Between two empires is a land of high mountains and dark forests, of great rivers and fertile plains. The richest king in Mythic Europe rules Hungary, but his nobles are restless and the Teutonic Knights he invited to guard his borders want no overlord. Other small kingdoms play east and west against each other, tolerating heresy in their search for freedom. The mountains are the home of countless dragons, and vampires stalk the peasants in their villages. To the east, a greater storm gathers.

This is the Transylvanian Tribunal.

One force brings light to the darkness. Here, where a lord need not swear fealty for his land, the magi of the Order of Hermes may rule openly without violating the Code. Here, in the heartland of House Tremere, the gifts and talents of all magi may be brought together, to cooperate for the good of the world. Here can be seen the shape of the new order that the Tremere wish to bring.

Let us work together as one and grow hale and strong.

Format: 144 pages, softcover

Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Richard Love, Matt Ryan, Mark Shirley

Magi of the Order of Hermes often come to the attention of other inhabitants of Mythic Europe. Some see them as a threat, others as a target, still others as an opportunity. Some even want to help the magi to better integrate themselves into society. These might be mundane humans, supernatural creatures, or other magi, but they all have one thing in common.

They're nothing but trouble.

This book presents ten developed antagonists for use in your saga. Each antagonist can support an entire saga arc, and the struggle with any of them could become the defining feature of your covenant's history. Whether you like politics, investigation, or straightforward battles, there's an antagonist for you within this book.

Format: 144 pages, softcover

Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Andrew Gronosky, Mark Lawford, Richard Love, Ben McFarland, Mark Shirley
Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre

Even the mightiest wizard of the Order of Hermes once cast his very first spell.

The greatest Bonisagus magus of the age was once taught the rudiments of Magic Theory. There was a time when even the dragon-slaying Flambeau faced his fear of the cook to pilfer cakes from the kitchen. And the powerful Mentem maga who now pulls the strings of kings and bishops once pined for a glance from a handsome stableboy.

They were all apprentices once.

This book contains advice and rules for playing apprentices and other children in Ars Magica. It covers changes to character generation and guidelines for development as a child grows up. Rules for teaching Hermetic Virtues are also included, as well as a broad range of spells suited to an apprentice's abilities. See Mythic Europe anew through the eyes of Apprentices!

Format: 64 pages, softcover

Authors: Matt Ryan with Erik Dahl
Cover Artist: Grey Thornberry

Welcome to Ars Magica, and to the world of Mythic Europe. It is a place where the glories of the Classical world are dust and the promise of the Renaissance is yet to come. The time is the 13th century —1220 to be exact. Life is a struggle: wars and plagues stalk the land, the Church and kings rule with an iron fist. Yet Mythic Europe is also a place of magical wonder, inhabited by all the creatures of folktale and myth. What the folk of the land believe holds true: faeries and rural spirits must be placated; demons corrupt everything they touch; divine power is accessible through prayer; and magic is everywhere.

Against this background, you will play a magus, a member of the mythical Order of Hermes. You and your fellow players will also portray the loyal companions and grogs that stand with the magi in their covenants. These stalwart protectors provide a buffer between the magi and the mundane world that often misunderstands their power and motives. This is the setting for Ars Magica.

The award-winning first edition of Ars Magica set the benchmark for magic in fantasy roleplaying. It pioneered the storytelling style of roleplaying that has become so popular today. Its setting, Mythic Europe, sparked the imaginations of fantasy fans and history enthusiasts alike. The 272-page fourth edition introduced improved systems in several key areas such as combat, character advancement, and covenant generation. This version of the game retained and improved upon Ars Magica's powerful and flexible magic system —widely regarded as the best rules for magic in all of gaming. Ars Magica Fourth Edition also remained fully compatible with the game's previously released supplements. Ars Magica won the Gamer's Choice Award for Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game of 1988; the fourth edition was nominated for the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1996.

What is Ars Magica?
Ars Magica is the award-winning roleplaying game by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen about wizards and their allies in Mythic Europe. This flexible, deeply built world can support games that are historically accurate or fantasy-based, epic or small scale, political or personal.

