Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline
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Roleplaying in Oz « Thread Started on Dec 5, 2010, 9:18pm »
I've never read the Oz books, but my family is totally bonkers over Wicked and I've thought about running an Oz game for them for some time. I know that Zorcerer of Zo is out there and it looks interesting, but its "unofficial" status always put me off a little. On the other hand, ZoZ looks like a simple system and the rulebook is not too large.
A list of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum: 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2: The Marvelous Land of Oz 3: Ozma of Oz 4: Dorothy and The Wizard in Oz 5: The Road to Oz 6: The Emerald City of Oz 7: The Patchwork Girl of Oz 8: The Little Wizard Stories of Oz* 9: Tik-Tok of Oz 10: The Scarecrow of Oz 11: Rinkitink In Oz 12: The Lost Princess of Oz 13: The Tin Woodman of Oz 14: The Magic of Oz 15: Glinda of Oz
More to the point of this post, I was in a local gamestore and found this:
Oz: Dark & Terrible
Apparently it's one of those "it's not a kid's world anymore" type games. I picked it up and have only thumbed through it briefly, but here are some initial thoughts:
Bad: 1. Hardback, so kind of expensive. Interior line art okay, but I'd have pait a little more to have a color interior. Somehow color just "fits" Oz better. 2. I've never heard of the "Balance System", which is apparently the core rules that OD&T is using. This means I would have to learn a new game.
Good: 1. Neat concept, the "dark and terrible Oz" thing. Reminds me a little of the "fairy tales gone wrong" games. 2. Nice color fold-out map. 3. Seems like it could be a good sourcebook for an Oz camapign. Has an extensive history, some NPCs, some monsters, nation information, etc. 4. use of actual L. Frank Baum names (e.g. "yellow brick road") make it a more "legit" product.
---------------
So... anyone ever run an Oz game? If so, what rules set did you use? Anyone ever heard of or actually play Oz: Dark & Terrible?
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Falconer Level 9 Sorcerer Cleric of OD&D member is offline
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Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #1 on Dec 6, 2010, 1:03am »
A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day! —J.R.R. Tolkien
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Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #2 on Dec 6, 2010, 1:15am »
The easiest approach might be to start with standard OD&D characters, and at some point they enter a portal in the underworld or whatever and find themselves in Oz. That way you don’t have to worry about system, or the implications of having children and animals as PCs, just worry about presenting some fun adventuring possibilities in that world. Not saying it’s necessarily better, but definitely easier.
A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day! —J.R.R. Tolkien
Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #3 on Dec 6, 2010, 1:46am »
A few months ago I got my wife "Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road" off Lulu. We haven't actualy played it, but it looks like a pretty neat game.
The character creation is very fexible. the book gives you templates to modify, or allows you to build a character from scratch. Both methods are very simple, and allow for some pretty varied characters. Want to play a Parakeet? No prob. gruff Soldier? Simple. Child, Duke, or living mannequin? Easy as pie. I think the author did a great job creating a system that can accommodate for nearly any character seen int he books. By default magic isn't open to PC's, but it can be if the Narrator allows it and there are rules for several kinds of magic seen in the books (Including the Humbug magic of the Wizard.)
The system is pretty simple (2d6 under skill,) but unfortunately the system reads very 'post D20' (modifiers, Opposed contest, Simple contests, extended contest, and a far to elaborate combat system for my tastes.) It's still a very nice system, but it's aesthetically unappealing to me. I suppose that is the cost of modern games. My favorite Mechanic was the way they handled experience points however. Xp is gained by helping friends and can be spent improving rolls, or for summoning friends to aid in a situation. It's a neat mechanic and very thematically appropriate.
The bulk of the book consists of a nice over view of Baum's Oz. important locations are described and each is provided with a couple of story ideas set in them (and in most of them they give some new character creation traits to reflect the residence.) there is also a section on creating your own realms and kingdoms in Oz which is nice. It should be said that these realms stay pretty true to Baum, and might seem a little (or a lot) childish, but the game is aimed at fans rather then trying to alter the setting for modern tastes.
I also remember playing in a Changeling the dreaming Oz game once, based off some one's web page, but it was quite a while ago and I can't seem to be able to find it right now so it may be lost.
