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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 09/24/2013 15:16:10

Ever since I was little, I mean really little, I have enjoyed "The Wizard of Oz". I can recall being about 4 or so and being frightened of the flying monkeys, the Winkies and of course the Wicked Witch. I also remember we had this old copy of the Wizard of Oz book in the house and I remembered how different it was than the movie.

Oz is a fascinating place really, and I was amazed the first time I learned how much of it was there beyond Dorothy and her friends. I learned about names like Mombi and Ozma. I will admit I have always wanted to put a "pumpkin head" in my games largely in part due to "Journey Back to Oz". In my WitchCraft games we also used to call witch hunters "Dorothies".

I think Oz is a bit under rated to be honest. It's not the drug referenced lands of Alice or even the purely fantasy of Peter Pan, it is, in a way, pragmatically American. But it is fertile land as well. It gave us "The Wiz" and "Tin Man" and of course, "Wicked".

So I was thrilled when I heard of F. Douglas Wall's Adventures in Oz RPG. It is, like the literary Oz, a great game for the younger set. The rules are fast, simple to learn and you can be up and playing in no time at all. They game is also really, really fun. If you never play it, the book offers a good resource to using Oz in your own games.

The game is simple, fast and fun.

If you have kids and want to introduce them to the world of Role-playing then this is a great bet. Just like Oz you get a fantastic land that is kid friendly with characters we all know (or at least, mostly know) and like Oz there is a lot more to this game than seen at first glance.

This is also a great game for adults. I would recomend a game of Oz as a palette cleanser. There are no Tolkien dwarves or elves in this game, but plent of Muchkins, Winkies and Gilikins. There is magic, but it's not the same as all the other games you have played. Plus it is rules lite so Narators and players can get up to speed fast.

All in all this is a great game and worth picking up.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Asen G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/30/2012 04:48:59

Wonderful game that really captures the spirit of the books. Are you a fan of the books? Get this game. Have you never read the books? Get this game and you'll know a lot about them. And you might be inspired to look for them afterwards, too!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Quinn M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/08/2012 16:33:43

My view/knowledge of Oz was pretty much shaped by the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, though I was aware there was a series of books about Oz. I mention that since much of the value I found in the Adventures in Oz RPG has been about learning an ACCURATE version of the original writings. Hollywood got it wrong and/or changed details on a whim? I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you! :) There is quite a bit more depth to the land of Oz and many more odd characters to learn about. I have been encouraged to make some time in the future to read all the Oz books I have since downloaded to my Nook.

The Adventures in Oz RPG checks in at a brisk 77 pages, uses a simple gaming system (Stats are from 1-5, skill rolls are done rolling 2D6 and comparing the indivdual numbers to see if you got equal to or less than your skill rating, succeeding on both dice is special success), and the writing style fits the subject well. This is an RPG geared to a young (or young at heart) crowd. Talking and making friends is encouraged as the way to play. The art ranges from decent to good, and there is a beginning adventure to get you started.

Characters can be built by choosing from a number of templates, and the process is fairly quick and easy. There is a Character Pack you can buy for $1 more that gets you stats for the main characters and full size characters sheets (not the half page ones included in Adventures in Oz). These characters and the character sheets (human and animal forms) could easily have been included in the standard game, but it was only a dollar more, so only a minor complaint.

Do I see myself running an Oz campaign? Well, never-say-never, as I could see an occasional One-Shot type of RPG evening here and there, as a change of pace. I will also note that price was a BIG factor in my purchasing this RPG. I have a limit of about $15 for the PDF version of an RPG. That is for games I KNOW I will like and want to run. Other games I need to see at $10 or so, and then I can justify buying them even if only to steal some ideas for other games. At $5 or less for a PDF, I am prone to impulse buying with few regrets.