Players work together to tell the story of their covenant — all of the magi, their companions, and grogs. This history can span decades. It might be heroic, tragic, or both in turn. The covenant could influence the entirety of Mythic Europe or the fates of a small corner of the world.

Spells will be cast. Duels won and lost. Houses may rise and fall. But magic is forever.

Grimoire: Gameplay Basics
Ars Magica is a troupe-style, storytelling game. This means that players will not only play a magus, but also the companions and grogs who serve them. Each of these characters contributes to the covenant they belong to, and therefore to the story itself.

The game is famous for its magic rules, which set a new standard for RPG magic systems. The system is divided into arts, each of which comes with a set of verbs and nouns (called Techniques and Forms). Players simply put them together into phrases like "Control Fire" to represent what they want to do.

This fifth edition core book contains all of the rules you need to play, and there’s an enormous library of Ars Magica supplements in our catalog to help develop your campaign. As a rule, older sourcebooks are usable with the newest edition.

Awards:
- 2005 ENnie Gold Award Winner – Best Rules.
- 2005 ENnie Silver Award Winner – Best Production Values.
- 2005 ENnie Award Nominee – Best Game.
- 2005 ENnie Award Honorable Mention – Best Interior Art.
- 2004 Origins Award Winner – Best Role Playing Game.
- 2004 Out of the Box Award Winner – Best Retread.

5th Edition Designer: David Chart
Creators: Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein-Hagen

Format: 240 pages, softcover binding, B&W interior printing on offset paper

Changes to the Game
Veteran Ars Magica players will want to know what is new and different about 5th Edition. Here are some of the rules change highlights that will be of interest:
* Magic resistance has been changed so that the Parma Magica is actually the defense it's always been said to be.
* The Laboratory rules have been streamlined and unified around a single core mechanic -- the spell invention mechanic from earlier editions.
* The spell guidelines have been cleaned up, clarified, and made as consistent as possible.
* The combat rules have been completely rewritten so that armor and shield grogs are actually useful.
* The introduction to Mythic Europe has been rewritten to provide information that is immediately useful in play.
* Character creation has been revised to create characters, including magi, at any age, and to create characters of similar power to those advanced through play.

Welcome to Ars Magica, and to the world of Mythic Europe. It is a place where the glories of the Classical world are dust and the promise of the Renaissance is yet to come. The time is the 13th century —1220 to be exact. Life is a struggle: wars and plagues stalk the land, the Church and kings rule with an iron fist. Yet Mythic Europe is also a place of magical wonder, inhabited by all the creatures of folktale and myth. What the folk of the land believe holds true: faeries and rural spirits must be placated; demons corrupt everything they touch; divine power is accessible through prayer; and magic is everywhere.

Against this background, you will play a magus, a member of the mythical Order of Hermes. You and your fellow players will also portray the loyal companions and grogs that stand with the magi in their covenants. These stalwart protectors provide a buffer between the magi and the mundane world that often misunderstands their power and motives. This is the setting for Ars Magica.

The award-winning first edition of Ars Magica set the benchmark for magic in fantasy roleplaying. It pioneered the storytelling style of roleplaying that has become so popular today. Its setting, Mythic Europe, sparked the imaginations of fantasy fans and history enthusiasts alike. The 272-page fourth edition introduced improved systems in several key areas such as combat, character advancement, and covenant generation. This version of the game retained and improved upon Ars Magica's powerful and flexible magic system —widely regarded as the best rules for magic in all of gaming. Ars Magica Fourth Edition also remained fully compatible with the game's previously released supplements. Ars Magica won the Gamer's Choice Award for Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game of 1988; the fourth edition was nominated for the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1996.

Format: 240 pages, hardcover binding, two-color interior printing on offset paper

Changes to the Game
Veteran Ars Magica players will want to know what is new and different about 5th Edition. Here are some of the rules change highlights that will be of interest:
* Magic resistance has been changed so that the Parma Magica is actually the defense it's always been said to be.
* The Laboratory rules have been streamlined and unified around a single core mechanic -- the spell invention mechanic from earlier editions.
* The spell guidelines have been cleaned up, clarified, and made as consistent as possible.
* The combat rules have been completely rewritten so that armor and shield grogs are actually useful.
* The introduction to Mythic Europe has been rewritten to provide information that is immediately useful in play.
* Character creation has been revised to create characters, including magi, at any age, and to create characters of similar power to those advanced through play.

