Adventures in Oz - Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Hisashi Sasaki (order #5618405)

Hisashi Sasaki (order #5618405)

Table Of Contents

Creating Spells ...................................................................................................................... 20 Help/Hinder ........................................................................................................................... 20 Apportation ........................................................................................................................... 20 Transmutation ....................................................................................................................... 20 Transformation ...................................................................................................................... 21 Duration ................................................................................................................................ 21 Scope .................................................................................................................................... 21 Ritual .................................................................................................................................... 21 Magic In A Fight ................................................................................................................... 22 Magical Items And Powers ................................................................................................... 22 Items And Powers For Starting Characters .................................................................. 22 Creating Magical Items In Play ................................................................................... 22 Power ........................................................................................................................... 22 Lesser Magics ............................................................................................................... 23 Scope ............................................................................................................................ 23 Ritual ............................................................................................................................ 23 Item Limitations ........................................................................................................... 23 Love Magnet ......................................................................................................................... 23 Silver Shoes .......................................................................................................................... 23 Golden Cap ........................................................................................................................... 23

Introduction........................................................................................................... 4 What Is Roleplaying?...................................................................................................................... 4 What Do You Need To Play? .......................................................................................................... 4 How Do You Win? .......................................................................................................................... 4

Chapter 1: Overview............................................................................................. 5 The History Of Oz .......................................................................................................................... 5 Life In Oz........................................................................................................................................ 5

Part I: The Rules Of The Game........................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Creating Your Character ........................................................... 7 Character Traits...................................................................................................................... 7 Size................................................................................................................................ 7 Basic Skills.................................................................................................................... 8 Skill Traits..................................................................................................................... 8 Special Traits................................................................................................................. 8 Friends And Oz Points ................................................................................................ 10 Equipment ............................................................................................................................ 10 Character Creation Examples .............................................................................................. 10 Character Templates ............................................................................................................. 11 Child In Oz .................................................................................................................. 11 Crafted Person ............................................................................................................. 11 Large Animal ............................................................................................................... 11 Noble ........................................................................................................................... 12 Scholar ........................................................................................................................ 12 Small Animal .............................................................................................................. 12 Soldier ......................................................................................................................... 12 Wanderer ..................................................................................................................... 13

Chapter 5: For The Narrator ....................................................................... 24 Telling The Story .................................................................................................................. 24 Playing The Characters ......................................................................................................... 24 Using The Rules .................................................................................................................... 24 Guiding Character Creation .................................................................................................. 24 Choosing Friends .................................................................................................................. 24 Modifying Templates ............................................................................................................ 24 Balancing The Game, Part 1 ................................................................................................. 25 Preparing For Play ................................................................................................................ 25 Plotting The Journey ............................................................................................................. 25 Preparing For Extended Play ................................................................................................ 26 Starting The Game ................................................................................................................ 26 Creating The Supporting Cast ............................................................................................... 26 Balancing The Game, Part 2 ................................................................................................. 27 Creating New Lands ............................................................................................................. 27 Running The Game ............................................................................................................... 28 Using Descriptions ............................................................................................................... 28 Improvising Consistently ..................................................................................................... 29 Making Up Rules .................................................................................................................. 29 Assessing Bonuses And Penalties ........................................................................................ 29 Making Failure Interesting ................................................................................................... 29 Running Fights ..................................................................................................................... 30 Gaining And Spending Oz Points ......................................................................................... 30 Character Growth And Development ................................................................................... 31 Having Fun As A Narrator..................................................................................................... 31

Chapter 3: Game Rules ............................................................................... 13 How To Play The Game ....................................................................................................... 13 Rolling Dice ......................................................................................................................... 13 Bonuses And Penalties ......................................................................................................... 14 Skill Contests ....................................................................................................................... 14 Simple Contests ................................................................................................................... 15 Extended Tests ..................................................................................................................... 15 Oz Points .............................................................................................................................. 15 Getting Into Fights ............................................................................................................... 16 Who Goes First? .................................................................................................................. 16 What To Do .......................................................................................................................... 16 Distance And Combat .......................................................................................................... 18 Extended Tests In Combat ................................................................................................... 18 Getting Better ....................................................................................................................... 18

Part II: The Land Of Oz ..................................................................................... 32

Chapter 4: The Magic Of Oz ...................................................................... 19

Chapter 6: The Emerald City ..................................................................... 32

Magical Characters .............................................................................................................. 19 New Traits ............................................................................................................................ 19

Princess Ozma ...................................................................................................................... 32 Ozma’s Counselors ............................................................................................................... 32

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Part III: Adventures ............................................................................................ 62

Ozma’s Bodyguard ................................................................................................................ 33 Ozma’s Friends ..................................................................................................................... 34 Civil Servants ........................................................................................................................ 34 Adventuring In The Emerald City ........................................................................................ 35

Chapter 11: The Jaded City Of Oz ............................................................. 62 Overview And Preparation .................................................................................................... 62 Running The Adventure ........................................................................................................ 62 Scene 1: The Melting Day Parade ......................................................................................... 63 Scence 2: Yellow Brick Blues ............................................................................................... 63 Scene 3: The Sad Story Of Horbull ...................................................................................... 65 Scene 4: The Wicked Witch Hunt Of The West .................................................................... 67 Scene 5: Whale Away! ........................................................................................................... 69 Scene 6: The Jaded City ........................................................................................................ 70 Scene 7: Return To The Emerald City .................................................................................. 72

Chapter 7: The Gillikin Country ................................................................. 35 Flathead Mountain ................................................................................................................ 35 Loonville ............................................................................................................................... 38 Mist Valley ............................................................................................................................ 38 Skeezer Lake ......................................................................................................................... 39 Winged Monkeys .................................................................................................................. 40 Yoop Castle ........................................................................................................................... 41

Chapter 8: The Munchkin Country ............................................................ 42

Map Of Oz ............................................................................................................ 74

Field Of Poppies ................................................................................................................... 42 Invisible Country .................................................................................................................. 43 Kalidahs ................................................................................................................................ 43 Miss Foolish Owl And Mr. Wise Donkey ............................................................................. 44 Mount Munch ........................................................................................................................ 45 Royal Athletic College Of Oz ............................................................................................... 46

Character Sheets ................................................................................................. 75 Quick Reference Tables ......................................................................................76

Chapter 9: The Quadling Country .............................................................. 47 Bunbury ................................................................................................................................. 47 Bunnybury ............................................................................................................................. 47 China Country ....................................................................................................................... 48 Cuttenclip Village ................................................................................................................. 48 Dark Forest ............................................................................................................................ 49 Fighting Trees ....................................................................................................................... 49 Flutterbudget Center ............................................................................................................. 50 Fuddlecumjig ........................................................................................................................ 50 Glinda’s Palace ...................................................................................................................... 51 Hammerheads ....................................................................................................................... 51 Hopper Country .................................................................................................................... 52 Horner Country ..................................................................................................................... 52 Jinxland ................................................................................................................................. 53 Mr. Yoop ................................................................................................................................ 54 Rigmarole Town .................................................................................................................... 55 Tottenhots .............................................................................................................................. 55 Utensia .................................................................................................................................. 56

Chapter 10: The Winkie Country ............................................................... 57 Bear Center ........................................................................................................................... 57 Herku ..................................................................................................................................... 57 Oogaboo ................................................................................................................................ 58 Thi ......................................................................................................................................... 59 Tin Castle .............................................................................................................................. 60 Truth Pond.............................................................................................................................. 61 Yip Country ........................................................................................................................... 61

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Introduction

The Narrator will probably have a few more pieces of paper, depending on how much she needs to have written down for the story she prepared. Some Narrators prefer to keep their notes hidden, and might want some books or folders to prop up as a screen.

Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talkingmachine and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams—day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing—are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization.

How Do You Win? A roleplaying game is not competitive, but cooperative. The object of the game is to tell an exciting Oz story starring the characters that you have created. Although the Narrator is responsible for putting challenges, obstacles and enemies in your path, you are not playing against her. You can also play another session with the same characters, making new stories to add to their legend.

