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

Ozmas Counselors ............................................................................................................... 32

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

Ozmas Bodyguard ................................................................................................................ 33

Ozmas 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
Glindas 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

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 dreamsday
dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzingare 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
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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 its a friendly Munchkin farmer or the wicked Nome King.
In order to help the Narrator do that, the game has rules. Characters have Basic
6NLOOVDQGWUDLWVWKDWGHQHWKHFKDUDFWHUZLWKLQWKHUXOHV:KHQHYHUWKH1DUUDWRU
thinks a characters 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 characters 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.

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 Wizards request, Dorothy destroyed the Wicked Witch
of the West with a bucket of water. When the Wizard refused to grant her desire
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the country in another balloon. Dorothys 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 Pastorias daughter was still alive, and forced
Mombi to restore her true form. Ever since then, Ozma has ruled the Land of Oz.

Ill sing a song of Ozland, where wondrous creatures dwell

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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/XUOLQHHZRYHU2]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
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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 Pastorias old castle. The Wizard safeguarded his own hold on the throne by
bringing Pastorias 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 reFOXVLYHJXUHUDUHO\WDONLQJWRDQ\RQHDQGXVLQJWULFNVDQGGLVJXLVHVRQWKHUDUH
occasions when he did.

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 thats 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 dont 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 benHWRISURWHFWLQJWUDYHOHUVIURPWKHGDQJHUVWKDWSURZOWKHQLJKW
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. Its 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, its 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 Dorothys 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
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city is green, using green marble as a building material and gold and emeralds for
decorative purposes.

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 Characters 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\EHVRPHRQHIURPWKHFKDUDFWHUVSDVWIRUZKRPWKH\KDYHGRQHDVLJQLcant favor. For every friend on a characters 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 YOOPHIS 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 dont 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 youre looking for.

STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR

OWN PERIL!
P.S.Dont 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
templates Basic Skills, and then add 1 point to two other Basic Skills. Alternately,

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 characters 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
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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 characters 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 peoples tricks. Roll against Sneaking to hide small objects on the
characters body.

Awareness
This is your characters ability to pay attention and notice things.
Brains

Musician (1)

This is your characters 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 characters 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 characters ability to get along with other people.

Wits

Special Traits

This is your characters ability to resist fear and keep cool under pressure.

These traits help represent all of the curious characters we discover in the Oz
VWRULHV,QPRVWFDVHVWKHVHWUDLWVDUHDWWDFKHGWRWHPSODWHVWRFUHDWHDVSHFLFFKDUacter type. If you wish to purchase one of these traits with your skill points, you must
get your Narrators 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
traits 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

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
PRGLHUWRWKHUROO,IWKHVRXUFHZRXOGQRUPDOO\FDXVHLQMXU\DGGWR
the roll. This type of weakness grants 2 skill points.

The character is made of something

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need to eat, drink, or sleep. Any attempt
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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&UDIWHGFKDUDFWHUDUHPRUHGLIFXOWVHH 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
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purpose. Example: Tin Woodman
(such as a hens egg). This costs 2 skill points.
Flight (2)
Example: The Fuddles, a race of puzzle people, have the habit of coming apart

7KHFKDUDFWHUKDVWKHDELOLW\WR\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
GRHVQWDIIHFWWKHPHQRXJKWREHWUXO\VLJQLFDQW,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
ZLWKSDSHUDQGGLFHLQIURQWRIWKHPDQGFKDUDFWHUDVWKHLPDJLQDU\JXUHZKR
executes the actions that the player describes. So a player may say, My character
is going to jump in the river or even Im 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.

Friends and Oz Points


&KRRVLQJ'RURWK\VIULHQGLVPXFKPRUHGLIFXOW7KURXJKRXWDOORIKHUDGventures, she has earned many friends. But one friend does stand out as the driving
force behind many of Dorothys 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 hes 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/LVWLVOOHGRXWHDFKFKDUDFWHUUHFHLYHV2]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 Woodmans ax (purchased as a
Deadly Weapon) or the Shaggy Mans 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 Ill 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. Ill 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. Ill also place his specialty of ax on Athletics. WhethHUKHVXVLQJKLVD[WRFKRSGRZQWUHHVRUJKWDSDFNRIZROYHVKHLVYHU\JRRGDW
it.

Dorothy: To create Dorothy, Im going to start with the Child in Oz template.

One of Dorothys main character traits is her ability to make friends, so Ill 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 FUHDWHDPRUHUR\DOFKDUDFWHUWRUHHFWKLVUROHDV(PSHURURIWKH:LQNLHV,ZRXOG
VWDUHGRZQWKH1RPH.LQJKLPVHOI7KDWVZRUWKRQHSRLQWVSHQWRQ:LWVIRUDQDO 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 Dorothys specialty, Im 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.

10

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
DJRRGWKLQJWRLQFUHDVHVLQFHDQDUWLFLDOPDQLV
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
Woodmans tendency to rust to Tik-Toks 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\WRUHHFWWKHLUDELOLW\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.

11

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, its 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 characters
Size to 2. A character that has learned to use their paws as effective hands and enjoy
WKHEHQHWVRIFLYLOL]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

Special Abilities: 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\RIFHU7KHPDLQ
WKLQJVHSDUDWLQJRIFHUVIURPSULYDWHVLVWKH:LWV
VNLOO2IFHUVZLOOOHDYHWKH:LWVUDWLQJDWZKLOH
a private will raise it. They both need Awareness
to spot danger. The Athletics skill enables the
SULYDWH WR IDFH GDQJHU ZKLOH WKH RIFHU ZLOO XVH
it to escape from the threat. Presence allows the
SULYDWHWRGHPRQVWUDWHZKDWDFRPSHWHQWVROGLHUWKH\DUHZKLOHDQRIFHUXVHVLWWR
display their medals and gold braid.
6SHFLDOWLHVDUHNH\WRGLIIHUHQWLDWLQJWKHWZRW\SHV2IFHUVZLOOKDYHVSHcialties such as running away for Athletics, horrible creatures and how to avoid

12

them for Brains, or the Wits specialty when everyone else is looking. Actual
JKWHUVPLJKWWDNHVSHFLDOWLHVVXFKDVJKWLQJIRU$WKOHWLFVGHWHFWLQJDPEXVK
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
DQDFWLRQWKDWWKH1DUUDWRUIHHOVLVGLIFXOWULVN\RUH[FLWLQJ

Awareness: 2
Presence: 2
Wits: 2

Rolling Dice
I havent done anything to them, whined Kaliko, trembling as
KHUH\HVDVKHGXSRQKLP

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 thats 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 characters 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. Dorothys player

13

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.

HLWKHUQGDZD\WREULQJWKHLUUDWLQJEDFNXSDERYHE\UHPRYLQJSHQDOWLHVRUDGGLQJERQXVHVRUWKH\PD\QGDZD\WRXVHDGLIIHUHQWVNLOOWRDFFRPSOLVKZKDWWKH\
want.


6L]HPRGLHUVDUHDIDLUO\FRPPRQERQXVRUSHQDOW\,I\RXUHLQWHUDFWLQJZLWK
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

6SHFLDOWLHVPDNHLWHDVLHUIRUFKDUDFWHUVWRVXFFHHGLQVSHFLFDUHDV: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\7RQGZKDWWKHERQXVRUSHQDOW\LVQGWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKH
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 doesnt 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
Dorothys 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 Dorothys
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 Dorothys 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

14

Jims 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 characters 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: Its 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+RUVHVQDOUHVXOWVDUHDQG
The dice rolled for the Cab-Horse come up 2 and 5. Both scored regular successes,
but the Saw-Horses successful result of 3 is higher than Jims 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 Ozmas 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,WUHTXLUHVQHVWLWFKLQJJRYHUQHGE\WKH%UDLQV
skill, and a lot of it, so the Athletics skill could apply. The Narrator allows Dorothys
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.
Im sure Ozma will help us.

Once all other bonuses and penalties have been assessed, determine the difference between the two characters skills. If the character whos 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-Horses player will roll dice. The Saw-Horses 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\JLYLQJDQDOVNLOOOHYHORI
acter
helps someone whos not on his Friends List and the Narrator approves, that
Since this is 2 higher than Jims 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-Horses 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\

15

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]3RLQWVSHQWZLOODGGDERQXVWRFKDUDFWHUV
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\ZLOOQGDZD\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. Dorothys player
spends an Oz Point to call on her friend Ozma. Dorothy remembers that Ozma
checks on her every day at 4 oclock. 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. Ojos 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 Mans wound.


6LQFHJKWLQJLVDYHU\FRPSOLFDWHGWKLQJWKHUXOHVUHJDUGLQJLWDUHFRPSOH[DV
well.

Who Goes First?


7\SLFDOO\ZKRHYHUVWDUWVWKHJKWJRHVUVW7KLVPD\EHDNDOLGDKWKDWKDVOHDSW
onto the road, or one of the heroes responding to the threat of the Wheelers. Once the
JKWKDVEHJXQJLYHDOORIWKHRWKHUSOD\HUVDFKDQFHWRUHDFW

6LQFHDJKWFDQEHDYHU\FRPSOH[DQGFKDRWLFWKLQJLWVLPSRUWDQWWRNHHS
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 characters 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 opponents 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:,QDJKWVFHQHDSOD\HUGHFLGHVWKDWWKHLUFKDUDFWHUZLOOFOLPEDWUHH
and throw apples at the attacker. The Narrator allows the character to climb the tree
before going to the next player. When that players 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

+HUHLVDOLVWRIFRPPRQDFWLRQVWKDWFKDUDFWHUVFDQWDNHLQDJKW&KDUDFWHUV
PD\FHUWDLQO\DWWHPSWRWKHUDFWLRQVLQDJKWGHSHQGLQJRQWKHFLUFXPVWDQFHV

Getting Into Fights

7KLVLVP\JKWVDLGWKH:RRGPDQVRJHWEHKLQGPHDQG,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 Ozmas
GHFUHHV$GYHQWXUHUVPD\QGWKHPVHOYHVLQVLWXDWLRQVLQZKLFKWKH\KDYHWRJKW
their way past a foe.

16

Painful Strike: This is a basic attack that all characters may attempt. This
FDQWDNHWKHIRUPRIDSXQFKNLFNRUDUPSRNHZLWKDNQLWWLQJQHHGOH,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:$FKDUDFWHUWKDWZLVKHVWRWDUJHWDVSHFLFERG\SDUWPD\DFcept a -1 penalty in order to do so. This does not have to be chosen from the
WDEOHDFFRPSDQ\LQJWKH,QMXULQJ6WULNHPDQHXYHU7KHUHLVQRVLJQLFDQW
effect on Painful Strikes, but will allow an unarmed character to attack a
IRHVZHDSRQDQGDWWHPSWWRGLVDUPWKHP,QMXULQJ6WULNHVFDQEHQHWIURP
WKLVPRGLHUE\DWWDFNLQJVSHFLFDUHDVRIDIRHVERG\*UDSSOLQJDWWDFNV
may also use this to restrain an opponents weapon arm, or to cover a foes
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 characters 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
KDYHORVWWKHZLOOWRJKW'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 GLIFXOW 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\PRGLHUV
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

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.
Impress: This action is not a physical attack, but a mental one. The attacker
contests their Presence with their opponents 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
Woozys 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
XQPRGLHGUROOVRQWKHLQMXU\WDEOHWRGHtermine exactly where the character is injured.

17

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 attackers
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 someones ears or
eyes would apply the penalty to Awareness rolls, while covering someones
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 attackers 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 Woodmans Athletics skill to chop through the log.
Hell need at least one special success to accomplish this.

Getting Better
7KLVDWUVWVHHPHGDJUHDWPLVIRUWXQHIRU,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

2QFHWKHJKWLVRYHUDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUKDVDPRPHQWWRJDWKHUWKHLUZLWVDOO
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 Choppers 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\RQHRUWZRDUWLFLDOOLPEVGRHVQRWTXDOLI\IRU
the Crafted trait, they do acquire some resistance to injury. If the injury table result
Distance And Combat
LQGLFDWHVDQDUWLFLDOOLPEUROODJDLQRQWKHLQMXU\WDEOHZLWKWKHVDPHPRGLHUV,I

)RUWKHPRVWSDUWWKHVHUXOHVDVVXPHWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQYROYHGLQWKHJKWDUH WKLVVHFRQGUROOFRPHVXSZLWKWKHVDPHUHVXOWWKHQWKHDUWLFLDOOLPELVGDPDJHG
fairly close together. Characters should be able to move and attack nearby opponents Otherwise, no damage occurs.
ZLWKQRGLIFXOW\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.

18

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.

,QRUGHUWRFDPSVDLGKHWKHUVWWKLQJZHQHHGLVWHQWV: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 Glindas castle.

19

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 its own special rules about how to determine a spells Power. The Duration of a spell describes how long the spell lasts. A spells Scope describes how much
RIDQDUHDRUKRZPDQ\SHRSOHLWDIIHFWV7KH5LWXDOPRGLHUGHVFULEHVKRZPXFK
physical effort is required to bring the spell into being.
2QFHDOORIWKHVHPRGLHUVKDYHEHHQGHWHUPLQHGDGGWKHPWRJHWKHUWRFUHDWHWKH
Effect Power of the spell.

Transmutation
Power
1
2
3
4

Help/Hinder
Magic may be used to help or hinder another characters action. First, decide
ZKLFKDFWLYLW\LVWREHPRGLHGDQGZKDWVNLOOLWIDOOVXQGHU7KLVVKRXOGEHHTXLYDOHQWWRFKRRVLQJDVSHFLDOW\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,
WKHPDJLFFUHDWHVERQXVHVRUSHQDOWLHVWRVSHFLFWDVNVUHODWLQJWRWKHLWHP$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 doesnt 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.

Sample Tasks
Lift Light Objects
Use A Tool Or Wield A Weapon
Lift A Bulky Object, Win A Race
Lift A Heavy Object
Lift A Massive Object

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.


7KLVPDJLFLVLQVXIFLHQWIRUWUDQVIRUPLQJOLYLQJFUHDWXUHVLQWRRWKHUIRUPVEXW
it can work on characters with the Crafted trait.

$QLWHPWREHWUDQVPXWHGPXVWVKDUHDWOHDVWRQHSURSHUW\ZLWKLWVLQWHQGHGQDO
IRUP/LNHZLVHWKHQDOIRUPZLOOUHWDLQRQHSURSHUW\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 spells 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 thats the way that Mrs.
<RRSOLNHVLWWKLVZRUNVRXWQH

1RZ0UV<RRSGHFLGHVWRWUDQVIRUPVRPHSHEEOHVLQWRVKEDOOV%RWKLWHPV
are round, but the most likely property to be carried over from the pebbles is rocky.
0UV<RRSGRHVQWZDQWURFN\VKEDOOVVRVKHXVHVDPRUHSRZHUIXOVSHOOWRPDNH
sure that the property that crosses over is good source of iron.
Transformations are permanent effects. They require no effort on the part of the
FDVWHUWRPDLQWDLQRUGLUHFW$OO7UDQVIRUPDWLRQVSHOOVKDYHD'XUDWLRQPRGLHURI
If the caster wishes to make the spell reversible, they must specify a set of conditions
WKDWPXVWWDNHSODFHIRUWKHVSHOOWRHQG7KLVUHGXFHVWKHVSHOOV'XUDWLRQPRGLHU
to 0.

20

Transformation

Also like Transmutations, Transformations are permanent spells and can be

made reversible.

There! Reera cried, now my cottage presents a more comfortable appearance. I love the toads and lizards and rats, because
most people hate them, but I would tire of them if they always remained the same. Sometimes I change their forms a dozen times
a day.

Duration
There are two options for the Duration of a spell: Concentration or Task.
Concentration: The spell lasts as long as the sorcerer focuses their attention on the task. Should the spells caster do something else requiring sigQLFDQWIRFXVRUHIIRUWWKHVSHOOHQGV7KLVJHQHUDOO\PHDQVDQ\DFWLRQWKDW
UHTXLUHVDVNLOOUROOEXWWKH1DUUDWRUKDVQDOVD\RQZKDWNLQGRIDFWLRQV
will distract a wizard from their spell. This has Duration 0.

Glinda of Oz
Transformation magic is required to
change the shape of a living being, typically into the form of another creature.
The Power of a Transformation spell is
determined by a number of factors. For
every point of Size change, the Power
of the spell increases by 1. Every trait
change, positive or negative, adds an
additional 1 Power to the spell. Granting a character a specialty of some sort,
such as a dogs keen nose as an Awareness specialty or a zebras distracting
coloration as a Sneaking specialty, adds
1 to the Power of the spell. Directly
modifying Basic Skills increases the
Power by 2 for every point of increase
or decrease.
Transforming a person into an inanimate object is a Power 5 effect.

Task: The spell lasts long enough to accomplish a fairly simple goal. A musical instrument can be set to play a single song. A saw can be enchanted to
cut down a single tree. The spell can respond to basic changes in the enviURQPHQWVRWKDWWKHVDZFDQNQRZZKHQLWKDVQLVKHGFXWWLQJGRZQWKH
tree, but if a situation changes rapidly or radically, the sorcerer must Concentrate in order to direct the spell personally or else the spell will simply
HQG)RUH[DPSOHDVZRUGFRXOGQRWEHDQLPDWHGWRJKWIRULWVHOI,WFDQ
be programmed to follow a pattern of movement, but it cannot respond effectively to the actions of its opponent. The Task Duration is Duration 1.

Scope
The Scope of a spell
GHQHVWKHDUHDRUQXPEHU
of people affected by it.

Ritual

Example: In order to transform a person into a cat, they must have their Size reduced by 2 and the No Arms trait must be
DGGHG7KLVLVWZR6L]HFKDQJHVDQGDWUDLWPRGLFDWLRQIRUDWRWDO3RZHURI
Just like Transmutation spells, Transformations must retain some element of the
original form. This is called a Tell, since it can be used to identify an individual no
matter what shape they take. Also, the spellcaster can specify what the Tell is for an
additional 1 Power to the spell. Yookoohoos specialize in this magic so they can spot
a Tell easily. Other characters can do it, but suffer a -2 penalty to their Awareness
rolls to do so.

21

Scope
0
1
2
3
4

Area Of Effect
Self
1 Person/Object
Small Group (Up To 10)/ A Room
Moib (Up To 50)/ A Large Area
City (Up To 200)/ Race

The more effort a spell requires to cast, the easier that casting becomes.
No Ritual: The spell is cast with little to no visible effort. The sorcerer may
FDVWWKHVSHOOZKLOHGRLQJVRPHWKLQJHOVH7KLVLVD5LWXDOPRGLHURI
Simple Ritual: The spell is cast with a small amount of effort. A few magic
words and maybe an arcane gesture are used. This takes up most of the
FDVWHUVDWWHQWLRQIRUDIHZVHFRQGVDQGFUHDWHVD5LWXDOPRGLHURI
Complex Ritual:7KHVSHOOUHTXLUHVVLJQLFDQWHIIRUWWRFDVW7KLVPD\EH
a lengthy chant or elaborate ceremony. In some cases, the ritual requires
VLJQLFDQW PHQWDO UDWKHU WKDQ SK\VLFDO HIIRUW VXFK DV FRXQWLQJ WR  E\

twos or properly pronouncing the word Pyrzqxgl. Complex rituals have

D5LWXDO0RGLHURI
Poetry: The spell is cast using magical poetry. To determine the Ritual
PRGLHU IRU WKLV FDVWLQJ UROO DJDLQVW WKH FKDUDFWHUV 3UHVHQFH ZLWK D 
penalty if the character lacks the Poet trait). If the roll is successful, apply
WKHKLJKHVWVXFFHVVIXOGLHUHVXOWDVDQHJDWLYHPRGLHUWRWKHVSHOOVWRWDO
Power. Alternately, the players may compose poetry themselves. Grant a
PRGLHUIRUDVLPSOHWZROLQHSRHPRUIRUVRPHWKLQJORQJHURUZLWK
SDUWLFXODUO\FOHYHUUK\PHV3OD\HUVPD\DOVRHDUQDQDGGLWLRQDOPRGLHU
if the poem is funny, or -2 if the poem is very funny.

Magic In A Fight

Items And Powers For Starting Characters

Use the rules below to determine the Effect Power of the desired magic. The
character pays this number in skill points to acquire the item or ability.

Creating Magical Items In Play

Any character with spellcasting ability may create magic items as needed during
the course of play. In this case, once the Effect Power of the item has been determined it represents the number of exotic ingredients that must be gathered to create
the item in question. The Narrator may decide what these ingredients are and where
they are to be found.

The sorcerer making the item may spend an Oz Point to have one of the ingredients
on hand. This allows minor enchantments to be completed easily, while greater
Although wizards do not have access to magic that can directly harm an opmagics
can still require a quest to get all of the necessary components. The Narrator
SRQHQW WKH\ FDQ GR QXPHURXV WKLQJV WR DVVLVW LQ D JKW  +HOS+LQGHU HIIHFWV DUH
is
free
to
limit or ban this option on a case-by-case basis.
remarkably useful for aiding allies and penalizing enemies. Apportation magic can
be used to wield a weapon or grapple a foe from a safe distance. A clever Transmutation spell can turn the tide of a battle.
Power
Spells with no ritual can be cast at the same time that the caster is doing something else. Simple rituals comprise a characters action for that turn. Complex rituals may take several turns to cast. Even if the action is otherwise simple, casters
using complex and poetry rituals lose the ability to defend themselves with their
Athletics skill. They may still defend themselves against attacks that are resisted
by Wits, such as Impress attacks or the Pin grappling maneuver. Concentrating on a
spell to maintain it or direct it also counts as an action in combat.

0DJLFDOLWHPVKDYHDFFHVVWRDELOLWLHVWKDWVRUFHUHUVFDQQRWFDOOXSRQRQWKH\
Scrying: This is the ability to see things happening far away. This is a
Power 1 effect.
Divination: Use this magic to do research about things that have already
happened. No magic can determine the future. This is Power 2.
Summon/Travel: This is the magic of traveling vast distances quickly. It
FDQEHXVHGWRVHQGWKLQJVWRDSODFHRUWREULQJVSHFLFWKLQJVWR\RX,I
this effect is used to summon living creatures, you may give them one command when they arrive that they must obey. This is Power 3.

Magical Items And Powers

Among the many wonderful things in Glindas palace is the Great
Book of Records. In this book is inscribed everything that takes
place in all the world, just the instant it happens; so that by referring to its pages Glinda knows what is taking place far and near,
in every country that exists.

Animation: This magic will give an object the ability to move, think and
speak like a living being. This is Power 4.
Wishing: This is the magic of granting wishes. It can also be used to repUHVHQWDQ\PDJLFDOHIIHFWWKDWGRHVQWWLQDQ\RWKHUFDWHJRU\7KLVLVD
Power 5 effect.

The Scarecrow of Oz
Sometimes a character doesnt have all of the spellcasting ability implied by all
of the rules above. They may have a single magical ability or carry an item of power.
In this case, the rules are slightly different. The relevant factors are Power, Scope,
Ritual, and Item Limitations.

22

Lesser Magics

Single Use: The item can be used only once. This might be a magical potion or a token representing a favor from a powerful fairy. Once it is used,
it either disappears (or is consumed in the case of a potion), or becomes a
normal, non-magical item. This reduces the Effect Power by 3.

If a player wishes to have a magical item that replicates an effect from the normal magic system, simply determine the Power of that effect and divide it by 2,
rounding down. For example, the Shaggy Mans Love Magnet is a Help/Hinder efIHFWWKDWSURYLGHVDERQXVWR3UHVHQFHUROOVWRFRQYLQFHRWKHUVWKDWWKH\ORYHKLP
Love Magnet
As a normal spell this would be Power 4, but when incorporated into an item it is
only Power 2.
Power:+HOS+LQGHU3UHVHQFH
Scope: Self/Person/Object (0)
Ritual: None (0)
Scope
Scope
Area Of Effect
Item: Unlimited Use (-1)
0
Self/Person/Object
Just as the availEffect Power: 1
able effects are more
1
Mob (Up To 10 People)/A House
powerful, so are the
Description:7KLVVLOYHUKRUVHVKRHPDJQHWJUDQWVDERQXVWRDQ\3UHVHQFH
2
City (Up To 200 People)/Race
areas that they can
roll attempting to make others believe that they love the person who holds it.
3
Quadrant (One Of The Four Countries
reach.
That Compose The Land Of Oz)
Silver Shoes
4
Land
Of
Oz
Ritual
Power: Travel (3)
5
The Whole World
Scope: Self/Person/Object (0)
The Ritual modiRitual: Simple (0)
HU IRU DQ LWHP UHSUHsents how much effort must be used to activate the item or ability. Only a Complex Item: Unlimited Use (-1)
5LWXDOSURYLGHVDQ\UHGXFWLRQWR QDO(IIHFW3RZHU  5HTXLULQJD&RPSOH[5LWXDO Effect Power: 2
to trigger an item reduces its Effect Power by 1. Using either No Ritual or Simple
Description: The Wicked Witch of the East once owned these magical shoes,
5LWXDOFUHDWHVQRPRGLHUWRWKH(IIHFW3RZHURIWKHPDJLF
but Dorothy picked them up after the Witch was crushed under her house. They
have the power to transport the wearer to anyplace in the world in the space of three
Item Limitations
steps.
The primary difference between a magical ability and an item is that an item is
often more limited. An item must be carried with the character and may be lost or Golden Cap
stolen. Sometimes an item is a potion or powder that must be consumed to be useful.
Items may also have other restrictions on their use, like the magic lamp that grants Power: Summon (3)
Scope: Race (2)
three wishes.
Ritual: Complex (-1)
Unlimited Use: The item may be used whenever its owner desires. How- Item: Limited Use (-2)
ever, since the item may become lost or stolen, this reduces the Effect Pow- Effect Power: 2
er by 1.
Description: This ornate and jeweled cap was crafted by Princess Gayelette
Limited Use: The item has only a few uses or other limitations on its use. to command the Winged Monkeys. The Monkeys are summoned using a three-part
Three uses is fairly common in fairy tales, but rolling a six-sided die to ritual written inside the cap. Each user may command the Winged Monkeys three
determine the number of uses can be fun, too. An item might instead have times, at which point they may not use it ever again. It must then be passed on to
other limits on its use, like only being able to call upon its power once a day
someone else, who may then use it three times.
or only at night. This reduces the Effect Power of the magic by 2.

