This jam is now over. It ran from 2019-10-16 05:00:00 to 2019-10-31 05:00:00. View 100 entries

The Big TroikaJam PDF is available here. It's a big, cumbersome, glorious mess of a thing. Bless you all. 

Here's what you need to know:

  • Troika! is the Other World's Favorite Fantasy RPG. A free SRD version of the full game, as well as the one of prettiest PDFs you've ever seen, is available here
  • Backgrounds are kind of Troika's version of a character class, but somehow both more specific and more vague than classes in most other old school games. The game text itself has 36 backgrounds, but fans have made literally hundreds of them.
  • You need to submit one (1) and only one background, as wild and weird as you can manage it. Really push the limits! Be fearless!
  • At the end of the thing, we'll figure out a way to compile them all into a sweet bundle thing that'll be available for free. (Which is to say, please set your minimum price to $0. It's a community effort!)
  • If you really want to submit more than one background, feel free. We'll choose one submission at random from each contributor for the collection. If you end up with a bunch, though, you should just collect them together yourself and sell them! For money!
  • But seriously, try to keep it to just one.
  • Don't forget to include the legal language laid out in the book: "[Product name] is an independent production by [publisher name] and is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council." On the upside, you get to use that sweet Fortle graphic available for free on the Numinous Edition page, if you want. 


It's really easy to make backgrounds. Here's how Troika's designer describes it:

When creating your own Backgrounds, as a general rule, stick to 10 or so total points distrubuted in a range of 1 to 3 with 3 being someone who has already mastered their trade. Do not dismiss 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 flavourful. 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 ever-changing list. Balance the enjoyment rather than the numbers. (Numinous Edition, p2)

Here's an example of one, but don't be afraid to get much weirder than this:

Also, as always, don't be a shithead: keep your backgrounds and yourselves clean of bigotry and hate

If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact Jared (@infinite_mao) or John (@cartweel) on twitter dot com.