—The Lost Princess of Oz

What Is Roleplaying? When we were kids, we all played some kind of pretending games. Maybe we tied a towel around our necks and pretended to be superheroes. Maybe we gave each RIRXUGROOVVWXIIHGDQLPDOVRUDFWLRQ¿JXUHVDXQLTXHSHUVRQDOLW\0D\EHZHHYHQ explored our backyards through the eyes of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, imagining new corners of Oz for us to discover. The Adventures in Oz roleplaying game is an evolution of those games. Each player controls a character to participate in the story. One person serves as the Narrator, who directs the story and determines the outcome of the players’ actions. The Narrator will also be called on to play the parts of all of the other characters in the story, whether it’s a friendly Munchkin farmer or the wicked Nome King. In order to help the Narrator do that, the game has rules. Characters have Basic 6NLOOVDQGWUDLWVWKDWGH¿QHWKHFKDUDFWHUZLWKLQWKHUXOHV:KHQHYHUWKH1DUUDWRU thinks a character’s action is risky or exciting, they may call for a dice roll to determine the results.

What Do You Need To Play? Each player should have a sheet of paper with their character’s information written down, as well as a pencil or two to add or change things on this sheet as play progresses. Also, there should be enough six-sided dice available that each player has two.

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Chapter 1: Overview

After the Wizard had been ruling for some time, a tornado brought Dorothy Gale of Kansas and her farmhouse to Oz, the house landing on and killing the Wicked Witch of the East. At the Wizard’s request, Dorothy destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West with a bucket of water. When the Wizard refused to grant her desire WR UHWXUQ WR .DQVDV VKH DQG KHU IULHQGV XQPDVNHG KLP DV D KXPEXJ DQG KH ÀHG the country in another balloon. Dorothy’s companion, the famous live Scarecrow, served as ruler of the Emerald City for a little while, until the revolt of girls led by General Jinjur. Having been driven out of the city, the Scarecrow went to appeal for Glinda for help. She informed him that Pastoria’s daughter was still alive, and forced Mombi to restore her true form. Ever since then, Ozma has ruled the Land of Oz.

“I’ll sing a song of Ozland, where wondrous creatures dwell $QGIUXLWVDQGÀRZHUVDQGVKDG\ERZHUVDERXQGLQHYHU\GHOO Where magic is a science and where no one shows surprise If some amazing thing takes place before his very eyes.” — Shaggy Man, The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The History Of Oz

Life In Oz

 ,QDQFLHQWWLPHVWKH)DLU\4XHHQ/XUOLQHÀHZRYHU2]DQGHQFKDQWHGLWHQGLQJ death and aging in the country, and left behind one of her fairies to rule the land. For some time, a series of kings and queens named Oz and Ozma, respectively, reigned over the country. This age ended when four Wicked Witches, one for each compass direction, joined together to conquer Oz. It was Mombi, the Wicked Witch of the North, who captured and enchanted the current king, and later his son and heir Pastoria. The Wicked Witches remained in charge until two Good Witches conquered the North and South. The one from the south was the famous Glinda, who was more of a sorceress than a witch, but took the title of Good Witch of South for the sake of symmetry. In the Gillikin Country, the Good Witch of the North ruled, but Mombi remained a formidable threat. It was when the country was in this precarious balance, with two Good Witches and two Wicked ones ruling the four segments individually, that Oscar Zoroaster Diggs arrived in the magical land from the United States in a circus balloon. As he KDGKLV¿UVWWZRLQLWLDOV2=RQWKHEDOORRQWKHSHRSOHWRRNKLPIRUDPHPEHURI their royal family. He convinced people that he was a wizard by means of simple tricks, and became known as Oz the Great and Terrible, or the Wizard of Oz. He had the Emerald City built in the green area where the quadrants met, on top of the ruins of Pastoria’s old castle. The Wizard safeguarded his own hold on the throne by bringing Pastoria’s baby daughter Ozma to Mombi, who transformed the young princess into a boy named Tippetarius. The Wizard also confronted the Wicked Witch of the West at one point, only to be driven out of the Winkie Country by the Winged Monkeys. Eventually, fearing the real magical power of the Witches, he came to spend all of his time hiding in the Emerald City. He became a mysterious and reFOXVLYH¿JXUHUDUHO\WDONLQJWRDQ\RQHDQGXVLQJWULFNVDQGGLVJXLVHVRQWKHUDUH occasions when he did.

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“If we used money to buy things with, instead of love and kindness and the desire to please one another, then we should be no better than the rest of the world,” declared the Tin Woodman. “Fortunately money is not known in the Land of Oz at all. We have no rich, and no poor; for what one wishes the others all try to give him, in order to make him happy, and no one in all Oz cares to have more than he can use.” —The Road to Oz The fairy enchantment that allows the people of Oz to live forever has changed very little about life for them, and that’s the way they like it. They appreciate that they are free from the ravages of aging and disease. They take comfort in the fact that tomorrow will be much like today, and that this year strongly resembles all the other years that came before it. Not everyone is like this, though. Some people become bored with the routine of life and explore the wonders of Oz. Even those who don’t travel still enjoy hearing the tales of the wanderers. A tradition of hospitality has evolved so that travelers can generally rely on a warm meal and safe rest for the night anywhere they happen to be. In trade, they offer stories and perhaps a few chores. This has the added benH¿WRISURWHFWLQJWUDYHOHUVIURPWKHGDQJHUVWKDWSURZOWKHQLJKW Wise wanderers will ask their host for any stories they have heard from other travelers. That way, they can prepare for any dangers or hazards that might await them. It’s also possible for them to catch word of some new adventure to pursue, or gain a clue to something that they are already seeking.

The Gillikin Country

There is no money in the Land of Oz, for there has been no need of it. Members of a given community tend to help each other without regard for compensation. Exchange between communities is limited by the unusual nature of many of the peoples of Oz. For example, the China People (page 48) are well suited to life behind their porcelain wall, but are remarkably delicate compared to those outside of it. Without material wealth to pursue, it’s easy to think that the people of Oz would be lazy and unambitious. But that would be ignoring a very important part of human nature: Pride. Any individual Ozite is proud of what he is able to accomplish. A craftsman or artist takes pride in their work; a farmer takes pride in their harvest, and so on.

The Gillikin Country occupies the northern quarter of the Land of Oz. Mombi, the Wicked Witch of the North, still lives there, though she has been stripped of her magical and political power. A Good Witch wanders the land to help those in need. The color of the Gillikins is purple. The people live in purple homes, wear purple clothes, and have purple potatoes for dinner.

The Munchkin Country The eastern quadrant of Oz is known as the Munchkin Country. The Wicked Witch of the East ruled it until Dorothy’s house crushed her when it landed. It was the original home of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion. Blue is the favored color of the Munchkins and Blue Forests are known to grow there.

The Quadling Country To the south lies the Quadling Country. Glinda the Good, also known as the Good Witch of the South, rules this section of Oz. The Quadling Country is home to some of the strangest communities in Oz. Glinda has been mentioned as creating or helping to create some of these (such as the Cuttenclip Village and Bunnybury), but she may be connected to a number of others. The Quadlings prefer the color red above all others.

Civic pride is also very important. While each person is fully capable of ruling himself, they often nominate Kings and Queens to be symbols of their communities. Royalty is given the best lifestyle that the community can provide, though this can vary depending on the size and available resources of the community. In Oogaboo, Queen Ann Soforth lives in a castle and has plenty to eat, but she and her sister Sallye end up doing most of the housework. The Tin Woodman, however, is the Emperor of the Winkies and rules fully one quarter of the Land of Oz. He lives in a majestic Tin Castle and his staff keeps his tin body and castle well polished.

The Winkie Country The Wicked Witch of the West once ruled the Winkies until Dorothy melted her. Since then, they have chosen the Tin Woodman to serve as their Emperor. He rules the Winkies from a glorious Tin Castle. The Tin Woodman allows no cruelty of any kind in his realm, no matter how small. The Winkie color is yellow.