Edit: Slowest ninja ever. I was actually looking for the book so I could review the system when Falconer posted.
The easiest approach might be to start with standard OD&D characters, and at some point they enter a portal in the underworld or whatever and find themselves in Oz. That way you don’t have to worry about system, or the implications of having children and animals as PCs, just worry about presenting some fun adventuring possibilities in that world. Not saying it’s necessarily better, but definitely easier.
Yes, OD&D adventures in Oz could be great fun (flying monkeys! ), and perhaps one could visit Wonderland and Never-Never-land as well.
And one could easily have children and talking animals as pc's, theres no reason why your fighter or magic-user couldnt be 10 years old or furry and four legged. If you want to reflect this in the game mechanics, make ac and strength one or two steps lower. Halflings can be made into Munchkins.
The easiest approach might be to start with standard OD&D characters, and at some point they enter a portal in the underworld or whatever and find themselves in Oz. That way you don’t have to worry about system, or the implications of having children and animals as PCs, just worry about presenting some fun adventuring possibilities in that world. Not saying it’s necessarily better, but definitely easier.
Yeah, that tends to be the way I run most crossover games. I start with OD&D and tweak the rules to fit the new setting.
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,307 Karma: 43
Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #7 on Dec 13, 2010, 8:23am »
I'm always late to the party. I have been thinking about an Oz RPG forever. Seems I thought about it too long. Ah, well.
I saw "Oz: Dark and Terrible" as well just this weekend. Book looks very pretty (and I wasn't turned off by hardcover, as I dig hardcovers). The system seems a basic "roll fistful of dice, add mods, total, compare to a TN" system. What turned me off was that it said you need "at least" 10d10.
That's too many dice for my tastes, for a basic task resolution system.
I must protest bitterly that my aircraft still has not been painted red.
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Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #8 on Dec 13, 2010, 9:21am »
Maybe its because I have read a couple of the books and seen some of the film adaptations (other than the famous one), but I can't imagine Oz as anything other than a childrens setting. You would have to radically alter the types of characters and the geography itself to get anything approaching a challenge for adults. Peronally, I think HR Puffinstuff and Living Isle could more easily be adapted to an adult game....
We thought we were crazy, but we had a great time. - Dave Arneson
Falconer Level 9 Sorcerer Cleric of OD&D member is offline
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Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #9 on Dec 13, 2010, 6:55pm »
“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” — C.S. Lewis
A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day! —J.R.R. Tolkien
Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,307 Karma: 43
Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #10 on Dec 13, 2010, 7:10pm »
Love it, Falconer. Having just read most of the original Baum series, I disagree entirely with the assertion that it is nothing but a children's setting not suited to challenging adults. Heck, at one point there is open warfare between Oz and the forces of the Nome King. Let's also not forget that the Tin Woodsman became that way because his cursed axe forced him to cut off every single one of his own limbs, one at a time.
...or the fact that in the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Emerald City is actually made of granite, but everyone is forced to wear emerald-colored glasses so they THINK it is made of emeralds. It's only later on in the books that Baum retconned it to actually be made of emerald.
Make no mistake, there's a lot in the original Oz books that appeals to grown-ups. Indeed, there's a surprising amount of stuff in many children's books that appeals to adults (and is intended to do so).
Joined: May 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 111 Karma: 18
Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #11 on Dec 13, 2010, 7:16pm »
I'm not sure what would happen if John Carter got sucked to Oz in some Martian twister, but I'm pretty sure it would involve radium-burned monkeys falling from the sky and wicked witches getting swords to the face!
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 663 Karma: 19
Re: Roleplaying in Oz « Reply #12 on Dec 13, 2010, 9:12pm »
I dunno. Is Aldarron saying that Oz should only be used in games for children, or that Oz doesn't really work as a "dark" or "adult" setting, because it just doesn't feel right when you change it that way?
I mean, look at how bad Tin Man was. PJ Farmer's A Barnstormer in Oz wasn't quite so bad, but that's possibly because he only made Glenda "adult", giving her access to a more Buffy-esque style of magic.
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
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), and perhaps one could visit Wonderland and Never-Never-land as well. 
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