Welcome, folks. I originally planned to purchase this particular ACE gamebook and run a Let’s Play on either at the end of last year to celebrate the release of the Wicked movie, or the beginning of this year, but a *lot* of personal and work issues severely delayed these plans. This particular book is a tad larger than the first ACE gamebook, as the book presents the choice of playing as one of several characters. The details for that are listed later in this post. Anyone interested in joining this adventure is welcome. I will try to update this thread on a twice per day basis, although this frequency is not guaranteed due to my current workload.
Preface
The Wicked Wizard of Oz is a strange sort of a book. In fact, it is a portal to another world, the Marvellous Land of Oz. As well as the book itself, you will need two dice (or a standard pack of playing cards), a pencil and an eraser. Using these tools, and a simple set of game rules contained within the book, you will take on the role of the one of the protagonists of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on a new and perilous quest as they find themselves called upon to save the world once more.
Hunted by the Wicked Witch of the West’s winged monkeys and joined by her friends – the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion – Dorothy sets off for the Emerald City. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, will you uncover the secrets of The Wicked Wizard of Oz? YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of Oz’s strange denizens to fight. But be warned – whether you succeed in your quest or meet a dire end, somewhere over the rainbow, will be down to the choices YOU make.
Are you ready to return to Oz?
WELCOME TO OZ
“TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE.”
Introduction
“TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE.”
Introduction
For the purposes of this thread, the The Wicked Wizard of Oz Adventure Sheet will be hand-made and periodically displayed.The book you hold in your hands is a gateway to another world, the Marvellous Land of Oz. Once inside its pages, you will find yourself carried away by the cyclone once again to embark upon a thrilling new adventure.
For this is no ordinary book. Rather than reading it from cover to cover, you will discover that at the end of each narrative section you will be presented with a series of choices which allow you to control the course of the story.
In The Wicked Wizard of Oz you step into Dorothy’s silver shoes and become the hero of the story, taking on the role of either Dorothy Gale herself, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, or the Lion. You decide which path to take, which risks to brave, and even which of the strange inhabitants of Oz, you will meet along the way, to engage in battle.
Success is by no means certain and you may well fail to complete the adventure at your first attempt. However, with experience, skill, and maybe even a little luck, each new attempt should bring you closer to your ultimate goal.
In addition to the book itself, you will need two six-sided dice, or a conventional pack of 52 playing cards, a pencil, an eraser, and a copy of The Wicked Wizard of Oz Adventure Sheet (spare copies of which can be downloaded from www.Snowbooks.com).
“EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS UNUSUAL UNTIL YOU GET ACCUSTOMED TO IT.”
Playing the Game
Playing the Game
Two six-sided dice will be used to play though this adventure, unless a majority of posters requests otherwise.There are three ways to play through The Wicked Wizard of Oz. The first is to use two conventional six-sided dice. The second is to use a conventional pack of 52 playing cards. The third is to ignore the rules altogether and just read the book, making choices as appropriate, but ignoring any combat or attribute tests, always assuming you win every battle and pass every skill test. (Even if you play the adventure this way, there is still no guarantee that you will complete it at your first attempt.)
If you are opting to play through The Wicked Wizard of Oz using the game rules, you first need to determine your strengths and weaknesses.
Your Attributes
You have three attributes you will need to keep track of during the course of the adventure, using the Adventure Sheet. Some of these will change frequently, others less so, but it is important that you keep an accurate record of the current level for all of them.
Agility – This is a measure of how athletic and agile you are. If you need to leap across a chasm or dodge a deadly projectile, this is the attribute that will be employed.
Combat – This is a measure of how skilful you are at fighting, whether it be in hand-to-hand combat, or wielding a keen-edged blade in battle.
Endurance – This is a measure of how physically tough you are and how much strength you have left. This attribute will vary more than any other during the course of your adventure.
Unlike some adventure gamebooks, in The Wicked Wizard of Oz your strengths and weaknesses are not determined randomly. Instead, they depend upon which role you choose to take on to play through the story.