The Emerald City The Emerald City is the capital of the Land of Oz. The Royal Palace is home to Princess Ozma and some of the most unusual people in all of Oz. She values all RIWKHPDVHDFKKDVSURYLGHGVLJQL¿FDQWDLGWR2]DWVRPHWLPHRURWKHU7KHHQWLUH city is green, using green marble as a building material and gold and emeralds for decorative purposes.

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Part I: The Rules Of The Game

you can combine the two 1 point increases into a single 2-point increase to another skill. If your Narrator allows, you may purchase other traits with these points, or take a disadvantageous trait to gain more skill points.

Chapter 2: Creating Your Character

4) Add A Skill Specialty

“My life has been so short that I really know nothing whatever. I was only made day before yesterday.”

Decide on a particular application of one Basic Skill that your character is best at. This may be “running” for the Athletics skill, or “history” for the Brains skill, or any number of other things.

— The Scarecrow, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

5) Fill In The Character’s Friends List And Oz Points

In order to make a character using the Adventures in Oz rules, follow these steps.

Everyone that the character has adventures with is a friend. Each player may also choose 1 friend for their character who they do not adventure with. This will JHQHUDOO\EHVRPHRQHIURPWKHFKDUDFWHU¶VSDVWIRUZKRPWKH\KDYHGRQHDVLJQL¿cant favor. For every friend on a character’s Friends List, that player gains 1 Oz Point.

1) Imagine Your Character Take some time to think about the kind of character you wish to play. Are they young or old? Are they human, animal, or maybe something stranger? Are they from America, Oz, or some other fairy country? What sorts of work are they accustomed to doing? Why are they undertaking adventures in Oz?

Character Traits Size “MISTER YOOP—HIS CAVE The Largest Untamed Giant in Captivity. Height, 21 Feet.—(And yet he has but 2 feet.) Weight, 1640 Pounds.—(But he waits all the time.) Age, 400 Years ‘and Up’ (as they say in the Department Store advertisements). Temper, Fierce and Ferocious.—(Except when asleep.) Appetite, Ravenous.—(Prefers Meat People and Orange Marmalade.)

You don’t have to answer all of these immediately. In fact, part of the fun of the game is watching your character grow and develop through play.

2) Choose A Template Now that you have an idea of what your character is like, decide what template from the list on pages 11-13 comes closest to what you want. If none of the templates seem right, talk to your Narrator. They might be able to provide a template or a trait to represent what you’re looking for.

STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR OWN PERIL! P.S.—Don’t feed the Giant yourself.” — The Patchwork Girl of Oz

3) Customize The Template

This trait measures how large your character is in relation to other characters. Just like skills, it is rated on a scale of 1 through 5.

The time has come to make your character unique. Add 2 points to one of the template’s Basic Skills, and then add 1 point to two other Basic Skills. Alternately,

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Size 1 Tiny 2 Child-Sized 3 Man-Sized 4 Large 5 Giant

point. The Narrator may allow characters without these traits to attempt their related activities, but at a -2 penalty (for more on bonuses and penalties, see page 14).

Examples Toto, The China People Dorothy, Winged Monkeys The Wizard, Scarecrow Cowardly Lion, Hungry Tiger Mr. And Mrs. Yoop

Although each trait lists some suggested uses, players and Narrators may come up with others. For example, a Narrator may require a character with the Craftsman trait to roll against their Sneaking skill to create an item with hidden compartments or functions.

Basic Skills

Craftsman (1)

A character’s basic skills form the basis of what they are capable of in the game. All templates include every basic skill, although not always at the same level. These skills are rated from 1 through 5, with 1 being the worst rating, and 5 being the best.

This is the ability to make things. Each kind of thing you can make counts as a separate trait. Roll against Athletics for tasks that require strength and fortitude, such DVEODFNVPLWKLQJRUFDUSHQWU\5ROODJDLQVW%UDLQVIRUWDVNVWKDWUHTXLUH¿QHZRUN and attention to detail, such as sewing or jewelry making. Rolling against Presence may be required to create an object of particular beauty.

Athletics

Humbug Magic (1)

This is your character’s ability to run, jump and climb.

This is the ability to perform tricks and illusions to entertain people with. Roll against Presence to give an entertaining performance. Roll against Awareness to see through other people’s tricks. Roll against Sneaking to hide small objects on the character’s body.

Awareness This is your character’s ability to pay attention and notice things. Brains

Musician (1)

This is your character’s ability to learn and remember things.

This is the ability to sing and play musical instruments. Roll against Presence to give an entertaining performance or compose a moving piece of music.

Sneaking This is your character’s ability to hide and to move without being seen.

Poet (1)

Presence

This is the ability to compose poems and songs. Roll against Presence to compose or perform an amusing poem. The Brains skill may be used for this as well, but the results will be more technically perfect than entertaining.

This is your character’s ability to get along with other people. Wits

Special Traits

This is your character’s ability to resist fear and keep cool under pressure.

These traits help represent all of the curious characters we discover in the Oz VWRULHV,QPRVWFDVHVWKHVHWUDLWVDUHDWWDFKHGWRWHPSODWHVWRFUHDWHDVSHFL¿FFKDUacter type. If you wish to purchase one of these traits with your skill points, you must get your Narrator’s permission.

Skill Traits So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft…

Each trait is given a cost in skill points, which is listed in parentheses after the trait’s name. If the cost has a minus sign next to it, it is a disadvantage and gives that many points back.

— The Wonderful Wizard of Oz These traits represent potential new uses for the Basic Skills. They are available to any player who wishes to purchase them for their character. Each one costs 1 skill

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Crafted (2)

Damaging: The character is injured when exposed to the source of their weakness. Roll on the injury table on page 17 to determine where the character is injured. If the character has the Crafted trait, do not include that PRGL¿HUWRWKHUROO,IWKHVRXUFHZRXOGQRUPDOO\FDXVHLQMXU\DGGWR the roll. This type of weakness grants 2 skill points.

The character is made of something RWKHU WKDQ ÀHVK DQG ERQH  7KH\ GR QRW need to eat, drink, or sleep. Any attempt WRLQÀLFW:LWVGDPDJHRQDFKDUDFWHUZLWK this trait requires a special success on the There are 3 categories of sources a weakness may have. Each one reduces the attack roll to succeed. Attempts to injure type of skill selection a character gets from a weakness, but also makes the weakness D&UDIWHGFKDUDFWHUDUHPRUHGLI¿FXOWVHH less likely to come up. page 11 for details), but will always cause Common: The character is weak to a fairly common item or substance, Wits damage if they are successful. such as water. This is the default case and does not affect skill points. Example: Scarecrow Uncommon: The character is weak to a fairly uncommon item or substance Deadly Weapon (2) (such as radium) or one that requires effort or preparation to create (such as The character has a weapon with a ¿UH 7KLVW\SHFRVWVVNLOOSRLQW sharp edge or blade, which can be used to Rare: The character is weak to a rare or unusual item or substance (such cut opponents to pieces. Wild animals may have sharp teeth or claws to serve this DVJROG RURQHWKDWUHTXLUHVDVSHFL¿FVHWRIFLUFXPVWDQFHVWRFRPHDERXW purpose. Example: Tin Woodman (such as a hen’s egg). This costs 2 skill points. Flight (2) Example: The Fuddles, a race of puzzle people, have the habit of coming apart  7KHFKDUDFWHUKDVWKHDELOLW\WRÀ\7KLVLVXVXDOO\E\WKHXVHRIZLQJVEXWPDQ\ whenever strangers approach. They are Incapacitated by this (1 skill point), but it is things are possible in the Land of Oz. Example: The Winged Monkeys Uncommon (-1 skill point) for strangers to visit their town of Fuddlecumjig, so this GRHVQ¶WDIIHFWWKHPHQRXJKWREHWUXO\VLJQL¿FDQW,ID)XGGOHZHUHWRJRRQDGYHQMighty Blow (1) tures in Oz, strange people and surprises become much more Common, gaining the The character has a powerful attack that knocks foes down. They may make character 1 skill point. Knockdown attacks at no penalty. Example: The Hammerheads No Arms (-1)

Player Vs. Character

The character has no arms, either by design or because they use them as a second pair of legs. The character cannot have any Craftsman skill traits at all, and suffers a -2 penalty on rolls that depend on precise manipulation. Example: Cowardly Lion

In the rules, the words “player” and “character” are used somewhat interchangeably. In general, the word “player” describes the person sitting at the table ZLWKSDSHUDQGGLFHLQIURQWRIWKHPDQG³FKDUDFWHU´DVWKHLPDJLQDU\¿JXUHZKR executes the actions that the player describes. So a player may say, “My character is going to jump in the river” or even “I’m going to jump in the river”, but it is the imaginary character who jumps in the pretend river and whom we describe as being wet.

