with Brian, bribry, her blood familiar, because her
two most important things were Brian and this book and then
this book got stolen and so she is kind of focused more on
protecting Brian and making this relationship with him.
Him and maybe nobody else. Like, realizes that that's like,
what's happening. But that was kind of my thought,
process behind it, is that she's become more dependent on Brian
as being this like, emotional support blood Elemental because
this book that she cares so much about is gone and then there was
that whole like Master Visions thing where she had to choose
between Brian and the book and that was like really hard for
her. But she did what she did and she
feels a little guilty about it. But now that she's she's on the
trail kind of of where to finding her book like she has
she's been given a tip as to where it is and that's pretty
close. She's kind of itchin to go,
maybe find it but she might be outmatched by who has it.
And so I don't know. It's yeah, that's been fun and
I'm excited to see where that goes.
And I know you you have this kind of like I mean, you cannot
have control over what happens to Bryant sometimes and I'm
really scared of that. I don't, I've gotten attached to
Brian and I don't want him to die and neither, does Ariana.
And these deities, almost died, a few times.
A couple of times, you were really close last session,
probably closer than you think. To to him just accidentally
dying and I don't I would be interesting to see how Dariana
reacts to that. I know you talked about the
master of Visions thing, a little bit.
There was a part where all the characters and spoiler alerts
for anyone in the campaign that hasn't heard this turn it off
for a second. There was a part where you had
to go find this master of visions and he was going to
guide you towards the peace. Is needed for this ritual.
You guys are trying to stop and you eventually find out that
it's Arts to cab. Cause that's who you're looking
for, but everyone has these visions.
And in those Visions, it was kind of a, I really enjoyed that
actually. I think the master Visions
session was our very first session on stream.
It was like episode 31 or episode 1 on the stream was when
you guys have these visions and in your vision, you found the
person who stole your book and the person said I can give you
the book. Back.
But you have to choose and I think she said here is basically
this powder which is very similar to the powder that you
used on your sister to kill her. When you hemolyzed part of a
blood ritual and it was basically, I'll give you the
book but you need to pour this on Brian and Killam and at the
end of each of those Visions, it was kind of like a little mini
skill challenge, you had to succeed at something.
And Brian was actually like backing away from you all scared
of you and you had to Succeed In Like A persuasion role to have
them. Like come back to you so you
could kill that. Yeah.
And you chose at that time to kill Brian so you could get your
book back and that was, you know, 30 sessions ago, 30 plus
session to go. At this point, we're talking
more than a year, we're talking a year on stream.
We've had a year now, a year later and everything that you've
gone through with Brian since then and the support that he is
too. Now, if you had to make that
choice again, what what would you do?
Would you You know, and I different prior to that little
tip you just got like if I asked you the same question like two
weeks ago and your book was just gone with no real knowledge of
where it was versus now. Where maybe it's in your grasp?
Do you think regardless you would be going for the book?
That's so hard because yeah, she got that.
Got this tip about the book and so she's kind of like her.
It's like in the back of Vermont on the back of our minds like
more in the Forefront. Now it's kind of just like
always there kind of an obsession of hers.
Like maybe we should we should probably go try to get my book
but if she had to choose between the book and Brian at this
point, I'd be really tough just because of He's been the support
system for her during this whole time that she has had the book.
So, I mean, she definitely tried to get away with both but yeah,
I don't know if it came down to like a choice.
I'd probably just have to make the choice.
It's like in that moment. I don't know.
I don't know what I do. You are, you really need to do
is try to find like a, like a some type of new spell that you
can cast where you can cast like copy and languages or something
and actually be able to talk to Brian more because I think the
older one of the party that can actually talk to Brian.
I think is beat him. I think either speaks primordial
or as a spell that allows them to but I know you've got to talk
to him and he's pretty much just like love you.
Mom. I like blood.
That's about the extent of his. He is really you know, like not
the most intelligent of Support being so you could have but but
he's up there. Yeah, it's kind of like, you
know, a dog or a cat. Still support but not you can't
have like a good conversation, you just murder for you and
dispose of bodies and yeah, like a good daughter really needs.
Yeah, exactly. So yeah, so that's a please
don't kill G. Listen I I'll say I will unless
the story beat Would be really great.
I will not intentionally kill Brian but if Brian happens to to
roll the wrong direction and run into a pond of water, you know,
he's only got so many chances before fate decides, you know,
that would just be a really shitty way to go.
If it was just like, he accidentally know, it's been ran
into water. I would definitely make sure
it's much more emotionally. Hold on that.
Okay, so I have made, I have made people cry on stream from
losing their loved ones and stuff and I guess that's nice.
That's now that's, that's a hi. I'm chasing at this point you
can see I get now. You know what I mean?
I'm Ray. Um, so and for those listening,
we're talking about the dark kingdoms campaign that we run on
Wednesdays. It isn't evil campaign set in
Cobol presses midgard world that.
We've now been running for over two years and on stream for
about a year. Now we've actually run more
sessions on stream than Australia.
Mmmmm. But that's we're talking about
and Jesse's dog on a blood, right?
An elf marks are fate sorceress, as I said before, she's really
love with blood. This big fan likes playing in
it. It's kind of a thing.
So so yeah, so um, so tune in, you know, as we start the cheese
campaign will get up and running.
Yeah, yeah. Start the weekly Monday cheese
game? No buts.