Special Abilities
In addition to your three basic attributes, you also have certain special abilities that you can employ at critical moments during your journey through Oz. These vary depending on which character you decide to play in the book but they are described here together for the sake of convenience.
Beast Master – You are able to command all manner of beasts and wild animals to do your bidding.
Brains – You are particularly clever and knowledgeable, able to think your way out of tricky situations and solve otherwise mind-bending puzzles.
Crow Master – You are able to force crows and other carrion birds to obey your will.
Fearsome – You have a terrifying presence about you. You are either the stuff of children’s nightmares or when you show your anger, others quail in fear before you.
Flight – You are able to defy gravity and fly as free as a bird.
Lightning Bolts – You are able to blast bolts of sizzling electrical energy from your fingertips. This energy discharge can either be used to incapacitate an enemy or power a piece of machinery.
Over the Rainbow – You are not native to the Land of Oz, and so if you find yourself in a tight spot you can change the nature of the world around you, although this may result in you actually making things worse for yourself rather than better.
Strength – You are incredibly strong, able to lift enormous weights and rip doors from their hinges. In battle, your attacks are also more powerful.
Summon Winds – You are able to raise mighty winds as if from nowhere, from howling gales to cyclonic hurricanes, given enough time and the right weather conditions.
The Pen is Mightier – You are not native to the Land of Oz, and, on occasion, to avoid coming to blows with an enemy, you may alter the narrative of the encounter, enabling yourself to get away unscathed.
When you are told to select a certain special ability, simply put a tick next to it (or circle the relevant number) on the Special Abilities table on your Adventure Sheet.
These very special abilities can only be used three times each during the course of the adventure. While some may give you a permanent advantage – such as Strength making you more powerful in combat – each time you specifically call upon one of them, you must cross off a box on your Adventure Sheet next to the appropriate special ability.
“I AM CONVINCED THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION IN THIS WORLD ARE THE UNUSUAL ONES.”
Your Character
Your Character
On the following four pages you will find each of the four playable characters in The Wicked Wizard of Oz described in turn, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Read through these carefully before picking which character you want to play during the course of the adventure, as each one will affect the course of the narrative in quite different ways.
Once you have decided which character you want to play as, write their name in the Character box on the Adventure Sheet, along with the icon you need to look out for, and the section offset you need to apply when you see it. Then record the value of each attribute in the appropriate box on the Adventure Sheet in pencil, and make sure you have an eraser to hand, as they will doubtless all change at some point as you work through the adventure (and some more than others).
Although there are limits on how high each of your attributes can be at the start of the adventure, there is no limit as to how high any of them can be raised during the course of the adventure, dependent upon bonus points you may be awarded. However, should your Endurance score ever drop to zero, or below, then your adventure is over and you should stop reading immediately; if you want to tackle the adventure again, you will have to re-start it from the beginning, either playing as the same character or as a different one – it’s up to you!
Dorothy Gale
An orphan, raised by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on an isolated farm in Kansas, Dorothy was swept away by a tornado to the surreal Land of Oz, along with her pet dog Toto. She promptly killed the first person she met, when her house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East. Teaming up with three strangers – a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman and a cowardly Lion – she went on to kill again, destroying the Wicked Witch of the West, at the behest of the Wizard of Oz, so that she might discover the way to return home.
Whenever you see a cyclone icon beneath a section number, rather than read that section, subtract 10 from the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 9
COMBAT 8
ENDURANCE 20
Special Abilities Over the Rainbow, The Pen is Mightier
Fear Dorothy’s greatest fears are anything happening to her dear dog Toto, and not being able to return home.
Scarecrow
The Scarecrow first encountered Dorothy Gale in a field in Munchkin Country. He joined her on her journey to the Emerald City, hoping that the Wizard of Oz might give him some brains. After the Scarecrow helped Dorothy defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard did indeed give him a brain, but one made out of bran, pins, and needles. Since that time, he has been considered one of the wisest men in all of Oz.
Whenever you see a crow icon beneath a section number, rather than read that section, subtract 20 from the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 8
COMBAT 9
ENDURANCE 18
Special Abilities Brains, Crow Master, Fearsome
Fear The Scarecrow’s greatest fear is fire.