Weakness (varies) The character has a vulnerability to a certain material or situation. There are 2 types of weaknesses a character might have. Incapacitating: When the character is exposed to the source of their weakness, they become unable to move. They must be repaired or otherwise corrected before they can move again. This type of weakness grants 1 skill point.

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Friends and Oz Points

 &KRRVLQJ'RURWK\¶VIULHQGLVPXFKPRUHGLI¿FXOW7KURXJKRXWDOORIKHUDGventures, she has earned many friends. But one friend does stand out as the driving force behind many of Dorothy’s adventures. Princess Ozma has also provided help whenever Dorothy needed it.

“Of course,” replied the Scarecrow, brightening at the suggestion. “The Tin Woodman will do anything we ask him, for he’s one of my dearest friends.”

Name: Dorothy Gale

— The Patchwork Girl of Oz A starting character has everyone they adventure with as a friend. They should also have one other friend who does not adventure with them. Exactly who this friend is can have a large impact on the game, so the Narrator should approve any proposed friend.  2QFHWKH)ULHQGV/LVWLV¿OOHGRXWHDFKFKDUDFWHUUHFHLYHV2]3RLQWVHTXDOWRWKH number of friends that they have. So if a character has 5 friends on their Friends List when the game begins, they start with 5 Oz Points. For more information on how to use Oz Points, including how to get more, see page 15.

Equipment Most characters in the Oz stories do not carry much with them on adventures. If they carry anything, it is likely a small basket of food and other supplies or something that they spent skill points on, such as the Tin Woodman’s ax (purchased as a Deadly Weapon) or the Shaggy Man’s Love Magnet (purchased as a magical item). If they discover that they need more than this, they will either improvise something (such as building a raft to cross a river) or ask politely at the nearest homestead.

Character Creation Examples

Friends List: Ozma Size: 2

Basic Skills Athletics: 2 Brains: 1 Sneaking: 2 Special Abilities: Craftsman: Sewing

Awareness: 3 Presence: 4 (plain spoken) Wits: 4

Tin Woodman: The Tin Woodman is a much more complicated character to build. The easiest place to start would be the Crafted Person template. This includes the Crafted trait, which represents the fact that his tin body is more resistant to damage. Now I’ll need spend 2 skill points on the Deadly Weapon trait to represent his ax and 1 point on the Craftsman: Wood trait to allow him to make many wonderful things out of the trees he chops down. The Tin Woodman also has a tendency to rust. This should be purchased as a Weakness. Since he cannot move while he is rusted stiff, the Weakness is Incapacitating, granting him a bonus skill point. The fact that water causes this condition does not change the cost of the Weakness, since water is Common. Now that all of his traits are purchased, he only has 2 skill points left. I’ll spend one of them on Presence to raise it from a 1 to a 2. The other one will go towards raising Athletics from 2 to 3. I’ll also place his specialty of “ax” on Athletics. WhethHUKH¶VXVLQJKLVD[WRFKRSGRZQWUHHVRU¿JKWDSDFNRIZROYHVKHLVYHU\JRRGDW it.

Dorothy: To create Dorothy, I’m going to start with the “Child in Oz” template. One of Dorothy’s main character traits is her ability to make friends, so I’ll put her This creates a rather “adventurous” version of the Tin Woodman. If I wanted to 2-skill point allocation into Presence, raising it to 4. She is also quite fearless, able to FUHDWHDPRUH³UR\DO´FKDUDFWHUWRUHÀHFWKLVUROHDV(PSHURURIWKH:LQNLHV,ZRXOG VWDUHGRZQWKH1RPH.LQJKLPVHOI7KDW¶VZRUWKRQHSRLQWVSHQWRQ:LWVIRUD¿QDO have taken both of the remaining skill points and placed them in Presence, raising it rating of 4. The Craftsman: Sewing Skill Trait is something she very likely learned to 3 and given him the Presence specialty of “kind” instead of the “ax” specialty. on her farm in Kansas, and she also used it to sew the balloon that the Wizard used to Either way, he still needs a friend. He has managed to make several friends over get home in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” That takes care of the last skill point. the course of his adventures, but none so useful as the Queen of the Field Mice. He For Dorothy’s specialty, I’m going to put “plain spoken” on her Presence skill. saved her life while a wildcat was hunting her and she proceeded to help him rescue She is at her best when she speaks plainly and simply. his friends from the Poppy Field and help him and his comrades escape the Emerald City when General Jinjur had captured it.

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Name: Tin Woodman

Friends List: Queen of the Field Mice Size: 3

Name: Crafted Person Examples: Tin Woodman, Scarecrow Size: 3 Basic Skills

Basic Skills Athletics: 3 (ax) Brains: 2 Sneaking: 1

Awareness: 2 Presence: 2 Wits: 2

Athletics: 2 Brains: 2 Sneaking: 1 Traits: Crafted

Special Abilities: Crafted, Craftsman: Wood, Deadly Weapon, Weakness: Water (Incapacitating, Common)

Customization Notes: Many Crafted characters have high Athletics skill ratings or a specialty in an athletic feat since they can ignore many of the limitations of ordinary meat people. Wits is also DJRRGWKLQJWRLQFUHDVHVLQFHDQDUWL¿FLDOPDQLV more resistant to the dangers that Oz has to offer and is less likely to be frightened by them. Both of these traits make a Crafted person an ideal defender of the other, more vulnerable, people that they adventure with. Think about the origins of your character and decide if they have a Weakness. This can be anything from the Tin Woodman’s tendency to rust to Tik-Tok’s need to keep his clockworks wound up.

Character Templates Name: Child in Oz Examples: Dorothy, Tip, Ojo Size: 2 Basic Skills Athletics: 2 Brains: 1 Sneaking: 2 Traits: None

Awareness: 2 Presence: 1 Wits: 2

Awareness: 3 Presence: 2 Wits: 3

Customization Notes: Many heroes of Oz are children. Although they are not particularly brave, they are often determined and eager explorers. They also have a tendency to observe things that other characters may miss. These characteristics make Awareness and Wits prime candidates for increase. An adventurous youth might raise their Athletics skill or take an Athletics specialty revolving around some game or sport. Children who are helpful around the house might acquire the Craftsman trait.

Namee: Large Animal Examples: Cowardly Lion, Jim the Cab-Horse Size: 4 Basic Skills Athletics: 3 Brains: 1 Sneaking: 2 Traits: No Arms

Awareness: 3 Presence: 1 Wits: 2

Customization Notes: This template can represent a wide variety of animal characters. Most animals will have a respectable Athletics score, either to chase down food or to run away from something that wants to eat them. Impressive looking animals will have higher Presence skill ratings, ZLWKSHUKDSVDVSHFLDOW\WRUHÀHFWWKHLUDELOLW\WRFKDUPRUIULJKWHQWKRVHWKH\PHHW The Deadly Weapon trait can represent the claws and teeth of a predator, while the Mighty Blow trait can be used for hoofed creatures with a powerful kick.

