Explore a medieval Europe where magic and religion is real!
-
Last edited:
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
Ars Magica: The Quest or No SV, You are the Mage in Medieval Fantasy Europe
- Thread starter Bobalo18
- Start date
- Fantasy Historic
Ars Magica: The Quest
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 21
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 3
-
Statistics (2 threadmarks, 1.2k words)
User Total Bobalo18 2 Threadmarks Reader mode -
Loading…
Initial Post
NOTE: The game we are playing has already been picked. As you might guess from the title, it was Ars Magica
So, after years of both GMing tabletop games and trying to QM, I've come to two simple realizations:
1. I'm not good at creating stories and fair mechanics on my own.
2. I am much better at Creating stories when I have a template to work with.
So, here I am with another quest. But this time, I think I'll let you choose the setting and mechanics we'll be working with. To start, I will have you pick the Rpg this game will be based off of. Of course, I'll modify it heavily: What works for an real-time small group of friends, might not work with Questing and vice versa. So without further ado...
[] Call of Cthulhu: This classic game will have you take the role of an investigator discovering horrible, horrible secrets. Hopefully you won't claw your eyeballs out of your head in a vain attempt to rid yourself of what you just saw!
[] Apocalypse World: A game that takes place years after humanity decide to press the big red button and/or implement/fall victim to a world-ending catastrophe. Will your character provide hope to the wasteland?
[] Blades in the Dark: Take control of a scoundrel in an dark fantasy industrial-era city! Will you be a new Robin Hood? Or will you only look out for number One? Or maybe a little of both?
[] Pendragon: This game mixes history and fantasy together in the period of King Arthur. You'll deal with fae, knights, and eventually the Saxon invasion and the ensuing end of Romano-British culture.
[] Dungeon World: Standard but still awesome fantasy fare. Think D&D but less worrying about encumbrance and calculating the minimum amount of damage required to kill the dragon.
[] Legend of the Five Rings: Another Fantasy game, but this time inspired by Feudal Japan. Will you bring honor to your ancestors without having to either commit seppuku or die in a bloodstained ditch?
[] The One RIng: Another game with rings in the title? Not exactly. It's "ring" (No s), and the most powerful and dangerous ring of all. Have fun exploring, and likely revisiting, MIddle Earth.
[] Masks: A new generation: A Superhero game with you as the charming up-and-coming superpowered hero. It's like being a cop, except you actually get to fight for justice instead of doing pretty much the exact opposite!
[] Dogs in the Vineyard: A very interesting concept for a game. It's a western, but instead of being a rootin' tootin' gunslinging cowboy, you're a member of the Mormons of all people.
[] Ars Magica: Yet another fantasy game, but instead of taking place in some unknown land, it takes place in Medieval Europe, where, surprise surprise, magic and religion is real. Which automatically makes it possibly the darkest game here if you really think about it.
[] Something Else: (Write-in)
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away.
So, after years of both GMing tabletop games and trying to QM, I've come to two simple realizations:
1. I'm not good at creating stories and fair mechanics on my own.
2. I am much better at Creating stories when I have a template to work with.
So, here I am with another quest. But this time, I think I'll let you choose the setting and mechanics we'll be working with. To start, I will have you pick the Rpg this game will be based off of. Of course, I'll modify it heavily: What works for an real-time small group of friends, might not work with Questing and vice versa. So without further ado...
[] Call of Cthulhu: This classic game will have you take the role of an investigator discovering horrible, horrible secrets. Hopefully you won't claw your eyeballs out of your head in a vain attempt to rid yourself of what you just saw!
[] Apocalypse World: A game that takes place years after humanity decide to press the big red button and/or implement/fall victim to a world-ending catastrophe. Will your character provide hope to the wasteland?
[] Blades in the Dark: Take control of a scoundrel in an dark fantasy industrial-era city! Will you be a new Robin Hood? Or will you only look out for number One? Or maybe a little of both?
[] Pendragon: This game mixes history and fantasy together in the period of King Arthur. You'll deal with fae, knights, and eventually the Saxon invasion and the ensuing end of Romano-British culture.
[] Dungeon World: Standard but still awesome fantasy fare. Think D&D but less worrying about encumbrance and calculating the minimum amount of damage required to kill the dragon.
[] Legend of the Five Rings: Another Fantasy game, but this time inspired by Feudal Japan. Will you bring honor to your ancestors without having to either commit seppuku or die in a bloodstained ditch?
[] The One RIng: Another game with rings in the title? Not exactly. It's "ring" (No s), and the most powerful and dangerous ring of all. Have fun exploring, and likely revisiting, MIddle Earth.
[] Masks: A new generation: A Superhero game with you as the charming up-and-coming superpowered hero. It's like being a cop, except you actually get to fight for justice instead of doing pretty much the exact opposite!
[] Dogs in the Vineyard: A very interesting concept for a game. It's a western, but instead of being a rootin' tootin' gunslinging cowboy, you're a member of the Mormons of all people.
[] Ars Magica: Yet another fantasy game, but instead of taking place in some unknown land, it takes place in Medieval Europe, where, surprise surprise, magic and religion is real. Which automatically makes it possibly the darkest game here if you really think about it.
[] Something Else: (Write-in)
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away.
Last edited:
Notice
Character Creation Part 1
According to the Ars Magica 4th edition rulebook, an individual player has control of more than 1 character at a time. I'm not going to make you create more than 1 character, or even follow all the steps, because this is a quest and as such needs different methods to work best. Without further ado:
Your character is a member of the Order of Hermes, basically THE magical society of 13th century Europe (which is when and where the quest takes place). The Order is divided into 12 subdivisions called houses, one of which you are a member of:
[] House Bjornaer: These Magi concern themselves with the animal world, even forgoing the use of familiars. Instead they can shapeshift into an animal, which they call "Heart-beasts."
[] House Bonisagus: Members of House have a proud history, it's namesake having invented the Hermetic theory of magic and his apprentice having invented the Hermetic order itself. As you might expect, these are (or at least its members believe) the elite of magical society.
[] House Criamon: Possibly the most mysterious house, these mages seek the "Enigma", some sort of mystical experience related to the true nature of magic itself
[] House Ex Miscellanea: As you would expect from the name, this house is home to many magi that do not quite fit in with the other orders. Most of it's membership used to be peasants.
[] House Flambeau: These are the magi who like blowing stuff up. They specialize in fire magic and aggresive magic in general. The order values them when they need to fight.
[] House Jerbiton: Perhaps the magical order most invested in the non-magical world, these magi are responsible for keeping the nobility and clergy on the Order's side. The membership is often drawn from the nobility
[] House Mercere: A very unique house, it's founder lost his magical abilities but continued to help the order even afterward. Thus, it even accepts Magi who do not actually possess the gift of magic.
[] House Merinita: This house interacts primarily with the fae. They are very isolated from the non-magical world and even from other members of the Hermetic Order.
[] House Quaesitoris: It's actually named House Guernicus but due to its members roles as judges and justices of those who stray from the Order's precepts, they are non as Quaesitoris: Inquisitors.
[] House Tremere: A highly hierarchical house, they have recently been rocked by a major scandal: Many of its high-ranking members had become vampires in order to gain immortality and power.
[] House Tytalus: This House is a very competitive one, constantly seeking to prove their superiority in all sorts of conflicts. Around 300 years ago, its leaders attempted to bargain with demons to prove their superiority over them. It didn't end well.
[] House Verditus: Most mages of House Verditus are very skilled in creating enchanted items, though most are unable to actually cast spells without the aid of magical foci.
In addition you must create your background:
[] Age: No younger than 15,
[] Place of Birth: Write-in
[] Gender:
[] Personality (Write-in)
[] Origin: (Write-in details about characters life thus far. Include what your childhood was like, how you found a master to teach you magic (or more likely how a master found you) and anything else you'd like to include.)
Vote in Plan Format for this section. Know that you can be as succinct or in depth on the write-ins as you desire. Know also that the write-ins will indirectly determine your abilities, virtues and vices, which I will pick so as to make character creation simpler and quicker for you. I understand I'm still asking a lot, so you can also vote [] Pregen character in place of this section. If enough people vote for the Pregen character, I will create 5 different characters for you to choose from, although you will still have to determine what house they belong to and later on where their magical abilities lie.
Your character is a member of the Order of Hermes, basically THE magical society of 13th century Europe (which is when and where the quest takes place). The Order is divided into 12 subdivisions called houses, one of which you are a member of:
[] House Bjornaer: These Magi concern themselves with the animal world, even forgoing the use of familiars. Instead they can shapeshift into an animal, which they call "Heart-beasts."
[] House Bonisagus: Members of House have a proud history, it's namesake having invented the Hermetic theory of magic and his apprentice having invented the Hermetic order itself. As you might expect, these are (or at least its members believe) the elite of magical society.
[] House Criamon: Possibly the most mysterious house, these mages seek the "Enigma", some sort of mystical experience related to the true nature of magic itself
[] House Ex Miscellanea: As you would expect from the name, this house is home to many magi that do not quite fit in with the other orders. Most of it's membership used to be peasants.
[] House Flambeau: These are the magi who like blowing stuff up. They specialize in fire magic and aggresive magic in general. The order values them when they need to fight.
[] House Jerbiton: Perhaps the magical order most invested in the non-magical world, these magi are responsible for keeping the nobility and clergy on the Order's side. The membership is often drawn from the nobility
[] House Mercere: A very unique house, it's founder lost his magical abilities but continued to help the order even afterward. Thus, it even accepts Magi who do not actually possess the gift of magic.
[] House Merinita: This house interacts primarily with the fae. They are very isolated from the non-magical world and even from other members of the Hermetic Order.
[] House Quaesitoris: It's actually named House Guernicus but due to its members roles as judges and justices of those who stray from the Order's precepts, they are non as Quaesitoris: Inquisitors.
[] House Tremere: A highly hierarchical house, they have recently been rocked by a major scandal: Many of its high-ranking members had become vampires in order to gain immortality and power.
[] House Tytalus: This House is a very competitive one, constantly seeking to prove their superiority in all sorts of conflicts. Around 300 years ago, its leaders attempted to bargain with demons to prove their superiority over them. It didn't end well.
[] House Verditus: Most mages of House Verditus are very skilled in creating enchanted items, though most are unable to actually cast spells without the aid of magical foci.
In addition you must create your background:
[] Age: No younger than 15,
[] Place of Birth: Write-in
[] Gender:
[] Personality (Write-in)
[] Origin: (Write-in details about characters life thus far. Include what your childhood was like, how you found a master to teach you magic (or more likely how a master found you) and anything else you'd like to include.)
Vote in Plan Format for this section. Know that you can be as succinct or in depth on the write-ins as you desire. Know also that the write-ins will indirectly determine your abilities, virtues and vices, which I will pick so as to make character creation simpler and quicker for you. I understand I'm still asking a lot, so you can also vote [] Pregen character in place of this section. If enough people vote for the Pregen character, I will create 5 different characters for you to choose from, although you will still have to determine what house they belong to and later on where their magical abilities lie.