Ars Magica To Get A New Edition

Ars Magica, currently on its 5th Edition, will be getting a 5th Edition Definitive edition this year. 5th Edition was released 20 years ago, and this new version will hit crowdfunding in fall 2024 as a full-colour hardcover book.

The original Ars Magica was released in 1987, and the game has been owned by Lion Rampant, White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, and its current owner Atlas Games. Set in a mythical version of Europe, it centers around mages and features 'troupe' play where players have more than one character. It also boasts a 'verb-noun' magic system, enabling players to improvise spells on the go.

This edition has been in the works for a few years, revising and updating the text, and adding new material, new art, and new layout.

Additionally, the game will come with an open license; Atlas Games has not chosen which yet, but says it is leaning towards Creative Commons (CC BY-SA).

 

[TrippyHippy]

Actual most anticipated RPG release of the year award for me!

Ars Magica is an all time classic. Celebrated as part of the 100 Best Hobby Games of all time and winner of copious awards, this is the game that did Harry Potter before Harry Potter was even a thing and married it to the most meticulously researched ‘Mythic Europe’ (13th Century) setting you can find. Still has, arguably, the best magic system in gaming which allows a character to develop their own personal style through a Verb and Noun system (which originated with this game). Influential directly on the formation of the World of Darkness Games (Mark Rein-Hagen) and also the 3rd edition of D&D (Jonathon Tweet). Arguably the original ’storytelling’ or narrative game and progenitor of the ‘indie’ movement in the gaming hobby. As I said, an all-time Classic.

 

[overgeeked]

Still has, arguably, the best magic system in gaming which allows character to develop their own personal style through a Verb and Noun system (which originated with this game).

Yeah. That’s the bit I’m most interested in. Especially if it’s released as part of a free license. I hope it’s not CC-BY-SA, I hope they drop the SA, but just about any open license will do.

 

[schneeland]

the most meticulously researched ‘Mythic Europe’ (13th Century) setting you can find

The setting is a good point. While the system is known for its magic system (and I did in fact enjoy it, when I played 4e 20 years ago), I find myself thinking about the setting just as much. Besides the general low-magic, mythical touch to a historic period, I also enjoyed the concept of different spheres/realms of influence (if I remember correctly, they were: Magic, Divine, Infernal, Faerie).

 

[Morrus]

Yeah. That’s the bit I’m most interested in. Especially if it’s released as part of a free license. I hope it’s not CC-BY-SA, I hope they drop the SA, but just about any open license will do.

There are similar systems available these days under open licences. Verb-noun magic was—like many TTRPG concepts—revolutionary at the time—but you’ve had access to the concept and mechanics for years if you’re a game designer.

 

[Von Ether]

Yeah. That’s the bit I’m most interested in. Especially if it’s released as part of a free license. I hope it’s not CC-BY-SA, I hope they drop the SA, but just about any open license will do.

What's wrong with the SA part?

 

[RareBreed]

This is something I will definitely back.

I enjoyed the troupe style play, though ironically I didn't learn it from Ars Magic since I didn't play AM until 1990. I learned it from an obscure game which also came out in 1987 called Living Steel. Though it did not specifically have a name for it like troupe play, the entire premise of the game was that you had a little group of survivors on a post-apocalyptic planet trying to survive. So you got to play Alphas (fighters) and one or more Ringers (skilled non-fighters like firemen, electricians, etc) to help rebuild a little corner of society. I later used the "troupe" concept in a home grown Vietnam era campaign to good effect since casualty rates were so high.

As for the setting, I really loved the setting. The campaign I played in was (sadly a bit boring to me) in France, but from reading Mythic Europe and later supplements I think I would have preferred somewhere in Eastern Europe or even North Africa. I don't recall the magic being that powerful, though we really only got to the early Summer stage. I have always preferred fantasy settings with weaker or less obvious magic. I also preferred playing my Companion to my Mage, and even enjoyed playing Grogs a bit more (since I got to be a bit more hammy with them).

I'm trying to remember now, but didn't White Wolf make a tie-in with Vampire (and the World of Darkness in general) to this setting? I thought one of the clans could trace some kind of lineage back to one of the Houses in Ars Magica.

This and the new version of HarnMaster Kethira are going to be some of the few fantasy games I will keep my eye out for (and 6th Ed Pendragon when it finally is available).

 

[Staffan]

I'm trying to remember now, but didn't White Wolf make a tie-in with Vampire (and the World of Darkness in general) to this setting? I thought one of the clans could trace some kind of lineage back to one of the Houses in Ars Magica.

Yes, one of the vampire clans (Tremere) is descended from magi in one of the Houses of Hermes, also named Tremere. I believe one of them got vampirized, and then diablerized his way up to the founder of the rather rare and obscure Salubri clan, thus usurping his way into Antedeluvian status.

The Order of Hermes is also one of the Traditions in Mage: the Ascension, with a focus on Force magic.

 

[Lucas Yew]

CC BY-SA 4.0, oh my...!

 

[SteveC]

This is exciting stuff. It REALLY takes me back so I'm excited to see it.

 

[MNblockhead]

I've been looking for a good system for a magic user focused campaign. Medieval fantasy or modern. I tried Mage the Ascension since I like the flavor of the magic system, but I just got frustrated with the rules and also by the lack of good pre-written adventures. I would love to play in a MtA game, but hated trying to run the game.

Can someone who has played Ars Magica explain some of the core mechanics, especially regarding casting, or link any good summaries or reviews?

Also, how tied into the setting and lore is Ars Magica? Could I run a game in a home brew world, or would that be taking away a lot from the game?

Lastly, is there enough published adventures for the system to run a campaign of at least a few months? How well designed are the adventures?