EARLY BIRDS: • Pledge in the FIRST 48 HOURS for Manuscript Doc access by this Fri! • METAL MEDALLION only in the "Founders of the Order" early bird tier!
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 DEFINITIVE EDITION SET? Check out the Hermetic Magus tier!
Build your Ars Magica library with add-ons! All the 5th Edition sourcebooks are cross-compatible 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 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
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 d20s 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.
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 who select "pay over time" 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!
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
Sew a golden ribbon bookmark into the binding of the core book, to mark your place in this giant tome.
$35,000 • Gold Gilding
Add luxurious page edge gold gilding on the core book.
$50,000•Open License Ars Magica Standard
Release the Ars Magica 5th Edition STANDARD core rulebook text under Creative Commons license.
Read the details on the Ars Magica Open License page. We hope to open 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
Add embossing under the gold foil on the core book, for a luxury three-dimensionality.
$120,000 • Open License Ars Magica Definitive
Release the Ars Magica Definitive Edition EXPANDED core rulebook text under Creative Commons license.
$150,000 • Spot Gloss Details
Replace the solid gloss finish with spot gloss details over a matte finish, on the Storyguide Screen, Reference Guide, & Slipcase.
$175,000 • Open License 9 Tribunal & World Region Sourcebooks
The Contested Isle: The Hibernian Tribunal
Faith & Flame: The Provençal Tribunal
The Lion & The Lily: The Normandy Tribunal
Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal
Against the Dark: The Transylvanian Tribunal
The Sundered Eagle: The Theban Tribunal
The Cradle & The Crescent
Lands of the Nile
Between Sand & Sea
$200,000 • Leatherette Slipcover
Upgrade the Slipcover from litho label to leatherette, with gold foil and embossing to match the core book.
$225,000 • Open License 12 Realms & World Topics Sourcebooks
Realms of Power: Magic
Realms of Power: Faerie
Realms of Power: The Divine
Realms of Power: The Infernal
Hedge Magic
Rival Magic
Ancient Magic
Mythic Locations
The Church
Lords of Men
City & Guild
Art & Academe
$250,000 • New Art by Doug Shuler
Do you love the new griffons art as much as we do? Help 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, so we already have some really excellent sketches to share with you … and now we can actually pay him!
$275,000 • Open License 12 Order of Hermes Sourcebooks
True Lineages
Mystery Cults
Societates
Covenants
Apprentices
Grogs
The Mysteries Revised Edition
Magi of Hermes
Legends of Hermes
Through the Aegis
Hermetic Projects
Transforming Mythic Europe
$300,000 • High-Contrast Digital Version
For fans whose eyes are well-worn from reading so many Ars Magica books, we offer the Definitive Edition PDF in an alternate high-contrast layout, where the parchment backgrounds have been removed.
$325,000 •Open License 9 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)
Tribunals of Hermes: Iberia (3rd Ed)
Tribunals of Hermes: Rome (3rd Ed)
$350,000 • 2nd Ribbon Bookmark
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
If we reach this goal, 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'll 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. If this Stretch Goal funds, 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
Commission 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 planned to do 8 chapter starts in total, he asked us if he could do them all. In particular, he asked (several times) for the Laboratory chapter to do as an homage to his classic Ars Magica 2nd Edition cover. You can make the wireframes come to life by backing this Stretch Goal!
More Stretch Goals to come … including even more Open License releases!
(Next update will be Wednesday at about 8am Central)
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 #2 to get your discount on all Ars Magica items on our site. Products ordered via our web store will ship as promptly as possible!
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!
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:
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!
