Saga Pack

The Saga Pack is a play aid for ArM2 consisting of a storyguide's screen, pre-generated characters, and several short articles on storytelling, Mythic Europe, and the Order of Hermes.

Saga Pack

Product Information
Rules Edition:	Second
Abbreviation:	SP
Product Type:	Play aid
Author(s):	Mark Rein·Hagen and Lisa Stevens
Publisher:	Lion Rampant
Product Number:	AG3040
ISBN:	None
Release date:	1989
Format:	Screen + Sheets, 24 pages
Availability:	PDF released on Sept. 10, 2013

Subject and Contents

The Saga Pack is an early version of a "jump-start kit," designed to help players quickly learn and get started playing Ars Magica. The text on the back cover gives an accurate summary of the contents:

This Ars Magica supplement includes:

* A 3 panel Storyguide's screen. 
* 16 complete grogs, with fully detailed personalities
* Briefing sheets on the Art of Story Design, Life of the Grog,
Creating Companions, Limits of Magic, Mythic Europe™
the Code of Hermes, as well as many excerpts from the various
Tomes of the Order of Hermes.

The Essays

Printed on glossy sheets of paper, the essays by Mark Rein·Hagen are --

• Dialectic on the Wizards of Hermes - by Brother Reginal of the Abbey of Albernion, his report to the Diet of Avignon, 1217, based upon his sojourn among the magi of Belforay.
• The Life of a Grog - by Fugacious the Wanderer of House Ex Miscellanea, Romulus autocrat of Val Negra to Vancasitum of Flambeau from The Practical Guide to Expeditions, and an extract from the Historian of Hibernian Sorcery by Seamus MacCormac of House Criamon a magus of the Hibernian Tribunal.
• The Code of Hermes - from Ars Magica by Manifestius of House Bonisagus a book commonly used to teach apprentices Magic Theory and Code of Hermes.
• The History of the Order - by Vernasius, who penned the classic history of the Order.
• Companions - 13 reasons they are involved with covenants.
• The Limits of Magic - from Hyperion's Treatise on the Nature of Magic, written in the 10th century.
• Decisions (How To Be A Better Storyguide)
• Creating Stories
• Mythic Europe

The Grogs

Lisa Stevens provided sixteen grogs: Davis, Haniel LeBarre, Braeble, Armiger, Cyanella, Caerwissen, Turbaton, Woof, Paidric, Oeric, Sicarius, Palestina, Narryn, Lyper, Kara, Hojo.

Further Notes

Martyn Dennis, John Nephew and Jonathan Tweet are credited with Design Contributions. Editing was by John Nephew, Nicole Lindroos and Lisa Stevens. Art Coordination was by John Nephew; the cover art by Michael Weaver. Production and layout were by Kirsten Swingle and Nicole Lindroos. Special Thanks are noted to : Woody eblom, Derek Greco, Kristen Hagen, Paul Hartsvigson, Deej Heath and Andreas Wichter.

Community Reviews

Until about 2005, Project: Redcap solicited product reviews through a Web form. Now, we use the Wiki instead. Here are the comments from the former Project: Redcap site:

FAQ Rating: ** (6 reviews; 1 *, 3 **, 2 ***, 0 ****)

• Not, bad, not wonderful. Got it at half price and didn't regret it.
• The screen is useful, the Grogs funny and the other texts wonderful
• A more beautiful storyguide's screen than this of the 3rd edition.
• Some reprints of articles in old White Wolf mags, some random essays and several examples of interesting grogs. Mostly superseded or repeated elsewhere.

Further reviews and comments are welcomed. Please edit this page to add your thoughts.

Related Products

• The Stormrider is a later version of a "jump-start kit," which replaced the articles on the Order of Hermes with a scenario
• Several of the articles were expanded in the Order of Hermes supplement.