Ars Magica Revised Edition

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(This page is about the core rulebook for Ars Magica Revised Edition. For a full list of pages related to Revised (second) Edition, see Category:ArM2.)

Ars Magica Revised Edition, also called Second Edition or ArM2, was published by Lion Rampant in 1989 as a 160-page softcover rulebook. It was the first edition to reach wide circulation.

Ars Magica Revised Edition
Cover illustration for Ars Magica Revised Edition
Product Information
Rules Edition: Second
Abbreviation: ArM2
Product Type: core rules
Author(s): Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein·Hagen
Publisher: Lion Rampant
Product Number: AG0201
ISBN: None
Release date: 1989
Format: Softcover, 160 pages
Availability: PDF only

Subject and Contents

This was a revised edition of the core rules that streamlined gameplay a bit. The layout was improved from First Edition but still rudimentary by modern (c. 2012) standards.

Contributions to Canon

ArM2 introduced the Houses of Hermes, though it mentioned them only briefly and left the details to the supplement, Order of Hermes.

Comparison with Other Editions

Compared to ArM1, Second Edition was generally more polished and streamlined. Many of the changes seem to have been made with playability in mind:

  • ArM2 was the first edition to use seasons for laboratory work and character advancement (ArM1 used months, which were comparatively much more cumbersome)
  • ArM2 converted Parma Magica into an Ability (in ArM1, Parma Magica was a Rego Vim General spell)
  • Combat was revised to be somewhat simpler and faster-paced.

Availability

ArM2 was out of print for many years. On December 2, 2016, Atlas Games announced on Google+ that a PDF was finally made available.

Opinion & Reviews

ArM2 maintained a loyal following even after ArM3 was published, and was long called the One True Edition (or OTE) by its proponents.

Related Pages

External Links


The edit history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:arm2.