• 7 Lurline 143 PA (Saturday June 18, 2011)
• 14 Helian 143 PA (Saturday July 23, 2011)

These will be demonstrations of Oz: Dark and Terrible and will be held at the following location:

Sci-Fi City Orlando
6006 E Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32807
407-282-2292

Tours will be held all day, stop by and join us!

The Wizard

As an in house Lead Illustrator for Avalon Hill he was allowed full control to illustrate entire board game packages. His career has led him down many paths but none as rewarding as visual illustration. Later Kurt ventured into the computer world and went on board with a computer game company, Talonsoft. There he picked up on many types of software and developed some award winning titles. Computers and various programs have provided the tools to create unique visual perspectives, which help propel his clients to new levels of creative statement. His ability to conceptualize for these clients is highly regarded and allows them to focus on the written message while he explores the visual content.

He’s quite proud of the relationships he has developed over the years working with talented directors and marketing professionals who know the path to success. Computers give each of us instant access to an industry of resources, which empower us to create beyond our own imaginations. Currently Kurt is a fulltime freelance Illustrator as the owner of KMI Studio, LLC in the town of York, Pensylvania. Please take a moment and look over Kurt’s creations at www.kmistudio.com.

We’ll be having regular updates so check back frequently to see what new articles have been posted since the last time you visited.

-`Til Next Time!
The Wizard

In Munchkinland Animals find the most hospitable of all Ozian cultures. Animals are treated no differently than the Munchkins themselves, though often allowances must be made for their inability to manipulate physical things when the species lacks hands. An Animal, a Panda, even sits on the Advisory Council to the Empress to ensure the concerns of Animals are heard.

Animals in Winkieland are not so lucky. Whether sentient or not, Animals and animals can be expected to be beasts of burden for the Winkies at best. At worst, they can end up in the Witch of the West’s laboratories as subjects in her attempts to create ever more powerful, crafty, and specialized warriors.

In the Quadling Country the only large and independent Animal nations can be found, though their freedom comes at a cost. Animals almost continuously war with both the Quadling tribes and amongst themselves.

Animals in the Gillikin Country can expect to be left alone, for the most part; as long as they stay out of the Humans’ and Edel Feens’ way. They often serve as beasts of burden and as manual labor as a matter of choice rather than being forced into such positions. In recent years this has begun to change, due to the influence of the Wizard. But the Animals’ Rebellion still lives within the memory of the longest lived Animals, and they will not let their children forget.

The Emerald City presents the most oppressive and hostile place for Animals to live, yet it is paradoxically the safest. Machines have largely replaced the labor of animals in the Emerald City, but instead of being freed of this burden, Animals were caught up in a complex web designed to use them as scapegoats in the economic and political crisis of the time. They lost all of their rights and are now treated as mundane animals. But that has provided some Animals a means to escape the fear they suffered under the rule of the Witch of the West. As long as they act like a typical animal, an Animal is likely to go entirely unnoticed by everyone in the Emerald City.

Not all Animals have passively accepted the generally hostile attitude of Humans. Some, calling themselves Uprights, have become heretics among the Animal population by breaking an ancient taboo against eating the hearts of Humans. (Killing Humans was frowned upon, but not strictly heretical.) This act allows the carnivore to slightly change his shape. The more Human hearts the carnivore eats, the more Human he can appear. Thankfully the effect is temporary, but this ability does let literally bloodthirsty killer roam amongst Humans even in the densest of cities. Some Animals, usually herbivores and omnivores, wonder what sort of side effects may exist from breaking this taboo.

When is Oz: Dark & Terrible coming out?
The planned release date for the first book is late November/early December this year.

Will there be supplements for the game?
Yes! The first supplement will focus on expanding the magic and technology information found in the core book, including vehicles rules. After that we’re planning on one or two other books for Oz:D&T in 2010, with more to follow.
However, one thing we at ECE wanted you to know is that unlike most RPG settings with numberless books, we intend on doing close-ended settings. Meaning, everything you need for Oz:D&T will be in set number of high quality books.

What kind of support will there be for Oz: Dark & Terrible?
To support Oz:D&T, even after all of the planned books have been released, we will have online support after the initial release of the core book including articles on new equipment to add to your game, adventures, maps, errata, clarifications, and more to keep your Series running for years!

