Mystery

A Mystery is a mystical secret. In Ars Magica, mysteries often impart magical power. The term "mystery" also refers to a cult that guards such a secret and teaches it to members (also called a Mystery Cult).

The idea of Mysteries is inspired by secret, mystical societies of Real History. Ars Magica includes both fantasy versions of historical societies, such as the Cult of Mithras, and completely fictional secret societies, like Disciples of the Worm.

Hermetic Magic is not considered a mystery in ArM5, because all magi know it. All mysteries are non-Hermetic to some extent. Some Houses are mystery cults, but not all mystery cults are houses.

Mechanics of Mysteries

Mysteries in ArM5 grant special powers to those who know them. In ArM5, these powers are usually specific Virtues and Flaws.

As detailed in TMRE, in order to learn a mystery a character has to go through Initiation into a Mystery Cult. A given mystery cult might have more than one level of membership; a character must be initiated into each level. Such cults usually divide their teachings into Outer and Inner Mysteries.

Some mysteries may be gained without such an initiation or a cult. An example of this is Forest Lore, that can be gained by simply residing enough in the forest. Even for such mysteries, however, it is probably advisable to use the initiation mechanics as a framework for the story and mechanical effects.

Using Mysteries in Your Saga

Mysteries provide fascinating options for player characters and can add an authentic mystical tone to stories. That said, they require some special consideration for use in a Saga.

Mysteries tend to focus stories on the character(s) who pursue their secrets. These characters are almost always magi. Companions and Grogs might not have a natural role in stories about a magus's mystical discoveries and spiritual transformation. Gaming groups should consider carefully what players and characters will be involved in mystery-related stories and make sure all the players have a chance to participate. TMRE gives advice on running mystery stories throughout Chapter 3 (pp. 21-24), especially p. 23.

Furthermore, mysteries tend to lead magi down the path of non-Hermetic magic. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but non-Hermetic magic gives characters a unique set of powers and capabilities. There are implications for game balance. Players may regard the Virtues that some mysteries grant as overpowered (especially for young magi, who are supposed to be relatively weak). On the other hand, magi who spend most of their time pursuing mysteries tend to lag behind in development of their Arts. For both of these reasons, some players consider mysteries as most appropriate for experienced magi (and experienced players).

Although mysteries are primarily targeted at magi, it is reasonable to extend the mechanics to other Magical practitioners, such as hedge wizards. Mystic societies aligned with other Realms might also employ initiations into Mysteries - this is most appropriate for religious or quasi-religious groups. It is even possible in principle to employ the mechanics for purely secular traditions, such as experts in swordsmanship - however, this would be a very unorthodox application of the rules.

References

• The Mysteries Revised Edition is the ArM5 supplement describing mysteries in the most detail.
• Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults contains all the rules necessary to Initiate into and advance through these Houses.
• Houses of Hermes: True Lineages and Houses of Hermes: Societates contain rules for the Cult of Mercury. (Both books duplicate the same rules so either can be used without the other.)
• The Mysteries is the popular ArM4 supplement that introduced the concept of Mysteries.

Legacy Page

The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:mystery