I very much like the inspiration behind, and cohesively tied-together, interesting and humorous bios for each background. Your layout and image placement is also top notch! My only humble suggestions, if you would like them: 1) Layout a chart at the beginning with links to each background to allow for ease of rolling up a character and jumping straight to the one generated. 2) Go a little easy on the starting Advanced Skills for each background... they each have just a few too many I feel. Having a character that can do too much actually detracts from play, by not letting each member of the party have their moments to shine and allow a natural flow where perhaps shyer players can feel confident stepping up and also denies the opportunity for growth. I'd go back through and just trim each one down to having Skills that are specifically tied to their theme. A strength of Troika is they can always learn more if strictly needed.
Viewing post in Troika 19280! jam comments
Thank you!
This was submitted to two jams because I am a masochist that likes double constraints. The other one, about using stuff newly in the public domain, said its judges weren't going to read more than the first 4 pages of anything. Therefore, I didn't want to waste space on a chart at the beginning. I'll add one later after that jam is done judging.
Despite recommending about 11 points of Advanced Skills for a new Background in the rulebook, if you look at their Backgrounds in the book almost all of them are more than 11 points total. It's also worth noting that a lot of my higher-rated skills are very specific and therefore with limited application. That said, I started to pull back at the end on the Advanced Skills; I should have gone back over the earlier ones. I will do so when I put the chart in, if not sooner.
Thanks again! I'm always happy to have advice!
Ah, did think it was a strange omission, but that extra context makes perfect sense. Like I say, the way you've utilised the slightly unorthodox inspiration is marvellous. Yeah I know from my own experience writing backgrounds that you start yourself off restrained and catch yourself later, but there is definitely a bloat in the central section where you start panicking that you haven't made enough options with 'Awareness' or 'Second Sight' or some other fairly generic but generally necessary ability.