Errata here: Ars Magica Fifth Edition Errata

An Ars Magica Sourcebook
The magi of the Order of Hermes are not the only scholars and artists in Mythic Europe. In the Greek and Muslim lands, traditions of learning stretch back unbroken over centuries, while scholarship has emerged from long centuries of neglect in the Latin West with great vigor. From parish schools to the new universities, learning and creativity are everywhere.

Nor is this learning entirely theoretical. Doctors can cure many illnesses, and preserve the health of their charges. Natural philosophers can manipulate substances in a way that appears magical to the ill-informed, and gain some hints as to the future from the positions of the stars. The natural laws of Mythic Europe are very different from those of our world, and many strange things can be achieved by those who understand their secrets. Artists create the great cathedrals, but also more humble paintings, songs, and sculptures. The greatest of them draw the attention of the supernatural, and become part of the legends of the land.

Art & Academe provides background on the academic life of Mythic Europe, and rules for activities reaching from the astrology and alchemy of the natural philosopher to the regimens and treatments of the medic, from university disputations to the creation of masterpieces of art. Art & Academe takes your saga to the very limits of medieval scientific knowledge.

Format: 144 pages, softcover
by Matt Ryan and Mark Shirley

Everyone knows Egypt, but Egypt is just one corner of Africa. Between the sand of the Great Desert and the sea of the Mediterranean lie the great cities of Marrakesh and Fes, home to merchants, scholars, and thieves. The Atlas mountains and the plains of the Tell are home to Tuareg and Berber nomads and raiders, and the ruins of Rome and Carthage still await exploration. Not all of the inhabitants of this land are human: the Blemmyae have no heads, bearing their faces on their chests, while the Panotii have ears so large that they can fly, and the isle of monkeys tolerates nothing human on its shores. Trade caravans from all cultures cross the Great Desert, but none know what lies beyond, or where the slaves brought north come from.

Beyond the Bounds of the Order
This book provides cultural and magical details for the lands of Mythic Africa west of, but not including, Egypt. From the jnun to the dark gods of old Carthage, from the bustling cities of the Tell to the wind-haunted mountains and deserts, this is a land that will take magi away from the familiar. Whether building a new covenant outside the Tribunals, or visiting in search of magical secrets, there is something for every maga between sand and sea.

Format: 144 pages, hardcover

Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Lachlan Hayes, Ben McFarland, Mark Shirley
Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre

God rules Mythic Europe in awesome majesty, served by the angelic hosts. For most people, however, the majesty of the local bishop is awe-inspiring enough, and God is served by the priests, monks, and friars who share their communities. The Church touches every aspect of life, and every individual heart. Even magi in their covenants must contend with the Church, and many trust it with the salvation of their souls.

This book provides background and rules for the Western Church as a human institution, covering the organization of dioceses, monastic orders, and daily devotion. It also describes the role of women, and looks at the Knights Templar and Franciscans in more detail. As a human institution, however, the Church is not immune to corruption, and so this book also discusses how some of the great orders of the Church might fall to the Infernal. Bring the faith of your characters to life!

*Format:* 144 pages, hardcover
*Authors:* Love (Diocese), Christian Jensen Romer (Congregation, Rule, Corrupt), Sheila Thomas (Rule, Women, Franciscans), Alexander White (Templars)
*Cover Artist:* Grey Thornberry

A Player's Sourcebook for Ars Magica 5th Edition
In the thirteenth century towns and cities are growing all over Mythic Europe. Covenants that were once in remote forests find themselves within sight of city walls, and regions that were once cut off from the world are now visited by traders from distant parts. For many covenants, cities are a great opportunity; craftsmen and merchants can provide anything that the covenant needs, and buy its surplus. Some covenants are even established within towns, or as small towns.

This supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition provides background on the facts of life in the towns of medieval Europe, and rules for craftsmen and traders. Clever magi could become the greatest merchant princes of Europe, or gain renown as suppliers of the most valuable tapestries. Less clever magi could find themselves manipulated by existing merchant princes, or tricked into buying shoddy goods. With an emphasis on stories rather than accountancy, this book opens a new stage for your Ars Magica saga.

Description: 144 pages, softcover
by Timothy Ferguson, Richard Love, Matt Ryan and Sheila Thomas

An Ars Magica Players' Sourcebook
The covenant is the home and the magi and the heart of an Ars Magica saga. Much more than just a base camp, its prosperity determines the power and safety of the characters who live there, and the challenges faced by a covenant shape the whole saga.

This book includes:
* New Boons and Hooks, for a wide range of saga styles;
* Guidance on governance and covenfolk;
* Story-based rules for determining the covenant's wealth;
* Rules for developing libraries and enchanting books; and
* Rules for personalizing and improving a magus's laboratory.
Everything you need to bring your covenant to life is here!

Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Mark Shirley, Andrew Smith, and Neil Taylor
Format: 144 pages, 8.5" x 11", Softcover

Travelers tell of lands to the east, beyond the shattered Byzantine Empire and the Crusader kingdoms of Outremer, where sorcerers ride carpets and whirlwinds, where jinn worship and trade openly in the great cities, and where fire is the sign of God.

Those travelers speak the truth.

Take your saga to the east, with details of the Islamic lands of the Mythic Middle East: Arabia, Persia, and the lands beyond. Zoroastrian priests still call on Divine power, although their days of glory are long over, and scholars rejoice in libraries and schools that dwarf the young universities of Europe. Jinn haunt the deserts and mountains, and live and trade in the cities. But this is not a land ready for Hermetic magi to seize, for the Order of Suleiman is no myth, and its sahirs are everywhere.

Were you to tell of these lands for a thousand nights, still you would not exhaust their wonders!

Format: 192 pages, hardcover
Authors: Niall Christie (Intro & Saga, History, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Appendix), Erik Dahl (Order of Suleiman), Lachie Hayes (Intro & Saga, Jinn, Arabia, Silk Road), Mark Shirley (Mesopotamia, Persia, Appendix), Alex White (Zoroastrians)
Cover Artist: Grey Thornberry

An Ars Magica 5th Edition Sourcebook of Apocalypse

In Mythic Europe, some wizards serve the terrible powers that ruled the world at the dawn of time, and plot to grant them mastery once more. Others would take everyone to a glorious new existence, careless of whether they want to go. Still more have nothing but the best of intentions, but risk anything to achieve their goals. If they are not stopped, their power will twist and consume the world and all who live in it.

Lest All Be Lost
This book describes four great threats to Mythic Europe, with stories centered around both attempting to stop the disaster, and surviving the aftermath if the characters fail. These threats go far beyond a single covenant, or even a single Tribunal; all of them could lay waste to the whole of the world. When the fate of the world is truly in their hands, will your characters rise to the challenge, or let everything fall to ash?

144 pages, hardback, B&W.

Authors: Mark Lawford, Ben McFarland, Matt Ryan, Mark Shirley

The Languedoc was the home of courtly love. Troubadours and trobairitz sang songs echoed by nightingales and faeries alike. Even the covenants of the Order of Hermes played host to their music, listening to songs of lost Val-Negra, deep in the misty Pyrenees. There were disagreements over the legacy of Flambeau, and over the true message of Christ, but love, learning, and life flourished.

Then the Crusade came.

The magi of the Provencal Tribunal are far from united in their response to the Crusade, as they all try to preserve their lives and their culture, and control is even looser than it was in the past. This is a Tribunal where new magi can found their own covenant without waiting for permission, choose their own relations with the mundanes, and write their own song. Every magus and every maga can find a home here.

Format: 144 pages, hardcover

Authors: Erik Dahl, Mark Faulkner, Lachie Hayes, Ben McFarland, Christian Jensen Romer

Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre

An Ars Magica Live-Action Scenario
by David Chart

Live the Legend.
The covenant of Fanum has broken the Code of Hermes by interfering with the mundane population of Germany. Their interference has resulted in the near-destruction of another covenant, and now the members of Fanum have been summoned before the Rhine tribunal to face Hermetic justice. You are that tribunal.