At the sale price of $6.99, I would suggest that anyone with even a passing interest in Oz adventuring, or just wanting to know more about Oz in an easy to absorb read, should pick this RPG up. If you have kids you want to teach about RPGs I would say this becomes a "must buy" game.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 07/23/2012 13:36:45

Ever since I was little, I mean really little, I have enjoyed "The Wizard of Oz". I can recall being about 4 or so and being frightened of the flying monkeys, the Winkies and of course the Wicked Witch. I also remember we had this old copy of the Wizard of Oz book in the house and I remembered how different it was than the movie.

Oz is a fascinating place really, and I was amazed the first time I learned how much of it was there beyond Dorothy and her friends. I learned about names like Mombi and Ozma. I will admit I have always wanted to put a "pumpkin head" in my games largely in part due to "Journey Back to Oz". In my WitchCraft games we also used to call witch hunters "Dorothies".

I think Oz is a bit under rated to be honest. It's not the drug referenced lands of Alice or even the purely fantasy of Peter Pan, it is, in a way, pragmatically American. But it is fertile land as well. It gave us "The Wiz" and "Tin Man" and of course, "Wicked".

So I was thrilled when I heard of F. Douglas Wall's Adventures in Oz RPG. It is, like the literary Oz, a great game for the younger set. The rules are fast, simple to learn and you can be up and playing in no time at all. They game is also really, really fun. If you never play it, the book offers a good resource to using Oz in your own games.

The game is simple, fast and fun.

If you have kids and want to introduce them to the world of Role-playing then this is a great bet. Just like Oz you get a fantastic land that is kid friendly with characters we all know (or at least, mostly know) and like Oz there is a lot more to this game than seen at first glance.

This is also a great game for adults. I would recomend a game of Oz as a palette cleanser. There are no Tolkien dwarves or elves in this game, but plent of Muchkins, Winkies and Gilikins. There is magic, but it's not the same as all the other games you have played. Plus it is rules lite so Narators and players can get up to speed fast.

All in all this is a great game and worth picking up.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Adventures in Oz Characters Pack
by Eric B. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/02/2012 13:14:25

As much of a fan as I am of F. Douglas Wall's Adventures in Oz (which really is a superb product), I must say that I am a tad disappointed in the character sheets.

For the new and improved price of .99 you can not go wrong, but still... something seems missing.

First off, the characters: Dorothy Gale, the Tin Woodsman, Trot, the Scarecrow, the Woozy, the Cowardly Lion, Prince Inga, Queen Ann Soforth, Professor H.M. Woggle-Bug, T.E., the Frogman, Toto, Bungle the Glass Cat, Omby Amby (aka, The Soldier with the Green Whiskers), Private Files, and the Shaggy Man.

In addition, Mr. Wall has provided two blank character sheets that are full page spreads, unlike those provided in the Adventures in Oz rulebook.

Layout of the individual sheets are clean and open spaced. Each character has stats, first appearance listings (which is helpful), a paragraph of background information, and a whimsical black & white picture.

The problem is in the lack of substance. Sure, it is nice having the heavy hitters and a couple of the obscurities to populate the game world - but as a fan of the game, I would have liked to have seen a character sheet that reflected the overall 'feel' of the game book. As it is, the sheet feels (and looks) like a basic converted word document.

Pros: Characters are stat'ed out by the creator of the game with a sense of careful balancing. Great price.

Cons: Plain presentation not on par with that taken in the Adventures in Oz game book.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz Characters Pack
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Adventures in Oz Characters Pack
by Christopher H. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 06/23/2011 23:59:29

Expand your “Adventures in Oz” experience with this collection of 15 characters drawn from the Oz books. The pack includes “headliners” like Dorothy Gale, Toto, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow, plus less well-known characters such as Professor H. M. Woggle-Bug, T.E. and Queen Ann Soforth. The pack also includes two full-sized character sheets, if you find the half-sheet character records provided with the core rules too constraining or just hard to keep in a notebook.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Christopher H. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 06/23/2011 23:31:53

For a delightful, kid-friendly, rules-light role-playing experience, consider “Adventures in Oz” by F. Douglas Wall. Wall obviously knows his way around Oz, and he’s crafted a charming RPG to draw players into L. Frank Baum’s fantasy world.

