Ars Magica: The Art of Magic

Ars Magica RPG Core Rules

by Jonathan Tweet

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 one part mystical college, one part magical laboratory, one part Hermetic fortification, one part bastion of secrecy. Your 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. Ars Magica won the Gamer's Choice Award for Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game of 1988; the Fourth Edition was nominated for the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1996.

Genres: Role Playing Games, Fantasy, Gaming, Magic

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 1996

About the author

Tabletop game designer, children's science communicator. Grandmother Fish was a labor of love for 15 years.

Reviews

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best role-playing games ever created, and arguably the finest edition yet. This game is set in what is referred to as "Mythic Europe" -- this is the historical, medieval Europe we all know and love, but one in which the beliefs of the common people are true. Angels watch over the Church and punish the wicked, demons tempt and torment humanity, faeries dance in forest glades, and powerful magi work wonders and seek forgotten lore. The players take on the roles of these magi (belonging to various Houses within the Order of Hermes) and their various servants, apprentices, friends, family, etc. and explore the medieval world and their own strange desitines. This game has incredible potential for all sorts of players, from those who love to immerse themselves in the details of European history to those who simply want a good story. I'd suggest the following novels as potential inspirations for stories using this rpg: "In The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco, "The Dreaming Tree" by C.J. Cherryh, "Ars Magica" (of course) by Judith Tarr, "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke, "The Once & Future King" by T.H. White, and "The Drawing of the Dark" by Tim Powers.

[Peter De Kinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a nostalgic read than anything else. This RPG introduced several interesting concepts back in the time, that have become staples in other games, but most of it is not really that unique anymore. A great read if you want to know where modern RPG got some of their ideas, and as such it was clearly miles ahead of its time/

[Andrew Van Pernis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite RPG settings. However, the rulebook could use better organization. The chapters tend to throw you straight into the rules with no overview to guide you.