Fallen Fane is a live-action Ars Magica scenario for 12 to 24 players. ItÂ’s equally suitable for Ars Magica veterans and those who have never played the game before, and can be run in an afternoon.

Description: 48 pages, saddle stitched

Imagine a world where myth is real -- where wizards wield magic beyond the ken of other mortals. Imagine yourself as one of these mages, dwelling in a mystical bastion with your allies and servants, unlocking secret powers and creating wonders. Every thirty-three years the Grand Tribunal is held, attracting other wizards from far and wide to show off their magical creations for the inspection and approval of the archmages. These powerful judges vote on the best, and invite the winner to join their ranks as a new archmage -- a true master of the art of magic!

Grand Tribunal is a board game for three to five players, inspired by the Ars Magica roleplaying game. In Grand Tribunal, players use Vis tokens to activate cards representing magic item types, spell categories, and resources, which they then assemble into powerful magic items. Each round, players place their votes for the item types and spell categories they're most likely to be able to play. Three times during the game -- at the periodic Tribunals -- players are presented with 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place awards for creating magic items with item types and spell categories that match those with the most votes. The player at the end of the game with the most points based on those awards wins!

Inside the Box: game board (8" x 20") rules sheet, 6-sided die, 110 cards, 99 game pieces (24 Voting tokens, 60 Vis tokens, 1 Praeco token, 2 Tracker tokens, 4 1st-Place tokens, 4 2nd-Place tokens, 4 3rd-Place tokens)

Designed by P.R. Chase
Illustrated by Alexander Bradley

An Ars Magica Player's Sourcebook

They are the majority in almost every covenant, and without them things would come to an immediate halt. They spend their lives serving magi, and may lay those lives down to defend them. They are the cooks, servants, warriors, craftsmen, and hunters who keep the Order of Hermes running smoothly.

They are the magi's trusted grogs.

Grogs have much to offer any saga, from heroic death to comic relief, or even both at the same time. However, creating and maintaining dozens of characters can be a strain on the creativity and patience of even the finest troupes, and so grogs may be overlooked in favor of magi and companions. This book aims to right the balance. It contains dozens of fully developed grog concepts, complete with typical Abilities, and guidelines to simplify creating and maintaining grogs. It also includes suggestions on the roles grogs can play in covenants, and in stories.

After all, even spear-carriers can leave memories that live forever.

Format: 144 pages, softcover

Authors: Mark Shirley, Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Evangeline Cheng, Camo Coffey, Mark Faulkner, Timothy Ferguson, Mark Lawford
Cover Artist: Grey Thornberry

A Sourcebook for Ars Magica 5th Edition
by Andrew P. Smith and Mark Shirley

Guardians of the Forests details the birthplace of the Order of Hermes, Mythic Germany. From the sinister faerie heights of the Black Forest, home to Durenmar, through the prosperous and venerable cities of the Rhineland, to the fog-ridden Harz Mountains, to the lowland plain and Crintera's island retreat on the Baltic coast, the northern Holy Roman Empire is a diverse landscape of countless magical and faerie forests, interspersed with a patchwork of powerful realms, where prince-bishops vie with dukes and merchant gilds for temporal power. This is the land of the epic Nibelungenlied, the heroic conquests of Charlemagne and Frederick Barbarossa, the miracles of St. Boniface, the splendour of the Imperial Cathedrals, the gifts of minstrels and wood-wives, and the curses of witches and the Wild Hunt.

Guardians of the Forests reveals the many unique traditions of the First Tribunal, its archaic politics and lost glories, its reverence for its founders and its woodlands, the workings of the Great Library of Durenmar, and the secrets of those who pursue obscure wilderness paths in search of the primal power of the Forest. The richness of the German landscape is fully explored, replete with numerous story and saga ideas. The region of the Rhine Gorge receives a special focus -- its lost covenants, vis sources, sites of legend, towns, castles, inhabitants, and a mysterious curse are all detailed -- providing a perfect location to jump-start an Ars Magica 5th Edition saga.

Description: 144 pages, siftcover.

Hermetic magi believe themselves to be the undisputed masters of magic in Mythic Europe. Certainly, there are a few hedge wizards, but their numbers and powers are surely negligible compared to the might of the Order of Hermes.

Those "hedge wizards" would beg to differ.

Hedge Magic provides you with all the information needed to play a hedge wizard from any of six different traditions, or to introduce them as allies or antagonists for a Hermetic covenant. The scholarly magicians cluster in universities, while the folk witches ply their trade in the villages. Elementalists control the building blocks of reality, while gruagachan deal out curses and blessings in the interests of justice. Nightwalkers leave their bodies to fight for the prosperity of their homes, while in the vasts of the north, rune wizards patiently wait.

Authors: Erik Dahl, Timothy Ferguson, Richard Love, John Post
Cover Artist: Grey Thornberry
Format: 144 pages, hardcover

You are an Hermetic magus, one of the greatest wielders of magic Mythic Europe has ever seen. You can control the winds with a word, the beasts with a gesture. You can create a forest in a matter of moments, and destroy castles with a thought. No secret of mortal man is safe from your investigation.

So, what do you do with all that power?

Build a covenant inside a volcano, or a tower that touches the sky. Construct enchanted ships to sail any ocean, or even on the clouds. Collect magical beasts from across Mythic Europe and beyond, or become the most deadly opponent in Wizard's War that the Order has ever seen. You could even cheat death itself.

This book describes the spells and enchantments needed to achieve these marvels, using the Hermetic magic taught to every apprentice of the Order of Hermes.

What wonders will you create?

Format: 144 pages, softcover

Authors: Mark Lawford (Great Tower, Hermetic Shipyard), Richard Love (Burning City, Intangible Assassin), Matt Ryan (Living Corpse, Menagerie)
Cover Artist: Grey Thornberry

An Ars Magica Scenario Supplement

Mythic Europe is a place of wonders. Ancient spirits live in the rivers and sleep under towns and cities. Merchants travel between those cities, bringing the mundane population together, while nobles fight and hunt from their castles of stone. The dead do not all rest quietly, and the traces of ancient magics take an active interest in the present day. Yet still magi prefer to sit in their libraries and laboratories, oblivious to everything beyond the walls of their covenant.

Get their attention.

This book contains eight short scenarios for Ars Magica Fifth Edition tied to a previously released Ars Magica sourcebook. Each is designed to be played in a single session, and to draw the characters into some aspect of the rich background of Mythic Europe. Each scenario could serve as a single session's entertainment, or as the springboard for a saga arc.

Format: 96 pages, softcover

Authors: Christian Rosenkjaer Andersen, Jason Brennan, Richard Love, David MacGregor, Xavier Requejo
Cover Artist: Christian St. Pierre

A Player's Sourcebook for Ars Magica 5th Edition
There are those within the Order of Hermes who transmit secrets of magic incomprehensible to outsiders. Pre-eminent among them are the four Mystery Cult Houses, gatherings of magi Initiated into the same Mysteries. This book details the Mystery Cults, including full details of their Inner Mysteries.

House Bjornaer venerates animal ancestors, and strives to perfect the form. Their Mysteries enhance the heartbeast, ultimately allowing the magus to unlock mythic forms. House Criamon follow ancient teachings and seek escape from time itself. The many paths that they walk to this end grant powers that can include immortality. House Merinita move among the faeries, ultimately joining them. Their spells can draw on faerie glamour, awaken the fay slumbering around them, or inflict curses on those who break their promises. House Verditius crafts the greatest items, putting a little of themselves into their finest creations. Pride in their creations is often their downfall, and these magi are terribly prone to the most deadly sin.

by Erik Dahl, Timothy Ferguson, Matt Ryan and Mark Shirley
Description: 144 pages, softcover

An Ars Magica Player's Sourcebook
The third and final volume in the Houses of Hermes series, Societates covers Houses Flambeau, Jerbiton, Tytalus, and Ex Miscellanea. These houses are formed of wizards who have come together out of shared interests and philosophies.