The rules are very simple, giving each character ratings of 1–5 in six basic skills (Athletics, Awareness, Brains, Sneaking, Presence, and Wits); a small variety of skill traits, special traits, and specialties serve to differentiate and individualize characters mechanically. Resolving actions boils down to skill tests using 2d6. If either die comes up equal to or lower than the target number, the action succeeds; if both dice come up equal to or lower than the target number, the character scores a “special” success. Otherwise, the character has failed. Fights, if necessary, are resolved using skill tests (or opposed tests, called “contests”), relying chiefly on the Athletics skill for physical blows and the Presence skill for intimidating dialogue. Damage is applied to the Wits skill, and a combatant who is reduced to 0 Wits has “lost the will to fight” and “may run away or surrender pitifully.” Much is left to the Narrator’s discretion, giving the game a feel that “old school” fans will appreciate.

Part I of the rulebook lays out the rules as discussed above, and also includes a chapter on Oz magic and a chapter of advice for the Narrator. Part II provides a tour of the land of Oz, highlighting interesting locations, notable personalities, and adventure possibilities. Part III presents “The Jaded City of Oz,” a marvelous introduction to the game and the setting as the characters encounter various unexpected obstacles on a parade through the land of Oz.

As the preceding comments make clear, I find this game to be a lot of fun. I rated four starts instead of five for two reasons. First, the “gray” layout and the discomfiting rate of grammatical errors (use of “it’s” where sentences call for “its” is particularly noticeable) detract from the overall experience. Second, given that the game is based on the published fiction of L. Frank Baum—now in the public domain due to its age—the publisher would have done well to apply a more generous copyright policy than “all rights reserved” to the text. A Creative Commons license that allows other authors to publish materials for the game would have been more appropriate.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
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Adventures in Oz Characters Pack
by Paco G. J. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 06/22/2011 15:29:27

This review was written by Kimberly Moser and first published in GMS Magazine.

The Adventure in Oz character sheets are seventeen pages in length. The first fifteen pages are sample sheets detailed for some of the more famous of the Ozian characters like Dorothy, Frogman, Shaggy Man and many others. The pre-filled in sheets include whimsical drawings of the characters and are quite good. The final two sheets are blank. One is intended for humanoid shaped creatures and the second is for four-footed creatures.

Each character sheet provides areas for basic character information like skills traits, template, name and wits damage. The character sketch area has check boxes available to indicate damage points for areas of the body. There is a place for a brief character description as well as lists of friends and notes. With these character sheets a game can be up and running in a very short time.

The disadvantages of these sheets are that they are extremely basic and intended for character short-hand. After a few sessions a character will easily grow beyond the bounds of these papers. But the character sheets will remain handy for action sequences.

These sheets are a good addition to the Adventures in Oz game even if for nothing more than seeing how some of the characters are broken down into game facts. I give this product three out of five stars. They are short, sweet and to the point, but they are limited in use and are easily outgrown.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz Characters Pack
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Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
by Jason L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/09/2010 11:22:17

An in-depth look at the land of Oz, incorporating TONS of detail -- I honestly didn't realize the books went into this much depth on Oz. The system is built to support the setting, with assumptions like "bonds of friendship are crucial" and "death is unknown." The game rules are very simple, but this fits the property -- you don't want to be looking up detailed grappling rules when the only real question is whether you can escape to the forest. (One exception is the magic rules, which are considerably more complex. I'm not faulting them, however, as magic is a VERY complicated subject, and you can't handwave the rules it if the PCs will be using it.) The included adventure (almost more of a mini-campaign!) is long, detailed, and looks enjoyable. I'm impressed with this book.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
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