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''Ars Magica'' is a role-playing game set in 'Mythic Europe' - a historically-grounded version of Europe and the Levant around AD 1200, with the added conceit that conceptions of the world prevalent in folklore and institutions of the High Middle Ages are factual reality. The players' involvement revolves around an organization of magi and their allies and foes both mundane〔Mundane. "In fantasy literature the term is sometimes used to apply to non-magical people or the non-magical society."〕 and supernatural. The game was originally developed by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein·Hagen, with its first edition published in 1987. The current edition (the game's fifth) was written by David Chart, and published in 2004 by Atlas Games, who continue to develop new material for it. ''Ars Magica'' was one of the first examples of a Troupe system. Early editions recommended that the players collaborate to create the campaign world and story: * Each player having an opportunity to be Story Guide. (e.g. alternating by play session, 'chapter' of a story, or at the whim of the troupe) ::This scheme has been de-emphasised in recent editions; in Fifth Edition it is relegated to an optional play style described at the back of the book. Alternatively a troupe may select one player as "alpha" story guide with responsibility for the overall plot, and one or more "beta" story guides to run peripheral sessions and/or stories. * Each player having more than one character; when the primary character lacks opportunity or reason to participate in a session (typically due to laboratory or library activity), a secondary character is played. To enhance the 'authenticity' of the historical setting, the game uses medieval Latin for a number of key terms, particularly in the game's most prominent feature, a system of Hermetic Magic. ==History== The first two editions were published by Lion Rampant Games, with several modules published by Atlas Games. In 1991, Lion Rampant merged with White Wolf Magazine to form White Wolf Game Studio. White Wolf published several adventure modules for the game before adding its Third Edition rulebook, which greatly expanded the settings and peripheral rules while leaving the core system intact. White Wolf then produced at least a dozen Third Edition supplements, including the addition of Divine and Infernal mechanics, rules for shamanic magic, beginning the Tribunal series and completing the 'Four Seasons' tetralogy of stories begun by Lion Rampant. Publishing rights were sold in 1994 to Wizards of the Coast, who produced several supplements; in 1998 the rights were sold to Atlas Games, who then published the 4th edition, added several new stories, and continued to expand peripheral material and the line of Tribunal books. The 5th edition included extensive changes to the system, especially the mechanics for combat, experience, and character creation. Many players felt that the alterations to the combat system were long overdue, especially the rules for armour, which in previous editions made wearers much more likely to die in combat. ''Ars Magica'' 5th edition won the Origins Award for ''Best Role Playing Game of 2004''. Many characteristics of the Storyteller system developed by White Wolf can be traced to ''Ars Magica'' and the fact that the Storyteller system was developed by one of ''Ars Magica'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ars Magica」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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