Ars Magica
   HOME





Ars Magica
''Ars Magica'' is a role-playing game set in 'Mythic Europe' – a historically grounded version of Europe and the Levant around AD 1200, with the added conceit that conceptions of the world prevalent in folklore and institutions of the High Middle Ages are factual reality (a situation known informally as the "medieval paradigm"). The players' involvement revolves around an organization of magi and their allies and foes both mundane and supernatural. The game was originally developed by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein-Hagen, with its first edition published in 1987. The current edition (the game's fifth) was written by David Chart, and published in 2004 by Atlas Games, who continue to develop new material for it. ''Ars Magica'' was one of the first examples of a troupe system. Early editions recommended that the players collaborate to create the campaign world and story with: * Each player having an opportunity to be Story Guide. (e.g. alternating by play session, 'chapter' ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Jonathan Tweet
Jonathan Tweet (born 1965) is an American game designer who has been involved in the development of the role-playing games ''Ars Magica'', '' Everway'', '' Over the Edge'', ''Talislanta'', the third edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and '' 13th Age'', and the collectible miniatures game '' Dreamblade''. In 2015 Tweet released '' Grandmother Fish'', a full-color, full-sized book about evolution aimed at preschoolers. In 2018 Tweet released ''Clades'' and ''Clades Prehistoric'', two card games for children and adults which demonstrate the concept of a clade. Early life Native to Rock Island, Illinois, Tweet is the son of Roald Tweet, an Augustana College professor emeritus and local historian, and Margaret Tweet. Jonathan Tweet started playing ''D&D'' in the 1970s, when his father gave him his first ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game. He then formed his own gaming group by recruiting classmates. Tweet graduated from Rock Island High School class valedictorian in 1983. He majored in ps ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Mundane
In subcultural and fictional uses, a mundane is a person who does not belong to a particular group, according to the members of that group; the implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane: the quotidian and ordinary. The term first came into use in science fiction fandom to refer, sometimes deprecatingly, to non-fans; this use of the term antedates 1955. Etymology Mundane came originally from the Latin '' mundus'', meaning ordinary and worldly as opposed to spiritual, and has been in use in English since the 15th century. In popular culture Some Western cultural examples include: * In Cassandra Clare's book series ''The Mortal Instruments'' and ''The Infernal Devices'', humans who were not Shadowhunters nor Downworlders were referred to as "mundanes". * In fantasy literature the term is sometimes used to apply to non-magical people or the non-magical society. It is used in Piers Anthony's Xanth novels and Bill Willingham's ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Atlas Games (company)
Atlas Games is a company which publishes role-playing games, board games and card games. Its founder and current president is John Nephew. History When Atlas Games did not have the finances to publish '' On the Edge'' (1994), they partnered with Jerry Corrick and Bob Brynildson and formed a new corporation called Trident, Inc. to publish the game. Eventually Atlas subsumed into Trident; Brynildson, Corrick, and their store - The Source Comics & Games - continued to support Atlas with their business experience and perspective. The company published the periodical '' EdgeWork'' for four issues. Games published Role-playing games * ''Ars Magica'' (The 5th edition won the 2004 Origins Award for Best Role-Playing Game.) * ''Feng Shui'' (The 2nd edition won the Gold ENnie Awards in 2016 for ''Best Rules'' and ''Best Setting''.) * '' Furry Pirates (Swashbuckling Adventure in the Furry Age of Piracy)'' * ''Magical Kitties Save the Day'' * ''Northern Crown'' * '' Over the Edge'' * '' Pa ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Ken Cliffe
Ken Cliffe is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. He is known primarily as the author and developer for the third edition of ''Ars Magica'', and as co-author and developer of the ''Trinity'', '' Hunter: The Reckoning'' and "new" (2004) ''World of Darkness'' role-playing games. Career ''Villains and Vigilantes'' Ken Cliffe began his career writing supplements in support of Fantasy Games Unlimited's role-playing game, ''Villains and Vigilantes,'' including ''Vigilantes International'', which was published much later as part of a revival of the line. He was credited with developing the supplements he authored into a coherent universe for the game. White Wolf Publishing Cliffe later came to White Wolf Publishing, contributing to the second book it published: ''The Campaign Book Volume One: Fantasy'' (1990). Cliffe was the line editor on ''Ars Magica'' for the majority of the time the game was in publication at White Wolf, and developed and authored the th ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Adventure (role-playing Game)