Honesty and all honesty. I think it would be great to see
another one at no pressure. When we decide to.
You know, if you're down for that, we can do another
Community challenge. Give you plenty of time to prep
for it, you know. Looking you know next year,
sometime if you do want to do like fondue or like whatever you
want to have for a second, I think part of it, like you said,
you've put so much work into the all of the lead up all the
videos, the layout, everything like that.
It would be a shame not to be able to To see that again and
use that again. And I think the story was left
open enough to really be able. Would you would you I know this
is really far out if you decide to run another one, would you
want to run like same character? Same extension of the story?
Or did you run another adventure in like the cheese universe?
That's really tough for for the amount of work.
I I feel like I'd rather just from the same character so I
don't have to make new character sheets, but I don't know, we'll
see. Like, I guess once I start
thinking about, if it would end up being a better story to
continue where you guys left off or a better story to do
something completely different because currently this is like
my first album and it was a hit and I put like my whole life.
And to it and then like, I'm gonna start my second album and
have like nothing nothing left to put into.
It's going to fail miserably and that's how I'm looking at it.
Slow, you're gonna. Yeah.
So I don't know, we'll see whatever.
I feel like makes a better story.
I guess I definitely can't imagine that again.
I was in a nice. I don't even know how to say
this. Is that sound about?
I was I knew you were going to do a really good job.
Shocked. I was shocked.
No, but for real though I knew you were gonna do a really good
job and as I said, the production values are great, but
it's like you yeah well especially when she started
sending all the videos and stuff like that, I'm like there's no
way that this is going to make all this look gorgeous and it's
just kind of suck. Well, definitely exceeded
exceeded, my expectations. I got knew you were going to do
a good job, but I think you did a fantastic job.
Again, the story was really well, written.
The maps are gorgeous, like the I know you said you forgot some
things and stuff. Running through the adventure,
but most of them were not really noticeable at all as far as like
from a player perspective. So, just from from writing, the
venture to have Adventure looked to, to actually running the
adventure itself. I just think you did a really,
really good job. The adventure itself was like,
that might be my favorite part of all of this just so well
written. And that twist at the end was so
like, oh shit. And to have like, an, oh shit.
Moment in campaign is something that like six with you.
I think those are the moments because, like, we've been
running dark kingdoms for 42 years and there's like, Three or
four moments. There's a there's like three
quarters of it that I've probably forgotten and have to
be reminded of it and then there's three or four moments
where you go. Oh shit, that was so cool.
And I think in yours getting that oh shit moment in like the
first game that you ran was just, let's just really cool and
it was cool to see someone who's watched you as a player for, you
know, two to three years and then having again, kind of
making you run an adventure and then you just crushing.
It was, it was, it was fun. It was really cool.
You did a really, really good job.
So thank you. Yeah, it was fun to make the
stressful fun. Again, you took a lot of that
stress, with, with the production stuff, you have the
skills to do it and did really well with the production value.
So again, if no one, if you have not watched it, check out our
YouTube. Check out our Instagram.
Look at our website on YouTube is youtube.com slash the
adventure. Archive our website is the
adventure archive dotnet, you can look at all of the
breakdowns or or summaries for a lot of Adventures that we run.
You can link to our YouTube from therefore The the cheese video
you can check out our merch store which you can find through
our twitch Channel and we are twitch.tv, slash the adventure
archiver. Pretty much Adventure across the
board, but we do have a link tree doing a tree.
I know we do. I don't remember what it is.
I think it's just link, tree link TR Dottie / the adventure
archive, so check out, there it is.
Um, so check out all of those things.
And definitely check out cheese as we've just been talking
about. It was a wonderful.
Great adventure is very interesting.
It's very right. Yeah, ha ha ha and definitely
watch that. It's a really great time.
You'll have a lot of fun with it and we only ran it for it.
I think it's only like three hours, three and a half hours so
it's definitely fits in the one shot.
Yeah. Yeah I definitely I tried to
keep it within that time period as best as I could.
And that's another thing that's really hard about one shots,
especially not running one before, not knowing the system
not knowing anything, you know, knowing or being able to cut it
at that, like three and a half hour mark.
I think we usually stop at 10:00 10:00 to 10:30 and you stopped
right at 10:30, so, just again all around great job.
Um, so yeah. So that is, this is just the the
cheese Meister. Cheese mistress herself, our
blood sorceress everything, you can find her On Wednesdays on
our dark kingdoms campaign as the blood sorceress Thursdays.
When most of our Thursday games, I think you're pretty much going
to be a a regular figure in our Thursday night games.
Whoever's running them on, we do run, just tabletop role-playing
Thursday's. Basically, our Thursday night
games are our L, R9 D & D, adventures and Jess is pretty
much a staple on those. You can see your Wednesdays and
Thursdays every week here on the adventure archive.
And maybe At some point in the future.
If we do get a cheese part 2, we can bring just on once again to
the weekly scroll. And we can talk about the first
Adventure versus the second Venture and see how that goes.
But they are horribly The Second Adventure bombs.
That's what we'll talk about again.
Well, as well as you did on the first, I can't imagine the
second not being great. So, thank you so much for being
here. I really appreciate it.
I appreciate you getting on early on a Saturday.
That was a lot of fun. So so yeah, that was fun.
Talking. Thanks for having me and for
everyone out the podcast, check out our Twitter and YouTube as
well. So we will talk to you later.
Bye everybody. I