23

Chapter 5: For The Narrator


7DNHVRPHWLPHWRJXUHRXWKRZWKHFKDUDFWHUVPHWDQGGHFLGHGWRDGYHQWXUH
together. This can set up some interesting stories for the characters.

The Narrators job can be intimidating, but its very rewarding as well. You
will be preparing the story for the other players to participate in, and running them
through it. You will also have to be the referee of the game, applying the rules and
making rulings.

Choosing Friends
Every starting character gets to add
one character of their own choosing to
their Friends List. While some players
may choose an existing character, such
as Dorothy, Princess Ozma, or Johnny
Dooit, others may wish to come up with
unique characters that they may call on
in times of need.

Telling The Story

This is one of the Narrators primary jobs. One of the unique attributes of a roleplaying game is that the end result is a story with the players characters as heroes.
It is up to the Narrator to make it a fun story that the players will be telling over and
over again.

The Friends List is intended as a tool

for both players and Narrators. Friends
are a resource that the character can call
on in times of need through the use of
Oz Points. Since helping these friends
is a source of Oz Points, this encourages the Narrator to devise stories around
them.

Playing The Characters

While other players only have one character to worry about, the Narrator can
have several. The Narrator plays every character that is not controlled by another
player. These can be the friends and allies of the heroes as well as their enemies.
This is also an opportunity to encourage the other players to act in character. By
acting out the role of whatever character they are portraying, the Narrator encourages
everyone else to do the same.

Using The Rules

A roleplaying game is not like a board game, in which the rules regulate what a
player can do at any given time. The rules of a roleplaying game are there to be used
when there is a question to be answered or an argument to be resolved.
It is the Narrators job to call for skill rolls whenever they arent sure if an action
would be successful. The Narrator also decides if a skill roll receives any bonuses or
penalties depending on the situation.

Example: A player has created a Noble

character named Princess Parasol. Her friend is her father, King Bumbershoot. The
player can spend an Oz Point to call upon the resources of the kingdom of Umbre-La,
or to simply ensure that she is treated like a princess in trying circumstances. The
Narrator awards the player Oz Points when she helps her father, either by representLQJ8PEUH/DDWDQRIFLDOIXQFWLRQLQWKH(PHUDOG&LW\RUUHVFXLQJKLPIURPWKH
clutches of the Cloud Tyrant.

Modifying Templates

One thing that a Narrator can do to set the tone of the game is to rule on which
templates are available. They may remove some of the standard templates or add
Guiding Character Creation
new templates to the mix. For example, in a game in which the main characters are
from America, the Narrator might not allow players to choose the Crafted template

7KHFKDUDFWHUFUHDWLRQSURFHVVLVWKHUVWRSSRUWXQLW\IRUSOD\HUVDQG1DUUDWRUV
or either of the magical templates. In another case, a player might request to play a
to collaborate on their visions for the game. The players will choose templates, skills
Winged Monkey, so the Narrator will allow them to use the Winged Monkey temand abilities for their characters based on what they want their character to do in the
plate on page 41.
game. The Narrator will make rulings and suggestions on the characters based on
what sort of adventures and adversaries they are planning to present.

24

If a player wishes a truly unique character, the Narrator may choose to create
a custom template by distributing 15 points between the Basic Skills, Size, and any
Special Traits required by the type. When creating a custom template, no Basic Skill
should be rated higher than 3. This allows players to put their 2-point in the skill
DQGJLYHLWDQDOUDWLQJRI$OWHUQDWHO\DSOD\HUPD\VLPSO\EHJLYHQSRLQWVWR
create their character from scratch.
When creating a custom template, the name you give it is as important as any
other aspect. A player is as likely to choose a template based on its name or the charDFWHUW\SHLWUHSUHVHQWVDVWKH\DUHEDVHGRQDQ\VSHFLFDELOLW\LWJUDQWV

Balancing The Game, Part 1

Make sure you have everything you need before play begins. Ensure that there
are enough pencils and paper for people to write down their characters abilities and
other things. Make sure that there are dice for everyone. Have any adventure notes
or props at hand. If you are playing somewhere other than your house, arrive early
with everything you need.

Plotting The Journey

The typical Oz story is a journey. Characters travel the Land of Oz, encountering all sorts of interesting people and places on the way to their destination. When
creating your own journeys, try to think in terms of Goals, Motivations, Obstacles,
and Resolutions.

In order to make sure the game is fun for every player, it should be balanced.
7KH UVW SDUW RI WKLV WDNHV SODFH GXULQJ FKDUDFWHU FUHDWLRQ  0DNH VXUH WKDW HYHU\
character your players create can contribute to the story in a unique way. Even if
two characters are built using the same template, they should have their skill points
allocated differently and have completely different specialties. A characters starting
friends are also useful for differentiating them.

Goal: What are the characters trying to accomplish in your story? What are
they trying to get? What are they trying to keep someone else from getting?
What are they trying to stop? State this as simply as possible, using no more
than a sentence or two. While paragraphs might be tempting, at least some
RIZKDW\RXWKLQNLVWKHJRDOZLOOWLQWRVRPHRIWKHRWKHUFDWHJRULHV

through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome

and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly
unreal. The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought
more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations.

Obstacle: What sort of challenges and barriers will the characters face
DVWKH\JRWKURXJKWKHVWRU\":LOOWKH\EHSK\VLFDOFKDOOHQJHVRUJKWV"
Puzzles to solve? Or people who must be negotiated with in order to proFHHG":KLOHDPDSRI2]LVXVHIXOWRJXUHRXWKRZFORVHFKDUDFWHUVDUH
to previously established locations, it is not necessary when creating your
own locations to visit.

Also, a simpler goal is easier for players to accomplish. Since this is a game of
If a character doesnt have something unique to contribute, their player can feel creativity and imagination, players will often come up with creative solutions to the
overshadowed by the others. If a player is having a hard time making their character SUREOHPVWKDWIDFHWKHP,I\RXUJRDOLVVRVSHFLFWKDWRQO\RQHVROXWLRQZLOOZRUN
LQWHUHVWLQJZRUNZLWKWKHPWRQGDWHPSODWHWKDWQRRQHHOVHLVSOD\LQJRUDVNLOORU HLWKHU\RXRU\RXUSOD\HUVZLOOEHXQVDWLVHGE\WKHJDPH
specialty that no one else is very good at. Encourage the player to think in characMotivation: Why are the players characters involved? Why are they purWHUGHFLGLQJSDUWVRIWKHFKDUDFWHUVSHUVRQDOLW\DQGKLVWRU\DVDJXLGHWROOLQJRXW
suing this goal? Make sure that every character has some reason to be
the character sheet.
involved in the adventure. Each characters Friends List is a good starting
place, since helping friends is a good way to earn Oz Points. Player motiPreparing For Play
vations are important, too. If a player has a favorite Oz book, locations or
stories that reference that book can be especially enjoyed.
Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz


<RXUMREDV1DUUDWRUEHJLQVEHIRUHWKHUVWSOD\VHVVLRQ:KLOHSOD\HUVRQO\
QHHGWRNQRZWKHLQIRUPDWLRQLQWKHUVWWKUHHFKDSWHUVRIWKLVERRN\RXVKRXOGEH
familiar with the whole thing. You dont have to memorize everything. Just be faPLOLDUHQRXJKWKDW\RXFDQQGWKLQJVTXLFNO\

25

Resolution: What happens when the characters accomplish their goal?

Once the villain is defeated, is he resentful or apologetic? How will they
pay for their crimes? Once the princess marries the prince, it is really happily ever after? What friends might a character make on this adventure? A
lot of this will depend on how the players decide to handle the situation, so

take some time to think up several possible outcomes to the scenario. Even
then, your players might surprise you.

When you expect it to happen, make

sure to prepare appropriately. You
might want to make each session a
mini-story that supports some major
goal, but has its own beginning, middle,
and end. Ending a session on a cliffhanger, with the characters in some
dangerous situation but having to wait
until next session to see how it turns out
can be fun too.

Once you have established this for the story as a whole, break it down into sections. At each location or obstacle you plan, create a Goal, Motivation, Obstacle, and
Resolution. This method is not tied explicitly to physical locations, but can be used
in a number of other ways as well. In a story that takes place within one location,
like the Emerald City, this method can be used to prepare scenes or encounters with
other characters.
Just because the Obstacle category describes much of what happens during the
adventure doesnt mean that everything the characters encounter is trying to stop
them. Locations in the Oz stories actually fell into three rough categories: Amusements, Barriers, and Clues.
Amusement: These locations are generally just for fun. They do not
help or hinder the characters in accomplishing their main goals, but can provide entertaining goals of their own. While you might prefer to keep your
story very focused on its main goal, an Amusement location can provide
relief (comic and otherwise) if the rest of the scenario feels overly serious
or scary.

You may wish to run a continuing series of stories. This can be a number
of separate stories featuring the same
main characters or a single story with a
huge overarching goal.

Starting The Game


7KHRSHQLQJVFHQHRI\RXUVWRU\KDVWZRPDLQSXUSRVHV7KHUVWLVWRHQFRXUage your players to get into character. This can mean placing the characters in a
social scene or some other sort of scene that enables them to display their abilities or
personalities.

Barrier: A Barrier location acts to prevent characters from reaching their

goal. This can be as simple as a river that the characters must cross before
they can proceed, or as complex as stopping a war so they dont have to
WUDYHOWKURXJKDEDWWOHHOG%DUULHUVPD\EHFRQQHFWHGWRWKHSULPDU\VWRU\
The other purpose is to kick off the story. This is where the villains plot is
such as a villain setting a trap to delay the pursuing characters, or they could revealed or the characters discover that theyre not in Kansas anymore. It should
be completely unrelated.
provide a goal and a motivation to lead into the rest of the adventure.
Clue: As the name suggests, a Clue location is a place where characters can
advance their goals. This can be a clue to the next location to go to, or it
might be the place to get the next ingredient for a magical concoction.

Creating The Supporting Cast

Some locations can be a combination of these things. Most of the locations

in the Oz stories had some element of Amusement to them. Once the characters
overcome a Barrier, they might reveal a Clue. Feel free to experiment with different
combinations for the locations you create in Oz.

Just then they heard a sound as of footsteps pattering along the

path behind them and all three turned to see what was coming. To
their astonishment they beheld a small round table running as fast
as its four spindle legs could carry it, and to the top was screwed
fast a phonograph with a big gold horn.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz

Preparing For Extended Play

Over the course of the adventure, the heroes will likely meet many other inhabitSome stories are just too big for one play session. With all of the locations and DQWVRIWKH/DQGRI2](DFKRQHKDVWZRGLVWLQFWUROHV7KHUVWUROHWRFRQVLGHU
FKDUDFWHUVWRLQWHUDFWZLWK\RXPLJKWQHHGWZRRUPRUHVHVVLRQVWRQLVK7KLVFDQ is their role in your story. Do they provide the heroes with information, supplies, or
happen by accident, when players spend more time at one location than you had an- perhaps some special resource? Are they opponents, trying to prevent the characters
ticipated or they decide to go a different direction than you had expected.

26

from accomplishing their goals? Perhaps they are there to simply make things interesting or to demonstrate something particular.

Balancing The Game, Part 2

The second part of game balance is balancing the challenges the characters face.
If things are resolved too easily, players wont be excited by the challenge. If an obVWDFOHLVWRRGLIFXOWH[FLWHPHQWZLOOJLYHZD\WRIUXVWUDWLRQ)LQGLQJWKHULJKWPL[
FDQEHDGLIFXOWEXWLWZLOOFRPHZLWKSUDFWLFHDQGH[SHULHQFH$OVRPDNHVXUHWKDW
the challenges are comparable to the goals that the characters are trying to achieve.

:KLOHLWPD\EHWHPSWLQJWROORXWWKH%DVLF6NLOOVDQGWUDLWVRIDVXSSRUWLQJ Minor goals should not require overcoming major obstacles and putting minor obFDVWPHPEHUUHVLVWWKLVXUJH$VVXPHWKDWWKH\DUHIXOO\FDSDEOHRIIXOOOLQJWKHLU stacles in front of major goals would cheapen the accomplishment of those goals.
roles without rolling dice. Skill ratings only become important when the character
When plotting a mystery or puzzle story, remember that it will often be the playtries to interfere with a players character, such as looking for a character that is try- ers assembling the clues, not necessarily their characters. This is especially imporing to sneak past them. If you were expecting this to happen, then your character tant when dealing with younger players, who may not have the knowledge base to
should have an Awareness skill rating already picked out. If you werent, its very solve something that seems like childs play to you.
HDV\WRDVVLJQRQHRQWKH\-XVWSLFNDQXPEHUIURPEDVHGRQKRZHIIHFWLYH
you want the character to be. You can also use the Simple Contest rules on page 15
Creating New Lands
RUSUHWHQGWRWRDVVLJQDPRGLHUWRWKHFKDUDFWHUVHIIHFWLYHVNLOO
Beyond this Rolling Prairie, explained the shepherd, are the
Merry-Go-Round Mountains, set close together and surrounded
Props
by deep gulfs so that no one is able to get past them. Beyond the
Merry-Go-Round Mountains it is said the Thistle-Eaters and the
One thing that can help your story come alive to your players is the use of
Herkus live.
props. If the story revolves around an object, like a magical amulet, you can purchase or make this item before play begins and show it to the players when their
What are they like? demanded Dorothy.
characters receive it. Letters or proclamations can be written out beforehand and
given to the players to read during the session. When youre playing the part of
No one knows, for no one has ever passed the Merry-Go-Round
the different supporting cast characters, changing hats or props can help your
Mountains, was the reply, but it is said that the Thistle-Eaters
players differentiate characters. The Wizard wears a top hat, the Tin Woodman
hitch dragons to their chariots and that the Herkus are waited upon
has a funnel on his head, and Glinda has a magic wand.
by giants whom they have conquered and made their slaves.
Supporting cast characters will typically have a role in their community, as well.
Some may have positions of authority, such as a mayor or king. Others have jobs,
like the soldier or baker. A few characters might live away from any other community and support themselves by farming.

With all of the unusual things that live in the Land of Oz, possibilities for
prop use abound. The Fuddles of Fuddlecumjig (page 50) fall into piles of puzzle pieces when they are surprised. Instead of having players describe reassembling a Fuddle or make Brains rolls for their characters, give them a puzzle to put
together. Most craft stores sell blank puzzles so you or your players can make
your own picture to assemble.
The inhabitants of Bear Center (page 57) are stuffed toy bears. The people
of the China Country (page 48) are all porcelain dolls. Utensia (page 56) is inhabited by living kitchen utensils (be careful with this one, as King Kleaver can
be sharp!). You might even come up with your own Oz community with people
that can be easily represented by something you have around the house.

The Lost Princess of Oz

Oz is a very big place, composed of many smaller lands, countries and kingdoms. In every story, Baum introduced us to several new wonders. While there are
still many potential stories just in the locations that he described, what if you want to
do something new? How do you make sure that your creation is up to the standards
set by the classic stories?

Step 1: Wouldnt It Be Neat?


7KHUVWTXHVWLRQ\RXVKRXOGDVN\RXUVHOILV:RXOGQWLWEHQHDW"1RWQHFHVsarily cool or awesome, but neat. Try to think of fun ways for the characters
to interact with your creation. You should come up with at least two or three.

27

Example: Everythings better with ninjas! Lets add ninjas to Oz. What kind of
stories can we tell about ninjas? Ninjas are excellent thieves and spies, so our heroes
might be looking for something that was stolen by them. Characters can also get
LQYROYHGLQFRQLFWVEHWZHHQWZRRUPRUHQLQMDFODQV

Step 2: Wouldnt It Be Funny?

Many of the places that Dorothy and her friends visited had puns or jokes worked
into them. Utensias (page 56) High Priest is a colander because (h)es the holiest
thing we have in the kingdom, and the Captain of the Spoon Brigade longs for stirring times. The mayor of Bunbury (page 47) is named Cinnamon Bunn, Esquire,
and he is actually a cinnamon bun.

environment. A high wall protects them from winds that would blow them over and
weather magic makes sure that it never rains over their land. The Flatheads are missing the top parts of their heads where brains would normally go. To remedy this, they
carry cans of brains which allow them to think. Thinking things through can lead to
all sorts of story possibilities.
Example: Since no one can die in Oz, ninjas are not assassins, nor do they have
a million different ways of killing. Their martial arts skills are not to be underestimated, though. If ninjas only appear in the supporting cast, their kung fu powers are
only limited by what they need for the story. If you want players to have access to
ninja characters, it will require a lot more work.


$ QLQMD WHPSODWH ZRXOG SUREDEO\ EH \RXU UVW VWHS <RX FDQ UHSUHVHQW JKWing
styles
in a number of ways. The easiest would be as specialties of the Athletics

$YRLGFRPSOLFDWHGMRNHVRUWKRVHWKDWUHO\RQDORWRIEXLOGXSRUVSHFLFDFWLRQV
VNLOO$FKDUDFWHUZLWKWKH&UDQH6W\OH.XQJ)XVSHFLDOW\ZRXOGJDLQWKHEHQHW
from the characters. Players may not do the things that enable the joke, or become
LPSDWLHQWZDLWLQJIRUWKHSXQFKOLQH7U\WRQGDVPDQ\TXLFNVPDOOMRNHVDV\RX of the specialty if they used Crane Style Kung Fu. You could decide that this means
kicking attacks, or require the player to call out the name of the attack, which must
can.
reference cranes in some way.
Example: One very easy joke we can do with ninjas is to give silly names to
Martial artists might be able to purchase the Deadly Weapon trait to represent
the ninja clans. Japanese food and brand names can work very well. If you are a fan a powerful technique. You might also want to build some abilities using the magic
RIDQLPHRUPDQJD\RXPD\ZLVKWRPDNHDMRNHFODQEDVHGRQVRPHWKLQJ\RXQG item rules on page 22 to represent advanced mystical techniques. Also, taking a
there.
mentor or school as a friend could allow the player to spend an Oz Point to access
After doing a little research, I learned that the traditional ninja costume was
actually the costume worn by stagehands in kabuki plays. It wasnt really intended
to hide the person, but instead acted a signal for the audience to ignore them. A fun
thing we can do is to extend this to ninjas. Rather than being masters of stealth, they
rely on the people around them ignoring them because theyre ninjas.
While everyone in the village surrounding the Ninja Temple is trained to ignore
the ninjas, visitors to the village will wonder whats going on. Ninjas in pajamas will
be leaping from rooftop to rooftop and having martial arts duels as the villagers go
about their normal, everyday lives. If you ask a villager about a ninja, they will claim
to see nothing, even if that ninja just stole his pants.

powerful kung fu abilities.

Running the Game

Now that everyone has characters made and you have a story planned, its time
to get playing.

Using Descriptions
Sparkling green gems ornamented the fronts of the beautiful houses and the towers and turrets were all faced with emeralds. Even
the green marble pavement glittered with precious stones, and it
was indeed a grand and marvelous sight to one who beheld it for
WKHUVWWLPH


'R QRW H[SODLQ WKLV WR WKH SOD\HUV  ,WV PRUH IXQ LI WKH\ JXUH LW RXW WKHPselves.

The Land of Oz

Step 3: How Does This Work?

Although logic may seem out of place in the Land of Oz, it is actually very important. Since the Cuttenclips (page 48) are paper dolls, they need a very specialized

Your descriptions are your players primary source of information about their
characters actions and adventures. Make sure that you give them everything that
you need to know. You can also use descriptions to set the mood.

28

Remember to show, not tell. If a supporting cast character is supposed to be Making Up Rules
mean and grouchy, dont just tell your players that. When they talk to this guy, make
The rules presented in this book provide a very basic structure for your game.
him sound rude when he replies. Dont say that a garden is beautiful. Mention the
They
cover most, but not all, situations that you may wish to present to your players.
GLIIHUHQWRZHUVDQGWUHHVWKDWJURZWKHUH'HVFULEHWKHELUGVDVWKH\VLQJFKHHUIXO
There
will certainly come a time when you will have to make your own rules to cover
melodies in the trees.
a certain situation.

Improvising Consistently
As play proceeds, youll be doing a lot of improvising. Players will ask you
questions that you did not expect. They will describe their characters doing things
that you wouldnt have thought of. Not only that, but the players will remember what
you said and hold you to it later.
One thing that can help is planning. How do you anticipate the unexpected? By
understanding the basics of the situation. If you know the personality of a member
of your supporting cast, you can base their responses to anything on that personality.
Understanding the politics behind a war can suggest a number of ways in which a
war might be ended.
Be sure to takes notes, as well. Once youve made a decision on something,
write it down. You never know when your players are going to bring up something
that you said several sessions ago and had forgotten about. The important thing is
that you are consistent in your rulings.

For example, what happens when a character falls? It makes sense that it would
hurt, right? A short fall would merely rough someone up and could be represented by
Wits damage. Longer falls can lead to serious injury resulting in a roll on the Injury
Table on page 17. Even longer falls might modify this roll, making Total Injury increasingly likely. If you felt it worth the effort, you could even devise a chart so you
could look up how far the character fell and determine the likely form of injury.

Assessing Bonuses And Penalties


6LQFHWKHVFDOHRIWKHJDPHLVVRVPDOOPRGLI\LQJDVNLOOUROOE\RUUHSUHVHQWVDVLJQLFDQWLPSDFWRQWKHFKDUDFWHUVDELOLW\$VLQJOHFLUFXPVWDQFHVKRXOGQRW
PRGLI\DUROOE\PRUHWKDQLQHLWKHUGLUHFWLRQ6L]HPRGLHUVDUHWKHPDLQH[FHSWLRQWRWKLVUXOH9HU\VPDOOFUHDWXUHVPD\YHU\ZHOOQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWHUDFWLQJZLWK
very large objects or creatures in the course of a story.
Multiple circumstances can impact the same roll for good or ill. Penalties can
add together, or be cancelled by bonuses from other sources being applied to the
roll.

Making Failure Interesting

The important thing to remember about die rolls is that they give the character
a chance to fail. As much as we want to see the characters succeed, its more fun if
they face some risk of failure. But what if they dont succeed? Telling the players
You fail when they miss a die roll can get boring or even frustrating.
Try to visualize the action so you have a good understanding of what success
or failure can mean. If the player makes a Presence roll to distract an enemy, what
would happen if they failed? Why wouldnt it work? Perhaps the character mentioned the monsters favorite food and he went hunting for it and found the rest of the
party. Or maybe she went the wrong way and wound up leading the monster to her
friends. Both of these are much more interesting answers than You failed to distract
him.

29

Gaining And Spending Oz Points

Running Fights
As soon as the three Wheelers who were guarding the mound saw
them, they began to shout their wild cries and rolled swiftly toward
the little group, as if to capture them or bar their way. But when
the foremost had approached near enough, Tiktok swung the tin
dinner-pail and struck the Wheeler a sharp blow over its head with
the queer weapon. Perhaps it did not hurt very much, but it made a
great noise, and the Wheeler uttered a howl and tumbled over upon
its side. The next minute it scrambled to its wheels and rolled away
as fast as it could go, screeching with fear at the same time.

Notice that the characters belonging to the other players are on every players
Friends List. One of the reasons for this is to encourage cooperation. When one
players character helps another, they should be awarded with Oz Points.
Another issue that might come up is when a Friend requires a large or daunting
task. In cases like this, award an Oz Point when the characters accept the task and
another when they achieve their ultimate goal.

Example: The Cloud Tyrant has kidnapped King Bumbershoot! In order to rescue him, Princess Parasol must journey to the Cloud City and make her way to the Rain Palace
Ozma of Oz
where the King is being held in the Damp Dungeons. The

7KHFRPEDWV\VWHPLVGHVLJQHGWRSURGXFHDGLIIHUHQWNLQGRIJKWWKDQ\RXJHW Narrator awards Princess Parasols player an Oz Point for bein video games or other roleplaying games. Rather than trying to make your op- ginning the expedition and another when the Princess returns
ponent fall down (i.e. run out of hit points), the intent is to make the opponent give safely with her father.
LQ*HQHUDOO\WKLVLVDFFRPSOLVKHGE\LQLFWLQJHQRXJK:LWVGDPDJHWRWKHRSSRQHQW
When a player spends an Oz Point to call on a friend,
that they are unable to resist Impress attacks.
make sure that they describe which friend they are calling on

,PSUHVVDFWLRQVPD\DOVREHXVHGWRFRQWUROWKHEDWWOHHOG5DWKHUWKDQGHPDQGing that an opponent give up, the character may instruct them to do something else,
like put away a sword or stand in the way of another characters attack.

and what sort of help they are trying to get. Work with the
player to make sure that the help they receive is appropriate
to the situation as well as the character they are calling on.

Deadly Weapons and Injuring Strikes carry some very serious consequences and
should be used with care by players and Narrator alike. Seeking out replacement
or repair for an injured limb should make for an interesting adventure, not a boring
RUURXWLQHRQH$YRLGEORRGDQGJRUHZKHQGHVFULELQJLQMXUHGFKDUDFWHUV7KHOP
Monty Python and the Holy Grail has a good example of this in the scene with the
Black Knight. The Black Knight is eventually completely dismembered, but there is
no gore at all and the scene is played for laughs.

After a while, characters can accumulate a number of

new friends. Keeping track can get confusing sometimes.
There are two main ways to remember friends, the sentence
method and the paragraph method. Which method you use
can vary from character to character.