House Flambeau includes the champions and knights of the Order, individual warriors who fight for glory and honor, both their own and that of the Order as a whole. The House admires bold adventurers who seek out and overcome fearsome opponents. Worthy opponents are chosen according to the magus's sense of honor, not external rules. As a result, many of the Order's Hoplites are from House Flambeau, as are many of the magi they hunt down.

House Jerbiton live lives in pursuit of beauty, and in pursuit of living beautifully. This requires interaction with the world beyond the Order of Hermes, both for the sake of the beauty found there and to avoid the stunted lives that result from a life lived entirely within a covenant. Experts in the use of Mentem and Imaginem, followers of Jerbiton generally prefer to interact subtly with the world. The fall of Constantinople has, however, been a great shock to them, and has pushed the House onto a more active path.

House Tytalus thrive on, and admire, conflict. The main conflict they see is between an individual's nature and the rules imposed by surrounding society, but this central conflict plays out in many, less abstract, contests. They are renowned for long-running rivalries with their Housemates, convoluted political schemes, and activities that skirt the edges of legality.

House Ex Miscellanea gathers together magi who do not fit into any other House, normally because they are still tied to elements of a pre-Hermetic tradition. The House claims to embody unity in diversity, but the emphasis is definitely on the diversity. This book provides eight detailed examples of traditions within the House, complete with rules for their non-Hermetic abilities.

Format: 144 pages, softcover
by Erik Dahl, Timothy Ferguson, Andrew Gronosky, John Post, Mark Shirley, and Nick Simmonds

A Player's Sourcebook for Ars Magica 5th Edition
by Erik Dahl, Timothy Ferguson, Matt Ryan and David Woods

"The entire Order stands on the brink of dissolution, and we are the only force that keeps it from toppling. We are the salvation of the Order!"
- Aldico, Primus of Mercere, addressing his House during the Schism War

The True Lineages are the backbone of the Order of Hermes. In these four Hermetic Houses, each magus was taught by a magus of the House, and that master-apprentice relationship goes back to the founders. This sourcebook details the four True Lineages, including rules for original research, unique forms of magic, and new Virtues and Flaws.

House Bonisagus descends from the two magi who created the Order, and continues to supply knowledge and leadership. They explore the theoretical applications of magic, delving deeper into its arcane secrets. And they advocate peace and cooperation among the Houses, searching for other wizards who might contribute to the community of magi.

House Guernicus upholds and enforces the Code of Hermes as the official judges and investigators of the Order. Its Quaesitores believe they stand against the wheel of fate, slowing it as best they can. By the efforts of its magi, the basic structures of Hermetic society have remained intact for over four hundred years.

House Mercere holds the magi of Mythic Europe together by facilitating communication, encouraging trade, and aiding their sodales. Its heralds, heroes, mercenaries, and merchants reflect the contractictions of their House: it is exotic, but traditional; loyal, but self-centered; proud, but humble.

House Tremere provides the strength of the Order. It controls events and prepares for coming battles, gathering influence and resources to respond to crises as they draw near. Tremere are pragmatic, dutiful, and courageous magi who know that Mythic Europe is a chaotic and dangerous place.

These are the True Lineages. Without them all, the Order of Hermes would surely fall.

Description: 144 pages, hardcover

The Sourcebook of Judaism in Mythic Europe
In 1018 AD, while secretly aiding the Christian forces against the Moors of Spain, the Flambeau of Val-Negra stumbled upon a small, secretive group of hedge wizards practising their magic within the Christian city of Barcelona. Offended by this affront to the Order, the magi initiated contact with the new rivals rather bluntly: "join or die!"

Kabbalah: Mythic Judaism delves into the Jewish Quarters of Mythic Europe, investigating the full spectrum of Jewish law, history, faith, and legend. It reveals the mysteries of Kabbalah, its scope ranging from gematria to the Tree of Life to the creation of golems. In addition to providing full rules for creating kabbalist characters, it details two new classes of hedge wizards: baal shem and necromancers. Players and storyguides alike will find a wealth of information within.

Authors: David Honigsberg, Adam Bank, and Jeremiah Genest
Format: 160 pages, 8.5" x 11", perfect bound