Ars Magica

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Ars Magica - Roleplaying in Mythic Europe
Accessories, by edition:
Ars Magica - 1st/2nd editions | Ars Magica - 3rd edition | Ars Magica - 4th edition

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Ars Magica is set in "Mythic Europe," historical, but as the inhabitants saw it. Over the years, AM has seen many editions, with seemingly every game company trying their hand at production. This can be a little confusing, so I'd suggest Project Redcap as an additional guide to Ars Magica.

Ars Magica, 1st Edition
"In Ars Magica you can play the part of a lowly grog and guard the wizards with your sword and shield. Flexible combat rules make each battle distinct and unpredictable, and often deadly. Your short life as a hired sword promises little boredom.
Or be a companion, and aid the wizards with your specialized skills and talents. Take advantage of a balanced and open-ended character generation system, and design a character without artificial class restrictions. Be a lame but magically sensitive friar, a fugitive baron, or a contortionist thief.
Or you can be a magus, a wizard, and delve into arcane mysteries. The magic system is designed to give you all the powers granted wizards in legends, not to lower you to the level of common adventurers. Use spells and magic items of your own invention, make up spells in the heat of battle, and engage other wizards in magical duels. Your imagination and the time you have to study are your only limits as a wizard in Ars Magica.
Each role is fascinating but would be limiting by itself. That's why, in Ars Magica, you switch roles from story to story. Thus you can enjoy all the possibilities that the rules have to offer, from brutal combat, to clever skill use, to sophisticated manipulation of the magic arts. And switching roles is easy because all character actions, from throwing a spear to throwing a spell, use the same, simple die roll resolution system. The basic system is simple enough to learn in a few minutes but versatile enough to cover nearly every die roll you will make in the game.
In addition, switching roles is simple because every character is somehow connected to the covenant of the wizards, a home base that the players design themselves, and later develop and expand through the actions of their characters.
From the covenant, you will journey out into the land. In a realistic, medieval world, where most encounter the supernatural only through wanderers' tales, you will play those rare mortals who regularly come face to face with powers and beings that none understand. You will pit your steel and spells against soul-stealing demons, pitiless undead, and enigmatic faeries, things which lurk on the outskirts of civilization.
Set down your ponderous tomes, o wizard, and ready your party of friends and hirelings. Leave the safety of your tower and venture forth into the world beyond. Magic and peril, knowledge and power, mystery and adventure beckon to you."

1987 ... 160 pages ... Lion Rampant #??

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Ars Magica, 2nd edition
"In Ars Magica, sometimes you will play the part of a stalwart grog, guarding the wizards with your sword and shield. Flexible combat rules make each battle distinct, unpredictable, and often deadly. Your brutal life as a hired sword promises little boredom.

You can also take the role of a companion, aiding the wizards with your specialized skills and talents. Take advantage of the balanced and open-ended character generation system and design a unique character without artificial class restrictions. Be a lame but magically sensitive friar, a fugitive baron, or a contortionist thief.

Or you will be a magus, a wizard of great power, and delve into arcane mysteries. The magic system is designed to give you all the powers granted wizards in legends, not to make you a common adventurer. Use spells and magic items of your own invention, make up spells in the heat of battle, and duel other wizards.

All the characters are centered around the covenant, the fortress where a group of magi live and conduct their esoteric studies. The covenant serves as the home base for the characters and is the central "character" in the ever-developing saga.

Set down your ponderous tomes, o wizard, and ready your party of friends and warriors. Magic and peril, knowledge and power, mystery and adventure beckon you."

