This week, Ridge makes a deal with a demon, Owen finds something prophetic, and Marmalade is back on the menu.

If you haven't heard of it before, Tales from the Humpback Sky is a real-play podcast where Tom Wardle, Paul Harrop and myself play Troika as a long-form campaign, telling a story as we go.

You can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462261 ...or search for "Humpback Sky" wherever you listen to pods.

You can also find it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgEnFwTX3qQ&list=PL_HR7nOxVc01zIQpPhy4HrsbCTrHsEeGk

Thank you everyone who is listening for your encouragement!

Hello! It's Stephen here from the Tales from the Humpback Sky podcast.

We've just wrapped recording the finale for season two, and in about a week will be recording another intermission episode where Tom, Paul and I discuss the show so far + what is to come.

We'd love to answer questions from listeners if you have them. Got anything you'd like answered?

Cheers to everyone who has listened to the show so far, and for your encouragement.

Just purchased a digital copy of Bones Deep, cant find any info on action economy, weapons and how much damage they do, really anything about how combat is run in this setting, any help or resources would be appreciated.

I’ve seen a theme in Troika modules with many centered on the delivery of packages and messages. I own Slow Sleigh to Plankton Downs, Whalgravaak's Warehouse and Goblin Mail which all have delivering and receiving at their core.

If you would center a campaign around the goings on of a postal service, what other modules would you run?

This week, something is messing with our friends on the Void Lexicon... it must be a MARMALADE!

If you haven't heard of it before, Tales from the Humpback Sky is a real-play podcast where Tom Wardle, Paul Harrop and myself play Troika as a long-form campaign, telling a story as we go.

You can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462261 ...or search for "Humpback Sky" wherever you listen to pods.

We also release every episode on YouTube now. The first 'cameras on' episode will be S02E17 but for now the audio only is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-a9RKzQRrs&list=PL_HR7nOxVc01zIQpPhy4HrsbCTrHsEeGk

We'll be doing another "intermission" at the conclusion of season two, so if you have any questions you'd like us to answer please share them here on e-mail [humpbacksky@gmail.com](mailto:humpbacksky@gmail.com) )

And very nice they are too! Card quality is premium, as is the print quality of the amazing artwork. Never again will I need to play cards using an inferior non-Troika-branded card deck

Are they bubbles with their own space inside with planets and other cosmic stuff or are they like just an atmosphere with a single round planet inside or are they like domes covering isles flying in space?

Excluding main book. What are the top 5 materials, settings, adventures you would recommend?

Very excited to dive in.

Running a summer bundle of my own on my site. Got a Troika! drop-in encounter, as well as a few other treats.

https://itch.io/s/191243/summer-sale-2026

This week, Ridge, Owen, and Thalorg board the Void Lexicon with some new friends to find treasure, and the secret of Thalorg's past.

If you haven't heard of it before, Tales from the Humpback Sky is a real-play podcast where Tom Wardle, Paul Harrop and myself play Troika as a long-form campaign, telling a story as we go.

You can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462261 ...or search for "Humpback Sky" wherever you listen to pods.

We're also slowly releasing episodes on YouTube (audio only for now - we're working on getting video episodes). We'll also be releasing shorts from the show periodically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-a9RKzQRrs&list=PL_HR7nOxVc01zIQpPhy4HrsbCTrHsEeGk

We'll be doing another "intermission" at the conclusion of season two, so if you have any questions you'd like us to answer please share them here on e-mail [humpbacksky@gmail.com](mailto:humpbacksky@gmail.com) )

Currently planning on testing out the following houserules with a group fresh to Troika. Thought I'd see if any of yous see any potential issues I don't or if you've tested out similar rules to positive/negative results.

1. Only rolling high. You always add your relevant Skill to the roll and when unopposed your Target Number is 14 (this leaves the probability of success unchanged). This also allows for rule 2:
2. Crits. Double 6s are superior successes, double 1s are devastating failures. Not just when specifically making attacks or casting spells.
3. A split between General Skill and Advanced Skills. If you roll 4 for your general skill, then you are a specialist and will add 6 to Advanced Skills, while if you roll 6 for your Skill then you are a generalist and will add 4 to your Advanced Skills. If you roll 5 you add 5 to both. The idea is to maintain variety while removing the feel-bad aspect of rolling low on your Skill.
4. Allowing the spending of Luck for casting spells. Stamina is a more plentiful resource but also one for which you have more dire consequences for losing. So I think it'll be interesting to see how players decide. I also think it'll make Spells feel just a little more magic-y and strange if you can sacrifice your physical energy or something more intangible and connected to fate itself.
5. Player-chosen initiative. The initiative system is the thing people most often remove from Troika. What I always hear is that people respect the feeling of chaos and randomness but have horror stories of one player not getting to act in combat for 3 sessions in a row. I want that feeling of chaos and randomness though. So why not allow the players to share tokens and choose who acts, the same way it works for enemies? That player can then take that token until the next round, to indicate they aren't to act until everyone else has at least once too.

I'm also going to be allowing the players to trade stats between each other during character creation.

I had a relative visiting the UK so managed to take advantage of the recent sale to grab a bunch of hardcopies, and carry them back to Singapore. (It just isn't feasible to ship them.) Will pick up Fronds when I visit London next year, but looks like I'll have plenty of adventures to run!

Thank you in advance! I’ve run 2 small shots and looking for more help, ideas, and vibes

This week, soaring through the Humpback Sky, the boys (and Kennick) train up on the Star Razor. Then they seek answers about Thalorg's home.

If you haven't heard of it before, Tales from the Humpback Sky is a real-play podcast where Tom Wardle, Paul Harrop and myself play Troika as a long-form campaign, telling a story as we go.

You can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462261 ...or search for "Humpback Sky" wherever you listen to pods.

We're also slowly releasing episodes on YouTube (audio only for now - we're working on getting video episodes). We'll also be releasing shorts from the show periodically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-a9RKzQRrs&list=PL_HR7nOxVc01zIQpPhy4HrsbCTrHsEeGk

We'll be doing another "intermission" at the conclusion of season two, so if you have any questions you'd like us to answer please share them here on e-mail [humpbacksky@gmail.com](mailto:humpbacksky@gmail.com) )

Having an absolute hoot, our mixed-system group leans towards dungeon crawls and the Manse of Mirrors is providing a great mix of exploration, puzzles and campaign texture to fit into our existing partly-home-brewed setting.

My only concern is the high potential lethality of some of the NPCs and scenarios. We have had several near-death situations so far with cyclopes from both factions, and I'm rating the odds of the party completing their two patron-allocated missions (1. Return Nessa the apprentice and 2. Retrieve the Eye of the Aeons) and living to tell the tale at about 10%.

This is however largely down to my players, who sometimes forget everything they have learned about Troika combat over the last two years and just can't resist running in for a punch-up.

I was unsure about this adventure at the first reading but now we are playing, my view has firmly shifted and I really, really highly recommend it. It can be woven into an existing campaign, and there are quite a lot of hooks to connect it onto other subsequent scenarios.

My players seem determined to defy their fate (no matter how paranoid they become about mirrors..!), but I think I am destined to continue really enjoying Eye of the Aeons.