After a battle, as long as he survives the encounter, the Scarecrow may restore all of the Endurance points he lost in the battle minus 2, as he puts himself back together and re-stuffs his body with straw. For example, if he lost 10 Endurance points in a battle with a scurry of squirrels, after the battle he would be able to restore a total of 8 Endurance points.
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman is a robotic creation of the Wizard of Oz himself. As well as having a durable metal body, he also has a number of built-in armaments. He encountered Dorothy for the first time when she found him rusted in the forest, freeing him with a generous application of oil. He then joined her in disposing of the Wicked Witch of the West before returning to the Emerald City for an audience with the Wizard, his creator.
Whenever you see a cog icon beneath a section number, rather than read that section, add 10 to the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 7
COMBAT 10
ENDURANCE 24
Special Abilities Brains, Lightning Bolts, Strength
Fear The Tin Woodman fears losing his identity and becoming nothing more than an uncaring machine.
Due to his great strength, in battle the Tin Woodman may add 1 point to the damage done by any successful hit he makes. He may also reduce any damage done to him by an opponent by 1 point, thanks to his armoured carapace.
Lion
There is also additional content in the form of two exclusive characters that was designed to be available to some of the backers of the Kickstarter campaign that funded the project. These characters are the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wizard. Their character information is below.The Lion is the King of Beasts, brave and noble ruler of the Forest of Wild Beasts. However, it was not always that way. Once upon a time he was experimented upon by the Wizard, as were many other animals of Oz. It was the Wizard’s skills as a surgeon and vivisectionist that gave the Lion his humanoid form, and it was the Wizard’s quest for knowledge, without a conscience, that led to the scientist inserting electrodes into the Lion’s brain to see if he could stimulate the amygdala and make the animal even more aggressive. However, the experiment went wrong, and he ended up activating the fear centres of the Lion’s brain instead.
After joining Dorothy on her quest to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West and another meeting with the Wizard, the Lion no longer suffers from the crippling anxiety that blighted his life in the past, although the electrodes remain implanted deep in his brain, and he has brought peace to the jungle.
Whenever you see a lion icon beneath a section number, rather than read that section, add 20 to the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 10
COMBAT 10
ENDURANCE 22
Special Abilities Beast master, Fearsome, Strength
Fear The Lion’s fears used to be many, but the only one that remains is a fear of spiders.
Due to his great strength, in battle the Lion may add 1 point to the damage done by any successful strike he makes.
Wicked Witch of the West
You are Pyrena, Dominatrix of the Winkies and Avatar of Fire, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West. A wary peace existed in Oz before the arrival of Dorothy Gale, the murderer of your weird sister, the Wicked Witch of the East. Up until that time the Wizard had left you in peace, leaving you to rule the Winkie Country as you saw fit, while you left him to get on with the various experiments he was conducting – into vivisection, cybernetics and robotics, in his palace in the Emerald City – in peace. But when the girl appeared on the scene, the Wizard saw a chance to be rid of you once and for all, the coward, and sent the child and her friends to assassinate you.
Although your physical form was destroyed, your magical essence – your soul, if you like – was preserved within your crystal ball, trapped, waiting for an opportunity to present itself when you might have your revenge – upon all of them!
Whenever you see a lightning bolt beneath a section number, rather than read that section, subtract 30 from the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 9
COMBAT 7
ENDURANCE 18
Special Abilities Brains, Crow Master, Fearsome
Fear The Wicked Witch of the West fears no-one and no-thing, apart from water.
Start your adventure reading from section 666.
Wizard
You are Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Issac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, a scientist and an expert in the fields of surgery, vivisection, cybernetics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. To some your esoteric arts make you a magician, to others you are known simply as the Wizard of Oz.
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, one day your hot air balloon sailed into the Land of Oz, and you found yourself worshipped as a great sorcerer. As Oz had no leader at the time, you became Supreme Ruler of the kingdom, and did your best to sustain the myth, whilst trying to create an artificial intelligence that could rule the people in your stead, believing yourself to be the only man capable of solving their problems.