1989 ... 160 pages ... Lion Rampant 201

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Ars Magica, 3rd edition
"Ars Magica is state-of-the-art fantasy. Set in a dark vision of the medieval world, it is a mythic setting where our superstitions are fact. In this game you can play a Magus, with the Full power of legendary wizards, or the companion of such a sorcerer, a talented ally with your own unique motivations and antipathies.
AS a Magus your life is devoted to the art of magic. Without it you are nought but a scholar and keeper of old books, so you guard and cultivate your mastery with every grain of your will and fury, your essence arises from conjury, and your dedication to it brings you immense power,
AS a, sorcerer's companion you have a life beyond the sphere of sorcery, and are not a mere vassal of the wizards. Your ability to move through worlds both magical and mundane makes you invaluable to them. Whether you be a drunken mercenary, cunning street-urchin or itinerant friar, you must win your fortune through your wits and courage.
Together you journey forth to gather magical ingredients, delve into forgotten tombs, explore the bizarre realm of the faerie, travel to the great cities of the south and combat the infernal forces of the underworld.
The world is yours for the taking."

1992 ... Ken Cliffe & Mark Rein•Hagen ... 392 pages ... White Wolf WW 203 ... ISBN 156504021X

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Ars Magica, 4th edition
Come to a land of adventure and mystery, of falling empires and rising nations, of legendary creatures and incredible myths. This is Ars Magica's Mythic Europe, where the power of magic is real and exists alongside historical figures and locations.

Stories revolve around the covenant: one part mystical college, one part magical laboratory, one part Hermetic fortification, one part bastion of secrecy.

Your Role: Grog, Companion, Magus

You'll take many roles. At times, you may be a grog, a stalwart guard of the covenant, well-paid for your labors with a life far more exciting than that of the common folk. At other times, you may be a companion, a respected friend of the covenant, using your professional skills for a share of the glory and the reward. You'll also take on the role of a magus, a wizard of legendary power, a leader of the covenant, a member of one of the Houses of Hermes. With each role you play, however, you have knowledge few others possess. You know of Ars Magica, the art of magic.

A Magical Game

The first edition of Ars Magica set the benchmark for magic in fantasy roleplaying. It pioneered the storytelling style of roleplaying that has become so popular today. Its setting, Mythic Europe, sparked the imaginations of fantasy fans and history enthusiasts alike.

The fourth edition of Ars Magica's core rulebook introduces improved systems in several key areas such as combat, character advancement, and covenant generation. This version of the game retains and improves upon Ars Magica's powerful and flexible magic system -- widely regarded as the best rules for magic in all of gaming. Ars Magica Fourth Edition also remains compatible with the game's previously released supplements.

1996 ... 272 pages ... Atlas Games 204 ... ISBN 1887801553/1887801561

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Ars Magica, 5th edition
"Ars Magica ("The Art of Magic") is the award-winning roleplaying game that focuses on wizards who are as powerful as the ones we know from legend and literature, and the land of Mythic Europe, where those legends are real. The rules encourage players to develop their characters over long periods of time, and make the covenant, the home base of the characters, as central to the stories as any individual character. Troupe-style roleplaying allows players to take on the roles of different characters in different stories, so that the players have equal access to power even though the characters do not. This new edition is rewritten to improve the rules for existing players, and to be more attractive and accessible to new audiences."

2004 ... 240 pages ... AG 0205 ... ISBN 1589780701

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The Challenge [BOX SET]
BOX CONTENTS:
• 30 full color character cards
• 54 card action deck
• 54 card mystic deck
• 4 Reference Cards
• Basic game and Expansion rules

"The Challenge is an innovative card game of deadly combat and formidable magics. Action is fast paced and tension-filled as characters exchange blows, fire spells, and even attempt to backstab. It is the fantasy battle at its best.
More than simply hack and slash, strategy is the key to victory, with cunning and skill playing a central role in your success. Game play is an exercise in diplomacy and subterfuge, as treaties and trickery can make all the difference between victory and defeat.
While The Challenge is easy to learn (start playing in less than 15 minutes), it has a depth far beyond that of the typical card game. With its excitement filled, strategy oriented, full-throttled action, The Challenge is sure to become a classic. If you always loved combat the best... take The Challenge. For 2 to 6 players, playable in under an hour."

1990 ... LR 1101

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Atlas Games owns copyright (and holds trademark to) Ars Magica in all forms.

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