Hod Publishing and Melsonian Arts Council
announce the Troika Community Jam
BACKGROUNDS 2024

Preview version available now!

Here's what you need to know:  

• Troika! is the Other World's Favorite Fantasy RPG. A free SRD version of the full game is available here.
• You can send any background that you created for some other book, some adventure, or just to published somewhere. However, it is mandatory that you are the author of that! Please, don't send something that was not created by you.
• This is a ranked jam. This means that after submissions are finished, anyone will be able to vote on the submissions. A queue will be active to provide better vote distribution. After voting for 20 backgrounds, you can vote in any other background submitted.
• ALL submissions will be included in the free Troika Community Content Foundry VTT Module and Troika Community Content PDF!
• The TOP 10 backgrounds after the voting will get a free PDF from the Melsonian Arts Council and a 20% discount to purchase any Troika Foundry Module made by Hod Publishing!
• Please, during the Jam, keep your submission available for free. You can set a price on it after that. However, keep in mind that it will be available for free in both Troika Community Content PDF and Foundry VTT Module.
• You can submit more than one entry. However, only one prize will be given to a person if their submission is in the TOP 10. This means that if two submissions send by a person is on the list of TOP 10, only one will be rewarded, and the other will not, giving the position to another submission.
• Submissions that have more than one person involved (author plus ilustrator, for example) will get only one prize, if they get into the TOP 10.
• By submiting your background, you accept that it will be part of the Troika Community Content Foundry VTT Module.
• You don't need to make it long or have art. Sometimes, less is more ;)
• Please, provide your name (or the name you wanted to be credited) and url you want to be included for your submission.
• Although you can send a PDF version, we will need a text version (simple TXT FILE!) to automate the creation of the Foundry Module and PDF.
• Be kind to yourself and to others, and that you keep yourself and your work clean of bigotry and hate.
• You can publish a PDF version. But, please, follow the template specified below. Any entry that does not provide a text in the template specified will be disclassified. So, follow the template. If you want to add an image, make sure you have the rights to use that, providing the image author name and url too, and create maybe a zip with the text version and the image.
  • You can use AI art, but it will not be included in the PDF and Module, as this is Melsonian's policy about AI art.
• If you have any question, please use the Melsonian Discord Server. You will be able to find me there (@CussaMitre), if you have any question.
• Don't forget to add the legal text: "[Product name] is an independent production by [publisher name] and is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council."
• If you tweet that, tag @MelsonianArts and @CussaMitre, and use the hashtag #troikabackgrounds2024
• Submissions start at the August 01st! And will be open for a little bit more than two weeks.
• Voting will happen on the following week.
• The winners will be announced on the Discord server. There is a big change I will do a live to talk and evaluate the most voted entries.
• Spread the word between your friends that like Troika. Our idea is to only have another Troika Background Jam next year ;)

STREACH GOALS FOR THE JAM

I have no idea if other jams already did something like that. But we decided to do that.

150 Submissions

The most voted submission will get a PHYSICAL book from Melsonian Arts Council! The winner will be able to choose any book.

300 Submissions

The most voted submission will get a PHYSICAL book from Melsonian Arts Council and any Foundry Module for Troika made by Hod Publishing!

(more to be added if we hit these ones? ;) )

Text Template for submission (TXT FILE):

Background Name
Description
POSSESSIONS:
- Possession 1
- Possession 2
- Possession N
ADVANCED SKILLS:
3 Advanced Skill 1
2 Adnvaced Skill 2
2 Advanced Skill N
SPECIAL
Special Description
ATTRIBUTION: Your Name
URL: Your URL

Can I do any kind of formatting of the text?

Yes. You can use Markdown into the description and special fields. Accepted formatting will be bold (double **), italic (single *), lists (single - before each item) and headings (# before the text. Please, use ## (h2) or ### (h3) to avoid texts not well formated).

How to add weapons?

To add weapons on the possessions, use the following rule:

- <Name of the weapon> (damage as <weapon>)
- Large, worn wooden ladle (damage as mace)

How to add armours?

To add armour on the possessions, use the following rule:

- <Name of the armour> (armour: <value>)
- Shinning block of toy (armour: 1)

How to add new items?

To add new items on the possessions, use the following rule:

- <Name of the weapon> (slot: <value> - <description>)
- Dinner set (slot: 1 - A beautiful set of dinner plates and cutlery)

How to add skills from the SRD?

Just use the name of the Skill and our tools will insert it automatically.

<rank> <Name of the skill>
3 Swim

How to add new skills that are not available on the SRD?

If the skill provided is not found in the SRD, we will add it to the character. If you want, you can provide a description, include that in parentesis:

<rank> <Name of the skill> (<skill description>) 
3 Cloud Fly (Tehcnique used to pilot a cloud in the skies)

How to add SRD spells?

Include the term `Spell - ` before the name. Confirm that you used the same name from the SRD.

<rank> Spell - <Name of the spell>
3 Spell - Drown

How to add new spells?

For spells that does not cause damage

Include the term `Spell - ` before the name, and give the information on the parenthesis.

<rank> Spell - <Name of the spell> (<cost> - <description>)
3 Spell - Craziness (2 - The target starts to hear voices, see things, halucinating, etc. They need to Test their LUCK (Skill for enemies), or can't act.)

For spells that cause damage

Include the term `Spell - ` before the name, and give the information on the parenthesis, including the damage.

<rank> Spell - <Name of the spell> (<cost> - damage: [<value1>, <value2>, </value3>, <value4>, </value5>, <value6>, <value7>] - <description>)
3 Spell - Invisible Face Splap (2 - damage: [1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 10, 15] - An invisible hand will slap the target in the face. The target can Test their Luck (Skill for enemies) to reduce the damage roll by 1.)

Please, get the example given, save it as a TXT file on your machine and replace with the information from your background. If your submission does not have the TXT file using the format provided, there is a big chance your submission will not be included in the final files we will produce.

Page Background: Optical Illusion Pattern Vectors by Vecteezy

Cover image by James Gillray, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons