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Ars Magica Products
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Ars Magica Products
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Over the years the Ars Magica game and its related supplements and scenario books have been published by four different game companies; Lion Rampant, White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, and Atlas Games. In this time, a large number of books and other items have been put on the market. The following is as complete a list as I have been able to assemble.
The product information in the following tables was checked and updated as of August 2005. Products listed as "Available" are included on the Atlas Games web site. For additional information on available game products see the Atlas Games web site.
Anyone who wishes may send comments, reviews, or disagreements regarding the materials covered below or my comments about those materials. Such will be attached, as appropriate.
| Title | Assoc. Edition |
Current Id Number |
Original Id Number |
Status | Notes |
| Ars Magica | 1st | - | LR | Out of print | Where it all began. |
| Ars Magica | 2nd | - | LR 201 | Out of print | - |
| Ars Magica | 3rd | AG 203 | WW 203 | Available | Despite three printings, there were still major uncorrected errors in the Table of Contents, index, and internal page references, and an obvious total lack of attention to quality in the production of this book (many people should have been dismissed-for-cause over this). Still, this is the best version of the rules ever published. |
| Ars Magica | 4th | AG 204 | - | Out of print
Download available & Errata |
The previous rules version. Many interesting improvements were added, but inconsistencies, incomplete rules, and many unworkable concepts, most notable of which were the totally unusable combat rules, were never corrected, nor were most of the problems from the 3rd Edition rules addressed. These rules are now available as a free download. |
| Ars Magica | 5th | AG 205 | - | Available
& Errata |
The latest version of the rules. Unfortunately, this also appears to be the poorest version of the rules yet produced. Even a cursory reading will show an experienced player that there are serious gaps in the rules logic plus a number of incomplete rules. The totally broken combat system of 4th edition was, if anything, made worse. It is recommended that anyone interested in the game download the 4th Edition rules, or even better, get a copy of the 3rd Edition rules. |
| Parma Fabula | 4th | AG 251 | - | Available | - |
| Parma Fabula Storyguide's Screen | 3rd | - | WW 204 | Out of print | - |
| Saga Pack | 2nd | - | LR 901 | Out of print | Not a really useful product. Except for the pre-generated characters, everything was a summary of other products. |
| Story Paths: The Path Of Intrigue | 2nd | - | WW 111 | Out of print | An interesting concept, if, as a story guide, you like player created chaos in your adventures. |
| Title | Assoc. Edition |
Current Id Number |
Original Id Number |
Status | Notes |
| Blood and Sand: The Levant Tribunal | 4th | AG 269 | - | Available | - |
| Covenants | 2nd | - | LR 1010 | Out of print | Of all the methods for creating covenants written in the rule books over the years, none are as good as this thin book. The publishers would have been well advised to leave out the chapters on covenant creation in the 3rd and 4th Edition rules books, and simply update and reprint this book. The information and rules are generally usable with any edition of the game. |
| The Dragon and the Bear: The Novgorod Tribunal | 4th | AG 260 | - | Out of print | This book covers the Novogorod Tribunal (Russia). This is an excellent work, and should be a general model for similar tribunal books. It does a good job of balancing historical and game backgrounds, and making the distinction clear. The inclusion of a large number of maps was a particularly good idea. While some people have had minor objections to some of the mythic characters presented, overall this book is a requirement for any campaign set in Eastern Europe. |
| Faerie Stories | 4th | AG 271 | - | Available | - |
| Faeries | 3rd | AG 1015 | WW 1015 | Out of print | Of the two source books on Faeries, this is the better, especially in its explanation of faeries and faerie nature. Despite this, the book still has notable problems. Its mechanics never worked well with the 3rd Edition rules, and its chapter on Faerie Characters produced characters with excessive powers compared with any other starting, or even mature, character, including magi. |
| Faeries (Revised Edition) | 4th * | AG 1110 | WOC 1110 | Out of print | Generally an adequate source book, but only for the background information about faeries, not the game mechanics included. This book was written and published by Wizards of the Coast well before the planned release of the 4th Edition of the rules. Before publication, the rules were sold to Atlas Games, who undertook a complete rewrite of the 4th Edition. As a result, this version of Faeries is, in terms of game mechanics, not readily compatible with either the 3rd or 4th Edition rules. |
| Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal | 5th | AG 276 | - | No release date | - |
| Hedge Magic | 4th | AG 252 | - | Available
(reprint) & Errata |
A long needed book to expand on hedge wizards, a type for which little information previously existed, but who should be the most common of all magic users in Mythic Europe. Unfortunately, about one-quarter of this small book (80 pages) was little more than filler. |
| Heirs to Merlin: The Stonehenge Tribunal | 4th | AG 262 | - | Available | Good general history and background. Somewhat lacking in details about the covenants defined as being in the tribunal. |