7KHVHQWHQFHPHWKRGVGHQHVWKHKHOSWKDWDIULHQGFDQ
give in a single sentence. A friend of this type effectively

.HHSJRDOVDQGPRWLYDWLRQVLQPLQGDVWKHJKWSURJUHVVHV$FKDUDFWHUWKDWLV grants the character a single power that they can access by
GHIHQGLQJWKHLUKRPHZLOOJKWGLIIHUHQWO\WKDQVRPHRQHZKRLVWU\LQJWRFDSWXUH spending an Oz Point. For example, the Czarover of the
SULVRQHUV6RPHFKDUDFWHUVPD\QRWZDQWWRJKWDWDOOEXWDUHWU\LQJWRHVFDSHRU Herku (page 57) could give the character a dose of zosozo,
allowing them to call upon titanic strength by spending an Oz Point.
chase away people who wont leave them alone.
To use the paragraph method, write a paragraph (or maybe more) on the friends

$JKWGRHVQWKDYHWRORRNOLNHDJKWZLWKPDQHXYHUVDQGHVWDEOLVKHGWXUQV
abilities
and interests. When the player spends an Oz Point on this friend, use this
Perhaps a player describes an action that sounds like one of the combat maneuvers.
paragraph
as a guide to what they can do and what they are willing to help with.
Just resolve that action using the combat rules and get on with the game.
Sometimes, friends arent even worth this much effort. They are such minor
characters that they are unlikely to recur or be useful outside their original scenario.
In these cases, all you really need is a name and perhaps a title to act as an aid to

30

memory. It may also happen that such a throwaway character winds up sticking in
the players minds and they keep coming back to her for all kinds of reasons beyond
what you originally intended. Be ready to expand your notes on any friend at any
time.
Remember that Oz Points should not be dependent on die rolls. If a player
spends an Oz Point to create a given effect, that effect will happen. No die roll is
needed in this case, even if the action would normally require one.

Character Growth And Development

Its a trick Glinda the Sorceress taught me, and it is much better
PDJLFWKDQ,XVHGWRSUDFWLFHLQ2PDKDRUZKHQ,UVWFDPHWR
Oz, he answered. When the good Glinda found I was to live in
the Emerald City always, she promised to help me, because she
said the Wizard of Oz ought really to be a clever Wizard, and not
a humbug. So we have been much together and I am learning so
fast that I expect to be able to accomplish some really wonderful
things in time.

Having Fun As A Narrator

Being the Narrator involves quite a bit of work and preparation. Keeping all the
supporting cast characters straight in your head can be a challenge. Its easy to be
envious of the other players who only have to keep track of one character and do not
have to spend time on the game outside of the play session.
It can be a lot of fun, though. Its a different kind of fun that the other players
dont get to experience. Seeing the look on their faces when you reveal the big secrets. Watching the players treat your supporting cast as people, not just plot tokens.
Hearing your players tell other people about the stories that you helped them create.
If its not fun for you, dont be afraid to do something about it. Talk with the
other players about your feelings. Maybe one of them wants to try being the Narrator. Or maybe its time to take a break from the game and do something else.

The Emerald City of Oz

As the Oz stories progressed, Dorothy did not gain much in the way of new powers, skills, or treasures. She did, however, gain friends and allies. To represent this
in your game, reward your players with friends for their Friends Lists and Oz Points.
Although Oz Points are intended for helping and gaining friends, you may wish to
give them as a reward for clever or entertaining play.
Consider using beads or coins to represent Oz Points during play. Younger players might need help to keep track of in-game resources. Give Oz Points as soon as
they are earned, to help reinforce the connection between the action and its reward.
Also, giving a child something to hold makes the reward feel that much more real.
Oz Points may be spent to improve a characters abilities. Spending 10 Oz
Points earns the character a new specialty, though they may never have more than
one specialty per Basic Skill. 20 Oz Points buys an increase to a Basic Skill. New
traits may be added with the Narrators permission and 20 Oz Points per skill point
in the traits cost.

31

Part II: The Land Of Oz

In truth, it was only through these glasses that the city looked green at all. The
Emerald City was no more or less green than any other city in the world. Exactly
why the Wizard did this was never explained. Perhaps the other countries gained
their colors by magic spells cast by the Witches who once ruled them and the people
expected the Wizard to manage a similar feat.

Chapter 6: The Emerald City

The Emerald City is the center of the
Land of Oz both geographically and
politically. The Royal Palace lies at the
heart of the city. It is from this palace
that Ozma rules the whole of Oz. Many
of her friends also live in the palace at
her invitation. Those that dont live
there typically live nearby, so that she
may call on them for advice or companionship should she have need of either.
The palace grounds also house the very
dangerous Font of Oblivion. Drinking
the water from this fountain will cause
a person to forget everything about her
previous life. It is said that a cruel king
once ruled Oz and the Font was created
to make the king forget his old self and
his wickedness. The people still didnt
trust the king after this, so he commanded that all of them drink from the
fountain to forget how he used to be.
For many years after that, the Font lay unused, nearly forgotten in one of the
many gardens within the palace walls. Until Ozma led an invading army led by the
Nomes to the Font of Oblivion and encouraged them to drink from it, forgetting the
UHDVRQWKH\ZHUHWKHUHLQWKHUVWSODFH
The streets of the city are paved with green marble and many of the homes are
built of the same material. Emeralds and other gems are on prominent display as
decorations in many of the citys structures.
Many years ago, the Wizard required that everyone in the city wear green glasses over their eyes at all times. These glasses were locked in place and there was only
one key. It was claimed that these glasses were necessary to protect people from the
glory and splendor that the Emerald City presented.

Princess OzmaLVWKHIDLU\SULQFHVVZKRUXOHVRYHU2]ZLWKDUPEXWORYLQJ
hand. Much of her time is invested in making sure that the people of Oz are happy
and content. If something comes to her attention, she may investigate further using
the Magic Picture in her rooms. With it, she may look upon any point in the world
and see events as they happen.
The Princess has strong feelings regarding the practice of magic. She has made
it illegal to practice magic in the Land of Oz, making a special exception for Glinda
and the Wizard. While this does make it easy to punish those who cast curses and
transformations, it also makes helpful magic unlawful. This is because Ozma understands that magic should not be used in all cases, because people appreciate what
they have made with hard work more than the things that magic can freely give
them.
Since she is a fairy, she carries a Silver Wand that allows her to work magic. She
does not often use it, given her opinion on the subject. She does make use of other
magical tools, however. Along with her Magic Picture, she also has access to the
Magic Belt that Dorothy stole from the Nome King.

Ozmas Counselors
When faced with a seemingly insoluble problem, Ozma turns to her trusted advisors to guide her. Gathered from all corners of Oz and the world, their wisdom and
compassion serve her in good stead.
Capn Bill Weedles was a sailor for many years before an accident cost him
his left leg. His vast knowledge of sea tales made him fast friends with the little
girl he nicknamed Trot. After many amazing adventures, both Trot and Capn Bill
found themselves in Jinxland, a small kingdom in the Quadling Country, where they
deposed the wicked King Krewl with the help of the Scarecrow.
Frogman is a rather unusual creature. Swimming in a magical pond in the Yip
Country of Oz increased his size and intellect to that of a normal man. He was highly
regarded by the Yips and they often sought his advice. His adventures began when
he helped Cayke the Cookie Cook recover her Golden Dishpan, which had been stolen by the evil sorcerer Ugu the Shoemaker and used to kidnap Princess Ozma and
steal the most powerful magics in Oz.

32

He used to be very proud of his intelligence, but a bath in the Truth Pond forced
him to admit that he was simply vain in that regard.
Jack Pumpkinhead is a wooden man made of sticks and bark wrapped in
clothes. As his name suggests, his head is indeed a pumpkin. He has a pumpkin
farm in the Winkie Country outside the Emerald City so that he will always have a
head ready when his current one spoils.
Jack was made by Ozma and accompanied her on the adventure that put her on
the throne of Oz. Sometimes he forgets himself and refers to Ozma as his father.

EHQHWV$IWHUDWUDQVIRUPDWLRQVSHOOJDYHKLPDGRQNH\VKHDGKHZDVUHVWRUHGWR
his true form by a bath in the Truth Pond. He must now speak honestly to everyone
he meets.
Shaggy (as he is called) lives in the Emerald City with his brother, who he rescued from the Nome King. He is good friends with Betsy Bobbin, who helped to
break the curse of ugliness that the Nome King placed on his brother.
Tik-TokLVDPHFKDQLFDOPDQPDGHE\WKHUPRI6PLWK 7LQNHULQWKHGLVWDQW
land of Ev. He returned to Oz with Dorothy after she helped rescue the royal family
of Ev from the Nome King. He has three clockwork mechanisms in him, using one
for action, one for thinking and one for speech, all of which must be wound up for
him to function properly.

H.M. Wogglebug, T.E. began his life as an ordinary wogglebug, living in the
schoolhouse of the famous Professor Nowitall. He listened to every one of the Professors lectures and became Thoroughly Educated. When the tiny wogglebug was
GLVFRYHUHGWKH3URIHVVRUFDSWXUHGDQGPDJQLHGKLPVRWKDWKLVHQWLUHFODVVFRXOG
Tin Woodman rules the Winkie Country as Emperor but maintains close ties
VHHKLPFOHDUO\8SRQPDJQLFDWLRQWKH:RJJOHEXJSROLWHO\JUHHWHGWKHFODVV7KLV with Dorothy and Ozma, whom he helped to the throne of Oz. His kind heart somewas so surprising that a panic erupted and the Wogglebug was forced to make his times steers him into trouble, but just as often steers him towards friends.
HVFDSHLQKLV+LJKO\0DJQLHGVWDWH
Uncle Henry is Dorothys uncle from Kansas. After losing his farmhouse to a
He has since found employment as Princess Ozmas tutor and as the president of cyclone, he was forced to get a loan to build another one. A poor harvest left him
the Royal Athletic College of Oz.
without enough money to repay the loan. It was then that Dorothy suggested that
they all move to Oz, where they would never have to worry about money ever again.
The Scarecrow ZDVFUHDWHGWRIXOOODVLPSOHUROHEXWOLIHKDVQHYHUEHHQVLPHenry now lives with his wife, Em, on a farm just outside the Emerald City and has
SOHIRUKLP+HZDV'RURWK\VUVWWUDYHOLQJFRPSDQLRQVHHNLQJEUDLQVIURPWKH
earned a reputation as one of the best farmers in Oz.
:L]DUGRI2]+HKDVVDWRQWKHWKURQHRI2]WZLFH7KHUVWWLPHZDVDIWHUWKH
Wizard left Oz in a hot-air balloon. The second was when Ozma went to broker a
The Wizard is perhaps the most famous personage in all of Oz. Although he did
peace between the Skeezers and the Flatheads.
manage to return to Omaha upon leaving Oz, another balloon accident brought him
back into contact with Dorothy and eventually returned him to Oz. He was surprised
Other than that, he sits still very rarely. He is often seen visiting his good friend
to learn that the people of the Emerald City loved him even though he had fooled
the Tin Woodman in his Tin Castle or entertaining guests in the lovely mansion that
them into thinking he was a Wizard. At Ozmas invitation, he was allowed to live in
was built for him in the Winkie Country. He has also been known to wander the Land
the Palace and serve as her Court Magician. He has since become a student of Glinda
of Oz seeking adventure.
the Good and learned real magic rather than the humbug tricks he used while he ruled
Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, is a crazy-quilt on the inside as well as the outside. the Emerald City.
Her body is made of a patchwork quilt with patches of every color and stuffed with
cotton. Her magic brains are a jumble as well, leaping from idea to idea with aston- Ozmas Bodyguard
ishing swiftness. This gives her an interesting sort of intuition, as she can sometimes
While Ozma has little to fear in her own land, she does have occasional busigo from a problem to its solution without all the steps in between. Scraps is friends
ZLWK2MRZLWKZKRPVKHVKDUHGKHUUVWDGYHQWXUHDQGWKH6FDUHFURZ7KHUHDUH ness with the countries across the Deadly Desert. Even then, her bodyguard is not
those who say that a romance is brewing between the two crafted folk, but they are intended to protect her, as it exists to impress her hosts. Some might see the princess
DVVLPSO\DIWHHQ\HDUROGJLUOEXWKHUPLJKW\HQWRXUDJHHQVXUHVWKDWVKHLVQHYHU
unlikely to settle down anytime soon.
underestimated.
Shaggy Man was a cheerful vagabond who accompanied Dorothy to Oz and
Cowardly Lion is the bravest creature in the Land of Oz. He only thinks hes a
fell in love with the land. He carries the Love Magnet with him on adventures, but
otherwise hangs it over the gates of the Emerald City so that all citizens may share its coward because he acknowledges the fear he feels when he does something brave.

33

Hungry Tiger is a great tiger with purple stripes. He is always hungry, particularly for fat babies. His conscience will not allow him to them, so he eats quite a lot
of everything else. In spite of all he eats, he is still quite fearsome when he chooses
to be.
Omby Amby was the only private in the Army of Oz until he proved himself
a hero against the armies of the Nome King. He is now the Captain General of the
Army and Commander of the Royal Bodyguard. He is sometimes called the Soldier
with the Green Whiskers because of his beard, which he has been known to shave
off. This is probably because people seem to forget his actual name while he has the
beard.

Ozmas Friends
Although she is the ruler of the Land of Oz, Ozma is still a young girl in many
ways. She enjoys the company of her friends, and she is lucky to have amassed such
a collection of them.
Betsy Bobbin is a curious girl, always asking questions. She is from Oklahoma
and only a year older than Dorothy, so the two girls get along rather well.
Billina is a matronly yellow hen. She lives in the Emerald City with her growing brood. Every one of her children bears a locket with the letter D on it. Her
daughters are all named Dorothy and the roosters are all named Daniel.
Bungle the Glass Cat is one of the vainest creatures in existence. Her glass
body is transparent, allowing her cold ruby heart and whirling pink brains to be seen
by all who look at her.
Button Brights mother always said that he was bright as a button. It goes
without saying that it was a very dull button. His real name is quite long, so he can
only remember portions of it for a few minutes at a time. He often wanders off because he cant remember what he was doing or where he was going.
Dorothy Gale was only a farm girl in Kansas, but is now a Princess in Oz. She
doesnt let this go to her head, though. Her eagerness for exploration and her ability
to make friends easily have carried her safely through many dangers. She counts
many of the most powerful people in Oz among her friends.
Eureka the Pink Kitten is just like youd expect a kitten to be if she could talk.
Most kittens are demanding, but get away with it by being cute. Eureka is able to
make her own demands, which is far less endearing.

Hank the Mule is Betsy Bobbins loyal companion. He is so dedicated and

VWXEERUQWKDWKHQHDUO\JRWLQWRDJKWZLWK&RZDUGO\/LRQ+XQJU\7LJHUDQG6DZ
Horse to defend her honor. It only ended when Betsy, along with Dorothy and Ozma,
told all four of them to knock it off and get along. They have gotten along famously
ever since then.
Ojo the Lucky is a young Munchkin boy who feels very strongly about doing
the right thing. He often gets in trouble trying to do the right thing even though it is
DJDLQVWWKHUXOHV+HVKDUHGKLVUVWDGYHQWXUHZLWK6FUDSVWKH:RR]\DQG%XQJOH
and later made friends with Dorothy and the Scarecrow.
The Saw-Horse used to be a simple support for the sawing of wood until the
magical Powder of Life caused him to live. He is often used to pull Ozmas Red
Wagon and has golden plates to protect the ends of his legs. Even though he is made
of wood, he is the only living horse in the Land of Oz. When Jim the Cab-Horse
came to visit, he challenged the Saw-Horse to a race and lost.
Toto the dog has accompanied Dorothy on many adventures. Although the magic of Oz has given him the power of speech, he does not speak often. He feels that
Dorothy has enough friends to talk to, and sometimes she just needs a dog to run and
play with.
TrotLVWKHQLFNQDPHJLYHQWR0D\UH*ULIWKVE\&DSQ%LOODQGKHUPRWKHU,Q
fact, almost nobody calls her Mayre. She learned quite a bit of sea lore from Capn
Bill. She is nearly fearless and always interested in discovering something new.
The Woozy is a curious creature made up of nothing but right angles. His body
is a rectangular block and his head is a cube. He only has three hairs that grow on the
HQGRIKLVDWVTXDUHHQGHGWDLO+LVH\HVFDQDVKUHDOUHEXWKLVJURZOVRXQGV
impressive only to him.

Civil Servants
Many people are required to make the Emerald City function as it does. These
are just a few of the people who have been mentioned in the stories.
Guardian of the GatesXVHGWRWSHRSOHHQWHULQJWKH(PHUDOG&LW\ZLWKJUHHQ
spectacles and collect them from the people as they left. This law was established by
the Wizard, but was struck down by Ozma, leaving him with little to do these days.
Most of the time, he watches the city gates and greets everyone who enters.
Tollydiggle is the Jailer of the Emerald City. She is a very kind woman who
considers her prisoners to be unfortunate souls, so she treats them all with kindness.
There are very few criminals in Oz; so most of her time is spent making sure that her
home is always comfortable and ready to receive guests.

34

Jellia Jamb is the chief maid, head of the housekeeping staff and Ozmas personal assistant at the Royal Palace. She comes from the northern Gillikin Country
and enjoys playing tricks on people. Her hair is a lovely shade of green, but it is
unclear if this is its natural color or if she dyes it.

Chapter 7: The Gillikin Country

Flathead Mountain
He took from a pocket a bright tin can having a pretty red label
on it which said: Concentrated Brains, Extra Quality.

Adventuring In The Emerald City

Arriving at the Emerald City is a momentous occasion for any Oz adventurer. It
can mark the end of an adventure, but may simply be a turning point in the story. In
'RURWK\VUVWDGYHQWXUHVKHMRXUQH\HGWRWKH(PHUDOG&LW\QRWRQFHEXWWZLFHDQG
didnt discover the way home until she sought out Glinda in the Quadling Country.
In later stories, the Emerald City was a place to celebrate the completion of the adventure.
The Emerald City is also a good place to start a story. Ozmas Magic Picture
can give her information on potential trouble spots in the land. The Wizards magical
experiments require unusual ingredients from all over Oz. A rigorous schedule of
socials, parties, and other events bring people from far and wide to celebrate.
Many adventures are possible without even leaving the city. All of the inhabitants of the Royal Palace are very interesting characters. Any one could be the source
of an adventure. When multiple characters decide to compete, or cooperate, or oppose one another, several more stories become possible.

Adventure Seeds
Nomes have been spotted in the Munchkin Country! Ozma must be informed at
once!
The characters have been sent by their communities to present gifts at Ozmas
birthday party. Not only must they face the dangers of Oz, they must also ensure that
the gifts arrive intact.
Jellia Jamb has asked the characters to deliver a note to the Tin Woodman at his
&DVWOH,VWKLVRIFLDO2]EXVLQHVVRUDQRWKHURQHRIKHUMRNHV"
Button-Bright has wandered off again! What sort of trouble has he gotten into
this time?
The Scarecrow just brought a lovely gift for Scraps, but now Bungle has hidden
it! She will not reveal its location until she receives a gift of equal or greater loveliness.

Glinda of Oz

)ODWKHDG 0RXQWDLQ IHDWXUHV D DW
headland at its peak, which is where the
Flathead people live. The Flatheads are
similar to most people of Oz, with one
notable difference. Their heads appear
to be cut off just above the eyebrows.
Since this is where most people keep
their brains, it would be easy to think
of the Flatheads as being stupid. And it
would be almost right.
However Lurline, the Fairy Queen
who enchanted Oz into a fairyland, discovered the Flatheads and took pity on
them. She and her band of fairies gave
all 100 Flatheads a can of brains to carry with them that would allow them to
think like everyone else. Shortly thereafter, a trio of Magical Adepts came and taught the Flatheads how to use the brains
they had been given. They taught the arts of mining and metalcraft, allowing the
Flatheads to use the metals in their mountain for a variety of purposes. This includes
clothing made of metal discs, much like medieval scale mail. It is suggested that this
metal clothing is so crafted that it will never wear out. Most buildings are crafted of
stone, though there is mention of a bronze prison.
For most of their history, the Flatheads got along quite well with their neighbors,
the Skeezers. The three Adepts who ruled the Flatheads built a new home for the
Skeezers in the middle of Skeezer Lake. An immense glass dome covered the city,
and an enchanted pedestal allows the city to lower itself to the bottom of the lake.
But for Coo-ee-oh, the Skeezer Queen, this magical aid was not enough. She
wanted the Adepts magic for herself. So she invited the three sorceresses to a sumptuous banquet. While the Adepts feasted, Queen Coo-ee-oh made off with their
magical tomes and implements. To prevent the sorceresses from retaliating, she

35

WUDQVIRUPHGWKHPLQWRVKLQWHQGLQJIRUWKHPWRGURZQLQWKHDLU%XWWKH$GHSWV
warned her that if they died, all the magic that she stole would be for naught. CooHHRKWKHQKXUULHGWRUHOHDVHWKHWKUHHVKLQWR6NHH]HU/DNH
Without the Adepts to lead them, one of the Flatheads proclaimed himself to be
Supreme Dictator (or Su-Dic, for short). When one of the other Flatheads objected to
this, the Su-Dic took his can of brains. After an argument with his wife, the Su-Dic
took her can of brains as well. The Su-Dics wife then proceeded to steal the canned
brains of four other people. This expanded intellect allowed both the Su-Dic and his
wife to become potent users of magic.
No one else objected to Su-Dics rulership for fear of losing their brains. He
also appeased his people by making every Flathead citizen a Dictator of some sort.
The post of Supreme Dictator is elected every year from among his fellow Dictators.
However, the law states that the current Supreme Dictator is the one who counts the
votes, allowing him to declare himself the winner of every election.

Playing A Flathead
Since every Flathead has the same amount of brains allotted to them, their Brains
VNLOOVKRXOGQRWYDU\VLJQLFDQWO\(YHQWKHLU6FKRODUVSUREDEO\RQO\KDYHD%UDLQV
skill of 3, 4 at most. Only the Su-Dic and his wife, with their multiple cans of brains,
had the intellect to comprehend the arcane mysteries of magic. Because of this,
there are likely few Crafted People from Flathead Mountain. The amounts of brains
needed to assemble the enchantment of animation or create a mechanical man like
Tik-Tok were instead being put to use plotting against the Skeezers. Every Flathead
was a Dictator of something, so its possible that a few of them might put on enough
airs to qualify for the Noble template.
A Narrator may choose to require that Flathead characters take a special trait of
Canned Brains. This is a disadvantage that grants 1 skill point. This represents
the fact that a Flathead may lose their can of brains through accident or misadventure
and then be unable to think.

The Su-Dic had no desire to see the Adepts return. Not only would their return
remove him from his position of power, but their destruction would weaken Cooee-oh, who had become the enemy of the Flatheads. To this end, Rora, the Su-Dics
ZLIHFUDIWHGDPDJLFDOSRLVRQWRNLOOHYHU\VKLQWKHODNH6KHZDVLQWHUFHSWHGE\
Queen Coo-ee-oh and transformed into a Golden Pig, the poison spilled uselessly on
the ground.
This very nearly led to a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. However,
on the eve of the invasion Queen Coo-ee-oh was transformed into a Diamond Swan
by another batch of magical poison, causing her to lose interest in anything except
the beauty of her new form. Skeezer Island was submerged under their lake to protect it from invasion and the soldiers Coo-ee-oh brought with her were stranded on
the surface. With their enemy defeated, the Flatheads declared victory and returned
to their mountain. The cleverness of Ervic, the leader of the Skeezer soldiers, and the
magic of Red Reera the Yookoohoo restored the three Adepts to their original forms.
Once the Flatheads saw this, they embraced the Adepts. The Su-Dic was removed
from power and deprived of the extra brains that he had stolen.
Glinda the Good then took it upon herself to install the canned brains into the
tops of every Flatheads skull. This caused their heads to become rounded, like
HYHU\RQH HOVHV  6LQFH WKH\ ZHUH QR ORQJHU DWKHDGHG WKH\ KDYH VLQFH UHQDPHG
themselves Mountaineers.

36

No More Flatheads?
By the end of the story Glinda of Oz, the Flatheads are no more, with everyone having their canned brains installed in their heads. But what if you want
the Flatheads to appear in a story for your players? Here are a few options to
consider:
1) The heroes arrive before the story takes place. Perhaps they are sent to
FRQVXOWWKHWKUHH$GHSWVDQGQGWKH6X'LFLQWKHLUVWHDG2UWKH\PD\
come looking for indestructible metal clothing and the Su-Dic demands
help with one of his plots in exchange.
2) The heroes are part of the story. You may wish to adapt the story into an
adventure that your players can participate in. Or the heroes are minor
characters in the story, or simply travelers caught up in the events as they
are happening.
3) There are other Flatheads. Perhaps some of the Flatheads were proud of
their unique nature and declined having their brains put into their heads.
Since Ozma and Glinda would never intentionally make someone unhappy, they would let the Flathead keep their canned brains. They may
decide to remain among the Mountaineers, or start their own community
elsewhere. Also, it is possible that another community of Flatheads already exists somewhere else in Oz. It may be that they are related to the
Hammerheads who live in the Quadling Country (page 51).

Adventure Hooks
A can of brains has been discovered in Oz. But if all the Flatheads are Mountaineers, whom can this belong to?
One of the Mountaineers has started to use magic. It is discovered that his brains
used to belong to the Su-Dics wife Rora and retained some of her magical knowledge. What sort of trouble can he get into?

Forest Of Gugu
In the center of the clearing stood a great shelving rock, having
DDWLQFOLQHGVXUIDFHDQGRQWKLVVDWWKHVWDWHO\/HRSDUG*XJX
who was King of the Forest.
The Magic of Oz
The animals of Oz are very much like its people. The people of Oz gather in
cities, and the animals gather in forests. Just as the cities are ruled by kings, queens,
and emperors, so are the forests ruled by Beast Kings. Gugu the Leopard is one such
king. He has been king of the largest forest in the Gillikin Country for so long that it
has taken on his name.
Gugu has lived for so long that he is among the most intelligent and fearsome
beasts in the forest. So are his Counselors: Bru the Bear, Loo the Unicorn, and
Rango the Gray Ape. It is this fearsome nature that allows them the authority to rule
over a forest full of wild beasts, since most beasts will only listen to someone stronger and larger than themselves.
Ruggedo, the former Nome King, tried to start a war between the beasts of Gugu
Forest and the people of Oz. With the help of Kiki Aru, a Munchkin boy who had
mastered a magical Word of Transformation, he changed his form to that of a LiMon-Eag, a strange beast with the head of a lion, the body of a monkey, the wings
of an eagle, and a donkeys tail with a gold ball on the end of it, in order to gain the
trust of the animals.