What rules system will we be using?
We’ve carefully looked at all the RPG rules systems out there currently available for third-party publishers to use and came to the conclusion that there isn’t one that provides you, the players, with both a good uncomplicated set of rules and that gives the “feel” we want to convey. If the rules system encouraged combat, then many of the story elements, as well as the oppressive dark mood of Oz:D&T, would be completely lost. On the other hand, if the system didn’t have gameplay flexibility with a solid combat engine you would feel cheated if your character is maimed or dies.
In the end, we decided to work closely with Short Bus Heroes, LLC to create a system that is both realistic and fun to play, while accentuating the elements of the Oz:D&T setting and any future settings we’re planning. The system’s name is the Balance RPG System. Its debut will be in the Oz:D&T core book, but Short Bus Heroes, LLC plans on coming out with its own supplements for running a Series in the modern world that will be compatible with Oz:D&T.

The intrinsic qualities that comprise each character are still present, even when they have been completely re-imagined. This keeps the overall feel of Oz: Dark & Terrible just familiar enough to be recognizable, but dark and twisted. Some characters will be changed more than others. But all will have some dark, and generally more mature, aspect to their existence.

Without giving away too many secrets, I give you the Scarecrow, whose real name is Brian Sharpe. He is the victim of a witch’s cruel manipulations. His soul has been torn from his former Human body and forced to inhabit a Munchkin farmer’s scarecrow. But the witch not only stole his body, she stole his memories. He has had to wander through Oz without any knowledge of who he is, where he is, or anything else! The witch, meanwhile, has been able to possess his Human body, gaining his memories in the process. In effect, she becomes the perfect spy, masquerading as someone else to gain their secrets and those of their family and friends. The Scarecrow, as he was called before taking a name, has now lived for many years, managing to establish himself in a position of influence in the Emerald City in order to help others who have become Anidums. But who was he before the witch stole his life? What did the witch do with his body? And most importantly, why did the witch want his body in the first place? The Scarecrow has began to suspect that it had to do with the study of the true nature of Oz. Did he in fact know of the secret relationship between the Land of Oz and the Cardinal Witches? Maybe it had something to do with the Council of Immortals, or the mysterious and legendary figure Neklaus, or the fate of the Krumbic Wizards. Maybe, it was something that linked all these bits of myth and legend together. If only he could find his brain…

An Automaton by Jeff Himmelman

Now that you have a taste of the natural side of Oz, let’s look at the technological side. Since the Arrival of the Wizard in 1870 technology, and civilization in general, has taken a great leap forward, particularly in the Emerald City. Steam has come to replace muscle as the primary source of power in the Emerald City. But oddly, one of the few areas where steamtech has failed to encroach upon is horology. Automatons were originally from the Land of Oz, beyond the Deadly Desert. But horologists in Oz quickly learned how to make their own mechanical servants. These early automatons could only interpret a single command at a time and did not have their own sentience. But then, rather suddenly, newly created automatons were self-aware. The secret of this new creative technique has been kept a closely guarded secret amongst horologists. With the Arrival of the Wizard automatons were quickly integrated into the mechanically inclined society of the Emerald City. Now automatons are servants, laborers, and soldier. Rarely, an automaton will rebel and flee from its owner. Outside of the Emerald City automatons were once regarded as a magical construct. Now, they are seen as representations of the Wizard’s tyrannical rule. Automatons are at best second class citizens in some lands. At worst, they are hunted down and destroyed; left at crossroads to warn travelers not to dabble in the sciences. Are sentient automatons “alive” and a new species of creature? Or are they simply a machine that has been possessed by a spirit of some kind? The automatons themselves do not know the answers to these questions, though some search for them. Will the origin of their sentience be discovered? Who knows…

The automaton servant depicted here is an illustration by Jeff Himmelman.

We will be attending GenCon this year and holding several demonstration games. Stop by and say hello!

A Zulon Anian Feen by A.L. Ashbaugh

In Oz: Dark & Terrible the ancient belief of sylphs, dryads, and other nature fairies is more than just a superstition. The Anian Feen, as they are called, literally exist. You can converse with them, ask them for favors, and yes, even kill them. You will also be able to play one as a character. There are five large groups of Anian Feen, each corresponding to one of the four Western Elements, plus one found in many Eastern cultures. Aerasians are creatures of the air and wind; Geans are born of the earth; Purkajians live within flames; Nerians swim within water; and Zulon are spirits of plants and trees. Each of these groups of Anian Feen includes dozens, if not hundreds, of individual species. Their sizes vary greatly, from Purkajians barely larger than a Human hand-span, to Geans bigger than a castle. Their intelligences vary just as much. Some Anian Feen, usually the smallest and largest, are barely sentient, while others, more humanoid in size, can exceed the brightest minds of other species.

The Zulon depicted here is a dryad illustrated by A.L. Ashbaugh.

You will find that the forums will be up and running soon. When they are I, encourage you to go there and give your opinions on what you’ve seen thus far. We want to hear from you, the future players, of Oz: Dark & Terrible.