Ars Magica at a Glance
- Play magi and their loyal companions and grogs in the fantastical world of medieval Mythic Europe.
- Explore this benchmark roleplaying system with a focus on storytelling and troupe-style play.
- Over 40 expansions, supplements, and scenarios make gaming in Mythic Europe easy and fun.
Ars Magica had an obscure origin, but it had long-lasting effects. We did a number of influential support products that influenced 1990s game design, and it launched the careers of five of us who were part of the Ars Magica crew. Over the years, I had bought a ton of roleplaying games, and I. Sunstone Ars Magica / Earth Armor - Feed The Beast Wiki. You can get xp by casting a spell at a valid target. It is the only ore that is found in both the overworld and the nether. Sunstone is one of the rarest ores in ars magica 2. See full list on ftbwiki.org Requires at least an iron pick to harvest. An introduction to ars magica 2.
The game isn't about power, it's about the whole group telling an epic story together. Everyone gets a say in that story and the sagas that unfold over time are the most extraordinary I've experienced in role-playing.
— There Will Be Games
What is Ars Magica?
Ars Magica is a roleplaying game about sorcerers and their allies in Mythic Europe. This flexible, deeply built world can support games that are historically accurate or fantasy-based, epic or small scale, political or personal.
Players work together to tell the story of their covenant — all of the magi, their companions, and grogs. This history can span decades. It might be heroic, tragic, or both in turn. The covenant could influence the entirety of Mythic Europe or the fates of a small corner of the world.
Spells will be cast. Duels won and lost. Houses may rise and fall. But magic is forever.
Grimoire: Gameplay Basics
Ars Magica is a troupe-style, storytelling game. This means that players will not only play a magus, but also the companions and grogs who serve them. Each of these characters contributes to the covenant they belong to, and therefore to the story itself.
The game is famous for its magic rules, which set a new standard for RPG magic systems. The system is divided into arts, each of which comes with a set of verbs and nouns (called Techniques and Forms). Players simply put them together into phrases like 'Control Fire' to represent what they want to do.
This fifth edition core book contains all of the rules you need to play, and there are many supplementary books in the series to help develop your campaign.
Awards
- 2005 ENnie Gold Award Winner – Best Rules.
- 2005 ENnie Silver Award Winner – Best Production Values.
- 2005 ENnie Award Nominee – Best Game.
- 2005 ENnie Award Honorable Mention – Best Interior Art.
- 2004 Origins Award Winner – Best Role Playing Game.
- 2004 Out of the Box Award Winner – Best Retread.
Vital Stats
| 5th Edition Designer: | David Chart |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein-Hagen |
| MSRP: | $35.00 |
| Atlas Stock #: | AG0205 |
| Barcode: | 978-1-58978-070-5 |
| Format: | 240 pages, hardcover, two-color interior printing |
| Release Date: | November 2004 |
Ars Magica Games at a Glance
- An extensively detailed RPG world full of history and sorcery.
- Create smaller campaigns with the core book, or build big with a vast variety of sourcebooks.
- Widely regarded as the benchmark for gaming magic systems, and a pioneer in troupe-style, storytelling games.
The fantasy is formed in layers over the historical. When playing Ars Magica, you can add as many or as few layers of fantasy as you want.
– Alex White
Mythic Europe: The World of Ars Magica
In Ars Magica, the superstitions of the common folk are all true. Faeries drink milk left on doorsteps, demons roam the countryside in search of vulnerable souls, and wizards wield magic beyond the ken of normal mortals. Step into the world of the magi of the Order of Hermes and their companions.
The Ars Magica game line is extensively developed to support a wide variety of stories. Fans of medieval history might tell a game heavy on historical accuracy, while fantasy lovers might spin a tale featuring the supernatural realms. Fans of political intrigue might focus on inter-House conflict between the different groups of magi.
Whatever your gaming preference, your stories will be the stuff of legend.
Inside the Mysteries: The Ars Magica Product Line
Many of the Ars Magica supplements in print are written for previous editions, but they remain usable with the fifth edition. The books can be summarized as follows:
- The Core Books:Ars Magica can be played with the core rulebook only. Additional core books provide general information usable in any Ars Magica game, giving more detail on topics such as the church, covenants, and the nobility.
- Houses of Hermes: Each book in this series focuses on several Houses with a common theme and could be particularly helpful in developing games centered on inter- and intra-House conflict.
- Realms of Power: These books each focus on one of the supernatural realms — Faerie, Divine, Infernal, and Magic — and could provide allies or antagonists to spur new plots.
- Tribunals and Worlds: These geographical supplements provide detailed information on locations in Mythic Europe to explore historical details and minimize research by the storyguide.
- Scenarios: Complete and ready-to-go campaigns to take to your table with a minimum of prep.
The Living Covenant: Semita Errabunda
Semita Errabunda is the official example covenant for Ars Magica fifth edition. It is located 'somewhere in Mythic Europe' — its location is deliberately left vague. It does control a regio that sometimes leads to places all over Europe, however, so its members can crop up anywhere. The members of Semita Errabunda supply most of the example characters in fifth edition supplements.
The covenant itself is surrounded by strange magic powers and inhabited by young, new wizards. Get a glimpse of the new edition's covenant statistics by downloading this introductory description of Semita Errabunda.
Grogs are the peasants, commoners, and simple folk who keep the covenant running and the wizards alive.
Ars Magica 1.7.10
Companions adventure with (or for) the mighty wizards of the covenant. They are knights, warriors, diplomats, and other non-wizard heroes.
Wizards master the art of magic. These are the central characters of any Ars Magica saga.
Othercharacters flesh out the covenant and the surrounding area.
The original concept for the Semita Errabunda project was the brainchild of Will Hindmarch, but many authors have contributed characters. Each author is credited on the appropriate character sheet.
Free Fiasco Playsets
- Free Fiasco playsets take the award-winning RPG from Bully Pulpit Games about vices and secrets to the Mythic Europe setting of Ars Magica.
- A fun crossover experience for fans of Ars Magica or Fiasco, providing a seamless blend of both games with all the tables and set-up instructions needed to play.
- A Covenant on Fire tells the tragic tale of a covenant gone wrong, and the secrets and lies that led to its downfall. A Grog's Life puts the grogs of Ars Magica — their secrets, lies, and ambitions — at center stage.
Diabolism, Jealousy, and Revenge: More about A Covenant on Fire
The Mistle Lake covenant has burned to the ground, with only one survivor left to tell the tale to the inquisitor. But there may be gaps between what he says happened, and what really happened…
This free playset is a part of our Ars Magica celebration and farewell to line editor David Chart. It requires Fiasco to play and is only available in PDF.
Download A Covenant on Fire now!
In the Covenant’s Shadow: More about A Grog's Life
Add an exciting new twist to your Mythic Europe gaming with this take on the loves, losses, and secrets of the grogs. This free product is a part of our Ars Magica celebration and farewell to line editor David Chart.
This playset is inspired by Ars Magica and requires Fiasco to play. It is only available in PDF.
Download A Grog's Life now!
Ars Magica Awards
Ars Magica Pdf
- 2007 Hobby Games: The 100 Best
- 2005 gold ENnie winner for Best Rules.
- 2005 silver ENnie winner for Best Production Values.
- 2005 ENnie honourable mention for Best Art, Interior.
- 2005 ENnie nominee for Best Game.
- 2004 Origins Award Best Role Playing Game.
- 1988 Gamer’s Choice Award (RPGA) – Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game