The expanded deluxe version of Ars Magica Fifth Edition!
THIS CAMPAIGN INCLUDES:
The massive Ars Magica Definitive Edition core rulebook
The essential Reference Guide booklet
3-panel Storyguide Screen
Poster map of Mythic Europe featuring new art
Premium slipcover to hold them all
Set of six 10-sided "Transmutation Dice" made of 100% recycled plastic
Stretch Goals that release Ars Magica as Open License
Want the print DEFINITIVE EDITION SET? Check out the Hermetic Magus tier! New to Ars Magica? Look for recommendations in the FAQ!
Build your Ars Magica library with add-ons! All the 5th Edition sourcebooks are cross-compatible with Definitive Edition and available at checkout. Legacy-edition PDFs are available, too!
Whatever your gaming preference, your stories will be the stuff of legend!
Ars Magica is a troupe-style, storytelling game. Players take the role of not only powerful magi, but also the companions and grogs who serve them. Each of these characters contributes to the communal “covenant” where they all live, and to the story itself.
Players work together to tell the story of their covenant. This tale can span decades or centuries of game time. It might be heroic, tragic, or both in turn. The covenant could influence the fate of their small corner of the world, or alter the history of all Mythic Europe.
A revised and expanded, deluxe version of Ars Magica 5th Edition, weighing in at over twice the original page count
Incorporates a host of material published since the original rulebook's release
Heirloom production quality, with new full-color art and golden embellishments on a smythe-sewn leatherette hardcover
Two decades of refinement and innovation come together in Ars Magica Definitive Edition. This isn't just an update; it's a transformation. Collecting the best of the beloved RPG into one tome, Ars Magica Definitive Edition delivers a treasure trove of content.
The leatherette hardcover embellished with gold foil houses over 600 full-color pages that are packed with stunning art in a gorgeous new layout. This incredible tome is a labor of love.
Plus, with an open license planned as a stretch goal, our fan community's creativity will be empowered to take the game to even greater heights!
Helpful tips to quickly navigate the Definitive Edition core rulebook
Full color, with a manageable 12 pages of page references and charts
Softcover saddle stitched (stapled) booklet
The 14-page Reference Guide is a helpful tool for navigating the many, many pages of the Definitive Edition core rulebook. Published in full color as a softcover booklet, and included in the Definitive Edition slipcase, the Reference Guide keeps game sessions moving smoothly by giving easy access to information. The Reference Guide is also available as a PDF, for easy on-screen use during gameplay.
3 panels of evocative Ars Magica full-color art on the exterior
Inside is easy-to-access rules material
The Storyguide Screen is included in the slipcase with Ars Magica Definitive Edition. It displays scenes from Mythic Europe to elevate your game session for players, and provides quick-to-reference game rules for the Storyguide, stretching to a comfortable 33 in (838 mm) when unfolded.
A full-color four-panel poster map
Gorgeous new cartography of Mythic Europe
The new full-color map of Mythic Europe beautifully shows the world in which Ars Magica’s magi live. New cartography features a detailed geographic landscape drawn by Eneko Menica, the talented cartographer for our Spanish translator Holocubierta’s map of the Iberian Tribunal, in their Finis Terrae sourcebook. The 17x22 in (432x559 mm) map folds down to to fit inside the slipcase.
A hard litho-label slipcase to protect your Ars Magica treasures
Stretch goals upgrade it to leatherette and gold foil, to match the core rulebook
The premium slipcover protects the Core Rulebook, Storyguide Screen, Reference Guide booklet, and the new poster map of Mythic Europe.
Handcrafted specialty Ars Magica dice!
100% recycled plastic, made in the USA
New for our crowdfunding campaign, we're creating Ars Magica dice! This set of six Transmutation Dice features d10s handcrafted by "transmuting" local waste plastic into "recycled randomizers" in our own Replay Workshop. They feature faces with hand-colored numbers 1 through 9, and the Order of Hermes symbol in place of the 10 (which marks stress die botches).
