Deadlands and Ars Magica for free... anyone played them?

[Orias]

I think Ars Magica is sweet, but if I am going to drop any two cents into a discussion it will always be this:

Although Ars Magica has the SECOND best magic system ever created, it pales in comparison to Mage: The Ascension

 

[Staffan]

Also, 3E closely mirrors Ars Magica in many of its mechanics, which becomes pretty obvious once you have read through Ars.

That's not so strange, once you notice who wrote the original Ars Magica rules.

 

[Cedric]

Although Ars Magica has the SECOND best magic system ever created, it pales in comparison to Mage: The Ascension

That's kind of ironic really. The Mage magic system was based on Ars Magica...so I guess you could say it was evolutionary...

Cedric

 

[Rashak Mani]

Where can I download the officially allowed download of Ars Magica ? Why have they been put in "public domain" ?

 

[Staffan]

Not technically public domain (just free, which is not the same thing), but it's available at RPGNow, more specifically at http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=774&

 

[mmu1]

I think Ars Magica is sweet, but if I am going to drop any two cents into a discussion it will always be this:

Although Ars Magica has the SECOND best magic system ever created, it pales in comparison to Mage: The Ascension

Mage: The Ascension is an interesting system, but incredibly overrated. The rules are vague, horribly lacking in examples of play, and completely inadequate when it comes to the interaction of various disciplines.

This gets billed as "encouraging imagination", "allowing you to do anything you can think of", and many people like to look down their noses at those who "just don't get Mage".

The reality is that the Mage rule system is much too complicated, rule-heavy and badly organized to be remotely useful as a truly free-form, rule-light magic system, and not nearly well-codfified, explained, and supported in terms of mechanics to be useful for a rule-heavy game.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Do I have to register in site to download it ?

 

[Particle_Man]

Deadlands, I like a lot. Just don't get too attached to your character! My only gripe is that the pdf was not released 2 months sooner (looks at his Deadlands Players Guide sittin' on the bookshelf, sighs).

 

[mmu1]

Deadlands, I like a lot. Just don't get too attached to your character! My only gripe is that the pdf was not released 2 months sooner (looks at his Deadlands Players Guide sittin' on the bookshelf, sighs).

I'm in the same boat... Just bought the Player's Guide recently, of all things for a game that now shows no signs of getting off the ground. Oh well...

And I definitely agree with those who brought up the point about the need for supplements - I have no idea why anyone would want to play a Shaman, Preacher or Huckster just based on the incredibly weak abilities in the Player's Guide.

 

[Staffan]

Do I have to register in site to download it ?

Yes.