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Name: Noble

Examples: Queen Ann Soforth, Prince Inga Size: 3

Namee: Small Animal Examples: Toto, Billina, Field Mice Size: 1 Basic Skills Athletics: 3 Awareness: 3 Brains: 2 Presence: 2 Sneaking: 2 Wits: 3 Traits: No Arms

Basic Skills Athletics: 1 Brains: 2 Sneaking: 1 Traits: None

Awareness: 2 Presence: 3 Wits: 3

Customization Notes: Nobles are very much about the impression that they make. Consider raising Presence skill or placing your specialty there or both. Wits is also important, as it gives a noble the courage to stick by whatever decision they make. Although it would seem obvious to us, it’s not obvious to some nobles that they need Brains to help them make wise decisions. Name: Scholar

Basic Skills Athletics: 2 Brains: 3 Sneaking: 2

Customization Notes: If your character is a larger type of a small animal, such as one of the larger breeds of dog, you may spend 1 skill point to raise the character’s Size to 2. A character that has learned to use their paws as effective hands and enjoy WKHEHQH¿WVRIFLYLOL]DWLRQVKRXOGXVHDVNLOOSRLQWWRUHPRYHWKH1R$UPVWUDLW Name: Soldier

Examples: Professor Wogglebug, Frogman Size: 3

Basic Skills Athletics: 2 Brains: 1 Sneaking: 2

Awareness: 2 Presence: 1 Wits: 2

Examples: Omby Amby, Private Files Size: 3 Awareness: 2 Presence: 2 Wits: 1

Traits: Deadly Weapon

Traits: None Customization Notes: Although both of the examples of this template are very interesting creatures, your character does not have to be. Most scholars in the stories are dull people, hence the low Presence. You might decide to place your specialty in Presence without raising it to represent a boring person who just happens to be good at teaching, or public speaking, or some other social feat.

Customization Notes: There are two kinds of soldiers presented in the Oz stories: the competent SULYDWHVROGLHUDQGWKHFRZDUGO\RI¿FHU7KHPDLQ WKLQJVHSDUDWLQJRI¿FHUVIURPSULYDWHVLVWKH:LWV VNLOO2I¿FHUVZLOOOHDYHWKH:LWVUDWLQJDWZKLOH a private will raise it. They both need Awareness to spot danger. The Athletics skill enables the SULYDWH WR IDFH GDQJHU ZKLOH WKH RI¿FHU ZLOO XVH it to escape from the threat. Presence allows the SULYDWHWRGHPRQVWUDWHZKDWDFRPSHWHQWVROGLHUWKH\DUHZKLOHDQRI¿FHUXVHVLWWR display their medals and gold braid. 6SHFLDOWLHVDUHNH\WRGLIIHUHQWLDWLQJWKHWZRW\SHV2I¿FHUVZLOOKDYHVSHcialties such as “running away” for Athletics, “horrible creatures and how to avoid

12 Hisashi Sasaki (order #5618405)

them” for Brains, or the Wits specialty “when everyone else is looking.” Actual ¿JKWHUVPLJKWWDNHVSHFLDOWLHVVXFKDV³¿JKWLQJ´IRU$WKOHWLFV³GHWHFWLQJDPEXVK´ for Awareness, or “well-drilled” for Presence. Namee: Wanderer

Basic Skills Athletics: 2 Brains: 2 Sneaking: 2 Traits: None

Examples: Shaggy Man, Woot the Wanderer Size: 3

Chapter 3: Game Rules How To Play The Game Playing a role-playing game is remarkably easy. The Narrator begins by setting the scene, describing what is going on around the characters. Players then decide how their characters are going to react to the situation. The players then describe the actions that their characters take. The rules come into play when a player describes DQDFWLRQWKDWWKH1DUUDWRUIHHOVLVGLI¿FXOWULVN\RUH[FLWLQJ

Awareness: 2 Presence: 2 Wits: 2

Rolling Dice “I haven’t done anything to them,” whined Kaliko, trembling as KHUH\HVÀDVKHGXSRQKLP

Customization Notes: The wanderer is a fairly generic template, with no particular strengths or weaknesses. Your choices will be what make the wanderer character unique.

“No; but you tried to, an’ that’s just as bad, if not worse,” said Dorothy, who was very indignant. “And now I want you to send for the King and Queen of Pingaree and have them brought here immejitly!” — Rinkitink In Oz Dice are used in many games to create interesting random results, such as how many spaces to move on a board. This game uses dice as well, but in a different way. When a player describes an action for their character that they may or may not succeed at, the Narrator will tell the player to “make a skill roll” or “roll against their skill.” This means that the player must roll 2 six-sided dice and compare the individual results to the appropriate skill. If one of the dice comes up equal to or lower than their skill rating, than the action was successful. If both dice come up higher than the character’s skill rating, then the attempt has failed. Example: Dorothy stands before Kaliko, the Nome King, demanding that he release Prince Inga and his parents, the King and Queen of Pingaree, whom he has imprisoned. Dorothy’s player

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makes a Presence roll to impress the Nome King. Her Presence rating is 3 and the dice results are 2 and 5. She has successfully intimidated Kaliko. If both of the dice indicate successful results, then the player has scored a special success. The Narrator should be creative in describing the results of a special success. Some rules will also make use of special successes for certain special results.

HLWKHU¿QGDZD\WREULQJWKHLUUDWLQJEDFNXSDERYHE\UHPRYLQJSHQDOWLHVRUDGGLQJERQXVHVRUWKH\PD\¿QGDZD\WRXVHDGLIIHUHQWVNLOOWRDFFRPSOLVKZKDWWKH\ want.

 6L]HPRGL¿HUVDUHDIDLUO\FRPPRQERQXVRUSHQDOW\,I\RX¶UHLQWHUDFWLQJZLWK a character that is notably larger or smaller than you, the difference in sizes makes certain things easier and other things harder. A normal sized person might have a  6SHFLDOWLHVPDNHLWHDVLHUIRUFKDUDFWHUVWRVXFFHHGLQVSHFL¿FDUHDV:KHQWKH harder time spotting a mouse sneaking around, but could frighten that tiny creature character attempts an action that falls under their specialty, they may reroll one of YHU\HDVLO\7R¿QGZKDWWKHERQXVRUSHQDOW\LV¿QGWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKH the dice that they just rolled. This allows the player a chance to turn a failure into a sizes of the two characters. Then apply that number as a bonus or a penalty dependsuccess, or a success into a special success. ing on whether the size difference makes the task easier or harder. Example: Dorothy has a specialty called “plain spoken;” she says what she Example: The Queen of the Field means and doesn’t rely on formality. Since the player described Dorothy as speaking Mice, who is Size 1, is being chased by very plainly to Kaliko, the Narrator rules that her specialty applies in this situation. a wildcat, which is Size 2. Since the Dorothy’s player decides to reroll the die that came up 5. This time, that die comes Queen is smaller than the wildcat, she up 3. The die results are now 2 and 3, both of which are equal to or below Dorothy’s can squeeze into places that the wildPresence rating. Dorothy has scored a special success! Kaliko sees that Dorothy is FDW FDQQRW  6KH JDLQV D  ERQXV WR willing to back up everything she says, and orders that Prince Inga and his family be her Athletics roll to run away from the released immediately into Dorothy’s custody. wildcat due to her size. Example: Even with her bonus, the Queen of the Field Mice is nearly captured by the wildcat! The Tin Woodsman is walking nearby. Since he is Size 3, he must make an Awareness roll with a -2 penalty to see the tiny Queen. Once he realizes what is going on, the Tin Man readies his ax to strike down the wildcat, but suffers a -1 penalty to his Athletics skill since the wildcat is 1 Size smaller than him.

Bonuses And Penalties Characters do not always face ideal situations. Some situations will be harder or easier than others. When a character attempts something that is easier than normal, they gain a bonus. If a task is harder than normal, they gain a penalty. A bonus is a number that adds to a skill rating in order to make success more likely. So if a character has a skill ratLQJRIDQGWKH\JDLQDERQXVWKH\ would roll as if their skill rating was 3. A bonus may not raise a skill above 5.

