TRICUBE TALES

There are dozens of standalone scenarios for the Tricube Tales system, each of which can be used as
a micro-setting or played as a self-contained one-page RPG. This product serves a similar purpose,
MICRO
EDITION
AUTHOR
Richard Woolcock

SYSTEM
Tricube Tales <

DISCORD
except without a baked-in setting—instead, it offers a streamlined version of the rules for running Zadmar Games <
games based on your favorite novels, video games, movies, and TV shows. STORY SYMBOLS
The GM will need to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the setting in advance, and they should Delapouite, Lorc
give the players a short introduction before running the game. Summarize the scenario in two or three Game-icons.net <
paragraphs, provide a brief overview of important places and recent events, and wrap up with a concise ILLUSTRATION
description of the characters’ roles, obligations, and potential adventures within the setting. Luigi Castellani

CHARACTER CREATION RESOLVING CHALLENGES RANDOM A DVENTURE

Each player creates a character as follows: If a player attempts something risky, they roll 1-3 Roll on the following tables to generate a random
1. Choose a trait: Agile (used for reflexes, dexterity, six-sided dice and must equal or beat a difficulty adventure (see the next page for suggestions).
stealth, and ranged combat), brawny (covers strength, of 4-6 on at least one die. Succeed on multiple dice The characters decide to...
vitality, athletics, and melee combat), or crafty (covers for an exceptional success (narrate an additional A Eliminate a threat D Help someone
intellect, charisma, perception, and mental combat). benefit). Rolling “1” on all dice is a critical failure B Explore somewhere E Deliver something
2. Pick a concept: Warrior, rogue, detective, face, (introduce a complication to the scene). C Recover an item F Gather information
scout, scholar (specify), or ace (choose activity). The GM picks a trait and assigns a difficulty of Somewhere in, on, or near...
3. Select a perk: Alert, quick, muscular, charming, 4-6 for each challenge (most should be difficulty A An ancient/holy site D A remote region
expertise (describe specialty), superhuman ability 5). Combat challenges use effort tokens—remove B A secure building E A vehicle or vessel
(describe powers), or special device (specify). 1 effort token for each die that succeeds. C An academic facility F A large public area
4. Pick a quirk: Stubborn, heroic, ruthless, cocky, Players usually roll 2 dice, but roll 3 dice if the While dealing with...
ignorant, malady (describe it), or vice (specify). challenge matches their trait. If a challenge falls A A betrayal or trap D A rival or threat
5. Grab 3 karma tokens and 3 resolve tokens. completely outside the scope of their concept (e.g., B An authority figure E Stressful conditions
6. Make up a name and introduce yourself to the an ace pilot picking a lock), they lose 1 die. C A regional hazard F A distraction or pest
group (e.g., “I’m Mendrid, a crafty scholar of magic

KARMA RESOLVE RUNNING GAME

who has the superhuman ability of divination, but
also suffers from the vice of pride”). AND THE
Each player has 3 karma and 3 resolve. Spend 1 The GM should describe the opening scene, react
ADAPTING TO THE SETTING karma after rolling to reduce the difficulty by 1, if to the players’ decisions, and assign the traits and
The concepts, perks, and quirks are deliberately you can justify how your perk helps you. Recover difficulties for challenges. Offer players karma in
vague, and it’s left up to the players to customize 1 karma if you increase the difficulty by 1 before return for complications based on their quirks!
them to fit the setting—or even to make up their rolling, narrating how your quirk hinders you. For combat encounters, assign the challenge 2-
own. For example, someone might be “alert” due If you use a quirk and succeed at the challenge, 3 effort tokens per player. The enemy is defeated
to cybernetic implants, elven senses, lycanthropy, you may recover 1 resolve instead of 1 karma. when all their effort tokens have been removed.
natural talent, or a pair of steampunk goggles. For dangerous actions (such as combat), failure The players should make all the rolls, narrate
If everyone plays established characters from a costs 1 resolve (or 2 on a critical failure). If a PC the outcome of their actions, and drive the story
setting, you can even skip character creation and runs out of resolve, they are eliminated from the forward whenever possible. They can also spend
base the PCs’ traits, concepts, perks, and quirks scene—but death is primarily a narrative conceit, 1 karma to influence the story or discover a clue
entirely on the characters described in the fiction. and the PC usually returns later at full resolve. through their perk, at the GM’s discretion.
 O BJECTIVES LOCATIONS COMPLICATIONS
Proposed here are various possible objectives for Proposed here are some possible locations for the Proposed here are various possible complications
the adventure generator (first table): adventure generator (second table): for the adventure generator (third table):

1. E LIMINATE A THREAT 1. AN ANCIENT OR HOLY SITE 1. A BETRAYAL OR TRAP

Slay a monster, arrest a criminal, defuse a bomb, A lost temple, a mysterious shrine, ancient ruins, An ambush, a double-cross, a mole, an informant,
destroy an enemy base, exorcise a demonic spirit, an abandoned city, a deserted alien world, an old a setup, a spy, a careless colleague, a double agent,
sabotage an eldritch device, blow up a ship, etc. monument, a buried hideout, etc. a hacker, a jilted former lover, etc.

2. E XPLORE SOMEWHERE 2. A SECURE BUILDING 2. AN AUTHORITY FIGURE

Search for buried treasure, hack into a computer A castle, a bank, a corporate office, a luxury hotel, A police officer, a vigilante, a bounty hunter, the
system and look for something, examine a crime a military bunker, a maximum security prison, a military, an employer, the local sheriff, a teacher,
scene and solve the mystery, search for a crashed space station, a private villa, etc. a pair of government agents, a strict parent, etc.
plane, investigate a supernatural sighting, etc.
3. AN ACADEMIC FACILITY 3. A REGIONAL HAZARD
3. RECOVER AN ITEM A public library, a science lab, a military research An earthquake, disease, fire, a ghostly haunting, a
Pull off a robbery or heist, find a lost artifact, dig facility, a university campus, space cadet training zombie horde, a volcanic planet, magical wards, a
up buried treasure, steal a high-tech device, etc. grounds, a high school, an arcane academy, etc. ravenous monster, a self-destructing villain’s lair,
a high-tech security system, acid rain, etc.
4. HELP SOMEONE 4. A REMOTE REGION
Rescue a hostage, catch a thief and recover what Distant caves, a foreign country, an asteroid belt, 4. A RIVAL OR THREAT
they stole, tackle a burning building, respond to a a far-off star system, a desert island, the opposite A rival party of adventurers, an enemy agent, the
distress signal, rescue someone from an evil cult, side of the city, the slums, out in the desert, etc. school bully, an alien predator, assassins, pirates,
overturn a wrongful conviction, etc. bandits, thieves, old enemies, the mafia, etc.
5. A VEHICLE OR VESSEL
5. D ELIVER SOMETHING A ship or shipwreck, a superyacht, a spaceship, an 5. STRESSFUL CONDITIONS
Bring in a bounty, escort a VIP, deliver a pizza, airplane, a high-speed train, a fast-moving truck, Time constraints, special client requests, working
smuggle supplies to a buyer, extract an asset from a freight transporter, a submarine, etc. outside the law, a deal with the devil, blackmail, a
enemy territory, transport a memory stick, etc. hostage situation, family troubles, etc.
6. A LARGE PUBLIC A REA
6. GATHER INFORMATION A shopping mall, an amusement park, a scenic or 6. A D ISTRACTION OR PEST
Study an alien artifact, spy on a political faction, historical site, a summer camp, the local woods, a A journalist or reporter, curious kids, a witness, a
steal government research, discover a monster’s neutral zone, a space station, a city park, a public stowaway, a nosy neighbor, an annoying sibling,
weaknesses, study an alien artifact, etc. beach, a camping site, etc. a tyrannical babysitter, a romantic interest, etc.

A DDING A TWIST TO THE STORY

For further inspiration, roll two dice on the table below and use the symbol as an improvisational prompt (you don’t need to interpret it literally). For example,
A A might indicate a conversation or discussion, an interview, a party, or a negotiation, while rolling C D could refer to desire, temptation, deception, a trick
or trap, innocence, or a literal snake (or apple), and F B might symbolize good luck, power, memory, patience, fertility, or simply a large creature.
AA AB AC AD AE AF BA BB BC BD BE BF CA CB CC CD CE CF DA DB DC DD DE DF EA EB EC ED EE EF FA FB FC FD FE FF
TRICUBE TALES: SIX‐S CENE S CENARIO
The Six-Scene Scenario offers a quick and easy mechanical framework for generating Tricube Tales adventures on the fly, providing the players with a
series of challenges to overcome. The GM can then focus on the narrative elements of the story, giving the players a short introduction to the scenario
and describing each scene as it unfolds. This scenario is primarily aimed at GMs who aren’t sure how to structure their adventures, or don’t have time
to prepare anything more detailed—feel free to change or discard anything if you have your own ideas!
The adventure is split into a series of scenes, each of which defines one or more challenges for the players to overcome. Read and resolve each scene before
proceeding to the next, with the players making choices and narrating their characters’ actions as usual. The reader is encouraged to expand and embellish the
adventure, add details and flavor as the story unfolds, and provide the players with opportunities to interact with each other and roleplay their characters.
Due to the various challenges in this adventure, players should make careful use of their perks and quirks. Should a character run out of resolve, consider
giving them an “affliction” appropriate to whatever defeated them. An affliction works just like a quirk, except the GM decides if and when to apply it.

S CENE 1: APPROACH HINTS & TIPS S CENE 2: ENTRY

The first scene covers the journey to the location Here are three quick suggestions to keep in mind The second scene involves entering the location.
where the adventure takes place. It can represent when running a Six-Scene Scenario. This often represents discovering an entrance or
a drive across town, a voyage to a distant world, a opening a door, but it could also involve landing
hike through the wilderness, a bike ride into the CHALLENGES a starship on a planet, solving a puzzle to enter a
woods, or something else entirely—but the scene Each scene describes which traits can be used to dungeon, or hacking into a computer system (this
ends with the party reaching their destination. overcome the challenges. If a player wishes to use would also cover adventures set in cyberspace).
Roll to see what sort of challenge the group has a different trait, you can certainly allow that if you Roll and interpret the challenge. If you roll 4-6,
to face along the way, and describe it within the wish, but switching traits should always increase describe both available options to the players, and
context of the adventure. Treat the challenges as the difficulty of the challenge by 1. let them choose an approach. The challenges are
standard difficulty, and anyone who fails the roll standard difficulty, and anyone who fails the roll
loses one resolve. COMPLICATIONS loses one resolve.
If you don’t want failure to cost resolve, consider
A/B AGILE introducing a complication instead. For example, A/D/F AGILE
The approach requires sneaking past a danger, or “Raising the Stakes” (increase the difficulty of the Entry might require picking a lock, slipping past
performing a skilled feat of reflexes or balance— next challenge by 1), “Narrative Twist” (introduce a security camera, sniping the guard, disabling a
or maybe there’s a gunfight along the way, or the a story-based situation that needs to be overcome mechanism, quietly opening a window, piloting a
characters need to steal a key or security badge! through roleplaying, perhaps using the twist table starship through a small opening, etc.
for inspiration), or “Dramatic Escalation” (initiate
C/D BRAWNY a follow-up combat or chase scene; handle this as B/D/E BRAWNY
The journey requires great stamina or endurance, a standard challenge with 2 or 3 effort tokens for Perhaps the characters need to use brute force to
or a feat of athletic skill and prowess—or perhaps each PC who failed the original challenge). gain entry, or fight their way in, or climb a tree,
the party is ambushed on the approach and has to or swim through an underwater tunnel, or glide
fight off the attackers using blades or fists. M AGIC in using a wingsuit or parachute, etc.
Players can always describe using magic or other
E/F CRAFTY supernatural abilities to overcome challenges, but C/E/F CRAFTY
The characters must rely on their wits or charm this doesn’t change the trait—it’s just a narrative Sometimes the characters might have to threaten
to reach their destination, or perhaps they’ll need device. However, it does provide justification for or bluff their way past a guard, solve a riddle or
to use tracking, navigation, or research skills to the player spending karma on their perk, if they puzzle, hack into a security system, repair an old
find the quickest and safest route. wish to lower the difficulty after rolling! mechanism, search for a hidden door, etc.
 S CENE 3: E XPLORATION S CENE 4: SHOWDOWN S CENE 5: D EPARTURE
Once the characters are inside the location, they Eventually, the party reaches the main event. This Now the characters must leave the location. This
need to head toward their objective, dealing with is usually a battle against a powerful villain, but it might involve walking out of the dungeon while
a series of smaller challenges along the way. could instead be a chase sequence, or perhaps the evading any remaining traps, fleeing a collapsing
Roll to see what the party encounters, then roll characters need to extinguish a forest fire, defuse building, escaping the planet in a starship, etc.
again! Keep doing this until you roll an encounter a bomb, thwart an eldritch ritual, etc. Roll to see what sort of challenge the group has
the party has already faced—instead of running it Players can usually choose which trait they roll to face, and describe it within the context of the
a second time, proceed to the Showdown. for a showdown, but one or two traits are better adventure. The challenges are standard difficulty,
If an encounter lists two traits, each player can suited, making the challenge standard difficulty— and anyone who fails the roll loses one resolve.
choose separately. Treat all challenges as standard using a different trait is a hard challenge.
difficulty; failure costs one resolve. Roll one die to see which trait or traits are best A/B AGILE
suited to the encounter. Assign the challenge two Sneak away without being spotted, dodge falling
A AGILE effort tokens per PC; players win the showdown debris, pick the lock on a side door, fly a starship
Sneak past some sentries, disable a device, evade once all the effort tokens are eliminated, but they into space while evading pursuit, climb into a car
a trap, shoot out a camera, maintain balance on a lose one resolve every time they fail a roll. and drive away, exit the hotel guns blazing, etc.
narrow bridge, dodge falling debris, react quickly
to a threat, take cover from incoming fire, steal a A/D/F AGILE C/D BRAWNY
guard’s key, pick a lock, hide from someone, etc. The characters must defeat a wyvern, or a stone Charge outside and steamroll any guards foolish
golem, or a mech—or perhaps they have to fight a enough to stand in the way, flee the house before
B BRAWNY forest fire, or defuse a bomb, or win a street race, it burns down, leap from the sinking cruise ship,
Lift a portcullis, break down a door, resist poison or defeat a gang of outlaws in a deadly shoot-out, kick open a side door to escape, etc.
gas, clear a path through vegetation, jump over a or crack a safe before the police arrive.
chasm, swim across a river, make a tiring journey The encounter is best suited to a character who E/F CRAFTY
on foot or horseback, climb up a wall, knock out is fast, nimble, dextrous, or a skilled marksman. Leave the house and bluff past the police outside,
a guard, outrun a boulder, swing on a rope, etc. search for a hidden escape tunnel, deactivate the
B/D/E BRAWNY magical wards and flee the mage’s tower, navigate
C CRAFTY The characters must battle a zombie horde, or a through the smoke to find the fire exit, etc.
Hack into a computer system, bluff past a sentry, skeleton king, or a band of knights—or perhaps