Kiki Aru. He proceeded to give the visitors from the Emerald City animal forms and
gave King Gugu the form of a woman.
On the urging of Ruggedo, Kiki began to transform some of the monkeys of the
forest into giant soldiers to form their army of conquest. The Wizard, in the form of a
fox, had hidden himself nearby and was able to learn Kikis Word of Transformation.
He used this Word to transform Kiki and Ruggedo into nuts, neutralizing them.
The Wizard then proceeded to restore every creature and person in the forest to
his rightful shape. Gugu was so grateful for this that he granted the Wizards request
of a dozen monkeys to entertain at Ozmas birthday party. He also assured Dorothy
and the Wizard that they would be as safe and welcome in his forest as they were in
the Emerald City.
Kiki Aru and Ruggedo were later restored to their natural forms and brought to
Ozma for judgment. She decreed that both of them drink from the Font of Oblivion
and be given new lives in the Emerald City.

Playing An Animal
In order to create an animal character, use the Large Animal or Small Animal
templates. Mythic beasts like unicorns live in the forest, so its possible that some
creatures might have a magical ability of some sort. Use the rules in Chapter 3: The
Magic of Oz to determine the cost of a given ability. Also, it is said that some beasts,
as they grow older, also grow larger. With the Narrators permission, 1 skill point
may be spent to raise a characters Size by 1, making a large animal giant-sized, or a
small animal can become child-sized.

Adventure Hooks
Li-Mon-Eags (real ones this time) have come to Gugu Forest. Given the
trouble that Ruggedo and Kiki Aru caused, the beasts of the forest distrust the new
visitors. Can you help the Li-Mon-Eags restore their damaged reputations?

Rango the Gray Ape, king of the monkey tribes, has heard wonderful stories
He told them that the people of Oz were planning to capture and enslave all of from his subjects who came to visit the Emerald City and has decided to see it for
WKHEHDVWVRIWKHIRUHVW+HSURSRVHGWKDWWKHEHDVWVDWWDFNUVWDOORZLQJHDFKRI himself. Its your job to make sure that he enjoys his visit.
them to live comfortably as a person, while the Oz people would be transformed into
animals and forced to hunt and forage for food.
While the animals were deliberating, the Wizard of Oz arrived with his friends
Princess Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, and the Hungry Tiger. Although they merely
wished a favor from King Gugu, their appearance among the council of war panicked

37

Loonville

Fairies

What does the Sign say? inquired the boy.

Oz is a fairyland, and therefore all of its people are fairies. This means that
the people of Oz can never get sick, grow old, or die. Even if they are chopped
into little pieces all of those pieces will still be alive. This will not be painful, but
it will be very inconvenient.

It says that All Strangers are Warned not to Follow this Path to
Loonville, answered the Scarecrow, who could read very well
when his eyes had been freshly painted.

Another kind of fairy, here referred to as a true fairy, has a few more
abilities. A true fairy is immune to all harm. True fairies command fairy magic,
which can only be used to help others and make them happier. They also tend
to represent natural phenomena, such as the Mist Maidens or Polychrome the
Rainbows Daughter. Princess Ozma of Oz is also a true fairy.

The Tin Woodman of Oz


7KH/RRQVDUHEDOORRQSHRSOHZLWKUXEEHUVNLQVOOHGZLWKDLU$OWKRXJKPRVW
communities of Oz are rather insular and isolated, the Loons are even more insular
than usual. This likely has something to do with the fact that they can be burst fairly
readily with any pointed object. Any intruders are captured as quickly as possible to
minimize the potential for damage.

Physical transformations typically rob a magician of their power by depriving them of the ability to make complex words or gestures, or by giving them
new abilities and traits to explore instead of magic. True fairies can never lose
their magic, no matter what form they acquire.

The Loons are ruled by a king named Bal Loon and his advisor Panta Loon.
King Bal spends most of the time with his head in the clouds and is therefore tied to
his throne by a long string. When his authority is needed, Panta will pull the king
GRZQDQGVHFXUHWKHVWULQJVRKHFDQQRWRDWDZD\DJDLQ
The most severe punishment under Loon law is perforation. The troublemaker
is punctured and the air let out of their skin until they promise to behave themselves.
When the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and Woot the Wanderer visited their town,
they discovered that people who were not Loons responded very differently to being
pricked with a thorn.

The power available to true fairies makes them inappropriate as playable

characters.

Mist Valley
From the top of the hill Ozma and Dorothy looked down into the
YDOOH\EH\RQGDQGZHUHVXUSULVHGWRQGLWOOHGZLWKDRDWLQJ
mist that was as dense as smoke. Nothing in the valley was visible
except these rolling waves of mist, but beyond, on the other side,
rose a grassy hill that appeared quite beautiful.

Playing A Loon

Loons represent their tendency to burst with a Weakness: Punctures (Common,

Glinda of Oz
Incapacitating) that grants 1 bonus skill point. Should a Loon decide to go advenWXULQJLQ2]WKH\VKRXOGSUREDEO\EULQJDSXPSRIVRPHVRUWWRUHLQDWHKLPVHOI
Mist Valley is home to the Mist Maidens, nature fairies with powers over air.
Some means of patching their holes is recommended. In Loonville, this is typically
The mist that obscures the valley is permanent and persists on even the clearest and
a string tied tightly around the hole to seal it, but rubber patches that are glued into
brightest day. No one knows who or what lives beneath the thick fog at the bottom
place may also be used.
of the valley. When Dorothy and Ozma requested safe passage through the valley,
the fairies chose to carry them above the mists rather than allow them to travel on the
Adventure Hooks
ground.

2XUKHURHVKDYHGLVFRYHUHGWKHGHDWHGVNLQRID/RRQLQWKHLUWUDYHOV:KDWLV
KHGRLQJVRIDUIURPKRPH"5HLQDWHKLPDQGQGRXW

Mist Maidens And Your Character

As true fairies, the Mist Maids are unavailable as playable characters. However,
a player may choose to create a link between the Mist Maidens or other true fairies
and their character. The simplest way would be to claim them as friends for the char-

38

acter. Also, a player may claim that a certain ability or item that they possess was
given to them by fairies in return for a favor.

be destroyed, Coo-ee-oh would immediately lose all that she had gained and more.
Fearing for her newfound power, she rushed them into the surrounding lake.

Since no one knows what lies under the mists of Mist Valley, a truly unique
character may claim it as an origin, and few will be able to question it. Except for
the Narrator, of course.


7KH)ODWKHDGVRXQGHUHGIRUDZKLOHDIWHUWKLVXQWLOD6XSUHPH'LFWDWRUURVH
IURPDPRQJWKHP7KH6X'LFDQGKLVZLIHSORWWHGWRGHVWUR\WKHVKRIWKHODNH
securing their positions of power and weakening their new enemy, Queen Coo-eeRK7KHLUUVWDWWHPSWWRSRLVRQWKHODNHZDVWKZDUWHGE\&RRHHRKZKRXVHGKHU
magic to transform the Su-Dics wife into a Golden Pig and caused the poison to be
spilled uselessly on the ground.

Adventure Hooks
The Mist Maids had imprisoned a horrible monster in their valley and now it has
escaped! Can you help them capture it before it causes too much destruction?

Skeezer Lake
Bordered by a green lawn was a great lake fully a mile from shore
to shore, the waters of which were exquisitely blue and sparkling,
with little wavelets breaking its smooth surface where the breezes
touched it. In the center of this lake appeared a lovely island, not
of great extent but almost entirely covered by a huge round building with glass walls and a high glass dome which glittered brilliantly in the sunshine. Between the glass building and the edge of
WKHLVODQGZDVQRJUDVVRZHUVRUVKUXEEHU\EXWRQO\DQH[SDQVH
of highly polished white marble.

This very nearly led to war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. Princesses
Dorothy and Ozma of Oz came from the Emerald City to broker a peace, but were
trapped when Coo-ee-oh submerged the island in order to protect it from the Flathead
invasion. Princess Dorothy was able to send a magical signal to the sorceress Glinda
the Good, who gathered a rescue party.
Meanwhile, Queen Coo-ee-oh took a squad of her troops in a submersible boat
to face the Flatheads. The Flatheads came prepared with another batch of poison and
threw it directly at the Skeezer Queen. She promptly fell overboard and rose again,
transformed into a Diamond Swan. With Coo-ee-oh defeated and the Skeezer Island
trapped at the bottom of the lake, the Flatheads declared themselves victorious and
retired to their mountain.

Glinda of Oz
The immense structure in the middle of Skeezer Lake, large enough to hold 101
Skeezers in comfort, is a gift from the three Adepts who ruled over the Flatheads,
neighbors and friends to the Skeezers. The magical mechanisms of this island allow
it to safely sink to the bottom of the lake while keeping the Skeezers safe and dry
beneath the dome. The structure also features a bridge that may be extended to the
VKRUHZKLOHWKHFLW\LVRQWKHVXUIDFHDVZHOODVDHHWRIVXEPHUVLEOHERDWVWKDWFDQ
be deployed when the city is below the water.
A young woman named Coo-ee-oh, though since no one in Oz ages her true age
cannot be determined, originally ruled the Skeezers. Even though she was the queen
RIKHUSHRSOHVKHGHVLUHGPRUHSRZHU6SHFLFDOO\VKHGHVLUHGWKHPDJLFDOSRZHU
exhibited by the Adepts.

The soldiers who had accompanied their queen, realizing that they were trapped
on the surface, now begged for the Su-Dic to take them prisoner. The Su-Dic declined their request, since maintaining prisoners would simply be a drain on the Flatheads resources.

7KDWQLJKWWKHWKUHHWUDQVIRUPHG$GHSWVUHYHDOHGWKHLUVK\IRUPVWR(UYLFWKH
leader of the Skeezer soldiers. They led him to Reera the Red, a reclusive Yookoohoo who lived near the lake. Although the Adepts simply wished to learn the
secret of her shapechanging magic, Ervic impressed them by tricking Red Reera into
changing them back into the young women they once were.
Once restored to their proper forms, the Adepts joined the rescue party on the
shore of Skeezer Lake. Taking an idea from Scraps the Patchwork Girl, the Adepts
helped Glinda and the Wizard of Oz lower the water level of the lake until the top of
WKHGRPHZDVH[SRVHGWRWKHDLU2QFHLQVLGHWKHFLW\DOOYHRIWKHPVWXGLHG&RR
ee-ohs tools of magic, but could not divine the magic words to make them function.
It was Dorothy who suggested using the syllables of Coo-ee-ohs name to control her
enchantments.

So one day, she invited the sorceresses to a great banquet. As the women feasted, Coo-ee-oh made off with all of their tools of magic so that she could learn their
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Once the Skeezer Island was raised to the surface, the Adepts returned to Flatto drown in the air. But one of them choked out a warning that if any of them should head Mountain to resume looking after their former charges. Lady Aurex was in-

39

The Winged Monkeys at this time

were full of mischief, living in the moment and enjoying life to its fullest.
When Quelala passed by their forest,
Playing A Skeezer
the King of the Winged Monkeys deMost templates are available to Skeezers. The only Skeezer known to practice cided to have fun with him. Dressed
magic was Coo-ee-oh, and Queen Aurex has promised Ozma that her ban on magic in his wedding clothes of velvet and
ZLOOEHHQIRUFHGDORQJZLWKDOORIWKHRWKHUODZVRI2]7KH6NHH]HUVGHQLWHO\KDYH silk, the Monkey King and his friends
Nobles and Soldiers. Having been recently introduced to the rest of the Land of Oz promptly grabbed him, lifted him up
and all of its variety, its very possible that some Skeezers will take up the Wanderer and dropped him in the nearby river.
template. Former Queen Coo-ee-ohs magical power might have created a Crafted
Although Quelala had the wisdom
Person of some sort.
to know that clothes do not make the
man, Princess Gayelette was furious
Adventure Hooks
that the Winged Monkeys chose to
Queen Aurex has run out of gaulau, the magical mineral that powers the sorcer- spoil her wedding day. So she sold half
her kingdom for the magical resources
ous mechanisms of the island. She needs your help to get more.
to bind the Monkeys to an enchanted
The Wizard needs a diamond feather for his latest magical invention. Can the Golden Cap. This Golden Cap was
exceedingly vain Diamond Swan be persuaded to part with one of her lovely feath- given to Quelala as a wedding gift. Although he had the power to command
ers?
them three times with the charm of the
Cap, he used it but once. Using the
Winged Monkeys
charm to summon them all together, he
commanded the Winged Monkeys to stay out of the sight of Princess Gayelette.
The sky was darkened, and a low rumbling sound was heard in the
This is the only order they had been given until the Wicked Witch of the West
air. There was a rushing of many wings, a great chattering and
DFTXLUHGWKH0DJLF&DS+HUUVWFRPPDQGZDVIRUWKHPWRFRQTXHUWKHODQGRIWKH
laughing, and the sun came out of the dark sky to show the Wicked
Winkies for her to rule. Her second command was to drive out the Wizard of Oz
Witch surrounded by a crowd of monkeys, each with a pair of imIURPWKH:LQNLH&RXQWU\+HUWKLUGDQGQDOFRPPDQGIRUWKH:LQJHG0RQNH\V
mense and powerful wings on his shoulders.
was to capture Dorothy and her friends before they could make good on any plan to
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
destroy her.
stalled as the new Queen of the Skeezers and promised to obey and enforce the laws
of Oz among the Skeezers.

The Winged Monkeys have their origins in the Northern Gillikin Country in
the domains of Princess Gayelette. Gayelette was not only beautiful, wise and just,
but also possessed of great magical power. Because of these virtues, few men could
hope to be her equal. When she decided to seek a husband, she found no one worthy
of the honor.
Finally, she found Quelala. Quelala had all of the virtues that she was looking
for, but he was just a boy at the time. So she whisked him away to her ruby palace,
enchanted him to the peak of masculine virtue and wisdom, and waited until such
time as he was old enough for her to marry.

Upon the destruction of the Wicked Witch, Dorothy became the holder of the
*ROGHQ&DS6KHUVWXVHGWKH*ROGHQ&DSWRRUGHUWKH0RQNH\VWRFDUU\KHUDQG
her friends safely back to the Emerald City. When the Wizard of Oz escaped in his
balloon without Dorothy, she summoned the Winged Monkeys and ordered them to
take her back to Kansas. They were unable to do this, though their summoning did
constitute a use of the Golden Cap. Dorothy then used the charm of the Cap to get
the monkeys to carry her and her friends past the hill of the Hammerheads directly to
the palace of Glinda the Good, ruler of the Quadling Country.

40

Dorothy gave the Cap to Glinda, who used her three commands to order the

Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion brought to the places that they
had been given to rule. Then she gave the Golden Cap to the King of the Winged
Monkeys, effectively freeing them from its charm.
What mischief they may get up to now is anyones guess.

Playing A Winged Monkey

With your Narrators permission, you may use the following template to create
a Winged Monkey character.
Character Type: Winged Monkey
Basic Skill
Athletics: 2
Brains: 2
Sneaking: 2
Special Abilities: Flight

Size: 2

Mrs. Yoop, wife of the giant Mr. Yoop who is imprisoned in the southern Quadling Country, occupies Yoop Castle. She is also a Yookoohoo, capable of changing
her form and the forms of anyone else to whatever she chooses. Mrs. Yoop considers most people to be toys to amuse herself with and she becomes irritated when her
playthings fail to entertain her. The only person she did not perceive as a toy was Mr.
Yoop, whom she considered an annoyance.
The Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and Woot the Wanderer discovered this to
their chagrin. The Tin Woodman was transformed into a Tin Owl, the Scarecrow
became a straw-stuffed Brown Bear, and Woot was changed into a Green Monkey.
They also discovered that Polychrome, the Rainbows Daughter, had been captured
by Mrs. Yoop and transformed into a canary.
Mrs. Yoop, via a Magic Apron, controlled every door and window in the castle.
She wore this Apron constantly, even though it didnt always coordinate with the rest
RIKHURXWWDQGWRRNLWRIIRQO\ZKHQJRLQJWREHG6HL]LQJWKHRSSRUWXQLW\:RRW
hid himself in Mrs. Yoops bedroom and stole the Magic Apron. This allowed him
and his companions to escape and trapped Mrs. Yoop in her castle.

Awareness: 2
Presence: 2
Wits: 1

They then appealed to Ozma to remove the Yookoohoo transformations. In the

Customization Notes: Athletics is a very useful skill for Winged Monkeys,
case
of Woot the Wanderer, she was not able to remove his transformation without
VLQFHLWFDQEHXVHGWRFRQWUROWKHLU\LQJDELOLW\DQGWKHLUDELOLW\WROLIWWKLQJV%UDLQV
giving
it to someone else. It was decided to give the shape of the green monkey to
and Sneaking are good investments for a Monkey whose pranks require planning and
Mrs.
Yoop
herself.
setup. Presence is good for telling jokes and stories, or playing tricks that involve
frightening or deceiving the victim. A crafty Winged Monkey might purchase the
Although the transformation has removed her Giantess shape and Yookoohoo
&UDIWVPDQ7ULFNV 7UDSVWUDLWLQRUGHUWRVHWXSHODERUDWHJDJV
PDJLFVKHQRZKDVDPRQNH\VTXLFNQHVVDQGFOHYHUQHVV6KHPD\VWLOOQGDZD\
Winged Monkey characters should take their King or the Golden Cap as a friend to escape her castle and cause trouble.
in order to gain Oz Points from responding to the magical summons.

Playing A Giant

Adventure Hooks
Someone has stolen the Golden Cap from the Winged Monkey King and has
ordered them to do something truly wicked. The King wants you to steal the Cap and
return it to him so that he can counteract the wicked command.

Yoop Castle
[T]hey discovered a cup-shaped valley before them in the center of which stood an enormous castle, built of purple stone. The
castle was high and broad and long, but had no turrets and towers.
So far as they could see, there was but one small window and one
big door on each side of the great building.
The Tin Woodman of Oz

Giants are rather rare in the Land of Oz. The most notable population is in
Herku in the Winkie Country (see page 57), but all of those giants are enslaved and
resigned to their lot. Mr. And Mrs. Yoop might have had children at some point, but
they are never seen.
If a player wishes to play a Giant character, they may choose an appropriate
template and spend 2 skill points to increase the Size trait from 3 to 5. They should
JHWWKHLU1DUUDWRUVSHUPLVVLRQUVWDVDJLDQWFKDUDFWHUWHQGVWRKDYHDVXEVWDQWLDO
impact on the world around them.

Adventure Hooks
Mrs. Yoop has petitioned Ozma to get her old shape back. But Ozma cannot
take the form of the Green Monkey away without giving it to someone else. She has

41

Chapter 8: The Munchkin Country

asked you to scour Oz for someone who genuinely wants to be a Green Monkey.
A Green Monkey has asked you to escort her safely to the Truth Pond in the
Winkie Country (see page 57). She has promised a great reward once she reaches
it. Will she actually do what she has promised? What sort of trouble will she cause
once she has bathed in the Truth Pond and regained her original shape and powers?

Field of Poppies
Arent they beautiful? the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy
VFHQWRIWKHEULJKWRZHUV
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Not all of the dangers of Oz have sharp claws or weapons. Some of them dont
HYHQVHHPGDQJHURXVDWDOO7KHHOGRISRSSLHVLVRQHRIWKHVH

,WVHHPVOLNHDSHUIHFWO\KDUPOHVVJODGHRIOX[XULRXVUHGRZHUV2WKHURZHUV
JURZDURXQGLWVHGJHVEXWWKHFHQWHURIWKHHOGFRQWDLQVQRWKLQJEXWSRSSLHV7KH
VFHQWRIDVLQJOHRQHRIWKHVHRZHUVLVVXSUHPHO\UHOD[LQJ:LWKVRPDQ\RIWKHP
together, the smell encourages whoever smells them to lie down and go to sleep. The
RQO\ZD\WRDZDNHQIURPWKLVVOHHSLVWREHSK\VLFDOO\UHPRYHGIURPWKHHOG

&UDIWHGSHRSOHDUHLPPXQHWRWKHHIIHFWVRIWKHRZHUV2WKHUFKDUDFWHUVPXVW
make a Wits rolls every minute to stay awake. Each Wits roll suffers a penalty equal
WRWKHQXPEHURI:LWVUROODOUHDG\PDGHWRVWD\DZDNHVRWKHUVWUROOKDVQRSHQDOW\
the second one has a -1 penalty, the third has a -2, and so on.
Characters who are aware of the dangers that they face may take precautions.
,IDSHUVRQKROGVWKHLUEUHDWKRUFRYHUVWKHLUQRVHDQGPRXWKWKH\JDLQDERQXV
to all rolls to stay awake among the poppies. More elaborate precautions, such as a
breathing mask or a pumped-in air supply, may allow even higher bonuses or even
allow a grace period during which characters do not have to worry about falling
asleep.

The Field Of Poppies And Your Character

The Field of Poppies is very unlikely as a point of origin for a character. An
extended stay in the Poppy Field can occur as part of a characters history. In that
case, the player should think of how their character escaped from the Field. This can
provide a valuable friend to add to the characters Friends List.
The Wanderer is a good template to choose for this sort of character. A Noble
attempting to regain their former status, or a Scholar whose knowledge is hopelessly
out of date, could also make an interesting character concept.

42

Adventure Hooks

Invisibility

Princess Ozma has organized an effort to rescue any travelers who have been
ORVWLQWKHSRSS\HOG2QO\WKRVHZLWKWKH&UDIWHGWUDLWPD\SDUWLFLSDWHLQWKHUHVFXH
itself, but characters of all varieties may help those who have been rescued to get
their old lives back or start new ones.

For those who wish to create a truly invisible character, here is a magical
ability built with the magic system.
Power: Help/Hinder, -2 Awareness/-2 Athletics (4)
Scope: Self/Person/Object (0)
Ritual: None (0)
Effect Power: 4

Oz is in danger and only one person can save it! Unfortunately, that person was
ORVWLQWKHSRSS\HOGORQJDJR&DQ\RXUHVFXHKLPDQGFRQYLQFHKLPWRKHOS\RX
before all of Oz is destroyed?

This ability renders the character permanently invisible. This creates a -2

penalty for Awareness rolls to discover the characters location by sight, as well as
-2 to Athletics rolls made to attack them once their location has been determined.

Invisible Country
Suddenly Woot, who was in the lead, looked around and found that
all his comrades had mysteriously disappeared. But where could
they have gone to? The broad plain was all about him and there
were neither trees nor bushes that could hide even a rabbit, nor
any hole for one to fall into. Yet there he stood, alone.

Adventure Hooks
The Wizard has invented a magical paint that can make invisible things visible
DJDLQ:KDWZLOOKHQGZKHQKHWHVWVKLVLQYHQWLRQLQWKH,QYLVLEOH&RXQWU\"

The Tin Woodman of Oz

Everything in the Invisible Country is invisible. Anyone that enters its borders
becomes invisible, even to themselves. This effect ends once the traveler has passed
RXWRIWKHDUHD$Q\FUHDWXUHOLYLQJLQWKLVDUHDPXVWOHDUQWRQGWKLQJVE\PHWKRGV
other than sight. The Hyp-po-gy-raf, the only creature known to live in this region,
hunts by smell.

7KH+\SSRJ\UDILVDQLPPHQVHFUHDWXUHZLWKDORQJH[LEOHQHFN+LVIDYRUite food is straw, but he has been known to eat hay by stretching his neck across a
deep ditch that lies just to the east of the Invisible Country.

The Invisible Country And Your Character

Since no one can see what exists in the Invisible Country, there could be any
kind of creatures or beings living there. Its also possible that living within the invisibility effect for so long renders a person permanently invisible.
If a player wishes to have the Hyp-po-gy-raf or one of his family members as
their character, the Large Animal template would be a good basis. Consider raising
6L]HWRWRUHHFWWKHEXONRIWKH+\SRJ\UDI

Kalidahs
They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp
growl made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running
toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads
like tigers.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Kalidahs are curious beasts with the bodies of bears, the heads of tigers, and
claws like daggers. They are often found wandering the Munchkin Country, but may
sometimes be found in the eastern part of Gillikin Country.
These creatures are considered the largest and most dangerous beasts in all of
Oz. They regard any being that is not a kalidah with contempt. They think it is
inappropriate to become overly familiar with their dinner. Few people have heard
kalidahs speak, and fewer still have survived to tell anyone else.
Like everyone else, kalidahs have a king that they must obey. Since kalidahs
only respect size and ferocity, this king must truly be a terror. It is said that the kalidah king commands magic that he can use to aid his people.

43

Miss Foolish Owl And Mr. Wise Donkey

Mr. Wise Donkey is not a native of Oz,
but comes from the neighboring land of
Mo. He was once an ordinary, stupid
donkey until one unusual Friday afternoon. His mindless wanderings had
carried him to the schoolhouse just as
all the teachers and scholars were leaving. In their rush to get to their homes,
nobody noticed the donkey that they
had locked inside the building.

Creature: Kalidah
Basic Skills
Athletics: 4
Brains: 1
Sneaking: 2

Eventually, the donkey became hungry,

so he began to eat the textbooks. By
the time the janitor arrived on Monday
morning, every textbook in the school
had been eaten. Once the donkey had
managed to digest all of that knowledge, he became very wise. Many people from all over Mo came to the Wise
Donkey for advice. Even the Magical
Monarch of Mo has been known to seek his counsel.

