Ars Magic 5th edition
- Thread starter Crothian
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johnsemlak
First Post
One question--how usable are the older edition supplements with the 5th Edition? I have some 4th ed stuff I use for flavor for D&D games. If I bought the 5th edition, would these supplements be fully usable?
Wombat
First Post
Well, each edition of the game went through some changes, and 5th edition has made a major tweak in calculating Virtues & Flaws for characters...
...BUT...
Most of the material from the earlier books (especially in terms of flavour) is still very much usable. Equally the monster/creature stats, while altering a bit here and there, are still very much usable. And the lab magic rules, while tweaked, are still very much of a kind and thus quite usable!
For example, there are two faerie supplements that came out for the game, one under 3rd edition, the other under fourth. Though they are on the same topic, the material is quite different in each one, partially due to mechanical reasons, but more importantly due to what each author wanted to emphasize. The amazing thing is that BOTH supplements are still good and compliment, rather than contradict, each other.
David Chart put out one supplement (Heirs to Merlin) that has no "crunch" at all -- it is a history of England (to 1220), including many myths and legends, and the place of the Order of Hermes (the magi) in that history. Obviously this supplement is still useful for any edition of the game (as well as being generally useful for any game set in England during this time, much like the usefulness of many GURPS supplement).
If you pick up one of the adventures you will probably have to do some mechanical tinkering to bring it into shape, but I know they are reprinting one of the old adventures (The Broken Covenant of Calebais -- amusingly it is essentially a dungeon crawl a la Ars Magica) in 5th ed format very soon (next month or two).
OTOH I would not recommend an otherwise quite excellent supplement, The Wizard's Grimoire, as it is pretty mechanics-heavy and will probably be superceded by the new edition mechanics.
Just a few notions
...BUT...
Most of the material from the earlier books (especially in terms of flavour) is still very much usable. Equally the monster/creature stats, while altering a bit here and there, are still very much usable. And the lab magic rules, while tweaked, are still very much of a kind and thus quite usable!
For example, there are two faerie supplements that came out for the game, one under 3rd edition, the other under fourth. Though they are on the same topic, the material is quite different in each one, partially due to mechanical reasons, but more importantly due to what each author wanted to emphasize. The amazing thing is that BOTH supplements are still good and compliment, rather than contradict, each other.
David Chart put out one supplement (Heirs to Merlin) that has no "crunch" at all -- it is a history of England (to 1220), including many myths and legends, and the place of the Order of Hermes (the magi) in that history. Obviously this supplement is still useful for any edition of the game (as well as being generally useful for any game set in England during this time, much like the usefulness of many GURPS supplement).
If you pick up one of the adventures you will probably have to do some mechanical tinkering to bring it into shape, but I know they are reprinting one of the old adventures (The Broken Covenant of Calebais -- amusingly it is essentially a dungeon crawl a la Ars Magica) in 5th ed format very soon (next month or two).
OTOH I would not recommend an otherwise quite excellent supplement, The Wizard's Grimoire, as it is pretty mechanics-heavy and will probably be superceded by the new edition mechanics.
Just a few notions
Tyrrell
First Post
Crothian said:
Well to simplify the richest RPG experiences I've had down to a formula, it goes like this; the adventure starts out with some bit of news making its way to the covenant or some event taking place. There is a bit of a jumble word of this gets spread through the covenent. Then there is a magi counsel where all of the Magi discuss the import of the news/event and create a plan. (This allows everyone to play their magus or maga during the game for at least a bit.) This plan typically involves sending one or two magi along with one or two companions and a few grogs to deal with it. The magus player has a lot of fun trying to apply spontaneous magic to the problem, the companion players have a lot of fun doing all of the talking and legwork, and the grog players have a lot of fun being silly/reckless/clueless or whatever is appropriate to the personality of the grog. (Grogs tend to have extreme personalities). The plot then becomes a bit clearer and everyone gets a chance to kick ass, even the grogs.
Magi in Ars Magica can not necessarily cast bigger spells that an 8th level D&D Wizard in fact in some ways their spells are much less powerful. However they can often cast them all day and they can come up with tons of weak spells on the fly.
Crothian
First Post
How is character creation? It seems that since the charcters all live and work together it would be best to have everyone create them at the same time. How long does it take? Also, what tpyes of Magi are there? Is there a lot of overlap between them or can a few magi be created that don't cover the same area?
The closest Ars Magica comes to classes are Mages, Companions, and Grogs. With Mages coming closest to a D&D® style character class. Companions and Grogs fill numerous other roles, with Companions as henchmen and cohorts (supporting cast) while Grogs are more along the lines of hirelings (extras and minor roles).
In a sense the party Mage is the Player Character, with the Companions and Grogs his henchmen and hirelings. In this scheme those who play Companions and Grogs in an adventure become GM assistants. You could call it modified one-on-one play.
Back when Ars Magica was new there were conversations in Alarums and Excursions about Companion only, Grog only, and mixed Companion-Grog adventures. That is, letting the henchmen and/or hirelings go off and adventure on their own. So you don't always need a Mage to have a party. This type of party to be used when all a covenant's Mages are busy with research or study, and somebody has to take care of a problem.
If you're in university you could think of Ars Magica party composition as consisting of a Professor, some Grad Students, and a passel of Undergrads.
Hope this helps.
In a sense the party Mage is the Player Character, with the Companions and Grogs his henchmen and hirelings. In this scheme those who play Companions and Grogs in an adventure become GM assistants. You could call it modified one-on-one play.
Back when Ars Magica was new there were conversations in Alarums and Excursions about Companion only, Grog only, and mixed Companion-Grog adventures. That is, letting the henchmen and/or hirelings go off and adventure on their own. So you don't always need a Mage to have a party. This type of party to be used when all a covenant's Mages are busy with research or study, and somebody has to take care of a problem.
If you're in university you could think of Ars Magica party composition as consisting of a Professor, some Grad Students, and a passel of Undergrads.
Hope this helps.
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