S CENE 6: CONCLUSION
spot an ambush, utilize knowledge, perform first they must outrun an angry mob, or defeat a cruel
aid, search for a clue, resist magic, overcome fear, noble in a duel, or swim to the shore before an
follow a trail, intimidate someone, etc. eldritch horror rises up from the ocean depths. Once they’ve left the location, the characters still
The encounter is best suited to a character who need to make their way home. This might involve
D AGILE/BRAWNY is strong, tough, athletic, or a good fighter. hiking through the wilderness, driving across the
The encounter is something that can be treated as town while avoiding the paparazzi, jumping into
either an agile or a brawny challenge. C/E/F CRAFTY hyperspace and navigating a safe route, etc.
The characters must exorcise a spirit, or banish a This can be treated mechanically in exactly the
E BRAWNY/CRAFTY demon, or defeat a deadly cyborg whose organic same way as the Approach—roll a die to generate
The encounter is something that can be treated as brain is their weak point—or maybe they need to the challenge, then describe what the party needs
either a brawny or a crafty challenge. repair a spaceship before the planet explodes, or to do, with failure costing one resolve.
battle a foe in VR, or persuade the jury that their Once the final scene has been resolved, the GM
F CRAFTY/AGILE client is innocent, or complete a magical ritual. should describe the outcome of the adventure. If
The encounter is something that can be treated as The encounter is best suited to a character who it’s a one-shot, try to wrap up any loose ends. For
either a crafty or an agile challenge. is smart, charming, alert, or magically gifted. a campaign, try foreshadowing future plot lines.