Size: 4
Awareness: 2
Presence (Frighten): 3
Wits: 3

Special Abilities: Deadly Weapon, No Arms

Note: This template is not intended as the basis of a playable character. This represents a typical kalidah. Individual kalidahs may have higher or lower skill ratings.

Kalidahs And Your Character

For the most part, kalidahs are intended to serve as monsters. A particularly powerful one might work as the villain of a story, but only rarely will they be allies and
almost never friends. Anyone who tries to make friends with a kalidah has a unique
challenge: How to keep themselves useful in ways that dont involve being eaten.

Adventure Hooks
The characters have discovered a young kalidah injured in the Munchkin forests.
Should they try to nurse him back to health? How will his mother respond to her
child being helped by prey? How much does a growing kalidah eat?

The Wise Donkey had intended to visit Oz for a short while, but it became an
extended stay when Glindas magic cut Oz off from the rest of the world. He has set
himself up as a Public Advisor with his business partner, Miss Foolish Owl.
Mr. Wise Donkey specializes in wise advice while Miss Foolish Owl offers foolish advice in the form of silly nonsense poetry.

Miss Foolish Owl And Mr. Wise Donkey And Your Character
Either or both of these characters would be useful to have on your characters
Friends List. Another interesting option would be to portray one of these characters.
The Wise Donkey would use the Large Animal Template, while the Foolish Owl
would use the Small Animal template. Perhaps the Wise Donkey wishes to increase
his knowledge with experience, or simply dispense advice to those who cannot bring
themselves to knock on his door.

What if one of the kalidahs decided he didnt want to be ferocious? Would he

stay with the rest of them, or go out and try to be friends with the Ozites? And how
would they react?

44

Adventure Hooks
Wise Donkey is jealous of the students at the Royal Athletic College. They
acquire knowledge in sugarcoated pills, not by directly consuming books, as he did.
Now he wants some School Pills of his own.
In order to keep his knowledge current, Wise Donkey must eat new books. Will
you help get him some?
It has been some time since the Wise Donkey has been able to gather any news
from his homeland of Mo, and he is certain that the Magical Monarch of that country
has gotten himself into mischief again. Is there any way to cross the desert to be
sure?

Mount Munch
On reaching the top of the hill, the plain spread out before them in
DOOLWVEHDXW\RIEOXHJUDVVHVDQGZLOGRZHUVDQG0RXQW0XQFK
seemed much nearer than it had the previous evening. They
trudged on at a brisk pace, and by noon the mountain was so
close that they could admire its appearance. Its slopes were partly
clothed with pretty evergreens, and its foot-hills were tufted with
a slender waving bluegrass that had a tassel on the end of every
EODGH$QGIRUWKHUVWWLPHWKH\SHUFHLYHGQHDUWKHIRRWRIWKH
mountain, a charming house, not of great size but neatly painted
DQGZLWKPDQ\RZHUVVXUURXQGLQJLWDQGYLQHVFOLPELQJRYHUWKH
doors and windows.

visible Wall of Air, a bit of magic that Nimmie Amee took from her former employer,
the Wicked Witch of the East.

Mount Munch And Your Character

The main challenge of playing a Hyup character is getting the character off of
Mount Munch. A adept climber might be able to make the descent with the proper
equipment. Also, hidden in the home of former Sorcerer Bini Aru are the instructions for pronouncing a magical Word of Transformation, which allows the user to
transform into any creature they desire.
Nimmie Amee and Chopfyt prefer to be left alone, so they would make poor
friends for a character. However, Chopfyt did do some exploring before he settled
down. In a game set in the appropriate time period, Chopfyt would make an interesting character for a player to portray. He would likely be built with the Wanderer
template. His tin arm does resist injury fairly well, but is not enough to cost any skill
points.

The Word of Transformation

Although the unlicensed practice of magic is illegal in Oz, some characters
might encounter someone with the knowledge to correctly pronounce the Word
of Transformation.

Word of Transformation

The Tin Woodman of Oz

Mount Munch is a mountain on the eastern border of the Munchkin Country. At
the top is a wide circular depression, much like a saucer. In this depression live the
Hyups, people very like the Munchkins who live below their mountain. Due to the
GLIFXOW\RIDVFHQGLQJRUGHVFHQGLQJDPRXQWDLQWKH+\XSVKDYHOLWWOHWRLQWHUDFWLRQ
with people other than themselves. The only Hyup to enter the chronicles of Oz was
Kiki Aru, who used a magical Word of Transformation to change himself into a bird
in order to explore Oz.
At the base of this mountain live Nimmie Amee and her husband Chopfyt. Nimmie Amee was engaged to Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, and later to Captain
Fyter, the Tin Soldier, but they both rusted and were lost before they could be wed.
Chopfyt was created by Ku-Klip the tinsmith out of the cast-off meat parts of the Tin
Woodman and the Tin Soldier and one tin arm. Their home is surrounded by an in-

45

Effect: Transformation (5)

Scope: Self/Person/Object (0)
Ritual: Complex (-1)
Total Power: 4
The ritual to cast this spell is to declare whom the target of the effect is
and what shape they will take, followed by the word pyrzqxgl. The magic
word must be pronounced correctly or the spell will not work. Up to 5 points of
changes may be made to the target (See the rules on Transformation Magic on
page 21).

Adventure Hooks

Playing A Scholar

Nimmie Amee and Chopfyt have had a baby! Santa Claus would very much like
to give the child a Christmas present, but cannot penetrate the Wall of Air that surrounds the home. Can you help?

A graduate of the Athletic College will likely be built using the Scholar template.
Unlike other scholars, Athletics skill will share priority with Brains. Both skills are
equally likely to be the basis for the characters specialty. Since many sports require
teamwork, many of these scholars will also have respectable ratings in the Presence
skill.

Bini Aru has come down from Mount Munch to discover what has happened
to his son, Kiki. Unfortunately, Kiki drank from the Fountain of Oblivion and has
forgotten his old life. Can you help reunite this family?

Royal Athletic College Of Oz

Adventure Hooks
The Wizard of Oz made a mistake with his last batch of School Pills. Now
students are reciting limericks instead of epics and spelling with numbers! Can you
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7KH\IROORZHGKLPWRDELJHOGEDFNRIWKHFROOHJHEXLOGLQJZKHUH
several hundred young Ozites were at their classes. In one place
they played football, in another baseball. Some played tennis,
some golf; some were swimming in a big pool. Upon a river which
wound through the grounds several crews in racing boats were
rowing with great enthusiasm. Other groups of students played
basketball and cricket, while in one place a ring was roped in to
permit boxing and wrestling by the energetic youths. All the collegians seemed busy and there was much laughter and shouting.
The Emerald City of Oz
Professor H.M. Wogglebug, T.E, administers the Royal Athletic College. The
+0 VWDQGV IRU +LJKO\ 0DJQLHG VLQFH KH LV LQGHHG PXFK ODUJHU WKDQ DQ\ RWKHU
ZRJJOHEXJLQH[LVWHQFH7(VLJQLHVWKDWKHLV7KRURXJKO\(GXFDWHGVLQFHKHVSHQW
much of his early life in a schoolhouse listening to the teacher there.
The main thing that separates the Athletic College from other institutions is that
its curriculum is swallowed rather than taught. The Wizard of Oz invented sugarcoated School Pills that allow the students to acquire knowledge without the tedium
of study. This allows the student body to devote its attention to physical pursuits.
While the students appreciate the exchange of pills for books, it doesnt mean
that pills are the preferred solution for everything. When Professor Wogglebug attempted to replace cooked food with the Wizards patented Square Meal Tablets, his
pupils rewarded him with a prompt dunking in the lake near the school.

46

Chapter 9: The Quadling Country

Bunnybury
Glinda the Good created Bunnybury
in an attempt to do a favor to rabbits,
which she is rather fond of. All of the
rabbits of Bunnybury are albinos, having white fur and pink eyes.

Bunbury
Men, women and children were all made of buns and bread. Some
were thin and others fat; some were white, some light brown and
some very dark of complexion. A few of the buns, which seemed to
form the more important class of the people, were neatly frosted.
Some had raisins for eyes and currant buttons on their clothes;
others had eyes of cloves and legs of stick cinnamon, and many
wore hats and bonnets frosted pink and green.

Given the nervous nature of rabbits,

many security features protect the city.
For starters, a high marble wall surrounds the city. There seems to be no
gate, only a small window some way up
the wall and a button labeled No Admittance Except On Business. Pressing the button summons the Keeper of
the Wicket, a rabbit named Bristle, who
sticks his head out of the window to
greet any callers.

The Emerald City of Oz

Although Glinda is not mentioned as a patron of Bunbury, it seems highly likely,
given its proximity to Bunnybury and its unusual nature. It is also possible that Bunbury is a project of the nearby community of Utensia.
Everything in Bunbury is edible. The homes are made of crackers and the streets
are paved with bread crusts. The people of the town are pastry products. The Mayor
of the town is Mr. Cinnamon Bunn, Esquire, of the very aristocratic Bunn family.
Other town notables include Pop Over, Johnny Cake and the Parker H. Rolls.

2QFHDYLVLWRUKDVYHULHGWKDWWKH\DUH
there at the behest of Glinda or Ozma,
the wall opens to allow them into a small
7KHJURXQGLVFRYHUHGZLWKRXU7KHUHLVDEXWWHUPLQHRQWKHIDUVLGHRIWRZ
foyer. They must consent to be reduced
and its citizens have access to a water well and a milk well. Doughleander and
in size before they are allowed to enter
doughdera trees grow throughout the town, sprouting a hearty crop of doughnuts
the city proper. This process consists of
every spring.
walking toward a rabbit-sized door at the far side of the foyer.

Playing A Bunn
The easiest way to create a Bunn character is to choose a standard template from
pages 11-13 and reduce the Size to 1, freeing up 2 skill points. Their Weakness to
water (Common and Damaging) gives them another 2 skill points. The Narrator may
also choose to create a template for them that takes these factors into account.

Adventure Hooks

In the middle of the town square are bronze statues of Glinda and Dorothy. Glinda is honored for giving rabbits a safe place to live with many luxuries. The statue of
Dorothy is newer and celebrates a favor she recently did for the king of Bunnybury.
Every bunny in Bunnybury remembers living in the forest and being invited by
Glinda to live in a place of security and happiness. The rabbit they chose to be their
king not only had to deal with being civilized, but also had responsibility and luxury
forced upon him. The laws laid down by Glinda did not allow him to abdicate, so he
spent much of his free time bemoaning his fate.

When Dorothy came to visit and mentioned that she was planning to visit Glinda
in the near future, the king was ecstatic. He requested that she speak to Glinda about
his situation, asking her to allow him to leave Bunnybury and return to the simple
The great ovens of Bunbury have gone awry, producing Bunns that are burnt life that he led in the forest. Dorothy said that she would, but reminded him of all the
RXW&DQWKHPDJLFDORYHQVEH[HG",VWKHUHDQ\ZD\WRUHVWRUHIUHVKQHVVWRWKH things that he would be leaving behind when he left.
overdone pastry people?
A diplomatic envoy from Bunbury to the Emerald City has gone missing! Who
ate Colonel Crumb?

47

Ultimately, the king had to admit that he rather enjoyed the life that the city allowed him to lead and told Dorothy not to say anything to Glinda on the matter.

Bunnybury Characters
Natives of Bunnybury are, of course, rabbits using the Small Animal template.
Since these rabbits are civilized and can use their paws as effective hands, so they
should buy off the No Hands trait with one of their skill points.

Adventure Hooks

7KH.LQJRI%XQQ\EXU\KDVGLVDSSHDUHG+DVKHQDOO\FUDFNHGXQGHUWKHSUHVsure of so much civilization, or is something else afoot?
The time has come for the unveiling ceremony of Dorothys statue, and Dorothy,
Ozma, and Glinda have been invited. What disaster waits to strike while the most
powerful people in Oz are only 1 foot tall?

China Country

Long ago, the China People were pursued for their beauty and forced to stand on
mantles, shelves and tables as decorations until they lost their ability to move freely.
In order to protect themselves from this dreadful fate, they erected a great wall of
china around their community. Now they are able to live quiet, careful lives in peace
and comfort.

China Country And Your Character

It is said that the people of the China Country only retain the power of life while
they stay in their own country. Whether this refers to the fairyland of Oz or only the
china-walled territory is unclear, and no one is willing to risk the danger of testing
this theory.

Adventure Hooks
War is brewing between the delicate China People and the animals of the nearby
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porcelain?
While serving as diplomats in the China Country, the heroes accidentally cause
the ruling princess to suffer a chip. Since her beauty is now imperfect, she must pass
on her crown to the next prettiest princess. As impartial observers, the heroes are
called upon to mediate the succession. They must choose the prettiest princess in the
China Country and ensure that she suffers no accidents on her way to the throne.

%HIRUHWKHPZDVDJUHDWVWUHWFKRIFRXQWU\KDYLQJDRRUDVVPRRWK
and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter. Scattered
around were many houses made entirely of china and painted in
the brightest colors. These houses were quite small, the biggest of
them reaching only as high as Dorothys waist. There were also
pretty little barns, with china fences around them; and many cows
and sheep and horses and pigs and chickens, all made of china,
were standing about in groups.

Cuttenclip Village
Just before the entrance was drawn up a line of tiny soldiers, with
uniforms brightly painted and paper guns upon their shoulders.
They were exactly alike, from one end of the line to the other, and
all were cut out of paper and joined together in the centers of their
bodies.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

In any other country, they would be
small porcelain statues with delicately
painted faces and clothes. In the China
Country, they live. Due to their delicate
beauty and fragile natures, they are very
vain and cautious. Their role in life is
determined by their appearance, with
princesses living in porcelain castles and
dairymaids milking china cows on ceramic farms. While china is easily glued
back together, the crack never completely
disappears.

As the visitors entered the enclosure the Wizard let the door swing
back into place, and at once the line of soldiers tumbled over, fell
DWXSRQWKHLUEDFNVDQGOD\XWWHULQJXSRQWKHJURXQG
The Emerald City of Oz
The Cuttenclips are living paper dolls, crafted by a little girl named Miss Cuttenclip. Glinda the Good provided her with magical live paper, which allows the
paper dolls to think and move about. They live in a colorful village of cardboard
houses and paper trees. The women wear dresses made of tissue paper and the men
wear brightly colored costumes of cutout paper.

48

Since paper is such a delicate material, Cuttenclip Village has many protections.
Its isolated location prevents too many incautious visitors from making a mess of
things. A high wall blocks out the wind so that the tiny dolls do not get blown over.
Glinda had used weather magic to make sure that it never rains over the village,
which would quickly reduce the Cuttenclips to pulp.
Any visitor to the village is warned not to move quickly and to breathe gently, so
as not to stir up a breeze. Any sudden outburst, such as a laugh, a cough or a sneeze
is enough to knock down several of the paper people at once. If a person is unable to
FRQWUROWKHLUEUHDWKLQJWKH\ZLOOEHUPO\EXWSROLWHO\DVNHGWROHDYH

Cuttenclips And Your Character

The Cuttenclips are little more than a curiosity. Only in the highly specialized
environment created in the Cuttenclip village allows them to function as well as they
do. As an adventurer in Oz, a Cuttenclip would very quickly be torn to ribbons.
The sole commodity of interest that exists only within this village is the magical
live paper that all of the dolls are made out of. Miss Cuttenclips skill with paper
crafts is impressive, but only of marginal practical use.

Adventure Hooks
Glinda is away from her palace on important business and a large rainstorm is
heading right for the Cuttenclip village! Can you save the paper people from being
dissolved into pulp?

This forest is ruled over by the Cowardly Lion. He won the title of King of
%HDVWVIURPWKHLQKDELWDQWVRIWKLVIRUHVWGXULQJKLVUVWDGYHQWXUHZLWK'RURWK\
A giant spider-like monster had terrorized the forest. Several of the bravest
beasts attempted to challenge this monster, but had been eaten up instead. When
the Cowardly Lion came traveling through with his friends, the animals of the forest
pleaded with him to destroy this creature. He waited until the thing was asleep and
knocked its head off of its fragile neck.
Although the Lion spends most of his time in the Emerald City, guarding Princess Ozma with his friend the Hungry Tiger, all of the animals in the forest accept
him as their king.

Dark Forest Characters

Virtually any kind of animal may make a home in the Dark Forest. Particularly
notable animals might even be able to claim the Cowardly Lion or Hungry Tiger as
a friend.

Adventure Hooks
Before it died, the giant spider had laid a number of eggs. Now they are beginning to hatch and the Dark Forest is overrun with spiders the size of large dogs. What
can be done?

Fighting Trees

A batch of live paper has gone missing on its way from Glindas Palace to the
Cuttenclip village. Now a new villain is terrorizing the southland with living folded
paper cranes! What can be done to stop him?

7KH6FDUHFURZZKRZDVLQWKHOHDGQDOO\GLVFRYHUHGDELJWUHH
with such wide-spreading branches that there was room for the
party to pass underneath. So he walked forward to the tree, but
MXVWDVKHFDPHXQGHUWKHUVWEUDQFKHVWKH\EHQWGRZQDQGWZLQHG
around him, and the next minute he was raised from the ground
DQGXQJKHDGORQJDPRQJKLVIHOORZWUDYHOHUV

Dark Forest
It seems gloomy, said the Scarecrow.
Not a bit of it, answered the Lion. I should like to live here all
my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how
rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely no
wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Fighting Trees are just one of many varieties of animated plants that grow in Oz.
$OWKRXJKWKH\DUHUPO\URRWHGWKH\KDYHDQ$WKOHWLFVUDWLQJRIWKDWWKH\XVHWR
attack anyone who passes beneath their branches. They also have the Mighty Blow
trait, allowing them to make Knockdown attacks at no penalty, and the Crafted trait,
making them much more resistant to damage. Should a character succeed in causing
Wits damage to a Fighting Tree, it will surrender instantly, as though it only had Wits
of 1.

49

Adventure Hooks

Adventure Hooks

The Fighting Trees have uprooted themselves and are marching on the Emerald
City! What can be done to stop them?

Our heroes are tasked with taking a new resident to Flutterbudget Center. They
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coming true! Whats going on?

One of the Wizards recipes call for an unbruised fruit from a Fighting Tree.
Characters must either catch the fruit before it hits the ground (or them!) or ask very
nicely.

Fuddlecumjig
Why, theyre made in a good many small pieces, explained the
kangaroo; and whenever any stranger comes near them they
have a habit of falling apart and scattering themselves around.
Thats when they get so dreadfully mixed, and its a hard puzzle to
put them together again.

Flutterbudget Center
Look out! screamed a voice. Look out, or youll run over my
child!
They gazed around and saw a woman standing upon the sidewalk
nervously wringing her hands as she gazed at them appealingly.

The Emerald City of Oz

Where is your child? asked the Sawhorse.

In the house, said the woman, bursting into tears;
The Emerald City of Oz
Flutterbudget Center is one of two defensive settlements in Oz, the other being
Rigmarole Town. Should anyone attempting to invade Oz encounter these settlements, they will become frustrated trying to conquer the people there and give up
rather quickly.
The Flutterbudgets are worrywarts of the worst kind. They not only worry about
all the things that could happen, but also about all the things that cant. Even the silliest, most impossible danger seizes them with panic. They worry about being cut by
the kitchen knives while they are in the living room. They worry about heat stroke
in the dead of winter.
 :KHQHYHUDSHUVRQLQ2]ZRUULHVVRPXFKWKDWWKHLUQHLJKERUVQGWKHPPRUH
QXLVDQFHWKDQEHQHWWKH\PD\EHVHQWWR)OXWWHUEXGJHW&HQWHU

Flutterbudget Center And Your Character

Flutterbudgets are terribly afraid of danger. In fact, theyre terribly afraid of
everything, making them quite unable to go on adventures in Oz. A character might
have a friend in Flutterbudget Center whom they can call upon when they need to
come up with worst-case scenarios.

50

The people of Fuddlecumjig are known

as Fuddles. They have the unusual ability
to break apart into hundreds of jigsaw puzzle pieces. The Fuddles are proud of this
ability and scatter themselves whenever
they are surprised or encounter something
new. The mayor, Lord High Chigglewitz,
is rather proud of the fact that he is one of
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If Oz has a tourist trap, it is Fuddlecumjig. People come from all over Oz to
spend the afternoon assembling the Fuddles.

Fuddlecumjig Characters
A Fuddle character may use the same
templates as any other character. However,
all Fuddles have a Weakness to surprises,
a Common occurrence that Incapacitates
them and grants them one additional skill
point.

Adventure Hooks

Glinda The Good?


$RFNRI:LQJHG0RQNH\VKDVVWROHQWKH/RUG+LJK&KLJJOHZLW]ZKLOHKHZDV
scattered. And they scattered the rest of the Fuddles very widely, so it could be some
time before their crime is even noticed.

Although Princess Ozma sits on the Throne of Oz, it could be argued that
Glinda is actually the most powerful person in Oz. Her Book of Records informs
her of everything that could possibly require her attention. Her magical power
allows her to act on these events nearly instantly.

Glindas Palace
Gradually the Thing sank lower and nearer to the ground until
at length it came to rest within the beautiful gardens of Glinda,
settling upon a velvety green lawn close by a fountain which sent
VSUD\VRIDVKLQJJHPVLQVWHDGRIZDWHUKLJKLQWRWKHDLUZKHQFH
they fell with a soft, tinkling sound into the carved marble basin
placed to receive them.

She is also granted tremendous leeway with her abilities. In The Emerald
City of Oz, she casts the spell to isolate Oz before she has been formally asked to
do so. In Tik-Tok of Oz, Glinda teleports the Army of Oogaboo into a wasteland
outside of Oz without telling anyone about it.
If Glinda wished to conquer Oz, she could do so very easily. Imprisoning a
fairy princess like Ozma is no challenge to her magical skills. Her Magic Book
would warn her of any potential uprisings. Glinda is one of the few licensed
sorcerers in Oz, so her magical might is not easily countered.

The Land of Oz
This palace is the home of Glinda the Good, a Sorceress and ruler of the Quadling Country. It is staffed entirely by girls chosen from all over Oz for their beauty
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drilled girl soldiers as her bodyguard.
There are enchantments throughout the palace grounds. Some of them are simply decorative while others are quite powerful. One of the most potent items in Glindas collection is the Great Book of Records. This immense book records everything
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WKHERRNWKHZULWLQJLVYHU\VPDOODQGWKHWH[WLWVHOILVWHUVHDQGHIFLHQW%UHYLW\LV
favored over detail, often requiring further investigation before acting on something
written in the book.

Its very easy to create a dark Glinda without changing any of the essential
details. If Glinda does something, everyone will assume that she must have a
good reason for it. If she doesnt, then the injured party need simply appeal to
Princess Ozma. If Glinda will allow them to reach the Emerald City, that is

Hammerheads
+HZDVTXLWHVKRUWDQGVWRXWDQGKDGDELJKHDGZKLFKZDVDW
at the top and supported by a thick neck full of wrinkles. But he
had no arms at all, and, seeing this, the Scarecrow did not fear
that so helpless a creature could prevent them from climbing the
hill. So he said, Im sorry not to do as you wish, but we must pass
over your hill whether you like it or not, and he walked boldly
forward.

Glindas Palace Characters

Every member of Glindas staff is female and quite lovely. Whatever template is
used, consider raising the Presence skill and taking the Presence specialty lovely appearance. The most likely sort of adventurer to emerge from Glindas palace (other
than Glinda herself) is one of her highly effective girl soldiers, built using the Soldier
template.

As quick as lightning the mans head shot forward and his neck
VWUHWFKHGRXWXQWLOWKHWRSRIWKHKHDGZKHUHLWZDVDWVWUXFNWKH
Scarecrow in the middle and sent him tumbling, over and over,
down the hill. Almost as quickly as it came the head went back to
the body, and the man laughed harshly as he said, It isnt as easy
as you think!

If anyone should have Glinda on their Friends List, they will gain access to some
of the most powerful magic in Oz.

Adventure Hooks

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Great Book of Records has warned of a great crisis brewing. But when the
heroes arrive, they see nothing wrong? Could the book be wrong?

The Hammerheads live behind a steep hill just south of the China Country. Since
they are small and have no arms, it is easy to assume that they are incapable of de-

51

fending themselves. Nothing could be

further from the truth. They can send
their heads shooting out with impresVLYH IRUFH NQRFNLQJ DW DQ\RQH ZKR
should come near their hill.
Because the Hammerheads are so effective at defending their territory, little
is really known about them. What is it
that they guard so zealously from all
outsiders? Do they fear conquest by the
armed peoples of Oz? Or are they striving to keep something in their borders
from getting out?

Hammerheads And Your

Character
Since the Hammerheads are so secretive, having one as a friend or as a character is very unlikely. Should the Narrator decide to allow this, they should
decide what the big Hammerhead secret is. That will go a long way to explaining why a Hammerhead is willing
to extend help to outsiders or going on
adventures in Oz.

one leg, set just below the middle of his round, fat body; but it was
DVWRXWOHJDQGKDGDEURDGDWIRRWDWWKHERWWRPRILWRQZKLFK
the man seemed to stand very well. He had never had but this one
leg, which looked something like a pedestal, and when Toto ran up
DQGPDGHDJUDEDWWKHPDQVDQNOHKHKRSSHGUVWRQHZD\DQG
then another in a very active manner, looking so frightened that
Scraps laughed aloud.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Hoppers live in an immense cavern under the mountains of the Quadling
country. They share this cavern with the mischievous Horners, their two territories
separated by a tall fence made of marble pickets. Most of the Hoppers structures are
carved out of marble. The outsides of their homes are quite lovely, but the interior is
rather bare and sparse.
The thing that makes the Hoppers unique is that they only have one leg, which
supports their body like a pedestal. Their foot is very broad, as it must support all of
their weight. They are called Hoppers since they must hop on their one leg in order
to move around.
It might be tempting to assume that the Hoppers are slow-witted or lacking in
humor. However, it is more likely that they just seem that way, especially in contrast
to the excessive punning of their neighbors, the Horners.