However, you became distracted in your studies and ended up creating the Winged Monkeys and the Tin Woodman, along with many other marvellous creations. The trouble was, too often your experiments were motivated by the postulation “I wonder if I could” rather than “I wonder if I should”.
You were eventually shaken out of your complacency by the arrival of Dorothy Gale, which came at a time when your investigations into artificial intelligence were beginning to bear fruit. Having engineered the demise of the one individual who might have stood in the way of your plans for the people of Oz – the Wicked Witch of the West – you brought the giant AI online before departing for home once more by hot air balloon. Your only regret is that you were forced to leave the child, Dorothy, behind.
Whenever you see a skull icon beneath a section number, rather than read that section, add 30 to the number, turn to this new section immediately, and read that one instead.
AGILITY 8
COMBAT 9
ENDURANCE 20
Special Abilities Beast Master, Brains, Over the Rainbow, The Pen is Mightier
Fear The only fears that trouble the Supreme Rule of Oz are the fear of failure, and that one day his crimes against nature might find him out.
Start your adventure reading from section 314.
“DO NOT DESPAIR, WHATEVER HAPPENS, FOR BEHIND THE CLOUDS IS ALWAYS THE RAINBOW.”
Testing Your Attributes
Testing Your Attributes
At various times during the adventure, you will be asked to test one or other of your attributes.
If it is your Agility or Combat that is being tested, simply roll two dice. If the total rolled is equal to or less than the particular attribute being tested, you have passed the test; if the total rolled is greater than the attribute in question, then you have failed the test.
If it is your Endurance score that is being tested, roll four dice in total. If the combined score of all four dice is equal to or less than your Endurance score, then you have passed the test, but if it is greater, then what is being asked of you is beyond what you are capable of and you have failed the test.
Restoring Your Attributes
There are various ways that you can restore lost attribute points, or be granted bonuses that take your attributes beyond their starting scores, and these will be described in the text.
However, an easy way to restore lost Endurance points is to find sustenance. Sometimes you may find enough sustenance that you can take some with you to consume later on in the adventure.
Make sure that if you do find any supplies of this nature you record them on your Adventure Sheet, along with any information about exactly how many attribute points they will restore when consumed.
“YOU HAVE PLENTY OF COURAGE, I AM SURE.”
Combat
Combat
You will repeatedly be called upon to defend yourself against the bizarre and malevolent denizens of Oz. Sometimes you may even choose to attack these horrors yourself. After all, as they say, the best form of defence is attack.
When this happens, start by filling in your opponent’s Combat and Endurance scores in the first available Oz Encounter Box on your Adventure Sheet.
Whenever you engage in combat, you will be told in the text whether you or your enemy has the initiative; in other words, who has the advantage and gets to attack first.
1. Roll two dice and add your Combat score. The resulting total is your Combat Rating.
2. Roll two dice and add your opponent’s Combat Score. The resulting total is your opponent’s Combat Rating.
3. For each Combat Round, add a temporary 1 point bonus to the Combat Rating of whichever of the combatants has the initiative for the duration of that round.
4. If your Combat Rating is higher than your opponent’s you have wounded your enemy; deduct 2 points from your opponent’s Endurance score, and move on to step 7.
5. If your opponent’s Combat Rating is higher, then you have been wounded; deduct 2 points from your Endurance score, and move on to step 8.
6. If your Combat Rating and your opponent’s Combat Rating are the same, roll one die. If the number rolled is odd, you and your opponent deflect each other’s attacks; go to step 10. If the number rolled is even, go to step 9.
7. If your opponent’s Endurance score has been reduced to zero or below, you have won; the battle is over and you can continue on your way through Oz. If your opponent is not yet dead, go to step 10.
8. If your Endurance score has been reduced to zero or below, your opponent has won the battle. If you want to continue your adventure you will have to start again from the beginning, maybe changing the character you want to play as. However, if you are still alive, go to step 10.