Skill Contests

A penalty subtracts from a skill rating. A character with a skill rating of 4 who gains a -2 penalty must roll as if their skill was only 2. This can bring a rating to 0 or below. If this happens, the action cannot be attempted. The character may

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Jim’s big hoofs pounded away at a great rate, and although he did not look very graceful he ran in a way to do credit to his Kentucky breeding. But the Sawhorse was swifter than the wind. Its wooden legs moved so fast that their twinkling could scarcely be seen, and although so much smaller than the cab-horse it covered the ground much faster. Before they had reached the trees the Sawhorse was far ahead, and the wooden animal returned to the starting place as was being lustily cheered by the Ozites before Jim came panting up to the canopy where the Princess and her friends were seated. — Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Sometimes, the situation that requires a die roll involves another character. This can be a chase, a game of hide and seek, or a number of other things. In cases like these, both players roll against the appropriate skill. Both players do not need to roll against the same skill. For a game of hide and seek, for example, one of the players would roll against their character’s Sneaking skill, while the other makes an Awareness roll. If only one of them succeeds at their roll, or only one scores a special success, then that character wins the contest. If both of them fail, then the contest is a tie and they should roll again to determine a clear winner. If both rolls score success or special success, the winner is the player whose successful die results came up highest. Example: It’s the big race between the Saw-Horse and Jim the Cab-Horse! The Saw-Horse has an Athletics rating of 4 with a specialty in “running”, while Jim has DQ$WKOHWLFVUDWLQJRIDQGQRVSHFLDOW\7KH6DZ+RUVH¶V¿QDOUHVXOWVDUHDQG The dice rolled for the Cab-Horse come up 2 and 5. Both scored regular successes, but the Saw-Horse’s successful result of 3 is higher than Jim’s successful 2. The SawHorse wins the race!

Simple Contests Should the Narrator decide that they wish to keep the story moving quickly, or to keep dice-rolling to a minimum, they may decide to use a simpler option for skill contests.

Extended Tests Some tasks do not lend themselves to being reduced to a single die roll. In such cases, the Narrator should decide how many successful rolls are needed and how much time each attempt takes. Special successes count as 2 successful rolls in an extended test. Failed rolls do not subtract from success, but if a player rolls 3 failures in a row, the character must begin the project again from scratch. Example: The Wogglebug wishes to compose an ode to Ozma to present to her on her birthday. The Narrator rules that a poem worthy of Ozma’s birthday requires 5 successes, each taking a day of dedicated work. Extended tests may also be used to allow multiple characters to help with a task or to allow a single character to use multiple skills for the same task. Example: Dorothy is sewing the silk balloon that will carry her and the Wizard RXWRI2]DQGEDFNWR$PHULFD,WUHTXLUHV¿QHVWLWFKLQJJRYHUQHGE\WKH%UDLQV skill, and a lot of it, so the Athletics skill could apply. The Narrator allows Dorothy’s player to alternate rolling against Brains and Athletics in order to accumulate successful rolls.

Oz Points “WE may be helpless,” answered Dorothy, smiling at him, “but there are others who can do more than we can. Cheer up, friends. I’m sure Ozma will help us.”

Once all other bonuses and penalties have been assessed, determine the difference between the two character’s skills. If the character who’s player will be rolling — Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz dice has a higher skill, then the difference is applied as a bonus. If the opposing character has a higher skill, then it is applied as a penalty. Should the opposing charNo Oz character is ever truly alone. They are always making new friends and DFWHUKDYHDQDSSOLFDEOHVSHFLDOW\DGGDERQXVWRWKHLUVNLOOEHIRUHFRPSXWLQJWKH helping out old ones. Oz Points encourage players to do the same thing. difference between their skill ratings. The most common method of earning Oz Points is by helping friends. WhenExample: This time, the race will be resolved with a simple contest. Only Jim ever a character does something for someone on their Friends List that they cannot the Cab-Horse’s player will roll dice. The Saw-Horse’s Athletics skill is 4 with do for themselves, the helpful character earns an Oz Point. D  ERQXV IRU KDYLQJ DQ DSSURSULDWH The other way to earn Oz Points is by making new friends. Whenever a charVSHFLDOW\JLYLQJD¿QDOVNLOOOHYHORI acter helps someone who’s not on his Friends List and the Narrator approves, that Since this is 2 higher than Jim’s skill, person may be added to the Friends List. Every addition to their Friends List earns a his skill roll suffers a -2 penalty. The character an Oz Point. Cab-Horse’s effective skill for this roll is only 1. The dice results are 2 and Example: Dorothy and Scarecrow are off to see the Wizard. Not far off of 5. Since neither die was successful, the the Yellow Brick Road is a man made entirely of tin, who has become rusted stiff. race goes to the Saw-Horse. 'RURWK\¿QGVDQRLOFDQDQGKHOSVIUHHWKH7LQ0DQ7KH7LQ:RRGVPDQWKHQHDJHUO\

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joins Dorothy and the Scarecrow in their adventure, and is added to the Friends List of both characters. Both the little girl and the straw man earn an Oz Point for adding him to their Friends List. Example: The Wicked Witch of the West has sent a pack of wolves to devour our heroes! The Tin Woodsman, with his sharp ax and tin plating, bravely volunteers to protect the group from this threat. Since none of the other characters could hope to face an entire pack of wolves and win, our tin friend gains an Oz Point for his bravery. Oz Points can be spent in a number of ways. The simplest way to spend them is WRDGGDERQXVWRDGLHUROO(DFK2]3RLQWVSHQWZLOODGGDERQXVWRFKDUDFWHU¶V skill rating for the purpose of one skill roll. The player may spend as many Oz Points on one roll as they like, though they cannot spend more than they have. Oz Points may be spent after the dice have been rolled, but before the Narrator has described the results of the action. Oz Points may also be spent to call on a friend. The friend does not need to be SUHVHQWRUHYHQDSSHDUZKHQFDOOHGEXWWKH\ZLOO¿QGDZD\WRKHOSWKHLUDGYHQWXUHsome friends out of a tough spot. Example: Dorothy and her traveling companions are trapped in a cave! They have reached a dead end, and the way back is full of dangers. Dorothy’s player spends an Oz Point to call on her friend Ozma. Dorothy remembers that Ozma checks on her every day at 4 o’clock. If Dorothy makes a secret sign at this time, Ozma will use her Magic Belt to wish Dorothy to safety in the Emerald City. Example: Ojo is traveling through Oz with the Shaggy Man. They encounter a giant porcupine with the power to throw his quills. The Shaggy Man is hit! A quill has pierced his leg, and he is in terrible pain. Ojo’s player spends an Oz Point as Ojo reaches into the basket given to him by his friend, Dr. Pipt. He pulls out a small bundle of healing herbs and is able to treat the Shaggy Man’s wound.

 6LQFH¿JKWLQJLVDYHU\FRPSOLFDWHGWKLQJWKHUXOHVUHJDUGLQJLWDUHFRPSOH[DV well.

Who Goes First?  7\SLFDOO\ZKRHYHUVWDUWVWKH¿JKWJRHV¿UVW7KLVPD\EHDNDOLGDKWKDWKDVOHDSW onto the road, or one of the heroes responding to the threat of the Wheelers. Once the ¿JKWKDVEHJXQJLYHDOORIWKHRWKHUSOD\HUVDFKDQFHWRUHDFW  6LQFHD¿JKWFDQEHDYHU\FRPSOH[DQGFKDRWLFWKLQJLW¶VLPSRUWDQWWRNHHS things organized. Establish a turn sequence and then ask the players to act in that sequence. Depending on the play space, this order can be going around the table, alphabetical by name, or in order based on the character’s Athletics or Awareness ratings. Some threats may appear suddenly, surprising the characters. The characters may also wind up surprising an opponent. In cases like this, the Narrator may require that potentially surprised characters roll against their Awareness skill, possibly in a contest with the opponent’s Sneaking skill, in order to react quickly to the threat. Players who fail the Awareness roll must wait until all of the aware characters have acted before they may be inserted into the turn sequence. Example:,QD¿JKWVFHQHDSOD\HUGHFLGHVWKDWWKHLUFKDUDFWHUZLOOFOLPEDWUHH and throw apples at the attacker. The Narrator allows the character to climb the tree before going to the next player. When that player’s turn comes again, the Narrator allows them to either gather a number of apples at once and throw one on their next turn or pick only one and throw it this turn.