''Adventure!'' is a pulp action role-playing game originally printed by White Wolf Game Studio, the third and last book in the Trinity Universe line of games. The game, printed in black and white on pulp-like sepia paper to resemble a period piece, was conceived as a one-book game line, and was never supported by official supplements. Despite having a vocal fanbase, the Trinity Universe line was discontinued shortly after the game's publication; a d20 system version was released in 2004, but quickly discontinued. In 2002, ''Adventure!'' won the Origins Award for ''Best Role-Playing Game of 2001''. Onyx Path Publishing has recently acquired the rights to the Trinity Universe and has announced its intention to release a new edition of ''Adventure!'' Setting The game is set in the 1920s and therefore at the origin of the Trinity Universe timeline. The release of unknown Telluric energy has led to the appearance of a number of particularly gifted characters, whose actions have the ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Hermes Trismegistus
Hermes Trismegistus (from , "Hermes the Thrice-Greatest") is a legendary Hellenistic period figure that originated as a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.A survey of the literary and archaeological evidence for the background of Hermes Trismegistus as the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth may be found in He is the purported author of the ''Hermetica'', a widely diverse series of ancient and medieval pseudepigraphica that laid the basis of various philosophical systems known as Hermeticism. The wisdom attributed to this figure in antiquity combined a knowledge of both the material and the spiritual world, which rendered the writings attributed to him of great relevance to those who were interested in the interrelationship between the material and the divine. The figure of Hermes Trismegistus can also be found in both Muslim and Baháʼí writings. In those traditions, Hermes Trismegistus has been associated with the prophet ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidia (Roman province), Numidia and Africa (Roman province), Africa Proconsularis under the Vandals, the Exarchate of Africa, Byzantines and the Kingdom of Altava, Romano-Berber Kingdoms, until it declined after the Arab conquest of North Africa, Arab Conquest. Medieval Latin in Southern and Central Visigothic Kingdom, Visigothic Hispania, conquered by the Arabs immediately after North Africa, experienced a similar fate, only recovering its importance after the Reconquista by the Northern Christian Kingdoms. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned as the main medium of scholarly exchange, as the liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church, Churc ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Player Character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a gamemaster refereeing tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling the character. Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. Some games, such as multiplayer online battle arena, hero shooter, and fighting games, offer a group of player characters for the player to choose from, allowing the player to control one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the characters may have distinctive Attribute (rol ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Game Master
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, storyteller, or master of ceremonies) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. The act performed by a gamemaster is sometimes referred to as "gamemastering" or simply "GM-ing." The role of a GM in a traditional tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is to weave together the other participants' player-characters' (PCs) stories, control the non-player characters (NPCs), describe or create environments in which the PCs can interact, and solve any player disputes. This basic role is the same in almost all traditional TTRPGs, with minor differences specific to differing rule sets. However, in some indie role-playing games, the GM role significantly differs from the traditional pattern. For example, in Powered by the Apocalypse systems, the other players assist the GM in creating both the NPCs and the det ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Troupe System
A troupe system is a way of playing role-playing games in which a group of players takes different roles at different times. The term was coined in Ars Magica, where it referred to each player using multiple characters and, crucially, sharing a pool of characters held in common by the entire group (referred to as the "troupe").Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein*Hagen. Ars Magica, 2nd Edition, 1989 Troupe play in Ars Magica In ''Ars Magica'', the troupe's characters all belong to a single Covenant - a small group dedicated to the study and utilization of the magical arts. Each player's primary character is their Magus, one of the wizards who form the core of the Covenant. Each player also creates a Companion, a "skilled person who aids magi but is not necessarily in their pay." Finally the group (or troupe) as a whole creates a number of Grogs, mercenaries A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the co ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


David Chart
David Chart is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career David Chart authored '' Akrasia: Thief of Time'' (2001), the first in Eden Studios's "Eden Odyssey" series of adventures. Chart became the line editor for ''Ars Magica'' at Atlas Games in 2002. Chart oversaw the ''Ars Magica'' fifth edition rules which were published in late 2004. Chart used "open calls" to expand the number of ''Ars Magica'' writers, allowing anyone to submit drafts for review. Awards In 2005, ''Ars Magica'' fifth edition (for which Chart was the developer) won the Origins Award The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, t ... for best role-playing game and the Gold ENnie Award for best rules. References External links Home page* Atlas Games people Living people ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]