Hopper Characters

When designing a template for the Hammerheads, remember that they are Size
2 and have the Mighty Blow and No Arms traits.

Hopper characters may look odd, but they suffer no restriction on the templates
they may use. A Hopper skilled in carving marble should take the Craftsman: StoneZRUNLQJWUDLW$JKWLQJ+RSSHUPLJKWGHYHORSDSRZHUIXONLFNRUVSULQJLQJDWWDFN
to justify the purchase of the Might Blow trait.

Adventure Hooks

Adventure Hooks

Ozma has decided to open up diplomatic relations with the Hammerheads.

How do you negotiate with someone whos typical response to outsiders is a longdistance head butt?

The Horners have done it again! One of their jokes has offended the Hoppers
and war seems unavoidable this time. Is there anything that can be done?

Hopper Country

Horner Country
Here was nothing grimy or faded, indeed. On the contrary, the
room was of dazzling brilliance and beauty, for it was lined
throughout with an exquisite metal that resembled translucent
frosted silver. The surface of this metal was highly ornamented in

There was something about this man that Toto objected to, and
when he slowly rose to his foot they saw what it was. He had but

52

UDLVHGGHVLJQVUHSUHVHQWLQJPHQDQLPDOVRZHUVDQGWUHHVDQG
IURPWKHPHWDOLWVHOIZDVUDGLDWHGWKHVRIWOLJKWZKLFKRRGHGWKH
room. All the furniture was made of the same glorious metal, and
Scraps asked what it was.

Radium
In truth, radium is a radioactive metal, making long-term exposure dangerRXV:KHQ%DXPUVWZURWHDERXWWKH+RUQHUVUDGLXPZDVDQHZDQGH[FLWLQJ
discovery; a wonder of the modern age, much like electricity and the telephone.
It wasnt until several years after his death that the risks of radiation exposure
began to be understood.

Thats radium, answered the Chief. We Horners spend all our

time digging radium from the mines under this mountain, and we
use it to decorate our homes and make them pretty and cosy. It
is a medicine, too, and no one can ever be sick who lives near
radium.

What does this mean in your game?

Remember that Oz is a fairyland. No one ever get sick in Oz, so even if
radium were as dangerous there as here, it would cause no damage. The Horner
chief even proclaims that radium is a defense against illness, and in Oz this might
be true. Perhaps the enchantment that made Oz a fairyland relies on radium deposits throughout the country to ensure the continued health and immortality of
the people.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The Horners are neighbors of the Hoppers, living in another portion of the cavern
separated by a marble picket fence. While the Hoppers mine the cavern for marble,
the Horners dig up radium. The Horners do not decorate the exteriors of their homes
like the Hoppers, making their village appear drab from the outside. Inside a Horner
home, however, it is quite beautiful. Ornate decorations of many types are crafted
from the faintly glowing metal.
The Horners themselves are fairly small folk, with three colors of hair on every
head as well as a six-inch-long horn growing out of their foreheads. They are not
renowned for their sense of humor. That is not to say that they dont have a sense
of humor, but the one that they have is not very good. They make complicated puns
that require explanation to be understood by non-Horners. They feel that explaining
a joke ruins it, which makes them rather unpopular with their neighbors, the Hoppers. In fact, the Hoppers once declared war on the Horners over a particularly bad
pun. The war was only averted when the Horners were encouraged to apologize and
explain their joke.

A more realistic or gritty version of Oz might depict radium as the threat that
it is, with the Horners getting radiation poisoning and varying types of cancer,
while the Hoppers are protected from the radiation by their marble houses.

Jinxland

Horner Characters
Horners are only Size 2, so a Horner character using a typical template
should get 1 extra skill point. The Narrator may also decide to create a Horner template that takes their small size into account. The horn on a Horners forehead is not
a Deadly Weapon, but may be if the Horner sharpens it to have a cutting edge. A
Horner Soldier might even use this as the Deadly Weapon included in that template.

Adventure Hooks
A village of Munchkins is suffering from a horrible illness! The cause has been
determined to be a lack of radium. You must secure a shipment of radium from the
Horners and see that it arrives safely in Munchkinland.

53

,WZDVFHUWDLQO\DQHFDVWOHZLWKPDQ\ODUJHURRPVDOOEHDXWLfully furnished. The passages were winding and handsomely decorated, and after following several of these the soldier led them into
an open court that occupied the very center of the huge building.
It was surrounded on every side by high turreted walls, and conWDLQHGEHGVRIRZHUVIRXQWDLQVDQGZDONVRIPDQ\FRORUHGPDUbles which were matched together in quaint designs. In an open
space near the middle of the court they saw a group of courtiers
and their ladies, who surrounded a lean man who wore upon his
head a jeweled crown. His face was hard and sullen and through
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He was dressed in brilliant satins and velvets and was seated in a
golden throne-chair.
This personage was King Krewl, and as soon as Capn Bill saw
him the old sailor knew at once that he was not going to like the
King of Jinxland.
The Scarecrow of Oz

Jinxland is a small, isolated kingdom in the western corner of the Quadling Country. Anyone trying to enter
-LQ[ODQG PXVW UVW FOLPE D UDQJH RI
steep mountains and then cross a bottomless chasm.

Blinkie
Blinkie was the leader of the witches of Jinxland and clearly deserving of
the title Wicked Witch. She earned the name because she only has one eye, a
trait she shares with the Wicked Witch of the West. Could she possibly be the
same witch, reconstituted and exiled from her former domain? Or could she be
the Wicked Witch of the South, whom Glinda defeated in order to rule over the
Quadling Country?


7KH UVW NQRZQ NLQJ RI -LQ[ODQG
was King Kynd. He ruled his people
well and had a lovely daughter named
Princess Gloria. One day, quite by
accident, King Kynd fell into the bottomless chasm that marks the border
of his kingdom and is probably falling
yet. His Prime Minister, Phearce, was
crowned King to replace him.

By the end of The Scarecrow of Oz, she has lost her magical powers and is
merely a foot tall, but that doesnt mean that her story has to be over.

Jinxland Characters
The people of Jinxland are much like the people in any other place in Oz. Although Blinkie is no longer capable of magic, some witches may still exist in the
kingdom.

King Phearce ruled Jinxland for

some time until he got into a quarrel
with his Prime Minister, a man named
Krewl. Krewl tripped him so the he fell
in a lake, then piled heavy stones on top
of him to prevent the former king from
escaping. Although it is nearly impossible to kill someone in Oz, Krewl managed to do the next best thing.

Adventure Hooks
Princess Gloria is looking for adventurers to help her rescue her father from the
chasm. Is it truly bottomless? Can King Kynd be saved?
The witches of Jinxland have sworn revenge for what has happened to Blinkie.
They are scouring the land for the ingredients needed to restore Blinkie to her full
power. Can anything be done to stop them?

Now King Krewl reigned over Jinxland. Princess Gloria, who was also Krewls
niece, still lived in the palace. A wealthy old aristocrat named Googly-Goo offered
King Krewl a fortune in gold and jewels if he were to marry the princess. While
Krewl was enthusiastically in favor of adding to his royal treasury, Gloria would not
consent. She loved Pon the gardener, who was secretly the son of King Phearce.

Mr. Yoop

The king and the nobleman then decided to engage the services of the Wicked
Witch Blinkie. Blinkie, so named because she only had one eye, cast a spell on Gloria to freeze her heart. While Gloria no longer loved Pon, she also lost the desire to
marry anyone at all.
Thanks to the timely intervention of Trot, Capn Bill and the Scarecrow, King
Krewl was removed from the throne and Gloria took her place as Queen. Her heart
was restored and she married Pon, who now sits at her side as her Royal Consort.

54

He suddenly appeared at the front of his cavern, seized the iron

bars in his great hairy hands and shook them until they rattled
in their sockets. Yoop was so tall that our friends had to tip their
heads way back to look into his face, and they noticed he was
dressed all in pink velvet, with silver buttons and braid. The Giants boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and his
hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully
curled.
Yo-ho! he said in a deep bass voice; I smell dinner.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz

Mr. Yoop is a giant imprisoned in the mountains of Quadling Country. He used

to live in the Gillikin Country with his wife in Yoop Castle. But his immense appetite
DQGHUFHWHPSHUPDGHKLPPDQ\HQHPLHVDPRQJKLVQHLJKERUVHVSHFLDOO\VLQFH
they were one of his favorite foods. Finally, they gathered together to capture him in
a giant cage and sent him far to the south. Although his prison was quite strong, they
wanted to be especially sure that he did not return to bother them any more.

Very few Rigmaroles are actually born in Rigmarole Town. The main reason
for this is that courtship among the Rigmaroles involves declarations of love several
days in length, followed by getting to know each others families, a process that can
take several months at minimum. Therefore, most of the people are imported from
RWKHUSDUWVRI2]ZKHQHYHUWKHLUQHLJKERUVQGWKHPWRRORQJZLQGHGWRJHWDORQJ
with.

His wife escaped capture by using her yookoohoo powers to transform into a
mouse. Once the danger had passed, she resumed her original form. She still lives
in Yoop Castle to this day.

Rigmarole Town And Your Character

Mr. Yoop And Your Character

Rigmaroles are generally poor choices for adventurers. They spend so much
time discussing, lecturing and debating that they have time for little else. A Rigmarole friend is largely useful as a distraction, keeping opponents occupied with their
long-winded chatter.

The entry on Yoop Castle in the Gillikin Country (page 35) features some discussion on playing a giant character. Mr. Yoop is a very unlikely friend, as he would
likely try to eat anyone who draws near. However, a Crafted character would not be Adventure Hooks
HGLEOHDQGPLJKWEHDEOHWRVWULNHXSDFRQYHUVDWLRQZLWKWKHFDSWLYHJLDQW6XIFLHQW
A strange, eerie silence falls over Rigmarole Town. Nobody can talk! Its as if
bribes of orange marmalade (his other favorite food) might be enough to gain the
the
whole
town has come down with severe laryngitis. What could have caused this
giants friendship.
to happen? And how will the Rigmaroles cope?

Adventure Hooks
Mr. Yoop has escaped his prison and is eating everything in sight! Can anything
be done to stop him?

Rigmarole Town
Is this Rigmarole Town?

Theres a theft of Oz-wide importance in Rigmarole and only the natives saw
what happened. Good luck getting a useful description of the thief, though.
One of the characters friends is being honored at a ceremony in Rigmarole. The
opening toast is now entering day three, and in a note hastily scrawled on a napkin,
the friend has requested a social rescue mission.

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RIKLV0DJQLFHQW+LVWRU\RI2]KHVRQO\SDJHVLQVFDUFHO\HQRXJKWLPHWR
PDNHKLVFHQWUDOSRLQW$VKDGRZ\JXUHFDOOHGWKH5R\DO+LVWRULDQHPSOR\VWKH
characters to go see that the scholar makes his deadline.

Sir, replied the boy, if you have traveled very much you will
have noticed that every town differs from every other town in one
way or another and so by observing the methods of the people and
the way they live as well as the style of their dwelling places it
RXJKWQRWWREHDGLIFXOWWKLQJWRPDNHXS\RXUPLQGZLWKRXWWKH
trouble of asking questions whether the town bears the appearance
of the one you intended to visit or whether perhaps having taken a
different road from the one you should have taken you have made
an error in your way and arrived at some point where

Tottenhots
Who are you?
They answered this question all together, in a sort of chanting chorus, the words being as follows:

The Emerald City of Oz

Rigmarole Town is the second of the two defensive settlements in Oz, the
other being Flutterbudget Center. Anyone who attempts to invade Rigmarole Town
will likely become frustrated, as no one will stop talking long enough to be properly
conquered.

55

Were the jolly Tottenhots;

We do not like the day,
But in the night tis our delight
To gambol, skip and play.

Adventure Hooks

We hate the sun and from it run,

The moon is cool and clear,
So on this spot each Tottenhot
Waits for it to appear.

After a night of being tossed around by the Tottenhots, a character is discovered

to be missing something important. What silly demand will they make before they
consent to return it?

Were evry one chock full of fun,

And full of mischief, too;
But if youre gay and with us play
Well do no harm to you.

The Tottenhots are tired of being made fun of and looked down on by their
neighbors. Theres a lot more to them than playing! What else might the Tottenhots
do all day (or night)? And when they get the idea to go to the Emerald City to demand
their civil rights from Ozma...

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The Tottenhots are small people
with dark brown or black skin and stiff,
bright red hair that stands on end. They
wear nothing but a simple loincloth and
jewelry on their wrists, their ankles,
around their necks, and in their ears.
They are nocturnal, spending the day
asleep in something similar to a large
pot with a lid. Once the sun has set,
the lids pop off as the Tottenhot within
emerges with a burst of playful energy.

Utensia

Should anyone be traveling through

their domains at night, they will be unable to escape the antics of the Tottenhots. They are Size 2 and typically
have an Athletics skill of 3 or 4 and a
Wits rating of 1. They are quite capable
of running, jumping and playing many
kinds of active games. However, they
prefer to avoid adversity wherever they
QGLW

Utensia Characters

Utensia is a community composed of kitchen tools and utensils. Their ruler,

King Kleaver, used to be quite sharp, but there are concerns that he is starting to lose
his edge. He relies on his advisors His Holiness, Priest Colander and Judge Sifter to
sift through information to help him reach his decisions. His son, Prince Karver, has
shown a remarkable talent for cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
The highly polished soldiers of the Spoon Brigade protect the community. Their
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QG

The people of Utensia are only Size 1 and have the Crafted Trait. Making both
changes to a normal template results in no change in the templates effective point
cost. The Deadly Weapon trait may be purchased freely. The Spoon Brigade carries
muskets that they claim are equally effective against normal-sized opponents. Also,
a character from Utensia may have a Deadly Weapon for a body, such as a knife or a
pair of shears.
Utensia is a country of puns and characters should be encouraged to play along.
A corkscrew makes an excellent lawyer because it is crooked and accustomed to appearing at the bar (a bar being a legal association as well as a place where alcoholic
drinks are served).

Tottenhots And Your Character

The fact that Tottenhots only come out at night and dont necessarily play well
with others makes them poor choices for play. A Tottenhot friend might be useful
with their knowledge of how to get around in the dark and the sheer number of games
they might know how to play.

Adventure Hooks
The Potts have been cooking up a rebellion against King Kleaver for quite some
time. Now the violence threatens to boil over into the rest of the Quadling Country.
Someone is going to have to talk the Potts into simmering down.

56

Chapter 10: The Winkie Country

Playing A Bear
Since the bears of Bear Center are all toys, they should have the Crafted trait,
even if they do not use the Crafted Folk Template. The Wanderer, Small Animal,
Large Animal and Child in Oz templates may also be used, depending on the character concept. Although there are many toy bear soldiers, their weapons are toys as
well. This makes the Soldier template and the Deadly Weapon trait inappropriate
choices for these characters.

Bear Center
Then from behind a tree there stepped a brown, fuzzy bear whose
head came about as high as Caykes waistand Cayke was a small
woman. The bear was chubby as well as fuzzy; his body was even
puffy, while his legs and arms seemed jointed at the knees and
elbows and fastened to his body by pins or rivets. His ears were
round in shape and stuck out in a comical way, while his round,
black eyes were bright and sparkling as beads. Over his shoulder
the little brown bear bore a gun with a tin barrel. The barrel had
a cork in the end of it, and a string was attached to the cork and to
the handle of the gun.

Although there are no Bear Sorcerers, they are no strangers to magic. The Lavender Bear and Little Pink Bear both have a magical ability enchanted into their
VWXIQJ3HUKDSVRWKHUEHDUVFDQKDYHRWKHUPDJLFDODELOLWLHV

Adventure Hooks
The Little Pink Bear has been stolen! Who could have taken him?

The Lost Princess of Oz

Bear Center is not a city in the usual sense. It can best be described as a puppet
stage or the set of a childrens television show intended to look like a forest. The
ground in this circular area is very neatly carpeted with soft green moss. All of the
trees that form the perimeter of the clearing are hollow, with circular holes some
height up the trunk.
Anyone who decides to search Bear Center for a human puppeteer will be disappointed. The plush bears of Bear Center are very much alive. Their most feared
punishment is to be sent to America, where they would not be alive and little children
would drag them around by their ears. For this reason, the bears are remarkably well
behaved.
The King of Bear Center is a large Lavender Bear. He is equipped with a noisemaker that is activated by any pressure on his chest. Since this tends to interfere with
his otherwise kingly bearing, it is considered polite to ignore the funny noise when
it occurs. Lavender Bear can use his Silver Wand to create illusions of any object or
person as they are at that moment. It is similar in effect to Ozmas Magic Picture,
except that the image can potentially be mistaken for the original article.
Another interesting bit of magic can be found in the Little Pink Bear. It does not
seem to be alive like the other bears of Bear Center, and only speaks when the crank
in its side is wound up. Once it is wound up, it will answer any question put to it and
that answer is always correct.

The Little Pink Bears answers make no sense! Is something wrong with him, or
could it be that his impossible answers are actually true?

Herku
The Czarover, the inventor of the miracle tonic zosozo, rules the city of Herku.
Each citizen takes one teaspoonful every year. This affords them immense amounts
of strength. They are so strong that they have enslaved giants to do all of the hard
work in their city. It does have the side effect of causing the user to appear frail and
ERQ\EXWWKH+HUNXGRQRWIHHOWKDWWKLVLVVLJQLFDQW
Ugu the Shoemaker was born in this city. As his name suggests, he was a shoemaker by trade until discovering that one of his ancestors was a powerful magician.
He found his ancestors books of magic and sought to become the most powerful
wizard in the world. Unwilling to share his magic with his fellow Herku, he left the
city and constructed a Wicker Castle some distance from the city. Although wicker
may seem a fragile material, Ugu reinforced it with magic, until even his fellow
Herku and their giants could not damage it.
While in this castle, he perfected his magic arts until such time as he was ready
to set his plan in motion. Sneaking into the Yip Country, he stole the Golden Dishpan
of Cayke the Cookie Cook. Using the magic of the Golden Dishpan, he stole the
magical tools and equipment of Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz. In order to
prevent anyone from following him, he stole Ozmas Magic Picture from her rooms.
While he was doing this, Princess Ozma woke up. Before she could stop him, he
took her with him.

57

Once back at his castle, he transformed her into a Golden Peach and placed her
in the Great Orchard outside the Herku city. This is where Button-Bright found her,
even though he didnt recognize the peach as being Princess Ozma.
Dorothy and her friends eventually caught up with Ugu the Shoemaker and defeated him with the Magic Belt, turning him into a small gray dove. Since the Magic
Belt came from the Nome Kingdom fairly recently, none of Ugus magic books made
any mention of it. And so, he had no plan to steal it or any way to defend against its
magic.
As a dove, Ugu has no ability to practice magic as he once did. He has also
learned humility from his experience and may yet become a force for good in Oz.

Herku And Your Character

If a character chooses, they may have the Czarover of the Herku on their Friends
List. This would allow them to spend an Oz Point to have a small amount of zosozo,
temporarily granting them the titanic strength of the Herku.

Adventure Hooks
Ugu the Gray Dove appears to the heroes, asking for help in rescuing a man in
danger. As they are rescuing him, the man tells the adventurers that it was Ugu himself who lured him into his recent predicament. Has Ugu turned back to wickedness,
or is this just a misunderstanding?
Ozma has ordered the giant slaves of the Herku to be freed and has asked you to
see that it gets done. Many obstacles lie in your path, from super-strong Herkus to
giants unaccustomed to freedom.

Oogaboo
Im Queen of Oogaboo, said Ann, proudly. But, she added
with a sigh, my kingdom is the smallest and the poorest in all the
Land of Oz.

All of the men of Oogaboo are

named Jo and take their last names from
the products of their farms. Jo Cone
has an orchard of trees that produce
ice cream cones of many varieties. Jo
Candy grows all sorts of candy on his
farm, from lemon drops to bonbons.
Queen Ann Soforth resented being
left behind while her parents explored
the Land of Oz. But she knew that
beyond the mountains that surrounded
Oogaboo, she would simply be a girl,
not a Queen. So Ann gathered together
the men of her small kingdom and created an army to conquer the Land of
Oz.
In order to induce the men to join
her army, she promised them all high
ranks. This resulted in an army full of
RIFHUVEXWRQO\RQHSULYDWH-R)LOHV
who had a book tree and read many adventure stories, was eager to be a private solGLHUDQGJKWIRUWKHJORU\RIKLVNLQJGRP
Glinda the Good, the Good Witch of the South, read about this plan in her magic
Book of Records and decided to act. She knew that Oz could not be conquered, but
she feared that an army would disrupt the general peace and happiness of Oz. So she
cast a great spell that transported the advancing army out of Oz.
They arrived in a very desolate area, which Queen Ann quickly claimed for
Oogaboo. Private Files proved his heroism by defeating a horrible creature known
DVD5DNLQMXULQJLWVRWKDWWKHDUP\FRXOGHVFDSH7KHUVWSHRSOHWKH\HQFRXQWHUHG
were Shaggy Man and his party: Betsy Bobbin, Polychrome the Rainbows Daughter, Princess Ozga of the Rose Kingdom, Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man, and Hank the
Mule.

Tik-Tok of Oz

Ann ordered her army to conquer the group, but Private Files refused on the
The kingdom of Oogaboo lies in the far north of the Winkie Country. Its origi- grounds that imprisoning and enslaving women was not heroic in the slightest. Prinal king, Jol Jemkiph Soforth left Oogaboo several years ago to escape his nagging vate Files resigned his post and Queen Ann replaced him with Tik-Tok.
ZLIH6KHOHIWWRQGKLPDIHZ\HDUVODWHUOHDYLQJWKHLUGDXJKWHU$QQWRUXOHWKH
After several other adventures, including a trip through the center of the earth
kingdom.
and the removal of King Ruggedo from the throne of the Nome Kingdom, Queen

58

Ann and her army decided that the world was too big and dangerous for one person
to conquer. Princess Ozma, viewing this scene in her Magic Picture, ordered the
Wizard of Oz to cast a spell returning them home.

Thi
But the wall was soon forgotten, for in front of them were a number
of quaint people who stared at them in amazement as if wondering
where they had come from. Our friends forgot their good manners
for a time and returned the stares with interest, for so remarkable
a people had never before been discovered in all the remarkable
Land of Oz. Their heads were shaped like diamonds, and their
bodies like hearts. All the hair they had was a little bunch at the tip
top of their diamond-shaped heads, and their eyes were very large
and round, and their noses and mouths very small. Their clothing
ZDVWLJKWWWLQJDQGRIEULOOLDQWFRORUVEHLQJKDQGVRPHO\HPEURLdered in quaint designs with gold or silver threads; but on their
feet they wore sandals with no stockings whatever. The expression
of their faces was pleasant enough, although they now showed surprise at the appearance of strangers so unlike themselves, and our
friends thought they seemed quite harmless.

During their adventures, Princess Ozga developed a liking for Private Files and
chose to go with him when he was returned to Oogaboo.

Everything Grows On Trees!

Oogaboo is not the only place where interesting things grow on trees. In the
land of Ev, Dorothy discovers trees that bear lunch boxes and dinner pails. In the
land of Mo, everything a person could want or need grows on trees.
What does this mean for you as Narrator? Its just one more opportunity to
make the Land of Oz interesting. If your game involves people coming to Oz
from America, a tree that bears caramel apples can be just another way to tell
them that theyre not in Kansas anymore. It can also serve as another source of
stories. For example, two small communities might start a war over who will
harvest this years spaghetti crop.

The Lost Princess of Oz

Playing An Oogaboo
Most of the people of Oogaboo are farmers, but the men adapted to the Soldier
template very readily. Without Queen Ann to forge them into a mighty army, an adventurer from Oogaboo will likely take on the Wanderer template. A young person
eager to escape the tedium of farming might explore Oz at large using the Child in
Oz template.

Adventure Hooks
Queen Ann Soforth has gathered her army again. Who does she plan to conquer
this time?
Ozga, former Princess of the Rose Kingdom and distant cousin to Ozma herself,
has consented to marry Jo Files, former Private of the Army of Oogaboo. A royal
wedding in the Emerald City is underway! As long as the happy couple can make it
safely to the Emerald City, that is.

The city of Thi lies in a very remote part of the Winkie Country. To the east of
the city lie the Merry-Go-Round Mountains, which are made of soft rubber and spin
very rapidly. Only the most daring travelers will try to bounce themselves off of the
mountains to pass through to the other side. To the west of the Thists live the Herku,
who are so strong that they have enslaved giants to do all of their work.
Once a traveler has made it through one of these hazards, they must then deal
with the Twisting Lands that surround the city. The land itself will twist so that travHOHUVZLOOQGWKHPVHOYHVZDONLQJLQDGLUHFWLRQRWKHUWKDQWKHRQHWKH\LQWHQGHG
The next obstacles a traveler will encounter are the thistles that grow around the
FLW\VZDOOV7KHVHWKLVWOHVDUHSDUWLFXODUO\WKRUQ\DQGZLOOLQLFW:LWVGDPDJHHYHU\
turn that someone tries to cross them. A little creativity or forethought should allow
the careful wanderers to protect themselves from this effect.

$IWHUDOORIWKHVHWULDOVWKHWUDYHOHUZLOOQDOO\KDYHDUULYHGDWWKHFLW\ZDOOV
However, there is no gate in the wall to allow passage. Although this wall may look
impenetrable, it is actually an illusion with no substance.
The people who live in the city of Thi are called Thists or Thistle-Eaters. This
is because they eat the thistles that grow around their city. Their throats and stomachs are lined with gold, which protects their delicate insides from the thorny plants.
Also, the Thists are quite lazy and any other food crop would require farming, while
the thistles grow abundantly around their city.

