bump.
Halp ploz?

>>43788659
Well, what are you not getting? The die system is d10+characteristic+ability. Little more info would be helpful

It is pretty simple desu. Try to specify your problem

>>43789002
Well, since OP hasn't responded, I'll try to do up a little post or two explaining the basics during my lunch

>>43788659
If it's like the 4th edition which I think it is, it's what you make of it. I was playing it back when I didn't know much beyond the typical D&D style games with a DM and players. You can do that here, but I think you should try playing it as it was intended. And that is: each player creates a mage, a couple of followers and a bunch of peasants (I don't remember the actual terms for them but you get it). Then players discuss and generate their Mage Castle or whatever. And then players take turns as a Game Master and tell short stories about the life of this group of people in this Castle. During an adventure you roleplay all the people you created (basically you each have a small party). This is the part that looks most outlandish to me, we haven't tried that. But I wish we did.

After each "adventure" there is supposed to be time for wizards to research stuff. So they have adventures every couple of years.

The campaign as it spans years and decades, should shape out to be more character focused then plot focused.

So it's not that it's abstract... but it's not supposed to be a high fantasy/ high adventure kind of game.

Alright, let's do this. I assume you're confused on mechanics, concept is what >>43789355
mentioned. So, like I said earlier, basic roll is d10+char+ability for most things. You go against an ease factor (DC) that is fixed or opposed. In addition, there are three rolls. Simple, quality, and stress. Simple is simple,with 0s being 10s. Quality is the same, but you double the result if you roll a one, repeating for each additional one rolled. Stress, tens are the doubling number and ones are botch potential. You roll a number of botch die equal to the stressfulness of the situation (as determined by the storyguide) and if a single one comes up, you botch and Bad Things happen.

With magic, it is similar. It is a d10+stamina+technique+form+aura bonus/penalty. Formulaic, the ease factor is the level of the spell, and spontaneous simply produces a spell of a level equal to the casting total (what you rolled up there) divided by two if fatiguing or five if not.

Combat is stupid, but it is a bunch of opposed rolls and table comparing.

Mechanics in a nutshell. Advancement is rather simple, aging rolls are not and I don't have my book on hand

Also bump

>>43788659
For good or for bad, it's worth noting that the system throws balance out the window, and tends to trust players to consider the enjoyment of their team-mates. So it's a great game to play with familiar faces, maybe not so much with strangers.

>>43790216
Not OP but I remember I was very unsure about that simple/quality/stress rolls systems. I mean I get what a Stress test is. I don't really get the difference between Simple and Quality. And so most of the tests in my game turned out to be stress tests.

>>43791480
It's mostly a matter of the DM determining it. If there's a scenario where failure could be catastrophic (i.e. combat/spells), take a stress roll. There's a chance of great success but more consequences due to the risk of a botch.
If it's just a regular task where you could choose to try again (i.e. crafting a suit of armor), go for a simple roll. Less chance of a sudden boost, but no chance of your character suddenly botching something they're used to.

hoping this thread isn't 100% ded and throwing this out there

I'm trying to hold a campaing, based in 1930's era where magic suddenly reappears for an extremely select few. Basically, the players are all mages and will join up by meeting in a "World Magic Fair" or some such. they'll start their conclave or science comitee or whatever they'll want to start and i'll essentially be throwing them through situations throughout WW2, cold war, etc until they/i get bored or everyone dies or whatever

furthermore, instead of the regular "people fear mages" i decided to introduce a "magic-induced mania", as in each players desperately has to seek to fulfil some form of crazy objective, to keep them on their toes and worried of eachother. something like "govern the world" or "control all magic" or "be the best at fisticuffs" or "kill everything and zombie them" or whatever

looking for some feedback on the idea, the players are pretty stoked so far but i'm still reading through the books and holy hell, seems like its going to be a lot of work for the DM. anyone got ideas on how to approach such a game? tips for managing players? is this a terrible idea desu?

i know power levels are out the window, but with guns i hope they'll at least wont barge into situations magic blazing and get riped apart my MGs whenever their shields fail or something

>>43789355
>>43790216
>>43789002
>>43791413
>>43793363
>>43795366

Very appreciative of the help.
Different time zones so I posted this, went to bed and am checking it again now, glad it didnt die.

>>43795366
It could work, sounds interesting enough. Explains the social effects of the gift (I assume those that have the Gentle Gift can 'hide their power levels'). Ars Magica is very difficult to lift from the source setting, but can it can be worked to another setting. I'm currently doing a modern day not!Mage the Awakening with it. As for keeping them from going in magic blazing...well, that's hard to do. Depending on how you're stating the guns, they might depend on those if they're more reliable than magic. Otherwise, let them rip shit apart with magic and (if possible and makes sense for the setting/background) have the enemies adapt as time goes on. They won't be able to do stupid stupid stuff right off the back, more so if they suddenly come into the gift and have very little in the Arts starting out of the gate.

