I've called Ars Magica my favorite game I don't get to play... so I figured I'd start a thread for discussion, videos, etc. for those who might have interest.
NOTE: It's pronounced 'maji-ka.' Like magic, with an 'a' on the end. You'd think someone making a video about the game would know how to pronounce it...
Also, Ars Magica isn't just about the dice rolls as a core mechanic. The difference between Magus, Companions and Grogs are just as important to go over. Grogs are minor characters anyone at the table can control (think hireling in D&D). Companions are secondary characters with slightly more importance (think henchmen). Magus characters are the focus, as it wouldn't be Ars Magica with out magicians in play. These characters are rare in the grand scheme of Mythic Europe.... quite unlike Forgotten Realms where there is a wizard on every street corner.
Ars Magica
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
Ars Magica 5th edition is produced by Atlas Games. Go here to check out the product line: https://www.atlas-games.com/arsmagica
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.
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.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Necron 99
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Ars is one of those games I'm not sure if I'll enjoy playing, but I could be wrong, I'll have to make some spare time to watch the vids and see what it's about.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” - Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
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alester
- Level 3: Hireling
- Posts: 29
- Joined: September 23rd, 2019, 11:57 am
Well, I’m planning to run something with Ars after Mythras and Cyberpunk Red (to bring it back to fantasy). Hopefully it gives you a good chance to see if you like the system.
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grodog
- Level 6: Adventurer
- Posts: 292
- Joined: December 9th, 2018, 2:19 pm
We used the Ars Magica system for WFRPG 1e at college, since Realms of Sorcery was still years away.
It is, bar none, the best-designed RPG magic system I’ve ever experienced. The game’s quite innovative in several other ways, too:
- character party is a part of the PC creation process (the coven/covenant is more important than any single magus PC)
- troupe-style role-playing, which distributes the workload of running the game, somewhat, and creates more shared ties between PCs
- the Medieval Europe setting is modeled on actual folklore and religious beliefs from the time
I’ve not had a chance to play it as often as I’d like, but I have played in two different campaigns, in addition to the WFRPG-ArM variant.
Allan.
It is, bar none, the best-designed RPG magic system I’ve ever experienced. The game’s quite innovative in several other ways, too:
- character party is a part of the PC creation process (the coven/covenant is more important than any single magus PC)
- troupe-style role-playing, which distributes the workload of running the game, somewhat, and creates more shared ties between PCs
- the Medieval Europe setting is modeled on actual folklore and religious beliefs from the time
I’ve not had a chance to play it as often as I’d like, but I have played in two different campaigns, in addition to the WFRPG-ArM variant.
Allan.
grodog
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Allan Grohe
Editor and Project Manager
https://www.facebook.com/BlackBladePublishing/
grodog@gmail.com
http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/greyhawk.html for my Greyhawk site
https://grodog.blogspot.com/ for my blog, From Kuroth's Quill
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Allan Grohe
Editor and Project Manager
https://www.facebook.com/BlackBladePublishing/
grodog@gmail.com
http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/greyhawk.html for my Greyhawk site
https://grodog.blogspot.com/ for my blog, From Kuroth's Quill
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Necron 99
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Interesting take on the magic system, I'll have to do some delving into the book (pdf) and see how it plays out, sounds like it's definitely worth looking at.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” - Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
The Techniques (verbs) + Forms (nouns) system is really flexible! Spells are typically a combo of a Technique + a Form to create an effect.
Techniques are: Creo (I create), Intellego (I perceive), Muto (I transform), Perdo (I destroy), and Rego (I control)
Forms are: Animal (animal), Aquam (water), Auram (air), Corpus (body), Herbam (plant), Ignem (fire), Imaginem (image), Mentem (mind), Terram (earth), and Vim (power)
During character creation, Magus characters have points to spend in the Techniques and Forms. They can spread them out in generalist fashion to know a bit of everything or concentrate points in select areas to be more specialized. Spells have target numbers so a Magus would add the score in the appropriate Technique and Form and roll a d10. If the Level (aka target number) is met or exceeded then spell goes off. There is a chance to botch a casting based on the d10 roll. See the core book for details.
Spells that a Magus has learned and can cast are called formulaic spells. If a Magus needs to try for an effect for which he doesn't know a spell, he can make attempt at a spontaneous casting. See the core book for details.
An example of a spell is The Wound That Weeps (Perdo Corpus) Level 15 - When casting this spell, you point at the victim and a large wound opens on his or her body. The wound is not a deep one, but it bleeds profusely. This is only a Light Wound, but it looks bad.
Techniques are: Creo (I create), Intellego (I perceive), Muto (I transform), Perdo (I destroy), and Rego (I control)
Forms are: Animal (animal), Aquam (water), Auram (air), Corpus (body), Herbam (plant), Ignem (fire), Imaginem (image), Mentem (mind), Terram (earth), and Vim (power)
During character creation, Magus characters have points to spend in the Techniques and Forms. They can spread them out in generalist fashion to know a bit of everything or concentrate points in select areas to be more specialized. Spells have target numbers so a Magus would add the score in the appropriate Technique and Form and roll a d10. If the Level (aka target number) is met or exceeded then spell goes off. There is a chance to botch a casting based on the d10 roll. See the core book for details.
Spells that a Magus has learned and can cast are called formulaic spells. If a Magus needs to try for an effect for which he doesn't know a spell, he can make attempt at a spontaneous casting. See the core book for details.
An example of a spell is The Wound That Weeps (Perdo Corpus) Level 15 - When casting this spell, you point at the victim and a large wound opens on his or her body. The wound is not a deep one, but it bleeds profusely. This is only a Light Wound, but it looks bad.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Captain_Blood
- Level 5: Delver
- Posts: 243
- Joined: December 10th, 2018, 10:21 pm
I'm looking forward to Jared running this for us. Should be fun.
“May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.” -Malcom Reynolds