Ars Magica Revised Edition
(This page is about the core rulebook for Ars Magica Revised Edition. For a full list of pages related to Revised (second) Edition, see Category:ArM2.
Ars Magica Revised Edition, also called Second Edition or ArM2, was published by Lion Rampant in 1989 as a 160-page softcover rulebook. It was the first edition to reach wide circulation.
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| Product Information | |
|---|---|
| Rules Edition: | {{{edition}}} |
| Abbreviation: | ArM2 |
| Product Type: | {{{type}}} |
| Author(s): | Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein·Hagen |
| Publisher: | Lion Rampant |
| Product Number: | {{{productNumber}}} |
| ISBN: | {{{isbn}}} |
| Release date: | 1989 |
| Format: | Softcover, 160 pages |
| Availability: | Out of print |
Subject and Contents
This was a revised edition of the core rules that streamlined gameplay a bit. The layout was improved from First Edition but still rudimentary by modern (c. 2012) standards.
Contributions to Canon
ArM2 introduced the Houses of Hermes, though it mentioned them only briefly and left the details to the supplement, Order of Hermes.
Comparison with Other Editions
Compared to ArM1, Second Edition was generally more polished and streamlined. Many of the changes seem to have been made with playability in mind:
- ArM2 was the first edition to use seasons for laboratory work and character advancement (ArM1 used months, which were comparatively much more cumbersome)
- ArM2 converted Parma Magica into an Ability (in ArM1, Parma Magica was a Rego Vim General spell)
- Combat was revised to be somewhat simpler and faster-paced.
Opinion & Reviews
ArM2 maintained a loyal following even after ArM3 was published, and was long called the One True Edition (or OTE) by its proponents.