To guarantee lower "book rate" shipping for our core tiers, we're offering the Transmutation Dice as an Add-On for everyone! They're also included in the deluxe Library of Durenmar tier. Color TBA.
Note that shipping will be charged after the campaign, in pledge management.
Can't wait? Get existing books NOW on our webstore!
All pledge levels also receive a 20% discount on the entire line of Ars Magica products on our webstore, to complete your collection! See Backer Update #2 for the code.
Digital Freebie Pack Contents:
OVER 100 DOWNLOADS for Ars Magica 5th and 4th Edition, including: character sheets, maps, pregen stats, indexes, sample adventures, sourcebook previews, design notes, printable vis tokens, Fiasco playsets, cheat sheets, formulae collections, spell guidelines, debate rules, and the full Ars Magica 4th Edition PDF!
See Backer Update #2 to download your digital freebies immediately after you pledge!
NEW! BackerKit's "Pay Over Time" Program
Backers ordering $149 or more who select "pay over time" after they enter their credit card info will pay for their pledge in four monthly payments, beginning at the campaign's end. No additional fees or interest will be applied to your order. See the FAQ for more details!
Ars Magica Definitive Edition is compatible with the entire existing 5th Edition product line. This campaign is your chance to complete your collection at a discount!
🎁 BUY DIGITAL ADD-ONS IN BACKERKIT: We're offering deeply discounted bundles of existing digital-format titles in this campaign. These digital rewards will be fulfilled through Backerkit soon after the campaign ends!
🎁 BUY SOFTCOVER ADD-ONS IN BACKERKIT: Over the past year, we've worked hard to set up the entire 5th Edition product line for digital on-demand printing in softcover, bringing out-of-stock titles back especially for this campaign! As hardcover versions sell out, these have gradually been taking their place, avoiding a price increase in the process. You can pre-order any and all of these books for delivery with your Definitive Edition. Shipping and applicable taxes will, as with your pledge, be collected after the campaign.
📦 DON'T WANT TO WAIT? USE THE WEB STORE SPECIAL: If you don't want to wait for products that are available today, or if you want one of the hardcover editions that remain of several titles, visit our web store after backing us on BackerKit. Just use the exclusive checkout code posted in Backer Update #2to get your discount on all Ars Magica items on our site. Products ordered via our web store will ship as promptly as possible!
Among our stretch goals is the open license release of Ars Magica 5th Edition!
Share the campaign with your friends now, to spread the word and unlock more stretch goals.
$15,000 • Ars Magica Definitive Funded!
Your help will make the new edition of Ars Magica a reality!
$25,000 • 1st Ribbon Bookmark
We'll sew a golden ribbon bookmark into the binding of the core book, to mark your place in this giant tome.
$35,000 • Gold Gilding
We'll add luxurious page edge gold gilding on the core book.
$50,000•Open License Ars Magica Standard
We released the Ars Magica 5th Edition STANDARD core rulebook text under Creative Commons license.
Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page. We've opened up the entire line over the course of the campaign as "CC-BY-SA 4.0," and even some key sourcebooks from earlier editions. The license will allow anyone to remix, transform, and build upon the licensed material for any purpose, even commercially.
$100,000 • Cover Embossing
We'll add embossing under the gold foil on the core book, for a luxury three-dimensionality.
$120,000 • Open License Ars Magica Definitive
We've released the Ars Magica Definitive Edition EXPANDED core rulebook text under Creative Commons license. Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page.
$150,000 • Spot Gloss Details
We'll replace the solid gloss finish with spot gloss details over a matte finish, on the Storyguide Screen and Reference Guide. But not on the Slipcover, because it has an even better upgrade below …
$175,000 • Open License NINE Tribunal & World Region Sourcebooks
Do you love the new griffons art as much as we do? You must, because you've helped us commission 3 more of these gorgeous 2-page chapter starts by Doug Shuler!
It turns out that Doug has been a huge Ars Magica fan since 1st Edition. So when we approached him about doing the chapter starts, he sat down to do the "wireframes" right away. Only, he couldn't restrain himself to just that, so we already have two really excellent sketches to share with you … and now we can actually pay him to finish them!
