Broken Covenant of Calebais

The Broken Covenant of Calebais

Product Information
Rules Edition:	Fifth
Abbreviation:	BCoC
Product Type:	Scenario
Author(s):	Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein·Hagen; revised by Erik Dahl
Publisher:	Atlas Games
Product Number:	AG0275
ISBN:	1-58978-071-X
Release date:	November 2004
Format:	Softcover or PDF, 96 pages
Availability:	In print; PDF available

The Broken Covenant of Calebais is the first scenario ever published for Ars Magica. It is widely regarded as a classic. It was originally printed for First Edition, was later revised for Second Edition, and in 2004 was significantly revised for ArM5 by Erik Dahl.

Subject and Contents

The player characters investigate the ruins of the once-powerful covenant of Calebais. Fifty years ago, the entire covenant was destroyed in a mysterious and sudden catastrophe. To solve the mystery, the characters must overcome the still-potent enchantments that guard the ruins and deal with the strange creatures who dwell there.

The Broken Covenant of Calebais is a mystery story disguised as a dungeon crawl. It has a definite theme and a much stronger plot than the typical expedition into lost ruins.

Fifth Edition Version

The title printed on the cover of the Fifth Edition version is Calebais, the Broken Covenant, but it is listed in the Atlas Games online catalog under the original title, The Broken Covenant of Calebais.

There are a couple of noteworthy features specific to the Fifth Edition version.

Errata

The Fifth Edition version of the scenario was written while the ArM5 combat rules were still being finalized. As a result, practically all the combat statistics in the print version are incorrect; errata are published on the Atlas Games Web site.

New and Expanded Chapters

Erik Dahl improved on the original scenario by expanding the introductory chapter and adding an epilogue.

Fifth Edition Spanish Version

Holocubierta Ediciones has published a Fifth Edition version in Spanish that is entitled La alianza rota de Calebais (ISBN: 978-84-15763-15-4).

Opinion and Commentary

Not an ideal introductory adventure

Although it was the first published scenario for Ars Magica, I don't think it a good first adventure for new players. The whole site of Calebais is under a powerful enchantment that limits the use of magic. This rather gets in the way of new players learning to use their powers, and is potentially frustrating. Beginners, try Promises, Promises instead. --Andrew Gronosky

Second Edition Version

The Broken Covenant of Calebais was revised for Second Edition in 1990 by Lion Rampant.

Community Reviews

Project: Redcap solicited product reviews via a Web form through 2005. Now, we use the Wiki. These are the comments on the Second Edition version of this adventure.

FAQ Rating: *** (10 reviews; 0 *, 2 **, 5 ***, 3 ****)

• Very good, but a bit overdone as far as magical power goes.
• Heavy stuff, but fun.
• A good story of exploration , but you have to boost the "monsters/foes" in regard of the reward offered at the end.
• Better make harder and play it in 2 or 3 parts.
• Took the first edition and added a bit of material to make it even more useful. Includes a convent [sic] description.
• A good dungeon, but still a dungeon
• First play with it, neat to convert some D&D players to Ars Magica
• My favourite module.
• A workable dungeon that is still workable. I liked it very much.

First Edition Version

The original version was published for ArM1 in 1989 by Lion Rampant.

Community Reviews

Project: Redcap solicited product reviews via a Web form through 2005. Now, we use the Wiki. These are the comments on the First Edition version of this adventure.

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

• One of the best dungeon adventures ever written.
• It's still a dungeon crawl, but it's an interesting and well-reasoned dungeon crawl. The blurbs on ghosts are important, and, unfortunately, missing from the core rules.

Related Sites

• Official product page at Atlas Games:
• Errata for the Fifth Edition version: