2 comments about The Mysteries: Mind of the Magus (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. This book was very difficult to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. It presents more of how the Order of Hermes *should* be, with the flavor of the middle ages steeped in its rituals and areas of study. It presents rules that magi may use to develop or join secret societies that teach special magic ("mystae magic"), and in doing so introduces a balanced method for magical characters to "develop" magical Virtues and Flaws long after the character creation process. The powers are very strong, definitely intended for experienced players. The book is very wordy and cerebral, but inspiring nonetheless. Like all Ars Magica books, the layout is concise and simple, and easy to read, but the topic is a bit esoteric and so requires multiple sessions to really "get" it. I would recommend it for any saga that has lasted more than eleven sessions, or for long-time players.



2. There is a truism in Ars Magica: the only thing about the game that doesn't feel medieval is the magic itself. This supplement goes a long way towards changing that and, I think, for the better.

   There are a lot of "crunchy bits" in this supplement. New Virtues, new Flaws, new types of magic, construction rules, the not-quite-familiars pahedros, etc. Many players and storyguides will love it just for this, but do not stop there, please! There are dozens of mystical organizations in this book, groups that can add wonder and, well, mysteries to your saga.

   For all this praise, why not 5 stars? Well, because this is not a supplement for beginners. For the most part I recommend this supplement for those who have been playing Ars Magica for quite some time and feel they want a change, a rather serious change. Equally there is NO WAY you can add all this material to a single saga. Not only would it become confusing from a bookkeeping/logistical point of view, but also it would ultimately lead to the question of just how many magi can be in each of these lineages? just how many breakdowns are there in the Order of Hermes? These are serious considerations in what is a very serious game.

   Bearing these points in mind, I think anyone truly interested in Ars Magica will find a lot of useable bits in The Mysteries.

No comments about Festival of the Damned Anniversary Edition (Ars Magica).

No comments about Cause & Cure (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying).

No comments about Hidden Paths Shamans :Ars Magica 3RD Edition.

No comments about South of the Sun: An Ars Magica Sourcebook.

No comments about The Tempest (Ars Magica).

No comments about Broken Covenant of Calebais (Ars Magica, 2nd Edition).

No comments about Wizard's Grimoire (Ars Magica).

1 comments about Triamore: The Covenant at Lucien's Folly (Ars Magica Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. As an avid Ars Magica fan, I didn't appreciate this book much. It's a supplement for the Ars Magica roleplaying game, centered on a covenant called Triamore. It provides details on the covenant itself, the surrounding area, and some general story ideas for things that could happen there.

   I found it too specific for me to integrate its ideas into my current saga (most of the information is difficult to separate from the locale), and too general to make starting a new saga set in Triamore worthwhile (no story ideas with any meat to them).

   Finally, the new rules it contains were, I thought, extremely imbalancing from a game perspective. They advocate a heightened learning scale, with the weak argument that characters in Triamore will be too busy adventuring to study in the lab, and therefore should be able to progress in Arts based on experience and spellcasting.

   Personally, I was disappointed with this book. However, depending on your needs, it could serve your troupe better than it did mine.

No comments about A Midsummer Night's Dream (Ars Magica).