For fans whose eyes are well-worn from reading so many Ars Magica books, we'll add the Definitive Edition PDF in an alternate high-contrast layout, where the parchment backgrounds have been removed.
$325,000 •Open License NINE Legacy Tribunal & World Region Sourcebooks
Sanctuary of Ice: The Greater Alpine Tribunal (4th Ed)
Blood & Sand: The Levant Tribunal (4th Ed)
Heirs to Merlin: The Stonehenge Tribunal (4th Ed)
The Dragon and the Bear: The Novgorod Tribunal (4th Ed)
Land of Fire & Ice: Mythic Iceland (4th Ed)
Ultima Thule: Mythic Scandinavia (4th Ed)
Lion of the North: The Loch Leglean Tribunal (3rd Ed)
We'll add a second ribbon bookmark, sewn into the core book binding, because there's a LOT to mark in this massive tome!
$400,000• Open License Finis Terrae: El Tribunal de Iberia
Our Spanish translation partners, Holocubierta Ediciones, have agreed to release the Spanish text of their gorgeous sourcebook for Mythic Spain and Portugal under the CC-BY-SA 4.0. We welcome this as the first major 3rd-party release under the Ars Magica Open License!
The 340-page full-color book is written and already published in Spanish. You can see more about this gorgeous tome on Holocubierta's site. Atlas Games will also work with Holocubierta to license the Spanish artwork for use in a future official English-language translation. The text of that translation will also be licensed as CC-BY-SA.
Holocubierta is winding down its business, so the two authors of Finis Terrae, Mario Donaire and Óscar Estefanía, will take the reins from Holocubierta co-owner Ismael de Felipe. They'll create a new publishing company, called Blagdaross, which will be dedicated exclusively to publishing under the Ars Magica Open License. "They will be doing exactly what we intend the license to make possible," notes Atlas Games co-owner John Nephew.
Ismael says he's very happy to have helped secure the continuity of such a much-loved game in Spain. “To be able to say goodbye, confirming that Finis Terrae will be published by Atlas Games, and knowing that Ars Magica is in such good hands as Mario and Óscar's, means a lot to us. And the fact that they are pioneers with the Open License makes this fact even more important. We couldn't be happier and prouder.”
$450,000 • New Art by Doug Shuler
We're commissioning 4 more stunning 2-page chapter starts by Doug Shuler. That's 8 of his chapter starts in total for Ars Magica Definitive Edition!
Did we mention Doug has played Ars Magica for literally decades? When he heard we wanted to do 8 chapter starts with backer support, he asked us if he could do them ALL. In particular, he asked (several times) for the Laboratory chapter. Then he sat down again and drew this incredible sketch for it, even though we couldn't give him a contract yet.
Doug explained, this will be "an homage to the original 2nd Edition cover I did all those decades ago. This layout features a magus in a remarkably similar position as the old cover, complete with the same dragon-themed stained glass window behind him. But this is incredibly updated and filled to the brim with details – books, scrolls, potions, vis, a skull, a familiar, scales, ink, shelves of objects, a skeleton holding a vase. In the background, a lab assistant can be seen bringing in more books."
"The 2nd Ed cover was an image of my magus that I played from 1990-2000. We did 50 years of game time in that decade, and I was always honored that I was allowed to immortalize him on the cover. "
"This time, I hope to feature my current magus in the Laboratory art. We just started Ars again last year and are 5 game years in, with plans for many more! I would dearly love to feature my new character in this art, which is why it's become such a passion-piece for me."
Doug's sketch and wireframes will come to life because of this Stretch Goal's funding!
This marks the release of the text of the ENTIRE 5TH EDITION LINE! Congratulations everyone!
The Fallen Fane LARP
The Broken Covenant of Calebais
Hooks
Tales of Mythic Europe
Antagonists
Tales of Power
Thrice-Told Tales
Dies Irae
Black Monks of Glastonbury (OGL)
The text of these books is released under CC BY-SA. Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page. Note that the OGL material in Black Monks of Glastonbury is not licensed under CC BY-SA, but remains licensed under the OGL. The OGL material is clearly marked in the printed book.
