PDA

View Full Version : Ars Magica



Grey Paladin
2008-08-01, 10:16 AM
I am considering picking it up but do not know what edition I should go for, advice?

Crazy_Uncle_Doug
2008-08-01, 10:24 AM
I am considering picking it up but do not know what edition I should go for, advice?

It's long out of print, but I've considered 3rd edition to be one of the best. It definitely had a lot more material than previous or later editions. Fourth edition was decent as well, but lacked the material of 3rd. Fifth, well I haven't done much with it. I've personally found it frustratingly difficult to find an Ars Magica group.

bosssmiley
2008-08-01, 10:35 AM
I think DriveThruRPG (or whatever they call themselves this month) has 4th Ed "Ars Magica" as a free download. Can't ask a better price than that for a starter kit. :smallwink:

Matthew
2008-08-01, 11:02 AM
You can also download it directly from the Atlas Games (http://www.atlas-games.com/arsmagica/index.php) Website. Basically, download the fourth edition rulebook, give it a good read over and see what you think.

Tyrrell
2008-08-01, 10:38 PM
It's long out of print, but I've considered 3rd edition to be one of the best. It definitely had a lot more material than previous or later editions. Fourth edition was decent as well, but lacked the material of 3rd. Fifth, well I haven't done much with it. I've personally found it frustratingly difficult to find an Ars Magica group.

3rd is my least favorite edition although there are things that I like about it as there are of all editions.

Fifth edition has the tightest rules, the best play testing, the most consistent setting, the most high magic adventure feel, and the most complete catalog of support material (although fourth edition has the most published material, the books were based on what the authors wanted to write rather than what the line needed so there are naturally more gaps). I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

However second edition is a much smaller book that makes it very easy to get your brain around the game. If you've never played before, and you can score a copy, second edition is a better introduction that fifth. (and has a better combat system)

Curmudgeon
2008-08-02, 05:33 PM
I've downloaded and used the free 4th edition rules. You'll find that combat is very formula-intensive. :smallfrown:

Adeptus
2008-08-02, 06:48 PM
Personally I'd like to see the 1st edition. Ars Magica (rather like D&D) has gotten more and more complex as time has gone by. I've managed to buy a few 1st edition adventure modules, and they lovely pieces of work.

On a more general level, do pick up a version. Ars Magica has many good things going for it, and in my opinion is a vastly superior and more mature game than D&D.

LibraryOgre
2008-08-03, 08:53 AM
I've downloaded and used the free 4th edition rules. You'll find that combat is very formula-intensive. :smallfrown:

However, most of the formulae are pre-figures... you just figure up the formula once, and it's done.

Curmudgeon
2008-08-03, 05:22 PM
However, most of the formulae are pre-figures... you just figure up the formula once, and it's done. It's not that simple. Initiative, Attack, Defense, and Soak all can be prefigured for each weapon or armor combination, but the first 3 of these also include a stress die. The Attack Advantage is the difference between Attack and Defense, and then you have to compute both Damage and Body Levels Lost from those, with missile and melee attacks using different formulae. The Combat Fatigue formula also has a stress die component.

No, I don't think it's correct to characterize using precomputed values as being "done"; I'd just call it "started".

Tyrrell
2008-08-04, 08:16 PM
I've downloaded and used the free 4th edition rules. You'll find that combat is very formula-intensive. :smallfrown:

This is better in fifth edition, but if you want a quick combat system your best bet is second (third edition is a close second).

Tyrrell
2008-08-05, 09:19 PM
Personally I'd like to see the 1st edition. Ars Magica (rather like D&D) has gotten more and more complex as time has gone by. I've managed to buy a few 1st edition adventure modules, and they lovely pieces of work.
It turns out that the jump between first and second editions of Ars Magica is one of the few times in RPG history when a game has become more simple between editions.

Second made Parma magica a skill and added wizard's twilight and houses, but it simplified the combat system, simplified many of the lab activities, made advancement seasonal rather than monthly and took arts out of the xp system.