>>43789355
So just a little correction.
Ars magica is a troupe game, instead of having just a single character, players have a variety to choose from
Firstly there is the magus - this is the main character that you use and track throughout the years.
Then there is the companion - this is a lower powered character but still a notable fleshed out individual; this character is not necessarily tied to the PCs magus, they may be tied to the covenant in general or another pc
Finally we have grogs - these are fairly unimportant backgroud characters, they may be important in the setting but unimportant to the story being told, these are generally pulled straight from the books but there is rules to track their advancement if you want.

The style of the game is also very different from the mainstream RPGs, instead of getting xp from killing monsters you get it from studying from books or teachers. In fact going out adventuring is kinda the opposite of what a magus wants to do as it bites into their precious study and reasearch time. Thats not to say adventure doesnt happen, fights between wizards, hiding stuff from the mundanes or the divine, hunting down a dragon to use its tooth for an enchanted item. Alot of stories occur with the intent of gaining new books or study sources or magical resources. This means that years can go by in game without leaving the safety of your laboratory and in fact the base time to do anything is a season

>>43795366
The biggest issue is that some much of the rules are tied to the setting; the forms of hermetic magic dont support things even 200 years after the game is set let alone 700. Your changing the game to such an extent that you might as well use a different game or better yet make your own
If the party is to be going arround killing mundanes then you will find that they will destroy any encounter. Also it only requires a level 25 rego terrum spell to be immune to firearms for a day.

>>43800982
I forgot, with troupe play the players generally only take one character out on an adventure, to suit the situation or the motivations of the characters rather then having each PC controling a party unto themselves

>>43801204
Thats interesting actually because I wasn't sure if you are supposed to be playing them all at once or you're limited to only one. The book I believe doesn't mention that. If you're limited to only one character though, why won't you play as the magus every time?

>>43802234
your magus is not able to do everything; most importantly, he/she is not able to interact with people without innately coming across as a serial killer or a pedophile; most importantly they might be busy doing other things and the work is beneath them (each season only has 10 off days in which your not doing the main activity, once beyond that your work suffers).

there is no strict rule about taking multiple characters but it bogs down gameplay and takes the focus of other players.
now certain characters work in together and are commonly acceptable, for instance in one of my games my magus - Nex Antilios is always accompanied by his familiar Hyguen; but my companion charactor - Father S.Hark (now bishop of Antioch) would have nothing to do with Nex but i would use him on stories where someone with intrigue and person skills is needed.

there are some adventures which are entirely manned by grog level characters (most don't expect to survive) or if the PCs are advanced enough an all Familiar/apprentice adventure. there are also adventures/stories where teh group may be present but for the session or encounter we would use the magus then later switch to a companion; these can also be mixed groups, commonly a magus will want to go and do something that the other magus's arnt interesting in and so the other PCs will play grogs or companions to assist

>>43801149
I'd like some more of your (or anione else's ideas) on how much the rules would really be affected.
Surely, as I make their characters, i'll have to mod some abilities (say, common law, artes liberales, code of hermes, etc to more modern equivalencies) and indeed, the whole disciplines as made in the book would be inexistant, but that's what i'm going after.
They have incredibly superior technology and knowledge but none pertaining to magic anymore, or only myths and tales (which would be revealed true or false, accordingly to the game and whims), so they'll have to develop their own system of magic, based heavily on the current hermetic lore or other mysteries from the books, according to the character. that'll occupy them, so whenever something happens, they can't all go rushing in, besides the fact that they're extremely valuable due to their now unique abilities, so companions fit in here (modded for modern times as well, spies, diplomats, etc to go into WW2 and beyond)
sure, i'll mess with some rules as well, allow for some weaker Limits (like the limit of the cosmic sphere or whatnot, we well know there is something beyond earth at that point)
but anione's got more ideas on specific or general points i'll have to modify to account for the different time periods?
even with greater knowledge of the elements, the techniques and forms still seem to apply. Could eventually add Atomic, Technology and Energy as forms, maybe? Perhaps as extremely high requirements spells targeted towards exhaustive rituals. Possibly add a "Perfect Control" technique as well, to account for the incredibly superior technological and scientific knowledge, that'd essentially allow some level of metagaming to a spell's effect. Say, to add an endgame tier magic to rival WMDs. I fully intend on them taking over the world. Perfect Control of Earth or Fire to create devasting earthquakes or volcanoes? I don't fully know yet, i'd like more input.