$525,000 • 3rd Ribbon Bookmark
Gotta love lots of ribbon bookmarks, when there are over 600 pages to mark!
$525,001 • Memorials Page
We'll add a page to the Definitive core rulebook in memory of our fallen sodales.
Spanning nearly 40 years, Ars Magica is an intergenerational game that has sparked long-lasting communities across the globe. The comments on this campaign are filled with memories of loved ones gone to Final Twilight, for whom Ars Magica was a signifiant part of their lives. Our backers will have the chance to send us the name of an Ars Magica player who they've lost, to be immortalized in the Definitive Edition core rulebook. Vale sodales.
Thank you to our backers for this suggestion. Memorials will be collected on the Google feedback form we'll distribute with the PDF Advance Layout chapters after the campaign ends.
$550,000 • Medallion Add-On
Last year, Atlas Games president John Nephew had a creative itch to play with nonferrous metal casting, after casting an aluminum part for our Replay Workshop. So he made a medallion with the words "ORDO HERMAE" and the Order of Hermes logo. Then he made some more, and we thought we'd add them as special early backer reward just in case anyone actually chose the Library of Durenmar pledge level.
Well, they did! All TWELVE of those "Founder of the Order" pledges were snapped up right away. Not only did we continue to get pledges for the Library of Durenmar, far beyond our expectations, but we've also heard from numerous backers who would love to get the medallion, even if they already own the entire 5th Edition line.
With this Stretch Goal, John will buy a better furnace and we created a $39.95 Add-On for the medallion, so anyone can own one. (The early bird Founders get theirs free, and John will make theirs a limited run that's distinctive from the rest.) VIM VIS TOKENS: Also, note we have similar but smaller "Vim Vis Tokens" on our webstore, made of recycled plastic, for a much lower price.
$575,000 • Open License Icons
The Arts, Forms, and Houses symbols are all going under the Creative Commons license. And yes, the Order of Hermes sigil, too! Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page.
$600,000 • Make Your Character Magical
We've unlocked a new Add-On to include you, your character, or a person you designate as a magical member of the lecture hall audience in the Bestiary chapter art by Doug Shuler. The Add-On will be limited to 10, with a price of $1000. Half of that price tag will go straight to artist Doug Shuler as a bonus, since he's not getting nearly what he should for his incredible work. The 10 spots are the figures under the windows in Doug's sketch, below. We'll also make a medieval David Chart into the scene's lecturer! David has been Ars Magica's underpaid and overworked Line Developer for decades. As David commented when we brought up the idea, "I have actually lectured at a medieval university. Just sayin’." That's incredibly excited, for David!
$625,000 • FREE Mythic Venice PDF
All backers at Companion level and above will get a FREE digital copy of the Mythic Venice sourcebook by Timothy Ferguson. This Ars Magica Open License title will be fulfilled by DriveThruRPG soon after the close of the campaign.
At the Grand Tribunal of 1070 a redcap delivered a plea from the Doge of Venice, offering any price for the salvation of his dying wife.
Something granted his wish.
The City has blossomed under a Faerie aura for one hundred and fifty years. Venice has become opulent, confusing, and delightful. Demons trade souls in the Square and infest an island in the Lagoon. Crafty faeries have taken over the Merceria, so walking the road between the Square and the Canal might take a minute or a lifetime, if you stray into a shop. Magi from the Order's many factions cluster in a single regio. This bubble of magic shields them from the mystical forces in the Serene Republic while they seek the City's secrets.
Put on your finest clothes. Don your mask. Venice awaits!
We've set the Ars Magica board game Grand Tribunal is ONLY $5 plus shipping, as a sale on our website for the remainder of the campaign. Yes, your backer coupon for 20% can be combined with it! (The code is in Backer Update #2.) That's basically just enough to pay our warehouse staff to put your copy in a box for you. Get Grand Tribunal at atlas-games.com/grandtribunal, then download the updated Grand Tribunal rules before your first game!
$650,000 • Mythic Europe Map Endsheets
Hate searching for the map inside a giant book? We'll print our gorgeous new Mythic Europe map art by Eneko Menica on the inside covers of the Definitive Edition core rulebook for faster reference!
$675,000 • Open License STANDARD Map
We released the Mythic Europe map from the Ars Magica 5th Edition STANDARD core rulebook under Creative Commons license. Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page.
$700,000 • Premium Fabric Mythic Europe Map
We're now offering a fabric print of our gorgeous new Mythic Europe map art by Eneko Menica, as a new Add-On for delivery after the campaign ends! It's perfect as a wall hanging, or as the centerpiece of your game table. It features hemmed edges and crisp details, and is 26x36in (66x91.5cm). That's 2 1/2 times bigger than the poster map! Made of lightweight 100% polyester cloth.
Art not final. The photograph is a physical prototype made with the draft map. We hope to make it full bleed and remove the pictured brown border.
$725,000 • Ars Magica Bibliographical Essay
If you're excited about roleplaying in the historical Middle Ages, but don't know how to start, this stretch goal is for you! We'll commission a bibliographical essay from leading medievalist David M. Perry, co-author of The Bright Ages and Oathbreakers. He'll describe selected books that are accessible to a general audience, with thoughts about each and how it could inform your Ars Magica game. The essay will be included FREE for all tiers in digital fulfillment!
$750,000 • New Art for Storyguide Screen
We'll commission THREE new Storyguide Screen cover illustrations from artist Thomas Denmark, to make a themed triptych on the outside of the Storyguide Screen. He'll reconceive and extend his iconic Land of Ice & Fire cover as an homage to his 4th Edition cover. Let your players immerse themselves in the myth and magic of Mythic Europe, with inspiring new artwork!
$775,000 • Ars Magica Saga Journal
The Ars Magica Saga Journal is up now as a new Add-On AND PoD offering! This is a journal-format hardcover book featuring blank pages with a border, and your choice of two different cover designs. Use it to chronicle the adventures of a single character, record your covenant's saga, or draw portraits of your characters. Find it NOW in the Add-Ons tab for delivery after the campaign, and in our web store for immediate delivery.
(My artistic teenage daughters are going to love this one! -Michelle)
$800,000 • Author Forward
We'll lure Ars Magica author Jonathan Tweet from his sanctuary in the Cave of Twisting Shadows to write a forward for the Ars Magica Definitive Edition core rulebook, about the history of its creation.
$825,000 • Open License Semita Errabunda
Our "living covenant" will be released under Creative Commons license, including all the character sheets along with their 15 2-color character portraits from the Ars Magica 5th Edition standard core rulebook. We'll replace those character portraits with new spot art in the Definitive Edition.
$850,000 • New Art for Reference Guide
We'll commission new Reference Guide cover art, to make it even more beautiful!
$900,000 • Completist's Bundle of PDFs
After the campaign closes, we'll deliver a bundle of "missing" Ars Magica legacy books as FREE PDFs for everyone at Companion level and higher! The books include: 3rd Ed Parma Fabula, 2nd Ed Medieval Bestiary, 2nd Ed Festival of the Damned, 2nd Ed Broken Covenant of Calebais, POSSIBLY 1st Ed core rulebook.
Why aren't they included in the campaign already? Because we don't actually have any printer files for them, and we only have one physical copy of most of them, which we haven't wanted to destroy to scan on our flatbed scanner! So this stretch goal will actually pay for the spiffy new scanner that Michelle will finally let John buy, which can compensate automatically for the curvature of a book's spine and let us scan them without destroying them.
Our updates to backers will feature this handy chart to keep you informed on our progress at every step along the way.
Definitive Core Rulebook
Line Developer David Chart has turned in his manuscript docs, and graphic design and layout is well underway. We have four chapters polished, and expect the rest to be going into layout as the campaign finishes. We plan to deliver advance PDFs of those chapters to you as they're each ready. We'll spend the months after that polishing, to make the book as perfect as we can. That includes commissioning as much new art as you help us fund!
Reference Guide
David has given us the tables and rules content for the guide, and it's already in rough layout. It will be ready for press after a bit more polishing.
Storyguide Screen
David has turned over the rules summaries for the screen, and it's now in rough layout. A little polishing, and it will be ready for press.
Poster Map
Eneko Menica has turned over the gorgeous final of the new Mythic Europe poster map, and it has its decorative border treatments applied. It's ready for press!
Premium Slipcase
The slipcase's graphic design is finished, and it's ready for press!
Transmutation Dice
We've ordered the metal injection mold for manufacturing these dice in our in-house workshop, and have PLENTY of shredded plastic to start pressing out dice!
Our to-press goal is March, and our estimated fulfillment is late Summer 2025.
Global shipping is incredibly complicated, but we're committed to getting your products to you as reliably and cheaply as possible.
As we launch this campaign, here are our roughly estimated shipping rates:
Our estimated fulfillment is late Summer 2025.
Shipping is charged after the campaign, during pledge management. Costs will vary according to where a package is going, whether it contains add-ons (and which ones), and what carrier rate changes may occur between the campaign and when we fulfill the physical rewards.
Every country has different regulations, exemptions, tax rates, and consistency in enforcing or interpreting regulations. We'll do our best, but we simply can’t forecast all the possible scenarios and their costs.
Taxes such as VAT or GST may apply. Whenever possible, we will use a DDP (“delivery duty paid”) service, so that expenses at the border are charged back to us. This avoids delays, hassles, and extra fees upon delivery to international customers. As with shipping, we'll charge these taxes after the campaign but before fulfillment.
If DDP service is not available, you may be required to pay duties, taxes, and a handling fee upon delivery of your rewards. We work to minimize such charges, but every country and courier has its own regulations, rates, practices, and policies.
If your specific destination is not listed, the cost is most likely going to fall somewhere in the range on the table above. Some destinations may not be eligible for shipping due to war or sanctions at the time of fulfillment.
We ship your rewards ourselves. Rewards will ship from the Atlas Games warehouse in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. Based on our experience, this is faster, more reliable, and ultimately less expensive than a collection of global fulfillment contractors. NOTE: If you haven't provided us with the info to fulfill your order within 3 months of the street date, we will regretfully convert your pledge into a tip/gift.
Retailers get their regular terms. Retail tier backers pay shipping later, if at all, using Atlas Games’ standard direct-to-retail sales terms for shipping. See “Retailers” below.
We believe that healthy retailers are key to a healthy hobby.
We have a reputation for taking care of our retailer partners, and our crowdfunding campaigns are no exception.
THIS CAMPAIGN IS RETAIL-FRIENDLY BECAUSE:
Retail-only stretch goal! If 20 retail stores back this campaign, our retailer backers will all receive 10 copies of the Mythic Europe map FREE!
Get the crowdfunding price NOW. The MSRP for ultimate distribution isn't final, and will likely be higher depending on production and freight expenses, which have been volatile.
Personal attention for ordering. Our salesperson will contact you to modify your order just before it ships, so no need to worry about ordering add-ons now.
Immediate sales. Retailer backers may sell products from this Kickstarter as soon as they receive their orders.
Proven game line. Ars Magica has been our best-selling RPG for decades, with a vibrant fan community and a full catalog of supporting products.
Ars Magica Definitive Edition looks so amazing because of decades of work by many incredibly talented artists. Now's your chance to own one of the iconic pieces that capture the magic and wonder of the game!
Support our artists' work by adding one of their excellent art pieces to your collection. Just click through the links below, where they either show their available pieces with purchase info, or they display their portfolio in a gallery. Check for additions as the campaign goes on. Thank you!
At Atlas Games, our passion is offering exceptional games to the world. Our first release was in 1990, making us one of the most reliable hobby game publishers in business, too. We believe in creative curiosity and sensible operations. We love new ideas and always keep our word. If that appeals to you, boy have we got a treat for you!