What To Do  +HUHLVDOLVWRIFRPPRQDFWLRQVWKDWFKDUDFWHUVFDQWDNHLQD¿JKW&KDUDFWHUV PD\FHUWDLQO\DWWHPSWRWKHUDFWLRQVLQD¿JKWGHSHQGLQJRQWKHFLUFXPVWDQFHV

Getting Into Fights ³7KLVLVP\¿JKW´VDLGWKH:RRGPDQ³VRJHWEHKLQGPHDQG,ZLOO meet them as they come.” —The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Oz is a land of dangers as well as wonders. Monstrous kalidahs roam the forests. Petty tyrants rule their small kingdoms without regard to their citizens or Ozma’s GHFUHHV$GYHQWXUHUVPD\¿QGWKHPVHOYHVLQVLWXDWLRQVLQZKLFKWKH\KDYHWR¿JKW their way past a foe.

16 Hisashi Sasaki (order #5618405)

Painful Strike: This is a basic attack that all characters may attempt. This FDQWDNHWKHIRUPRIDSXQFKNLFNRUD¿UPSRNHZLWKDNQLWWLQJQHHGOH,W requires a roll against Athletics skill to successfully execute. If the defender is able to, they may attempt an Athletics roll of their own to evade the attack. Resolve these rolls as a skill contest. If the attacker wins the contest, the defender takes Wits damage. If the attacker scores a special success, then their opponent is stunned and may not act on their next turn as well.

Wits Damage

Called Shot:$FKDUDFWHUWKDWZLVKHVWRWDUJHWDVSHFL¿FERG\SDUWPD\DFcept a -1 penalty in order to do so. This does not have to be chosen from the WDEOHDFFRPSDQ\LQJWKH,QMXULQJ6WULNHPDQHXYHU7KHUHLVQRVLJQL¿FDQW effect on Painful Strikes, but will allow an unarmed character to attack a IRH¶VZHDSRQDQGDWWHPSWWRGLVDUPWKHP,QMXULQJ6WULNHVFDQEHQH¿WIURP WKLVPRGL¿HUE\DWWDFNLQJVSHFL¿FDUHDVRIDIRH¶VERG\*UDSSOLQJDWWDFNV may also use this to restrain an opponent’s weapon arm, or to cover a foe’s eyes, ears, or mouth and prevent their use.

Many of these actions cause Wits damage. Every time a character takes Wits damage, they suffer a –1 penalty to their Wits skill. This is cumulative, so taking Wits damage twice will mean that your character’s Wits skill has a –2 penalty, three times gives a –3, and so on. Once a character has taken Wits damage to equal their Wits skill rating, they KDYHORVWWKHZLOOWR¿JKW'HSHQGLQJRQWKHFLUFXPVWDQFHVWKHFKDUDFWHUPD\ run away or surrender pitifully. While other circumstances may result in Wits penalties, only Wits damage counts for this purpose. Injuring Strike: 7KLV DWWDFN LV YHU\ GDQJHURXV DQG GLI¿FXOW WR DFKLHYH The character must be wielding a sharp and dangerous weapon to attempt this attack. The attacker then rolls against their Athletics skill with a -2 penalty. The Deadly Weapon trait (page 9) eliminates this penalty and ensures that the character always has a weapon when they need one. The recipient of the attack may contest that roll with their Athletics skill in order to avoid LW,IWKHDWWDFNZDVQRWDYRLGHGUROOVL[VLGHGGLHDSSO\DQ\PRGL¿HUV from those listed below, and check the result on the following table:

Modifiers +1 +2 +2 -2 -4

For Every Previous Injury The Defender Has Taken If The Attack Was A Special Success For Every Size Larger Than Defender For Every Size Smaller Then Defender If The Defender Has The Crafted Trait

Injury Table Roll 0 Or Below 1 2 3 4 5 6-7 8 Or More

Result No Injury Right Leg Left Leg Right Arm Left Arm Torso Head Total

Impress: This action is not a physical attack, but a mental one. The attacker contests their Presence with their opponent’s Wits rating. If this action succeeds, the attacker may make one demand of their opponent. This should be something simple, such as “Surrender!” “Go away!” or “Tell me what I want to know!” Complex demands, such as “Bring me three hairs from a Woozy’s tail, a six-leafed clover, etc.!” may be worth a penalty to the Presence roll. Far-reaching demands, like “Be good from now on!” may be obeyed in the short term, but the Narrator decides whether it will be obeyed in the long term. Defend: $FKDUDFWHUWDNLQJWKLVDFWLRQGRHVQRWDWWDFNEXWJDLQVDERQXV to all Athletics rolls made to avoid an attack. Also, the character may attempt to defend other characters that are adjacent to them, but without the bonus.

The injured character loses the body part indicated by the table. This is not lethal to the people of Oz, who cannot die, but it is very inconvenient. It is also causes Wits damage. In the case of a “Total” result, the character is so injured as to be disabled. For those who prefer additional detail, make 3 XQPRGL¿HGUROOVRQWKHLQMXU\WDEOHWRGHtermine exactly where the character is injured.

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Knockdown: This attack can take the form of a football tackle, a judo throw, or a powerful kick. The attacker makes an Athletics roll with a -1 penalty, while the defender may contest this with their own Athletics roll. The Mighty Blow trait negates the penalty on the attack. If successful, this attack knocks the foe down, requiring them to use their next action to stand up. The opponent also suffers Wits damage.

Grapple: This action involves grabbing the opponent in order to restrain them. The attacker and defender roll against their Athletics skills in a skill contest. If the attack is successful, the defender must apply the attacker’s Size rating as a penalty to all Athletics skill rolls. A special success allows the attacker to use one of the special grappling actions listed below immediately. If this maneuver is combined with a Called Shot, the penalty is applied to appropriate skills. A grapple to cover someone’s ears or eyes would apply the penalty to Awareness rolls, while covering someone’s mouth would penalize their Presence rolls.

A character that has been grappled will remain grappled until their opponent releases them or they manage to escape via a contest of Athletics skills on their turn. The character may also attempt to return the grapple, causing their opponent to suffer penalties. If a character has successfully grappled another, they may attempt some special actions against their grappled opponent on their next turn:

Extended Tests In Combat 6RPHWLPHV FKDUDFWHUV ZLOO EH GRLQJ WKLQJV RWKHU WKDQ ¿JKWLQJ GXULQJ D ¿JKW scene. Perhaps one of them is trying to unlock a door while the rest of the group protects him from their foes. The player rolls each turn until they get the required number of successes. Example: The Tin Woodman and his friends are being chased by kalidahs!

‡ Pin: This action represents a number of tactics that may be used to They have crossed a chasm that is bridged by a log. The Tin Woodman decides to make a restrained opponent even more uncomfortable. The attacker rolls against their Athletics skill, while the defender attempts to resist with their Wits rating. If the attack succeeds, the defender takes Wits damage.

‡ Throw: This is identical to the Knockdown attack, but does not suffer a penalty to the attacker’s Athletics roll. This action ends the grapple.

use his ax to chop the log in two, preventing the kalidahs from following them. The Narrator rules that the kalidahs will be upon them in 2 turns and that it will require 3 successful rolls against the Tin Woodman’s Athletics skill to chop through the log. He’ll need at least one special success to accomplish this.