59

The road that Nick Chopper followed to become the Emperor of the Winkies is
The only exception to their notable laziness is their manufacture of auto-dragons. These are mechanical dragons that they use to pull their chariots and carriages. an interesting path indeed. Once a simple woodchopper, he fell in love with a serv7KLVKRZHYHUPD\VLPSO\EHDPRUHHIFLHQWIRUPRIOD]LQHVVVLQFHULGLQJLQD ing girl in the employ of the Wicked Witch of the East. The Witch did not wish to
lose her servant and so she enchanted Nicks ax to cut off his leg. Nick then turned
vehicle does allow a person to avoid walking.
to his friend, a tinsmith named Ku-Klip, who made him a new leg out of tin. The
The High Coco-Lorum rules the city, but the Thists may not realize this. He is
Witch tried to enchant his ax several more times, but every time he lost a limb he had
very careful to avoid making shows of power in order to maintain the goodwill of
it quickly replaced with tin.
his people. Instead, he simply helps settle disputes and interprets the law (which he
wrote).
Eventually, Nicks meat body had been wholly replaced with tin, making him
D7LQ:RRGPDQ$OWKRXJKWLQKDGPDQ\YLUWXHVWKDW1LFNDQGKLVDQFpHDGPLUHG
being strong, beautiful, and immune to age, it was also prone to rust. While chopPlaying A Thist
ping down a tree in the rain, Nick Chopper became rusted stiff and remained so until
In spite of the Thists unusual apDorothy rescued him.
pearance, there is no reason that they
He joined Dorothys quest in the hopes that he would acquire a heart. Without
cant use any of the standard templates.
DKHDUWKHKDGUHDOL]HGKHFRXOGQRWORYHKLVDQFpHDVKHRQFHGLG$OWKRXJKKLV
In order to make or repair one of the
journey did result in the acquisition of a heart, it also led to a few other things.
auto-dragons, a character should take
the Craftsman (Auto-dragon) trait. A
With Dorothys defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Winkies desired
character with the Craftsman (Mechana new ruler, and chose Nick for the job. And so the Tin Woodman moved into the
ics) or (Automobile) may work on an
Witchs castle and was soon crowned Emperor of the Winkies.
auto-dragon, but at a -1 penalty until
they have had time to adequately acHowever, the old castle was very damp, causing the Tin Woodmans joints to
quaint themselves with the machine.
UXVW6RKHJDWKHUHGWKHQHVWWLQVPLWKVLQWKH:LQNLH&RXQWU\DQGVHWWKHPWRWKH
task of building his tin castle. Everything in the castle is made of tin. The walls and
There are some Sorcerers among
the Thists to cast their wall of illusion, and whoever invented the auto-dragon was RRUVRIWKHFDVWOHDUHWLQ7LQRZHUVEORRPLQWKHJDUGHQZKLFKLVGHFRUDWHGE\
probably a Scholar. Beyond these exceptions, the Thists are rather incurious people. tin statues of his friends. Dinner is served on tin dishes and a band playing tin instruVery few of them call their city anything other than home or think of themselves as ments entertains guests.
anything other than people.

Adventure Hooks

The only item in the castle that is not made of tin is a straw throne that sits next
to the Emperors tin throne. This throne is for his good friend Scarecrow to sit in
during his many and frequent visits.

An auto-dragon is running loose in the Winkie Country! Has it been magically

brought to life, or did some lazy mechanic just forget to repair the brakes?

Tin Castle And Your Character

Tin Castle

Only one adventuresome character makes his home in the Tin Castle: the Tin
Woodman himself. Many other people live in the castle, but they work very hard to
PDNHVXUHWKDWHYHU\WKLQJLVLQQHZRUNLQJRUGHUDURXQGWKHFDVWOH

The Emperor was proud of his new tin castle, and showed his visitors through all the rooms. Every bit of the furniture was made of
brightly polished tinthe tables, chairs, beds, and alleven the
RRUVDQGZDOOVZHUHRIWLQ
The Road to Oz

Thanks to his kind heart, the Tin Woodman is one of the most loyal friends to
be found anywhere. He refuses his friends no request large or small, except one that
involves harm to any living thing. He cannot stand the thought of harming so much
DVDEXWWHU\7RGRVRZRXOGPDNHKLPFU\FDXVLQJKLVPRXWKWRUXVWFORVHG

60

Adventure Hooks

Yip Country

The Emperor has been immobilized by some cruel magic, and no amount of oil
will allow his joints to move freely. What can be done?

In the far southwestern corner of the Winkie Country is a broad

tableland that can be reached only by climbing a steep hill, whichever side one approaches it. On the hillside surrounding this tableland are no paths at all, but there are quantities of bramble
bushes with sharp prickers on them, which prevent any of the Oz
people who live down below from climbing up to see what is on
top. But on top live the Yips, and although the space they occupy
is not great in extent, the wee country is all their own. The Yips
had neverup to the time this story beginsleft their broad tableland to go down into the Land of Oz, nor had the Oz people ever
climbed up to the country of the Yips.

A horrendous rainstorm has washed over the Winkie Country, rusting the Tin
Castle horribly. Theres not enough oil or polish to bring it back to its former glory,
so someone must venture out to get some more quickly.

Truth Pond
Near the western edge of the Winkie Country lies a small pond with a plaque
posted near it. The plaque reads: Truth Pond - Whoever bathes in this water must
always afterward tell the truth. But there is more to it than that. People who bathe
in the Truth Pond not only speak truthfully, but also honestly. After his bath, Shaggy
Man confesses to Dorothy that he stole the Love Magnet. Once Frogman had taken
a swim, he realized that he was fooling himself by thinking that his unusual nature
made him wiser than others.
The Truth Pond has one additional effect. If a person has been subjected to an
undesired magical transformation, a dip in the pond will restore their true form.

Truth Pond And Your Character

The Truth Pond has no effect on a characters skills, nor does it give them extra
abilities. Instead, a character that bathes in the Truth Pond adds it to their Friends
List. This allows the Narrator to award Oz Points to a character that tells the truth in
DGLIFXOWVLWXDWLRQRUJRHVRXWRIWKHLUZD\WRGHDOKRQHVWO\ZLWKRWKHUV
For the most part, players should be allowed the choice of whether or not to associate their character with the Truth Pond. Trusting players or those interested in a
roleplaying challenge may allow the Narrator to make that choice for them. Other
players, however, will be angry with their Narrator for dunking their character in the
Truth Pond without their consent.

Adventure Hooks

The Lost Princess of Oz

Yip Country is the home of the eccentric Yips. It is separated from the rest of
Oz by a steep slope on all sides that is covered with brambles and thorny vines. This
has resulted in a community that does things a bit differently. Instead having an organized system of streets and other traits of urban planning, the Yips build their homes
in seemingly random locations.
The Yips did not have a king or queen to rule over them. Instead, they turned
to the most unique among them when they needed advice. This was the Frogman,
a frog who had been transformed by a magical pond into something resembling a
person. He was actually rather intelligent, so this was a fairly good system.
This isolated little community enters the chronicles of Oz in a rather interesting
manner. Cayke the Cookie Cooks Golden Dishpan had disappeared, and she was
determined to get it back. She claimed that this item gave her the ability to cook
good cookies.
Little did Cayke know, but the Golden Dishpan had another ability. With the
right magic word, it could expand to allow a person to sit in it. Another magic word
would carry the dishpan and its passenger to any location in Oz. A wicked sorcerer
named Ugu the Shoemaker knew this and stole the dishpan. He then proceeded to
use it to steal magic from the Wizard of Oz and Glinda the Good and kidnap Princess
Ozma.

A storyteller has been wandering the Winkie Country lately, telling all sorts of
tall tales. He claims to have bathed in the Truth Pond, so that all of his tales are comAfter many adventures, Cayke was eventually reunited with her Golden Dishpan
pletely true. However, a lot of adventurous Winkie youths have gotten into plenty of and returned home to the Yip Country. It is not known if she learned how to use its
WURXEOHWU\LQJWRUHFUHDWHKLVVWRULHVRUQGWKHVWUDQJHORFDOHVWKDWKHGHVFULEHG,V transportation ability or simply resumed cooking good cookies.
he as truthful as he claims, or will it take a dunking in the Truth Pond for him to come
clean?

61

Part III: Adventures

Playing A Yip
Most Yips encountered outside of their homeland will likely be Wanderers. They
have no need for Soldiers and do not have much of a tradition of Scholars. There are
no known Yip magicians, but the enchanted pool that gave the Frogman his man-like
stature might give some kind of magic to the lucky Yip who discovered it.

Chapter 11: The Jaded City Of Oz

Overview And Preparation

Adventure Hooks

The Jaded City of Oz is an adventure for any number of players. Their characters will march in an Oz-wide parade to celebrate Melting Day, the anniversary of
With the Frogman taking up residence in the Emerald City, one of the Yips has the Wicked Witch of the Wests defeat. Along the way, they will encounter familiar
GHFLGHGWROOKLVVKRHV8QIRUWXQDWHO\ZHDULQJDIURJVXLWDQGVZLPPLQJHYHU\ sights like the Yellow Brick Road, the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West, and
morning do not make one wise. Is there any way to teach the Yips what wisdom re- Munchkinland.
ally is?
The simplest way to use this adventure is to play it in one session. Before the
The Yips are trying to build a path connecting them with the rest of Oz, but the session, decide how much time you have to devote to each scene in the story (allotbramble bushes grow back almost as fast as theyre cut! Is there anything that can be WLQJRQO\DERXWPLQXWHVHDFKWRWKHUVWDQGODVWVFHQHVDQGGLYLGLQJ\RXUWLPH
done?
evenly among the rest). Then, stay on track as best you can so that you make sure
to get to the Jaded City and the big ending. If youre running late, you can skip the
scene in Gillikin Country.
If you prefer, you can run this story over multiple sessions. You can either let
the players play through it at their own pace or set up each play session to revolve
around a particular location. If youre interested in adapting The Jaded City of Oz
into a multi-session story, read the boxes labeled Bigger and Better in each scene.

Running The Adventure

You should read the whole adventure and familiarize yourself with it before you
UXQLWIRUWKHUVWWLPH0RVWVFHQHVKDYHWKHIROORZLQJSDUWV
First, theres an Introduction. This section is for the Narrator, not for the players,
but you should summarize the information for them. Since the Introduction involves
getting from one scene to the next, you will have to customize it depending on what
the players have been doing so far.
Second, theres a Read Aloud section. You should read or paraphrase this section to your players. It tells them where they are and what is happening from their
characters perspective.
Third, theres a section called Whats Going On Here? This section is for the
1DUUDWRU,WH[SODLQVWKHSRLQWRIWKHVFHQHWKHPDLQFRQLFWDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQYROYHG,WFRQWDLQVLQIRUPDWLRQWKDWWKHSOD\HUVPD\QRWQGRXWXQOHVVWKH\DVNVR
dont read it to them. Pay special attention to this section when you read through the
DGYHQWXUHIRUWKHUVWWLPH

62

Whats Going On Here?

Fourth is a section called What Can the Players Do About It? This section describes solutions that your players might try. It gives you some ideas about whether
those solutions will work and suggests what kind of dice rolls to call for. Remember
that these are only guidelines! Good ideas that arent listed in this section should still
have a chance to work.

All Tik-Tok wants to do is keep the parade on schedule and provide for the needs
of the characters before they leave. The point of this scene is to get the players comfortable and help them to introduce their characters. Make sure to use Tik-Toks
hal-ting vo-cal patt-erns... that will give your players

7KHIWKVHFWLRQLV:UDSSLQJ8S,WGHVFULEHVWKHSRVVLEOHUHVXOWVRIWKHVFHQH
the courage to do voices and play their characters.
and explains how to move onto the next scene once youre through.
Once the characters all know each other and have had
a chance to ask questions, they can step out onto the
Finally, theres a section called Supporting Cast that gives you stats and short
Yellow Brick Road and begin the adventure.
descriptions of all the important characters in the scene.

Supporting Cast

Scene 1: The Melting Day Parade

Name: Tik-Tok
Basic Skills:
Athletics: 3
Brains: 2
Sneaking: 1
Traits: Crafted

Introduction
After the players have created or chosen their characters, read the following
aloud:
Read Aloud:
Throughout Oz, few days are more joyously celebrated than Melting Day, the
anniversary of the day when Dorothy Gale melted the Wicked Witch of the West.
This year, Ozma has arranged for a giant parade with representatives from every
FRUQHURI2]KRZHYHUIDUXQJ7KHSDUDGHZLOOVWDUWGRZQWKH<HOORZ%ULFN5RDG
then visit each of the four countries, touring villages big and small all along the way.
Finally, rejoining the Yellow Brick Road right where it left off, the parade will return
WKURXJKWKHJDWHVRIWKH(PHUDOG&LW\IRUDQDOFHOHEUDWLRQLQWKHFRXUW\DUGRIWKH
Emerald Palace.
You will have the great honor of walking in the parade. You were given a prize
spot near the back of the procession, behind the Fire-Breathing Pigs but still in front
of the Stinking Rose Exhibition. Its approaching noon, and all day long the procesVLRQKDVEHHQVORZO\OWHULQJRXWRIWKH(PHUDOG&LW\VIURQWJDWHV<RXDUHWKHQH[W
group to leave, and you are scheduled to pass through the gates at 12:00 sharp. When
\RXDVVHPEOHLQIURQWRIWKHJDWHV\RXQGDVWRXWZHOOSROLVKHGFRSSHUPDQZDLWing for you. He wobbles up to you and says Hap-py Melt-ing Day! It is a-bout time
for you to set out on the Yell-ow Brick Road!
Only if the players are playing original characters:
Tik-Tok continues: Do you all know each oth-er? May-be youd bet-ter get
DFTXDLQWHG)ULHQGVGREHWWHUWKDQVWUDQJHUVRQORQJWULSV,QG

Size: 3
Awareness: 2
Presence: 2 (Polite)
Wits: 4

Bigger and Better

Even if youre running The Jaded City of Oz as a multi-part adventure, theres no
reason to spend much time on this scene. The real fun is out on the road.

Scene 2: Yellow Brick Blues

Introduction
As the characters travel down the Yellow Brick Road, they will notice their
surroundings turn from green to blue. They have entered Munchkin Country. The
journey is an easy one, but eventually the characters will stumble upon the following
scene:
Read Aloud:
As you pass by a bright blue Munchkin city in the distance, you enter an orchard
of Blue Trees (which are just like Orange Trees, except for the color). The trees are
tall and hale, and the fruit is a lovely shade of navy blue. The trees are strangely

63

shaped, though; all of the branches point straight up like upstretched arms, hanging
the tough fruits far out of reach. From somewhere in the orchard, you hear the following exchange:
(Sad Voice) Please, sir! Just one!
(Stern, Stuffy Voice) No!
(Sad Voice) ... but I love them so! Cant I please have just a taste?
(Stern, Stuffy Voice) No! My answer is categorical! Now shoo!

Whats Going On Here?

The sad voice comes from Henrietta, a yellow creature with blue spots who
looks like a cross between a sheep dog and an anteater. The stern voice comes from
one of the Blue Trees, which has a sour, wrinkled face made out of bark (all of the
trees have faces like this, but theyre only visible when the trees are speaking). Henrietta is begging the Blue Tree for fruit. Shell try to get the players to help her as
soon as she sees them.
Henrietta is a Gloofer, and like all other Gloofers, Blues are her favorite food.
The Blue Trees have recently decided to beautify their orchard by pulling their Blues
up out of reach, though, because they hate the ugly bare spots that they get when the
Gloofers eat their fruit. If this keeps up, the Gloofers will have to leave the orchard,
even though its been their home for as long as they can remember.

tion. Tricking or scolding her will require Presence rolls against her Wits.

Wrapping Up
If the characters offend the Blue Trees, the trees will get very angry and begin
shaking around and whipping the characters with branches! Theres a whole orchard
full of them, so this might be a good time to get moving. Otherwise, the Blue Trees
and/or Henrietta will bid the characters farewell, mentioning that theyve been enjoying the parade so far. Hopefully, this will remind the characters that they have a
schedule to keep. If not, perhaps the Stinking Rose Exhibition starts to catch up to
them, giving them a painfully pungent reason to get a move on. The parade route
continues just a little farther down the Yellow Brick Road, then branches off to the
south, toward Quadling Country.

Supporting Cast
Henrietta The Gloofer

Henrietta is a Gloofer, a yellow creature with

blue polka dots that looks like a cross between a
sheep dog and an anteater. Henrietta is just one of
many Gloofers who live in this area and love the
taste of Blues. The Munchkins living nearby like
to ride Gloofers because of the unusual MunchWhat Can The Players Do?
kin town that they live in; see the box for details.
 7KHSOD\HUVPLJKWWU\WRLQWURGXFH+HQULHWWDWRDQHZIDYRULWHGLVKQGKHUD Gloofers have the special ability to climb almost
new source of Blues or otherwise keep her happy while preventing her from eating any surface just like a spider. Unfortunately for
the fruit of the Blue Trees. This would require a Presence roll against Henriettas them, it doesnt work on wood, so the Gloofers
:LWVRUSHUKDSVD%UDLQVUROOWRQGDQRWKHUVRXUFHRI%OXHVDQGFRXOGZRUNRXW cant climb the Blue Trees.
very nicely.
If someone gains Henrietta as a friend, then
when
she is called upon, shell arrive with a number of other Gloofers (at least enough
Alternately, the players might help Henrietta by getting the Blue Trees to give up
for
all
of the characters to ride on). You can use Henriettas stats for all Gloofers.
their fruit. They could trick the trees into lowering their branches, they could climb
up and wrestle fruit away from the trees, they could chop a tree down, or they could
persuade the Blue Trees to let Henrietta eat freely (maybe by pointing out that if the
Gloofers dont eat the Blues while theyre ripe, they will rot on the branch and look
quite ugly indeed). These solutions will require contested rolls against the Tree.

,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGHFLGHWRKHOSWKH%OXH7UHHVWKH\ZRQWQGLWWRRGLIFXOW
Scaring off or scolding Henrietta will do the job, as will physically attacking her,
WULFNLQJKHUHWF+HQULHWWDLVQWPXFKRIDJKWHUDQGZLOOHHDQ\NLQGRILQWLPLGD-

64

Size: 4
Basic Skills
Athletics: 4 (Sticking to Everything But Wood)
Brains: 2
Sneaking: 3
Traits: No Arms

Awareness: 3
Presence: 2
Wits: 3

Blue Tree
These stats are used for all Blue Trees. Blue Trees can move their branches and
such, but they cant move along the ground, since theyre rooted in place.
Size: 4
Basic Skills
Athletics: 4
Brains: 2
Sneaking: 1 (Pretending not to be alive)
Traits: Crafted, No Arms, Weakness to Fire
(Uncommon, Damaging)

Awareness: 3
Presence: 3
Wits: 3

sprawling bluegrass of Munchkin Country are instantly replaced by crimson clouds

and red-clay mountains. The rural road through Quadling Country passes by many
strange parade-goersHammerheads, Flutterbudgets and even the reclusive Bunnies of Bunnybury line the road, eagerly cheering the parade. I. Screem Scoop, a
reporter from Utensia, is present to scoop his competition on parade coverage; thats
why he came here on a long wok from Utensia (who is seated nearby). Eventually
the crowd thins, and you may read the following:
Read Aloud:
The crowd dwindles away to nothing as you travel a rural road in the middle of
pleasant, rolling farmland. A sign along the road reads THIS WAY TO FUDDLECUMJIG. However, the road then veers sharply to the north and becomes quite
EXPS\ DQG GLIFXOW $ VKRUW ZD\V GRZQ WKH URDG \RX QG D VKRUW VFUDZQ\ DQG
sullen-looking man in a pile of puzzle pieces that he seems to have taken out of the
road itself. Hes making a lot of very sad sounds that sound like a mixture of tears
DQGIUXVWUDWHGJUXPEOHV7KHOLWWOHPDQLVGUHVVHGLQDQLOOWWLQJWZHHGVXLWDQGLV
exceedingly frail. His head doesnt seem to quite match him except in size; it is a
different skin tone altogether, and has a dim-witted, monkey-like appearance.

Bigger and Better

This encounter is a great place to add extra details in a multi-session adventure. The Munchkin city in the background is called Gloogum, and theres a giant hole in its center that goes down for miles and miles. Most of the munchkins
live in houses built sideways on the walls of the hole; traveling inside this strange
tunnel requires the Munchkins to ride on Gloofers, who can stick to the walls.
Naturally, the munchkins of Gloogum dont want the Gloofers to leave the area
just because they cant get Blues anymore. They would happily help the characters to solve the Blue Tree problem, as long as they can get the Gloofers to stay.
,I\RXUHUXQQLQJ-DGHG&LW\DVDQH[WHQGHGVWRU\WKH\FRXOGDUULYHWRQGWKH
whole parade backed up in front of Gloogum. How can a parade march through
a town thats built vertically? In this case, the characters will need somehow to
enlist the Gloofers as mounts for the parade. Helping the Gloofers with their
Blue Tree problem would be a great start!

Whats Going On Here?

 7KHURDGUVWRIDOOLVPDGHRIPLVPDWFKHGSX]]OHSLHFHV$VXFFHVVIXO%UDLQV
roll will reveal that the road is pointing in the wrong direction; a special success
reveals that is has been rebuilt to make a big swooping curve around Fuddlecumjig
before getting back on course. If the parade followed this route, itll get back on
course eventually, but will miss its scheduled visit to Fuddlecumjig.

Scene 3: The Sad Story Of Horbull

Introduction
Thousands of Munchkin spectators cheer the characters as they follow the parade route south, away from the Yellow Brick Road and toward Quadling Country.
The characters pass the dividing line, where the cerulean skies, sparkling rivers and

The sad little man trying to rebuild the road is Horbull. Until a week ago, Horbull was two different Fuddles: Hortense, a scrawny but super-intelligent librarian,
and Turnbull, a dumb but strong Ozball player who was the hero of Fuddlecumjig.
About a week ago some Munchkins passed through, scattering all of the Fuddles.
They were in a hurry, and in their haste they accidentally switched Hortenses head
(and thus brains) with Turnbulls. One of the resulting mismatches, Turntense, seems
to have the best of both worlds. He is now both a genius and a sports hero. Poor
Horbull got the short end of both sticks; hes now both dimwitted and weak in body.
Turntense got worried that the next time someone walked through town, hed go to
pieces and get reassembled correctly. So, while Horbull was out of town, Turntense
rebuilt the road to Fuddlecumjig so that it forms a big detour to prevent any more
YLVLWRUV+RUEXOOLVQWVPDUWHQRXJKWRJXUHRXWKRZWRJHWKRPHZLWKRXWWKHURDG
to guide the way, so hes been trying to rebuild it correctly ever since, but he just
doesnt have the brainpower.

65

Like any Fuddle, Horbull will go to pieces if hes surprised, as he will be if the
characters approach him. Rebuilding Horbull will take a Brains roll. Once hes put
back together, Horbull will explain his situation and ask for the characters help in
getting home and reclaiming his Good Pieces from Turntense.

What Can The Players Do?

The characters may help Horbull directly by cheering him up, pointing him
home, or even rebuilding him in some more agreeable form. A carpenter would be
able to reshape Horbulls body and brains, and any character could use a special sucFHVVRQD%UDLQVUROOWRSXW+RUEXOOWRJHWKHULQDQHZEHWWHUFRQJXUDWLRQIRUFLQJ
the pieces wont be easy, though, and might require an Athletics roll). Horbull is
easy to trick into happiness, since hes not very bright.

Supporting Cast
Horbull
Horbull has a scrawny little nerds body beneath the low, sloped brow of a dimZLWWHG2]EDOOSOD\HU+HKDVQRZD\WRQGKLVZD\EDFNWR)XGGOHFXPMLJDQGLV
very depressed. Hes got both Hortenses cowardice and Turnbulls bad temper, so
he can be a little moody.
Size: 3
Basic Skills
Athletics: 1
Awareness: 2
Brains: 1
Presence: 3 (Intimidation)
Sneaking: 2
Wits: 1
Traits: Weakness (Incapacitating, Common;
falls apart when surprised)


7R [ WKH SUREOHP IRU JRRG WKH FKDUDFWHUV ZRXOG KDYH WR WDNH 7XUQWHQVH WR
pieces along with Horbull and reassemble them both correctly. This will require
QGLQJ)XGGOHFXPMLJ5HDVVHPEOLQJWKHURDGFRUUHFWO\ZLOOOHDGWKHFKDUDFWHUVULJKW
to Fuddlecumjig; this is an Extended Test that requires 5 successes, and players may
FRQWULEXWHE\UROOLQJHLWKHU%UDLQVRU$ZDUHQHVV,WVSRVVLEOHWRQGWKHWRZQLQORWV
of other ways; asking local animals for help, taking to the air to get a birds-eye view, Turntense
XVLQJDWHOHVFRSHHWF$IWHUWKDWLWVVLPSOHWRQG7XUQWHQVHDQGVXUSULVHKLPPDNTurntense has a big, strapping, beefy body with the blonde, bespectacled head of
ing him scatter. Of course, drawing any attention in Fuddlecumjig will scatter the
a
young
genius on top. Hes always smiling. Hes never felt better in his life, now
rest of the town, too. Once Hortense is reconstructed, though, hell be smart enough
that
Horbulls
got all of his bad pieces.
to reconstruct his friends if the characters are behind schedule.
Size: 3

Wrapping Up

Basic Skills
Awareness: 2
Athletics: 5 (Ozball)
Brains: 5
Presence: 3
Sneaking: 2
Wits: 3
Traits: Weakness (Incapacitating, Common;
falls apart when surprised)

Both Hortense and Turnbull will be grateful to be reconstructed. Neither one is likely to make a very useful
friend, but if the characters are interested in striking up a
friendship, its possible. Alternately, if the characters rebuilt Horbull in a new shape that he enjoys, hell become
their friend, and may be a very useful one... depending on
how a good a job they did.
If the characters visit Fuddlecumjig, theyll be thanked
for their visit and informed that the Fuddles are looking forward to catching the tail end of the parade... at which point
a whiff of the Stinking Rose Exhibition will pass by on a
breeze, causing everyone to collapse again. In any case, the
road leads all the way around Quadling Country, past Utensia and the Forest of Fighting Trees, and up to the border of
Winkie Country.