| The Hidden Paths: Shamans | 3rd | - | WW 250 | Out of print | "The Sourcebook of the Spirit World" to quote the cover. This was an effort to provide background and rules for non-Hermetic magicians. At best it was a weak attempt, touching on many subjects, but providing adequate information on none of them. |
| Houses of Hermes | 4th * | AG 1120 | WOC 1120 | Out of print | A useful expansion of the background material for the Order of Hermes, and especially the individual Houses. This book is a requirement for anyone who wants to understand the Order. It was published by Wizards of the Coast well prior to the release of Atlas Games' 4th Edition, but is compatible with the 4th Edition rules, and generally compatible with the 3rd Edition rules. |
| Houses of Hermes: True Lineages | 5th | AG 277 | - | Available | Reading this book one would think that much of the previous history for the Order of Hermes had been ignored. This is fine for a new campaign, but not a good source for on-going campaigns. |
| Kabbalah: Mysteries of Judaiasm | 4th | AG 255 | - | Available | Mythic Judaism, Kabbalistic magic, and Kabbalistic wizards. A good, but not essential, source book. |
| Land of Fire & Ice | 4th | AG 270 | - | Available | - |
| Lion of the North: The Loch Leglean Tribunal | 3rd | AG 1150 | WOC 1150 | Available | This is a good expansion on the limited information available on the Loch Leglean Tribunal. It also contains useful data on Scotland in general. This book is needed by anyone with a campaign set in the British Isles. The information and rules are usable with any edition of the game. |
| Living Lore | 4th | AG 272 | - | Available | - |
| The Maleficium | 3rd | AG 1019 | WW 1019 | Out of print | Other than as a source for some minor background material, this book was pretty much garbage. There is no reason, except perhaps curiosity, to acquire it. |
| Medieval Bestiary | 3rd | AG 1017 | WW 1017 | Out of print | A very useful source book for those interested in magical beasts. The book has only three notable flaws. First, like all of White Wolf's source books for Ars Magica, the mechanics of the rules presented do not work smoothly with the existing (3rd Edition) rules. Second, while the book tries, there is no way to cover such a broad topic in the size available. Third, someone forgot to put in a Table of Contents. |
| Medieval Bestiary (Revised Edition) |
4th | AG 266 | - | Out of print | A better version than that for the 3rd Edition. The beasts have much more complete and usable descriptions. However, like the previous version, it is just too small for the possible number of beasts. |
| Medieval Handbook | 3rd | AG 1500 | WW 1500 | Available | While this is certainly not a definitive work on Medieval Europe, it is an excellent source for background material for those who are not medieval scholars or who do not have the time to do research into the period. Any serious story guide should have this book. The information in this book, although written for the 3rd Edition, is still fully usable with the later editions of the rules. |
| A Medieval Tapestry | 4th | AG 254 | - | Available | Dozens of characters and character types, interspersed with a few bits of information about Mythic Europe. This may be a help to some story guides in quickly creating non-player characters, but overall, this book is not needed by anyone other than those who impulsively collect everything published for Ars Magica. |
| Mistridge | 3rd | AG 902 | WW 902 | Available | Whether the covenant of Mistridge is used in a campaign or not, it provides an excellent example of how to set up, document, and run a covenant. The background information is usable with any edition of the rules. |
| The Mysteries | 4th | AG 265 | - | Out of print | This may be the single most useless of the supplements for the Ars Magica game system. The introduction claims "The Mysteries discusses both historical hermetic magic and fictional Order of Hermes Magic." Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't. The distinction between the two things is never made clear in the text. The usefulness of the book in a campaign is highly questionable, as the size, composition, and organization of the Order of Hermes as described in other references must be completely reworked. This book should be classified as a "curiosity" for the collector, but ignored by the serious story guide. |
| The Mysteries (Revised) | 5th | AG 279 | - | October 2005 | - |
| Mythic Europe | 3rd | AG 600 | WW 600 | Available | The cover states "The definitive European Sourcebook, for ARS MAGICA™ 3rd Edition". That sums up the book. After the rules book, this is the source for background information on the Mythic Europe setting for Ars Magica. The information in this book, although written for the 3rd Edition, is still fully usable with the later editions of the rules. |
| The Mythic Seas | 4th | AG 259 | - | Out of print | The role of ships and the sea in Mythic Europe. Although on a narrow subject, this is one of the better source books produced for Ars Magica. Other than a few of minor technical errors and a weak section on trade, it is very good. |
| The Order of Hermes | 2nd | - | LR 1020 | Out of print | This early source book, which describes the Order of Hermes and its houses, is a must for any well informed story guide. Although the house information has been expanded in the Houses of Hermes book, there is extremely useful information which is found no where else. Although written for the 2nd Edition rules, the information is applicable to all editions. |
| Ordo Nobilis | 4th | AG 263 | - | Available | I only ever read a small part of this book. What was there was good. |
| Pax Dei | 3rd | AG 1021 | WW 1021 | Out of print | This book has an interesting outlook on the place of the Church, the Dominion, God, and related things in Mythic Europe. Unfortunately, none of it appears to have been more than very loosely associated with the rest of the background material for Ars Magica. This book is definitely not recommended in any way. |
| Realms of Power: The Divine | 5th | AG 278 | - | Available | - |
| Sanctuary of Ice: The Greater Alpine Tribunal | 4th | AG 267 | - | Available | This tribunal book doesn't seem to be up to the quality of previous books. However, it should still be quite useful. |
| South of the Sun | 2nd | - | AG 3040 | Out of print | This is a very interesting book, presenting an area of the world not normally included in the Mythic Europe setting. While generally conforming to the idea of the lands of Africa as the people of Europe thought of them, the book has a very much greater air of fantasy about it than is typical for Ars Magica source books. It is not recommended for those who prefer the historical aspect of Ars Magica. |
| Triamore The Covenant at Lucien's Folly |
4th | AG 264 | - | Available | - |
| Tribunals of Hermes: Iberia | 3rd | AG 750 | WW 750 | Available | Useful if your campaign is set in or near the Iberian Peninsula. The background information is usable with any edition of the rules. |
| Tribunals of Hermes: Rome | 3rd | AG 751 | WW 751 | Available | Useful if your campaign is set in or near the Italian Peninsula. The background information is usable with any edition of the rules. |
| Ultima Thule: Mythic Scandinavia | 4th | AG 261 | - | Available | Again ... Useful if your campaign is set in or near Scandinavia. The background information is usable with any edition of the rules. |
| The Wizard's Grimoire | 3rd | - | WW 660 | Out of print | There was much excitement when this book was announced. It was to expand the magic, spells, and laboratory chapters of the 3rd Edition rules book. Unfortunately, it was one of the bigger flops in the Ars Magica line. Unlike the other source books, no author is listed. This is probably because fifteen people are included in the "Writing" section of the Credits, plus a separate editor. The confused, meandering, incomplete, and inconsistent nature of the book is undoubtedly at least in part a result of so many people working on only seven chapters. While there are useful bits of information and rules, the reader must work hard to find them. |
| The Wizard's Grimoire (Revised Edition) |
4th | AG 258 | - | Available
& Errata |
An expansion to the laboratory section of the 4th Edition rules, with a large amount of information about the Order of Hermes and living as a magus. Despite the name, spell descriptions make up only a minor part of this book. No meaningful relationship exists between this "Revised Edition" and the original edition of the Wizard's Grimoire. |
| Title | Assoc. Edition |
Current Id Number |
Original Id Number |
Status | Notes |
| The Bats of Mercille | 1st | - | - | Out of print | 1st Printing |
| The Bats of Mercille | 2nd | - | - | Out of print | 2nd Printing |
| Black Death | 2nd | AG 813 | WW 813 | Available | - |
| The Black Monks of Glastonbury | 4th | AG 3402 | - | Available | Don't really understand the point of this. |
| The Broken Covenant of Calebais | 1st | - | LR | Out of print | - |
| The Broken Covenant of Calebais | 2nd | - | LR 810 | Out of print | - |
| The Broken Covenant of Calebais | 5th | AG 275 | - | Available | - |
| Cause & Cure | 4th | AG 273 | - | Available | - |
| Deadly Legacy | 2nd | AG 811 | WW 811 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
| The Fallen Angel | 4th | AG 253 | - | Out of print | - |
| The Fallen Fane | 5th | AG 274 | - | Available | LARP. Why does every game system have to degenerate into a LARP? |
| Festival of the Damned | 2nd | - | AG 3035 | Out of print | Replaced by Anniversary Edition. |
| Festival of the Damned (Anniversary Edition) | 4th | AG 257 | - | Out of print | - |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | 3rd | AG 500 | WW 500 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
| More Mythic Places | 3rd | AG 1018 | WW 1018 | Available | Information is still usable for 4th Ed. |
| Mythic Places | 3rd | AG 1016 | WW 1016 | Available | Information is still usable for 4th Ed. |
| Nigrasaxa | 4th | - | - | Available | Free on the Atlas Games web site. |
| The Pact of Pasaquine | 2nd | AG 812 | WW 812 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
| Promises, Promises | 4th | - | - | Available | Free on the Atlas Games web site. |
| Return of the Stormrider | 4th | AG 256 | - | Available | - |
| The Sorcerer's Slave | 2nd | AG 3020 | LR | Available | - |
| Stormrider: Jump Start Kit | 2nd | - | LR 801 | Out of print | Replaced by 2nd Edition. |
| Stormrider: Jump Start Kit (3rd Edition) |
3rd | AG 802 | WW 802 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
| Tales of the Dark Ages | 2nd | - | AG 3010 | Out of print | Partially replaced by Festival Of The Damned (Anniversary Edition). |
| The Tempest | 2nd | - | LR 501 | Out of print | - |
| Trial by Fire | 2nd | AG 3025 | LR | Available | - |
| Twelfth Night | 3rd | AG 503 | WW 503 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
| A Winters Tale | 2nd | AG 502 | WW 502 | Available | Adaptable to any game edition. |
Note on Scenario and Rules Edition Compatibility.
Scenarios created for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Editions of the rules are generally usable unmodified with any of these versions of the rules. They are usable with some significant changes with the 4th Edition rules. Scenarios created for the 4th Edition of the rules, due to the greater power generally available to 4th Edition magi, will require more notable modifications to be used with older versions of the rules. Scenarios for earlier editions are generally not compatible with the highly modified 5th Edition rules.
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Updated: 22 September 2005 |