As we're pushing into a really incredible number of stretch goals, we've decided to open up "Marketplace" stretch goals that unlock new Add-Ons. The first is the metal Ordo Hermae Medallions handcrafted by Atlas Games president John Nephew. You can find those in the Add-Ons tab now!

Also, note we have similar but smaller "Vim Vis Tokens" on our webstore, made of recycled plastic, for a much lower price. These tokens are made to each represent one pawn of vim vis. We make them one at a time with our benchtop injection molder, using a mold that John hand carved from aluminum with a dremel tool.

If you love ancient magical tomes as much as we do, try Trail of Cthulhu 2nd Ed. Uncover the clues to solve mysteries, face cosmic horrors, and dive into unforgettable campaigns. Dust off your tomes and ready your sanity checks, then pledge now for the GUMSHOE-powered game of 1930s occult investigation and cosmic horror, from our friends at Pelgrane Press.

VISIT THE TRAIL OF CTHULHU CAMPAIGN NOW!

For many of us, our love of Ars Magica marches alongside a fascination with the Middle Ages. If you're looking for some historical context for your saga in Mythic Europe, I'd like to recommend a couple of popular history books by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry -- one available now, the other due to be released soon -- rooted in the latest historical scholarship. (Perry and Gabriele also have a free newsletter, Modern Medieval: https://buttondown.com/ModernMedieval)

The Bright Ages challenges the myth of the "dark ages," a purported time of ignorance and isolation. The medieval world was rich, complex, and interconnected. As members of the Order of Hermes, your magi and their companions have plenty of occasion to experience or embody this diversity.

Oathbreakers is about the collapse of the Carolingian Empire. It's due for release on December 10th. I placed my pre-order today at Zenith Books in west Duluth! For the Ars Magica fan, this book promises inspiration, especially for sagas early in the history of the Order of Hermes.

According to Ars Magica game lore, thirteen wizards swore an oath in the Black Forest in 767, creating the Order. A year later, Charlemagne became King of the Franks. Coincidence? As Charlemagne built the Carolingian Empire, the Hermetic founders spread across Europe, demanding that wizards join the Order or die. How about a saga that begins at the death of Charlemagne, when the order has blossomed across Europe, perhaps even as the true "Carolingian renaissance" ... but now the mundane world is about to plunge into division and civil war!

Share your own recommendations in the comments below. What books about history would you recommend for Ars Magica players and storyguides, and why?

Thanks for your support, and be sure to share the campaign!

-John Nephew
  Atlas Games President

Proctor, MN – 10/16/24 – The Spanish-language Ars Magica™ sourcebook Finis Terrae: El Tribunal de Iberia will be released under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 Open License, thanks to overwhelmingly successful crowdfunding. The release is a collaboration between Atlas Games®, publisher of the classic roleplaying game Ars Magica, and Holocubierta Ediciones, the Spanish publishing house.

 

Finis Terrae, a stunning 340-page full-color book detailing the Mythic Spain and Portugal setting for Ars Magica, will be the first major third-party title released under the Ars Magica Open License. This is a huge milestone for the new license, which itself just launched on October 15th, inviting fans worldwide to experience and develop the rich lore and mechanics of Ars Magica in new and innovative ways.


The open licensing of Finis Terrae hinged on the successful crowdfunding campaign for Ars Magica Definitive Edition currently underway on Backerkit.com. Upon reaching the campaign's Stretch Goal for it, the Spanish text of the sourcebook was set to unlock under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, empowering creators to build upon and share their own Ars Magica content inspired by the Iberian Tribunal setting.

 

Additionally, Atlas Games plans to work with Holocubierta to secure the rights to the beautiful artwork featured in the Spanish edition of Finis Terrae. This artwork will be utilized in a future official English translation of the sourcebook, which is only available in the Spanish language at present. The English translation of Finis Terrae will also be released under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.

 

This partnership is particularly noteworthy as Holocubierta Ediciones is transitioning out of the publishing industry. The two authors of Finis Terrae, Mario Donaire and Óscar Estefanía, will take the reins, establishing a new publishing company called Blagdaross, dedicated to Ars Magica Open License releases.

 

"They will be doing exactly what we intended the license to make possible," notes Atlas Games co-owner John Nephew. "We're excited to see how Blagdaross and other creators leverage the Open License to expand the Ars Magica universe for players worldwide."

 

Ismael de Felipe, co-owner of Holocubierta Ediciones, expresses his satisfaction with securing the future of Finis Terrae and Ars Magica in Spain. "To see Finis Terrae published by Atlas Games, and Ars Magica in such good hands as Mario and Oscar's, is a perfect way to say goodbye," says de Felipe. "Their pioneering work with the Open License makes this moment even more significant. We couldn't be happier or prouder."

Contact: [email protected]

 

Links to Ars Magica Awesomeness:

About Ars Magica:

Ars Magica is the award-winning tabletop RPG set in a Mythic Europe teeming with magic. Players take the roles of powerful wizards, bound by a complex covenant system and dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the arcane. Widely regarded as the benchmark for magic systems, Ars Magica is also the pioneer in troupe-style, storytelling games.

 

About Atlas Games:
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!

 

Holocubierta Ediciones is a Spanish publisher specializing in roleplaying games. Holocubierta is known for its high-quality translations and original content for a variety of game systems.