Getting Better ³7KLVDW¿UVWVHHPHGDJUHDWPLVIRUWXQHIRU,NQHZDRQHOHJJHG man could not do very well as a wood-chopper. So I went to a tinsmith and had him make me a new leg out of tin. The leg worked very well, once I was used to it.” — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  2QFHWKH¿JKWLVRYHUDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUKDVDPRPHQWWRJDWKHUWKHLUZLWVDOO Wits damage is recovered. Severe injuries, however, do not heal on their own. A character that wishes to have their original limb reattached or regrown must seek out a magician to cast the spell. The more common solution is to approach a craftsman to make a replacement limb for the character. When Nick Chopper’s ax was cursed and started cutting off his limbs, he went to a nearby tinsmith to get them replaced until he was all tin, becoming the Tin Woodman that we all know and love.

 (YHQWKRXJKDFKDUDFWHUZLWKRQO\RQHRUWZRDUWL¿FLDOOLPEVGRHVQRWTXDOLI\IRU the Crafted trait, they do acquire some resistance to injury. If the injury table result Distance And Combat LQGLFDWHVDQDUWL¿FLDOOLPEUROODJDLQRQWKHLQMXU\WDEOHZLWKWKHVDPHPRGL¿HUV,I  )RUWKHPRVWSDUWWKHVHUXOHVDVVXPHWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQYROYHGLQWKH¿JKWDUH WKLVVHFRQGUROOFRPHVXSZLWKWKHVDPHUHVXOWWKHQWKHDUWL¿FLDOOLPELVGDPDJHG fairly close together. Characters should be able to move and attack nearby opponents Otherwise, no damage occurs. ZLWKQRGLI¿FXOW\RYHUWKHVSDFHRIDWXUQ,IDFKDUDFWHUGHFLGHVWRDWWDFNDQRSSRnent that they cannot reach, the Narrator may apply a -1 penalty to the attack roll and require that the attack take an appropriate form, such as a thrown rock or a gunshot. If the opponent is truly distant, the Narrator may rule that they may only be attacked by certain means and with a -2 penalty to the attack.

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Chapter 4: The Magic Of Oz

Customization Notes: Brains is the primary requirement for an effective spellcaster. Presence combined with the Poet trait is useful for reducing spellcasting penalties. If desired, the Magic Toolkit trait may be removed at the cost of 1 skill point.

³,QRUGHUWRFDPS´VDLGKH³WKH¿UVWWKLQJZHQHHGLVWHQWV:LOO some one please lend me a handkerchief?” The Shaggy Man offered him one, and Aunt Em another. He took them both and laid them carefully upon the grass near to the edge of the forest. Then he laid his own handkerchief down, too, and standing a little back from them he waved his left hand toward the handkerchiefs and said:

A Yookoohoo is a specialized sorcerer who has mastered transformation magics at the expense of other types of spellcasting. Both of the Yookoohoos who have appeared in the stories were women, but this may or may not be a requirement. To create a Yookoohoo, replace the Sorcery trait with the Yookoohoo Magic trait. They tend to have high Brains skills and perhaps even a “spellcasting” specialty, given the apparent ease with which they cast their spells. Yookoohoos tend to live alone, far away from other people, but an adventuring Yookoohoo might have a notable Presence skill. Physical ability is not as important, as they can become a cheetah to outrun anything or a mouse to hide from danger.

“Tents of canvas, white as snow, Let me see how fast you grow!” Then, lo and behold! the handkerchiefs became tiny tents, and as the travelers looked at them the tents grew bigger and bigger until in a few minutes each one was large enough to contain the entire party. —The Emerald City of Oz

Magical Characters How much access a character has to magic is a decision for the Narrator. A character might own an enchanted item or know a single magical spell. They might also be wizards in their own right, commanding a variety of magical arts. The Narrator might even prefer to keep magic out of the hands of players, allowing it to be used as a plot device when needed. The Sorcerer template is provided for the convenience of those Narrators who wish to allow magic-using characters. Name: Sorcerer Basic Skills Athletics: 1 Brains: 3 Sneaking: 1 Traits: Magical Toolkit, Sorcery

Examples: Glinda the Good, The Wizard of Oz Size: 3 Awareness: 2 Presence: 2 Wits: 2

New Traits Sorcery (2) The character gains access to the effects of Apportation, Help/Hinder, and Transmutation. Make a roll against Brains to cast spells. Roll against Awareness to identify magical effects. Yookoohoo Magic (2) The character gains access to the magic of Transmutation and Transformation. Make a roll against Brains to cast spells of these schools. Roll against Awareness to identify a transformed subject by their Tell. Magical Toolkit (-1) The character requires specialized tools to work their magic. They will usually have access to these tools, but they may be separated from them for some reason. This can be as simple as the Silver Wand that Ozma uses, or as grand as the Magic Room in Glinda’s castle.

19 Hisashi Sasaki (order #5618405)

Creating Spells

Athletics Skill Rating 1 2 3 4 5

Spells are composed of four things: Power, Duration, Scope, and Ritual. The Power of a spell describes its general potency or effectiveness. Each type of magic has it’s own special rules about how to determine a spell’s Power. The Duration of a spell describes how long the spell lasts. A spell’s Scope describes how much RIDQDUHDRUKRZPDQ\SHRSOHLWDIIHFWV7KH5LWXDOPRGL¿HUGHVFULEHVKRZPXFK physical effort is required to bring the spell into being. 2QFHDOORIWKHVHPRGL¿HUVKDYHEHHQGHWHUPLQHGDGGWKHPWRJHWKHUWRFUHDWHWKH Effect Power of the spell. This acts as a penalty to the Brains roll made to cast the spell.

Transmutation Power 1 2 3 4

Help/Hinder Magic may be used to help or hinder another character’s action. First, decide ZKLFKDFWLYLW\LVWREHPRGL¿HGDQGZKDWVNLOOLWIDOOVXQGHU7KLVVKRXOGEHHTXLYDOHQWWRFKRRVLQJDVSHFLDOW\IRUDVNLOO)RUHDFKERQXVRUSHQDOW\ WKHVSHOO grants to this activity, the Power of the spell increases by 2. This kind of spell may be used on objects, which do not have Skills. In this case, WKHPDJLFFUHDWHVERQXVHVRUSHQDOWLHVWRVSHFL¿FWDVNVUHODWLQJWRWKHLWHP$QREMHFW may be made harder to see in this way by penalizing the Awareness skill of those looking for it. A stone may be made easier to lift by providing a bonus to Athletics rolls made to move it. Help/Hinder effects may not be used to enhance Brains rolls for spell casting or Presence rolls to use magical poetry.

Apportation Apportation is the magic of lifting and moving objects. The Power of the spell is equal to the Athletics skill rating that the caster wishes to emulate. This skill rating will typically not be rolled against unless the action becomes opposed or otherwise complicated. For example, lifting a pen and writing with it does not require a roll, but a person who doesn’t want to be picked up would contest his Athletics rating with the Athletics rating of the spell to escape. Keep in mind that the Athletics skill represents not only strength, but speed and agility as well. If a task would require a higher Athletics rating due to those factors, the Narrator should raise the required Power of a given spell.

Degree Of Change Minor (Water To Coffee) Moderate Major (Handkerchiefs To Tents) Severe

Transmutation magic is used to change one thing into something else. The Power of the effect is based on how different the end result is from the original object.

 7KLVPDJLFLVLQVXI¿FLHQWIRUWUDQVIRUPLQJOLYLQJFUHDWXUHVLQWRRWKHUIRUPVEXW it can work on characters with the Crafted trait.  $QLWHPWREHWUDQVPXWHGPXVWVKDUHDWOHDVWRQHSURSHUW\ZLWKLWVLQWHQGHG¿QDO IRUP/LNHZLVHWKH¿QDOIRUPZLOOUHWDLQRQHSURSHUW\IURPLWVRULJLQDOVWDWH7KLV will usually be the most emblematic trait of the original item. If the caster wishes to control exactly which property carries over, add 1 to the spell’s Power. Example: Mrs. Yoop is having breakfast. She begins by transmuting water into coffee. Both share the property of being liquids, so the transmutation is easy. The property that carries over is that the coffee is watery. Since that’s the way that Mrs.