Do you own Ars Magica? Will you?

[TheAuldGrump]

I have the 3e book and the 4e download. I don't know that I can justify the 5e book right now, and honestly haven't been able to keep up with the game. Of course, I don't think I fully grok the thing anyway, as I've never been able to play even a single session. A PbP would be interesting, but, alas, I don't believe I would have time to do it justice. Too much on my plate right now.

I had a letter game inspired by Ars Magica for a while, with one player and myself exchanging in character letters, the idea being that the letters could serve as props for a future Ars game.

Sadly, the game petered out after five letters each, when the other player's wife had a baby.

The Auld Grump

 

[MummyKitty]

I have one older book (must be first edition, don't know where it is now), a few 3rd edition books and a few 4th edition books. I've only played a few times (at cons), and not as a magi character. As a history buff the setting interests me, and if I ever ran a campaign I would include as much real history as possible. The magic system also seems cool.

 

[grodog]

I've been playing ArM since 2nd edition, and I own copies of the 1st through 5th editions. I'm also interested in buying/trading for the few older items that I don't have....

We played some fun games at Penn State while I was in college, combining Mythic Europe of ArM with Warhammer's Old World (ArM was our "Realms of Sorcery" supplement). Good stuff!

 

[grodog]

I own all the way to the beginning, even have the 'after dark' information that Lion Rampant sold at Gencon with it as a package deal!

HoE, I may want to talk to you about AD---I've been looking for details/copies of that for _years_.....

 

[Gulla]

I own all the way to the beginning, even have the 'after dark' information that Lion Rampant sold at Gencon with it as a package deal!

You wouldn't happen to be one of the very few special people who own a copy of The Bats of Mercille?

I have been hunting that one missing book for at least 5 year now. It's the only whole in my otherwise complete collection

I have more or less given up any hope of finding it, but maybe a copy could be bought?

Håkon
long time ArM-fan

 

[Aaron L]

Never read Ars Magica. Reading the free stuff now.

 

[Yair]

Never read Ars Magica. Reading the free stuff now.

It's most disappointing, in a way, that it is 4e that is the free edition. It is the most boringly written (IMHO; I haven't read 2e or 1e). 3e and 5e have much more flair, and 5e is also easier to pick up.
Still, enjoy

 

[mobuttu]

I also dislike the "Judeo/Christo/Islamic" cosmology and 13th century Europe as a setting

I have to disagree. One of the pillars of Ars Magica is it's setting. At least, for an European like me, it's like playing with all those legendary monsters and cavaliers of our stories. Historic setting let's you run a campaing were is no need of inventing realms, kings, or even the whole history...you just have to pick up a history book, blend it with legends and granma stories, and voilà...a brand new campaing. Another cool thing of Ars Magica is the way time goes. Characters indeed have the feeling that times slips through their fingers and while they are getting more and more powers, his body is also getting older, it's an amazing sensation for a RPG.
But I think that the best thing in the game it's how the covenant is treated. For me covenants are the main characters of the campaing. It doesn't matter what happens to the PC, if the covenant survives the campaing can go on...I know this can be played in any game, but AM do deal with that very good, and make it one of the central themes.

Just my 2 cents.

Quim "Sorry for my bad english"

 

[Wombat]

Tremere belong in Ars dang it! Not Vampire or Mage...

**small, happy tear**

Bless you, sir, for daring to speak the truth!

 

[rbingham2000]

I have Ars Magica 4E, both the free download and the dead-tree edition (and I bought the dead-tree edition at least a few months to a year before downloading the electronic version).