Ars Magica (First Edition)
The first edition of Ars Magica (or ArM1, for short) was published in 1987 by the now-defunct company Lion Rampant.
First Edition Ars Magica is long out of print. A copy seems to surface for auction on E-Bay every few years, but commands a collector's price: often $75 or more.
Rules Edition: First
Abbreviation: ArM1
Topic: core rules
Authors: Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein·Hagen
Publisher: Lion Rampant
Product Number: unknown
ISBN: None
Release Date: 1987
Format: Softcover, 160 pages
Availability: Out of Print
Subject and Contents
At the time, ArM1 was a very innovative game that broke new ground in several ways. It created an open-ended magic system that allowed players to invent an unlimited variety of new spells by combining Forms and Techniques. It introduced Troupe Style play, where players rotate roles like actors in a repertory troupe. It introduced Personality Traits, which quantify a character's personality as well has his/her physical and mental abilities. It deliberately cast aside the idea that all player-characters should be equal in power, and made magi a great deal more powerful than grogs or companions.
Back in 1987, the fantasy role-playing genre was dominated by First Edition AD&D, with Runequest a distant second. Ars Magica was a radical break from AD&D, putting a strong emphasis on story and characterization.
Errata
There are no errata for First Edition, but the Revised Edition was published fairly soon after it (in 1989).
Awards
The First Edition of Ars Magica won the Origin Gamer's Choice Award for 1988.
Opinion & Reviews
Related Pages
External Links
- Ars Magica First Edition at Ars-Magica.net
- Product page at rpg.net