Ars Magica Games at a Glance
- An extensively detailed RPG world full of history and sorcery.
- Create smaller campaigns with the core book, or build big with a vast variety of sourcebooks.
- Widely regarded as the benchmark for gaming magic systems, and a pioneer in troupe-style, storytelling games.
The fantasy is formed in layers over the historical. When playing Ars Magica, you can add as many or as few layers of fantasy as you want.
– Alex White
Mythic Europe: The World of Ars Magica
In Ars Magica, the superstitions of the common folk are all true. Faeries drink milk left on doorsteps, demons roam the countryside in search of vulnerable souls, and wizards wield magic beyond the ken of normal mortals. Step into the world of the magi of the Order of Hermes and their companions.
The Ars Magica game line is extensively developed to support a wide variety of stories. Fans of medieval history might tell a game heavy on historical accuracy, while fantasy lovers might spin a tale featuring the supernatural realms. Fans of political intrigue might focus on inter-House conflict between the different groups of magi.
Whatever your gaming preference, your stories will be the stuff of legend.
Inside the Mysteries: The Ars Magica Product Line
Many of the Ars Magica supplements in print are written for previous editions, but they remain usable with the fifth edition. The books can be summarized as follows:
- The Core Books: Ars Magica can be played with the core rulebook only. Additional core books provide general information usable in any Ars Magica game, giving more detail on topics such as the church, covenants, and the nobility.
- Houses of Hermes: Each book in this series focuses on several Houses with a common theme and could be particularly helpful in developing games centered on inter- and intra-House conflict.
- Realms of Power: These books each focus on one of the supernatural realms — Faerie, Divine, Infernal, and Magic — and could provide allies or antagonists to spur new plots.
- Tribunals and Worlds: These geographical supplements provide detailed information on locations in Mythic Europe to explore historical details and minimize research by the story guide.
- Scenarios: Complete and ready-to-go campaigns to take to your table with minimal prep.
The Living Covenant: Semita Errabunda
Semita Errabunda is the official example covenant for Ars Magica fifth edition. It is located "somewhere in Mythic Europe" — its location is deliberately left vague. It does control a region that sometimes leads to places all over Europe, however, so its members can crop up anywhere. The members of Semita Errabunda supply most of the example characters in fifth edition supplements.
The covenant itself is surrounded by strange magic powers and inhabited by young, new wizards. Get a glimpse of the new edition's covenant statistics by downloading this introductory description of Semita Errabunda.
Grogs are the peasants, commoners, and simple folk who keep the covenant running and the wizards alive.
- Gerard the Turb Warrior
- Anne the Housemaid
- Paul the Turb Warrior
- Credo the Paid Ne'er-do-well
- Marie the Alewife
- Grim & Half-Grim the Twin Turb Warriors/Sailors
- Amelle of the Faerie Blood
- Ignatio the Shield Grog
- Marie the Perfumier
Companions adventure with (or for) the mighty wizards of the covenant. They are knights, warriors, diplomats, and other non-wizard heroes.
- Isabelle the Beautiful
- Jarvis the Master Huntsman
- Jerome the Scribe
- Naimes the Scholar in Disguise
- Brother Uberto
- Mansur ibn Fadl al-Baghdadi the Wandering Emir
- Victor the Redcap
Wizards master the art of magic. These are the central characters of any Ars Magica saga.
- Carolus of House Tytalus
- Darius of House Flambeau
- Mari Amwithig of House Merinita
- Moratamis of House Guernicus
- Tillitus of House Bonisagus
Other characters flesh out the covenant and the surrounding area.
The original concept for the Semita Errabunda project was the brainchild of Will Hindmarch, but many authors have contributed characters. Each author is credited on the appropriate character sheet.
Free Fiasco Playsets
- Free Fiasco playsets take the award-winning RPG from Bully Pulpit Games about vices and secrets to the Mythic Europe setting of Ars Magica.
- A fun crossover experience for fans of Ars Magica or Fiasco, providing a seamless blend of both games with all the tables and set-up instructions needed to play.
- A Covenant on Fire tells the tragic tale of a covenant gone wrong, and the secrets and lies that led to its downfall. A Grog's Life puts the grogs of Ars Magica — their secrets, lies, and ambitions — at center stage.
Diabolism, Jealousy, and Revenge: More about A Covenant on Fire
The Mistle Lake covenant has burned to the ground, with only one survivor left to tell the tale to the inquisitor. But there may be gaps between what he says happened, and what really happened…
This free playset is a part of our Ars Magica celebration and farewell to line editor David Chart. It requires Fiasco to play and is only available in PDF.
Download A Covenant on Fire now!
In the Covenant’s Shadow: More about A Grog's Life
Add an exciting new twist to your Mythic Europe gaming with this take on the loves, losses, and secrets of the grogs. This free product is a part of our Ars Magica celebration and farewell to line editor David Chart.
This playset is inspired by Ars Magica and requires Fiasco to play. It is only available in PDF.
Ars Magica Awards
- 2007 Hobby Games: The 100 Best – Ars Magica
- 2006 ENnie Award Nominee – Best Supplement, Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults
- 2005 Origins Award Winner – Best Role Playing Game, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2005 ENnie Gold Award Winner – Best Rules, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2005 ENnie Silver Award Winner – Best Production Values, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2005 ENnie Award Nominee – Best Game, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2005 ENnie Award Honorable Mention – Best Interior Art, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2004 ENnie Award Nominee – Best Non-d20 Adventure, Black Monks of Glastonbury
- 2004 Out of the Box Award Winner – Best Retread, Ars Magica 5th Edition
- 2004 Out of the Box Award Honorable Mention – Best Supplement, Living Lore
- 2000 Origins Award Nominee – Best Roleplaying Supplement, Triamore
- 2000 Out of the Box Award Runner-Up – Best Supplement, The Mysteries
- 1999 Out of the Box Award Runner-Up – Best Supplement, Dragon and the Bear
- 1998 Origins Award Winner – Best Amateur Game Magazine, Mythic Perspectives
- 1998 Out of the Box Award Winner – Best Supplement, Kabbalah: Mythic Judaism
- 1996 Origins Award Nominee – Best Roleplaying Rules, Ars Magica 4th Edition
- 1995 Origins Award Nominee – Best Roleplaying Supplement, Faeries
- 1995 Origins Award Nominee – Best Roleplaying Supplement, Houses of Hermes
- 1988 Gamer’s Choice Award – Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game, Ars Magic