66

Who are ya? Huh? Ya look like witches to me! Go ahead, stick your hands in my
bucket, if ya dare... ya dirty witches!

Bigger and Better


7KLVHQFRXQWHUGRHVQWQHHGDQ\VWUHWFKLQJWRWLQWRDPXOWLVHVVLRQYHUVLRQ
of the story. You could give the parade-watchers along the road a little more
attention, though. I. Screem Scoop and his buddy Long Wok could provide a
funny encounter, and might make good Friends, since Scoop always has useful
information to share and Long Wok can get him to the characters wherever they
are.

Whats Going On Here?

Ever since the Wicked Witch of the West was defeated, the Winkies who live
in this castle have become very paranoid about witches. Theyve even made some
uniforms. They call themselves the Winkie Witch Watch. Theyre so suspicious
of everyone that they carry around buckets of water and water balloons, and douse
people at the slightest sign of witch-like tendencies. The parade route passes through
the courtyard of the castle, but its slow going, because the guards give everyone a
hard time.

If youre planning on spending an entire session in Fuddlecumjig, Turntense

should take precautions against being scattered. For example, he might hide in
the library, where scowling librarians will shush the characters. The characters
ZLOOKDYHWRWUDFN7XUQWHQVHGRZQLQWKHOLEUDU\DQGQGDFUHDWLYHVLOHQWZD\WR
scare him.

Scene 4: The Wicked Witch Hunt Of The West

Introduction
At the border of Winkie Country, the rusty Quadling landscape suddenly sprouts
LQWROLIHWKH:LQNLHVN\LVSDLQWHGLQDQDXWXPQSDOHWWHFRUQHOGVFURZGWKHGLVtant plains, straw blows to and fro everywhere, and the yellow of the sun seems to
coat every surface like melted butter. Traveling north, the characters are once again
surrounded on their journey by cheering crowds of Winkies and the occasional Tottenhot. They notice that stern-looking Winkies in mustard yellow uniforms line the
road, not cheering, but suspiciously scanning the parade and the crowd. As the characters press north, read the following:

The guards will eventually let the characters through (especially if Dorothy, Tin
Man, The Cowardly Lion or Scarecrow are in the party and introduce themselves
DVVXFK2QFHLQVLGHWKHFDVWOHWKHFKDUDFWHUVZLOOQGWKDWWKH\UHXQGHUFRQVWDQW
scrutiny. Any strange behavior will questions, and possibly a water balloon to the
face. If something unusual or magical happens, a vigilant Winkie will call Witch
Hunt! and the whole Witch Watch will come running to douse everybody in the
room, including each other.
Eventually (whenever you think that the paranoia joke has played out), a winged
PRQNH\LQDJROGHQFDSLVVSRWWHG\LQJLQFLUFOHVRYHUWKHFDVWOH)RUGHWDLOVDERXW
the King of the Winged Monkeys and what he wants, see his description below.)
Naturally, the Witch Watch calls an all-castle Witch Hunt and begins dousing everyone in sight. As far as theyre concerned, that winged monkey could only have
been summoned by a witch hiding somewhere in the castle, and the Winkies plan to
drench her before she can hatch her evil plot.

What Can The Players Do?

Just getting through the castle can be tough if the characters are suspicious-looking or act strangely. Characters who know magic or who fear water are especially
Long before you reach its gates, you can see it on the horizon: The looming, suspect. The Winkies know the Tin Man, though, so if someone is playing him, they
crooked tower where the Wicked Witch of the West reigned over the Winkies for so will trust him. No one else is safe from water balloons, not even DorothyWitches
long. It is still a twisted, ungainly thing, but its been painted with a cheery yellow can disguise themselves, after all! The characters might try to convince individual
trim and planted all around with lemon trees. As you get closer, you can see solemn Winkies of how silly theyre being, but talking to all of the Winkies this way would
:LQNLH*XDUGVLQPXVWDUG\HOORZXQLIRUPV7KH\DQNWKHIURQWJDWHVDQGPDQ take a long time.
the watchtowers... and line the parapets. There are an awful lot of Winkies here, you
Once the King of the Winged Monkeys shows up, the characters will probably
realize, and they dont look very much happier than they did when the Wicked Witch
ZDQWWRHLWKHUGULYHKLPDZD\RUQGRXWZKDWKHVXSWR7KH.LQJORRNVHUFHEXW
of the West lived here. When you reach the gates, two Winkie guards rush up to
is a perfectly reasonable fellow and is much more articulate than the other monkeys.
you, buckets of water at the ready. One of them, in a craven and paranoid tone, says,
Read Aloud:

67

He will explain that he is seeking refuge and that he wasnt summoned by any witch.
As evidence hell present his gold cap. The cap is what the Wicked Witch used to
control the monkeys, but now the King himself has it, which means no one can summon the monkeys and force them to do evil anymore. Once the characters know that,
they shouldnt have any trouble ending the Witch Hunt. The Winkies wont offer
refuge to the King unless the characters persuade them to, though. The characters
may not trust the King, or they may not even ask what hes doing at the castle. In that
FDVHWKH\PD\WU\WRGULYHKLPRII7KH\OOQGWKDWHDV\IRUHYHQLIKHVQRWUHDOO\
scared or tricked into leaving, hell leave as soon as he sees that hes not wanted. He
doesnt want to bring his people to a place where theyll be persecuted.

Wrapping Up
However the arrival of the King is resolved, the Winkie Witch Watch will be
eager to let the characters leave; the Witch Watch doesnt care for visitors. If the
players are very clever and roll well, they may be able to convince the Winkies that
the Witch Watch is a bad idea, but probably not.

King Of The Winged Monkeys

The King of the Winged Monkeys has
been the leader of his people ever since
Glinda gave him the Golden Cap (for
more information about the cap, see
page 23). However, the winged monkeys served the witch for so long that no
one trusts them anymore! The winged
monkeys have been run off from every
place that they have tried to settle in.
Thats why the King has come back
KHUH  +H ZDQWV WR QG D SODFH ZKHUH
his people can live in peace. The King is no saint; hes mischievous and can be peevish. Hes basically a good person, though, and he will greatly appreciate any help
that the players can offer his people.

If the King of the Winged Monkeys is able to settle his people near the castle
thanks to the characters help, he will become their Friend and give one of them a
single golden thread from the golden cap. Hes promised his people that hell never
let an outsider Command the Winged Monkeys again, but this thread, when tied
DURXQGDQJHUZLOODOORZWKHZHDUHUWR$VNWKH:LQJHG0RQNH\V9HU\1LFHO\$IWHU
matters are resolved at the castle, the characters can go north along the parade route
to Gillikin Country.

Supporting Cast

Basic Skills
Athletics: 3 (Flying)
Brains: 3
Sneaking: 3
Traits: Flight

Awareness: 2
Presence: 3
Wits: 3

Bigger And Better

Winkie Witch Watchman

You can use these stats for any and all members of the Winkie Witch Watch
who get into the action. They all have a large supply of water balloons on their
person at all times, and these are their only weapons. The Witch Watch uniform
has WWW emblazoned on its front pocket, a confusing detail, since those initials
stand for Wicked Witch of the West as well as Winkie Witch Watch.
Size: 3
Basic Skills
Athletics: 3
Brains: 1
Sneaking: 3
Traits: None

Size: 2

For a multi-session adventure, make the castle a rest stop along the parade
route. When the characters arrive, some of the other people in the parade are
already there, and they all spend the night before heading out in the morning to
complete the parade. This is a great chance to throw in your favorite Oz characters. A few minutes spent talking with an interesting character would be just
right to stretch this encounter a bit. In this case, the Winged Monkey should
show up in the morning after the rest of the parade has left and only the characters
remain.
If youre planning on spending the entire session at the Witchs Castle, use
the rest stop idea above, but expand it by inventing minor sub-plots related to
your favorite Oz charactersfor example, what if the Tin Man gets soaked and
rusts over? Or maybe something threatens the parade, like a water balloon soakLQJWKHUHEUHDWKLQJSLJVVRWKDWWKH\FDQWEUHDWKHUHDQ\PRUHXQWLOWKH\HDW
some yellow peppers from the nearby woods.

Awareness: 2
Presence: 4 (Wild Accusations)
Wits: 3

68

Scene 5: Whale Away!

 5XVKWRWKHHQGRIWKHSDWKDQGOHDYHWKHPRXQWDLQVWKHZKDOHFDQW\LQWKH
thinner air near the surface);

Introduction
Just north of the Winkie Castle, the characters cross the border and enter the
stony purple terrain of Gillikin Country. The parade route passes through forest and
plain, and through clusters of cheering Flatheads, Skeezers, and animals from the
Forest of Gugu. It gradually rises onto a winding mountain path, where you may
read the following:
Read Aloud:
It gradually strikes you that you are crossing a very strange mountain range. It
is purple, like most everything else in Gillikin country, and the sky around you is a
placid shade of periwinkle. High above is dense cloud cover, which is deep gray
with only hints of lavender lining. You may have heard that the air is thinner up in
the mountains, but thats evidently not the case here. On this mountain the air feels
thick, as though if you jumped up as high as you could, it might take you a few seconds to sink back down. What is strangest of all, though, is that you do not hear the
song of birds, a constant chorus that has followed you everywhere else in Oz.
(You may wish to pause here in case the players would like to investigate. Unless they do something that would get them out of the area or alert them to the approaching threat, continue:)

Incapacitate the whale (by tricking him into running into a mountain or distracting him with the illusion of food, for example);
Hide from the whale (with magic or by distracting him momentarily and then
hiding while hes not looking);
Escape the mountains immediately (probably by spending an Oz point to get a
quick rescue); or any number of other methods. Theres no set solution to this problem. If the players come up with something clever and roll well, it should work.
Most of these ideas are simple to resolve using the normal rules. Just consult the
whales stats in the section below.
If the characters do get swallowed, they arent damaged, just trapped in the
whale. At that point, an Oz point is the easiest way to get out, but other clever plans
PLJKWZRUNOLNHWULFNLQJWKHZKDOHLQWR\LQJORZDQGWKHQGLYLQJRXWRIKLVPRXWK
RUQGLQJDZD\WRJLYHKLPLQGLJHVWLRQVRWKDWKHYROXQWDULO\VSLWVWKHFKDUDFWHUV
up). If some characters are swallowed and some arent, have the whale keep at it
until hes swallowed everyone (that way he wont split up your players too badly, and
the ones on the outside can help rescue anyone whos been swallowed).

Wrapping Up

You hear a strange thrashing sound! You notice it just in time to be swamped by
Once the characters have escaped the whale, they can continue on to Munchkin
DSDVVLQJVZDUPRIVKLPPHULQJSXUSOHVKZKRVHHPWRVZLPWKURXJKWKHDLUMXVW
DVHDVLO\DVWKURXJKZDWHU7KHVKEUXVKSDVW\RXEXWWKH\UHLQPXFKWRRELJD &RXQWU\DQGUHMRLQWKH<HOORZ%ULFN5RDG,WZRXOGEHGLIFXOWWRHYHQJHWWKHZKDOH
KXUU\WRVWRSDQGFKDW<RXQGRXWZK\LQMXVWDPRPHQWZKHQ\RXVHHDPDPPRWK to talk, let alone to befriend him, but a character that does so will make a very powerwhale, at least twice the usual size, swoop down through the clouds. He soars toward ful friend!
you, mouth wide open, breaking off and swallowing mountaintops as he goes!

Supporting Cast

Whats Going On Here?

This is just what it looks like; a hungry skywhale out to make whalefood of the
characters. The whale is not very intelligent and, like most of us, doesnt talk to his
food. This encounter is an escape scene, pure and simple, a chance for tricky and
athletic characters to shine.

What Can The Players Do?

 2EYLRXVO\GRGJLQJWKHZKDOHLVWKHUVWVWHS7KDWDORQHZRQWVROYHWKHSURElem, though, because the whale can always come back for another pass. To get out
of this safely, the characters could:

Nuknuk The Skywhale

Nuknuk is a giant skywhale. He
only ever dips beneath the clouds to
eat, and its never occurred to him to
have conversations with all the tiny
creatures who live down on the surface.
It requires a successful Presence attack
just to get Nuknuk to notice that theres
someone trying to talk to him!

69

Nuknuk isnt quite like a regular character. Hes very, very big, and hes much
too powerful for a player to control. Still, its most convenient to use the rules for
characters to simulate him.
Size: 6 (!)
Basic Skills
Athletics: 5 (Eating)
Brains: 1
Sneaking: 1
Traits: No Arms, Flight

Awareness: 3
Presence: 1
Wits: 3

Special: If Nuknuk swallows someone, he then carries them around until they
somehow escape or until he realizes that theyre not food and spits them out.

Get On With It!

If youre running The Jaded City of Oz in a single session, you should check
the time before this encounter starts. If youre running short on time, you can cut
LWRXWHQWLUHO\-XVWGHVFULEH*LOOLNLQ&RXQWU\EULH\DQGWKHQWHOOWKHSOD\HUVWKDW
they pass through without any problems. If youre short on time but dont want
to remove this encounter entirely, only allow the whale to make a single pass. If
WKHFKDUDFWHUVGRGJHKLPKHLHVDZD\DQGWKH\FRQWLQXHRQWKHLUZD\,IRQHRU
more characters fail, give them a turn to escape by their wits. If they dont, then
KDYHWKHZKDOHVSLWWKHPRXWXQFHUHPRQLRXVO\VFROGLQJWKHP<RXUHQRWVK
And frankly, you dont taste very good! Watch where youre going next time!

Bigger And Better

If youve got more than one session, make the escape from the mountains
a more complex matter. Use an Extended Athletics Test to track the characters
progress through the mountains; each player needs 5 successes to make it through
and can roll once per turn. The whale continues to attack each turn. If the whale
GRHVVZDOORZVRPHRQHPDNHWKHHVFDSHIURPKLVEHOO\VLPLODUO\GLIFXOW
In a multi-session version of The Jaded City of Oz, its more fun if the whale
VZDOORZVWKHFKDUDFWHUV0DNHWKHUROOVWRDYRLGWKHZKDOHPXFKPRUHGLIFXOW
and let him follow the characters just about anywhere that they go. In this case,
the initial attack by the whale is just one encounter in a larger adventure. The
characters either get swallowed or get driven off of the parade route by the attack,
DQGWKHQQHHGWRQGWKHLUZD\EDFNE\ZD\RI\RXUIDYRULWH2]ORFDWLRQRI
course.

Scene 6: The Jaded City

Introduction
After leaving Gillikin Country, the characters re-enter Munchkin Country from
the other side and approach the Yellow Brick Road. As they get closer, though,
things get strange. They begin to pass by the other members of the parade, starting
ZLWKWKHUHEUHDWKLQJSLJVDQGPRYLQJGRZQWKHOLQH,WVHHPVWKDWWKHZKROHSDrade has backed up for some reason. No one in the parade knows whats happening,
EXWWKH\GOLNHVRPHRQHWKHFKDUDFWHUVWRZDONWRWKHIURQWRIWKHSDUDGHDQGQG
out. When the characters reach the front of the parade, theyll see the city that has
stopped it cold:
Read Aloud:
You follow the parade route, weaving through the crowds and the stalled parade
itself, until you see a wondrous sight before you. The road leads through towering
jade gates into a giant city full of marvels youve seen nowhere else in Oz! Vines
lining the road to the jade city gleam with ripe grapes of pure gold. The streets of
polished silver dance with color as stained-glass clouds pass overhead. The jade
towers of the city reach so high that they seem nearly to reach the sun; far up, in the
distance, you can see bright-hued birds soaring from tower to tower; occasionally
RQHLHVGRZQWRJUHHWRQHRIWKHWRZQVSHRSOHRUWRQGDPHDODQGRQO\WKHQFDQ
you see that each bird is about the size of a lion. Sparkling green canals wind through
the whole city, weaving gracefully through every wonder and carrying exquisite miniature ships in expertly choreographed circuits through the city.

$V\RXDSSURDFKWKHJDWHVWKHHDUWKVXGGHQO\HUXSWVDQGDPLQJEUDVVVQDNHV
leap from beneath the ground. Their bodies are like chains; they wrap themselves
around the jade gates, chaining them shut and surrounding them dangerously in
JROGHQUH7KHEUDVVVQDNHVWXUQWKHLUKHDGVWR\RXDQGKLVVLQXQLVRQ2XUVLVWR
defend the precious wonders of
They are cut off by a frumpy, middle-aged woman in a cocked and wrinkled hat.
She speaks through the bars of the gate and through half-lidded eyes. Dont mind
them. <yawn> Jaded City. How can I help you. [No, she doesnt pronounce it with
a question mark. She speaks like someone working a fast food drive-through.]

Whats Going On Here?

The Jaded City is the most wondrous place in Oz...but hardly the most wonderful. Theres so much amazing stuff in the Jaded City that growing up there makes ev-

70

erything seem boring and trite. The parade route passes right through the Jaded City.
Unfortunately, the rear gate is operated with a big crank that the Jaded Citizens cant
be bothered to turn except for something really special. They let the Grand Marshal
(the Guardian of the Gates of Oz, temporarily promoted) in to tell them all about the
wonders of the parade, but so far, they havent been impressed and have refused to
let the parade through. The Grand Marshal asked if he might be permitted to turn the
crank himself, but that sort of thing would have to be cleared with the Manager, and
nobody feels like walking all the way up to his room in one of the towers.

those dont impress them. But theres nothing perfectly mundane

in the Jaded City, so that might interest or even scare them. A
perfectly unmagical rock from back home in Kansas would be a
strange sightHumbug Magic would be something new, since no
ones ever bothered faking magic in such a magical placeand the
children here, instead of thrilling to stories of pirates, adventurers
and amazing creatures, might be awed by stories of the mundane,
OLNHSORZLQJWKHHOGVRUJRLQJWRWKHDLUSRUW

The woman at the gate, whose name is Mona, can explain all of this to the characters if they ask. So can the Grand Marshal, though hell be a little more agitated
as he tells the story. Whether the characters talk to the Grand Marshal or to Mona,
theyll get the same question at the end:

Trickery: If the players cant think of something that will really

impress the citizens of the Jaded City, they might at least be able to
trick them. A con man could introduce a perfectly normal perforPDQFHRULWHPVRPDJQLFHQWO\WKDWLWVHHPVDPD]LQJRUKHFRXOG
pull an Emperors-New-Clothes trick. With magic, the citizens
could be given amnesia temporarily so that they could enjoy the
wonders of their own city all over again. Or maybe by simply telling the people that they cant have something, the characters can
trick them into clamoring for it.

Is there anything you can do to impress the people of the Jaded City so that
theyll open the rear gate?

What Can The Players Do?



:KDWWKHSOD\HUVFDQWGRLVFKHDWWKHLUZD\WKURXJKWKLVQDOHQFRXQWHU

The city gates are enchanted to ward off even the most powerful magic. They
were a gift from Glinda, meant to keep the citys treasures from being stolen by
the rest of Oz, and theyre so strong that even Glinda herself would have trouble
counteracting their magic. While spending an Oz point could solve this encounter,
it couldnt do so by simply turning the crank or instantly changing the minds of everyone in the city. If the characters cant think of a solution and end up spending an
Oz point, its up to the Narrator and the players to negotiate some clever way for the
chosen Friend to help. In a similar vein, the Grand Marshal wont deviate from the
parade route whatsoever, so he wont just go around the city. The best way to solve
this problem is to go into the Jaded City and do something to impress the townspeople. It will be tough, since they live in the most magical place in Oz! Here are
some ideas for awing the jaded citizens:

Dont be too picky! This encounter is meant to be fun, not a chore. Dont make
WKHUROOVWRRGLIFXOWDQGGRQWOHWWKHPVLQNDUHDOO\JRRGSODQ

Wrapping Up
Once the rear gate of the Jaded City has been opened and the parade can march
through, its just a short walk to the Yellow Brick Road; and from there, to the Emerald City.
Its not likely that the characters will pick up new friends in the Jaded City, but
as always, it may happen if the characters develop an unexpected relationship with
Mona, the Grand Marshal or an improvised supporting character.

Brute Force: Maybe theyve seen the most amazing things in Oz

so far, but they havent seen everything the characters can do. If
one of the characters has (or is) something really, really amazing,
then it might be possible to outdo all the wonders the jaded citizens
have seen and actually impress them. A roll will always be necessary for this method, and it should be pretty tough.
Cleverness: The people of the Jaded City may be impressed by
some unusual things. They grew up around magical wonders, so

71

Scene 7: Return To The Emerald City

Supporting Cast
Jaded Citizen
These stats are for every Jaded Citizen, including Mona and the Manager. In
general, the jaded citizens look bored, a little slack-jawed and sloppily-dressed.
Size: 3
Basic Skills
Athletics: 2
Brains: 3
Sneaking: 2
Traits: None

Awareness: 2
Presence: 3
Wits: 4 (Being Unimpressed)

If youre running a multi-session game, you can spend a little more time in
the Jaded City. Instead of letting the characters in by themselves to try to impress
the people of the city, you can bring the whole parade into the city and then let the
players go nuts! Dont make the problem or its solution any more complicated;
its challenging enough as it is. Just let the scene play out in a more leisurely
way, giving the characters plenty of time to wander before they get down to
work. Add a few more supporting characters to the Jaded City, such as the Manager and a couple of other jaded characters of interest; maybe an old man (who
thinks everything was better in the old days) and his grandson (who is bored to
tears by grandpas stories). The only thing these two can agree on is that nothings any fun nowadays. If you run the encounter this way, make it a rule that
only the Manager can authorize turning the crank. Then you can make seeing the
0DQDJHUDQDGYHQWXUHLQLWVHOI0D\EHKHRQO\DOORZVHQWHUWDLQHUVLQWRKLVRIFH
so the characters have to bill themselves as acrobats, singers or comedians to gain
an audience!

The citizens of the Emerald City

line the Yellow Brick Road to watch
the return of the parade. They cheer the
characters, along with everyone else, as
they pass back through the gates. Inside the city, they see the following:
Read Aloud:

Special: The jaded citizens dont have any special abilities, but they know all
about the Jaded City itself, which is full of all kinds of magic. They arent Craftsmen, for example, but they can pluck anything they need from a tree at a moments
notice.

Bigger and Better

Introduction

At the center of the Emerald City,

surrounding the towering Palace of
Ozma, is a grand courtyard within the
palace gates. There you see Ozma
standing with Ozs most important
dignitaries, from mighty powers like
Glinda to honored guests like Dorothys Aunt Em. A giant banner, hunt
from the western side of the gate to
the east, reads Happy Melting Day!
The courtyard is lined with all of those
who preceded you in the parade; from
the Grand Marshal all the way back to
WKH UHEUHDWKLQJ SLJV  $W UVW \RX
hear only the usual cheers that have followed you along the whole parade route. But as you enter the gates of the palace,
Glinda walks daintily toward you. Everyone throughout the courtyard goes silent,
eager to hear what she might say.
Ive been following the Melting Day Parade in my Magic Book, she says. I
saw how you all solved that problem between the Gloofers and the Blue Trees in
Munchkinland... I read about your bravery when the winged monkey arrived at the
Winkie Castle... and was especially impressed at how you saved the parade when
the people of the Jaded City refused to open their gates to you! Every Melting Day,
I award the Emerald Necklace to someone who has done good deed in service of
Ozma and Oz. This year, I can think of no better recipients than you. I thank you,
and all of Oz thanks you. In a shimmer of magic, Glinda produces Emerald Necklaces in her hand, one for each of you. She places them around your necks, and the
cheers of the Emerald City roar up again in your honor!

72

 ,I\RXKDYHWLPHPRGLI\*OLQGDVVSHHFKWRDFFRXQWIRUWKHVSHFLFDFWLRQVRI
your players.

Wrapping Up
Theres no challenge or antagonist in this scene. Its just an epilogue. The characters will probably earn Glinda as a Friend. If they have taken a shine to any other
Emerald City characters (like Ozma, Tik-Tok or any of the members of the parade),
you should consider allowing those characters as Friends, too. Its always a good
idea to give the players friends that theyre interested in, so follow their lead! Once
the players have received their rewards, the game is over.

Bigger And Better

Even in a multi-session game, its best to keep this scene short. The Jaded
&LW\LVDWRXJKFKDOOHQJHDQGWKHSOD\HUVVKRXOGVHHWKLVVFHQHDVDWWLQJUHZDUG
not another obstacle.
If you want to expand the Emerald City into a full encounter (or you need
WRVWUHWFKLWRXWWROOWKHODVWVHVVLRQWKHQPDNHWKH(PHUDOG1HFNODFHVLQWR
magical items that grant a single wish for 24 hours, and that must be used before
Melting Day is over. Then, use the Emerald City as a playground to explore the
consequences of the wishes that the characters make! This idea requires a lot of
LPSURYLVDWLRQVRGRQWXVHLWXQOHVV\RXUHFRQGHQWWKDW\RXFDQPDNHLWIXQ
and exciting for the players.

73

Modifiers
+1
+2
+2
-2
-4

Quick
Reference
Tables

Injury Table

Apportation
Sample Tasks
Lift Light Objects
Use A Tool Or Wield A Weapon
Lift A Bulky Object, Win A Race
Lift A Heavy Object
Lift A Massive Object

Magic Item Scope

4
5
Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use

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

Transmutation

Athletics Skill Rating

1
2
3
4
5

Scope
0
1
2
3

Roll
0 or Below
1
2
3
4
5
6-7
8 or More

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

Area Of Effect
Self/Person/Object
Mob (Up To 10 People)/A House
City (Up To 200 People)/Race
Quadrant (One Of The Four Countries
That Compose The Land Of Oz)
Land Of Oz
The Whole World

Power
1
2
3
4

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

Magic Spell Scope

Scope
0
1
2
3
4

Area Of Effect
Self
1 Person/Object
Small Group (Up To 10)/ A Room
Mob (Up To 50)/ A Large Area
City (Up To 200)/ Race