9. You and your opponent have both managed to injure each other; deduct 1 point from your Endurance score and your opponent’s Endurance score. If your Endurance score has been reduced to zero or below, your adventure is over; if you want to play again you will have to start again from the beginning. If you are still alive but your enemy’s Endurance has been reduced to zero or below, you have won; the battle is over and you can continue on your way through Oz. If neither you nor your opponent are dead, go to step 10.
10. If you won the Combat Round, you will have the initiative in the next Combat Round. If your opponent won the Combat Round, they will have the initiative. If neither of you won the Combat Round, neither of you will gain the initiative bonus for the next Combat Round. Go back to step 1 and work through the sequence again until either your opponent is dead, or you are defeated.
Occasionally you may find yourself having to fight more than one opponent at once. Such battles are conducted in the same way as above, using the ten step process, except that you will have to work out the Combat Ratings of all those involved. As long as you have a higher rating than an opponent you will injure them, no matter how many opponents you are taking on at the same time. However, equally, any opponent with a Combat Rating higher than yours will be able to injure you too.
An Alternative to Dice
Rather than rolling dice, you may prefer to determine random numbers during the game using a pack of playing cards.
To do this, when you are called upon to roll dice, simply shuffle a standard 52-card deck (having removed the jokers) and draw a single card. (If you are asked to roll four dice, draw two cards.) Number cards are worth the number shown on the card. Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth 11, and if you draw an Ace, it counts as being worth 12 (for example, if you are engaged in Combat), and is an automatic pass if you are testing an attribute – any attribute.
After drawing from the deck you can either return any cards you have drawn or, using the Pontoon method, leave those drawn cards out of the deck. Both styles of play will influence how lucky, or unlucky, you may be during the game, when it comes to determining random numbers.
“THAT WAS ONE OF MY TRICKS.”
Equipment
Equipment
You start your adventure with nothing. However, during the course of your quest you will no doubt find all manner of curious items that you will wish to pick up and take with you, just in case they prove to be of use later on.
Anything that you do collect should be recorded on your Adventure Sheet, including any clues or passwords, as well as weapons, provisions, and other miscellaneous unusual objects.
“NEVER GIVE UP, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.”
Hints on Play
Hints on Play
There is more than one path that you can follow through Oz to reach your ultimate goal, but it may take you several attempts to actually complete the adventure. Make notes and draw a map as you explore. This map will doubtless prove invaluable during future attempts at completing the quest, and will allow you to progress more speedily in order to reach unexplored regions of the Land of Oz.
Keep a careful eye on all of your attributes throughout the game. Beware of traps and setting off on wild goose chases. However, it would be wise to collect useful items along the way that may aid you further on in your quest.
“EVERYTHING HAS TO COME TO AN END, SOMETIME.”
Ending the Game
Ending the Game
There are several ways that your adventure can end. If your Endurance score ever drops to zero or below, your trials in Oz have exhausted and overcome you. If this happens, stop reading at once.
There may also be occasions where you are prevented from progressing any further through the adventure thanks to the choices you have made, or if you meet a sudden and untimely end. In all of these cases, if you want to have another crack at completing the adventure you will have to start again with a new Adventure Sheet and begin the story afresh from the beginning.
There is of course one other reason for your adventure coming to an end, and that is if you successfully complete your quest, the very same quest that awaits you now…
Somewhere, over the rainbow, it is time to begin your adventure…
If you are playing as Dorothy Gale, turn to 1.
If you are playing as the Scarecrow, turn to 250.
If you are playing as the Tin Woodman, turn to 500.
If you are playing as the Lion, turn to 750.
If you are playing as Dorothy Gale, turn to 1.
If you are playing as the Scarecrow, turn to 250.
If you are playing as the Tin Woodman, turn to 500.
If you are playing as the Lion, turn to 750.
Please keep all spoilers covered out of respect to those who want a blind experience. I will use personal instinct to break any ties.
Please vote for the following:
Which of the six characters should we play as?
Should we follow the gamebook’s rules? If so, should we use dice or a pack of playing cards (specify whether you want to return or leave out any drawn cards if you vote to use playing cards)?
Please make your decisions before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.
