Product Description
Legends tell of the mighty wizards of the past, sorcerers with powers that dwarf those of the magi of the Order of Hermes. Hyperboreans whose spells lasted a generation, necromancers of Canaan who could summon any of the dead, rune magic that brushed aside Magic Resistance like cobwebs; all these stories circulate in the Covenants of the Order. Other forms of magic are so ancient that even the legends have become rare. The Seekers are those magi of the Order who search for these secrets, aiming for the glory of being the one to bring the power to modern magi.This book contains descriptions of nine forms of ancient magic, and rules for integrating their secrets into Hermetic theory. From the frozen north to the westernmost edge of the world, from humankind's earliest homes to grand temples of the classical world, the quest can lead your characters anywhere in Mythic Europe, and even beyond. How far will they go for knowledge? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Useful, but not fabulous.
Ancient Magic provides nine systems of thematically appropriate (mostly biblical and Roman) magic outside the Hermetic system in Ars Magica.These systems are, for the most part, alternately too powerful or marginal for the players to get their hands on without it being the basic focus of the game, but there are some gems and the others do provide interesting aspects for non-player antagonists.

The best magics in the book are the fertility magic, which is based on Neolithic society, and "defixio" magic, which is based on Roman cursing practices.Both magics add abilities to the mage that are interesting, beyond the limits of regular magic in the book, and won't unbalance the game if allowed into regular play.Furthermore, the "archaeology" required for magi to relearn these lost forms of magic allow for more flexibility on the part of the storyguide, and don't lock the players into a pat adventure in the book.I especially liked how fertility magic encourages players to check out Neolithic cave paintings; this was a creative touch that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

Most other magics in the book are unbalancingly powerful (Hyperborean magic, for example, which breaks most of the important limits of Hermetic magic) or irritatingly niche (e.g., Canaanite necromancy, which allows one to talk to the dead - and that's it).They also require adventures which drag the players across the globe on monomaniacal quests for this magic - something everyone has to agree on beforehand.In Ars Magica, a game where eveyone spends time working on their own character advancement, it's unfair for the storyguide to drag the players on session after session looking for the biblical Cain (to learn the language of Adam), to the Near East (to learn Caananite Necromancy), or to longitude zero in the Canary Islands (Hesperides Magic).

The bright spot in this adventuring is that the Ancient Magic book does contain extra information on the Mongol invasion, for people who want to work that part of history into their games.And, as mentioned above, a Hyperborean or Grigori mage, while probably inappropriate as a player character, would make a great antagonist.

Nine interesting non-Hermetic magic systems
This book covers nine non-Hermetic magic systems, all of which predate the Order of Hermes. They can be used in a campaign as models for powers of rivals to player-character magi, but since by the era of the standard game setting they have no living practitioners, their main point is as a set of magical practices that magi might try to learn to expand their own powers.

The introduction offers a set of rules for learning new powers: discover a source of information on an ancient magical tradition (typically through adventuring), investigate it to discover an Insight, invent a spell or magical device that uses the Insight, and repeat until the Insights amount to an extension of Hermetic magic theory. (The Insight rules are a variation on the original magic research rules in the Bonisagus section of True Lineages.) If one makes a breakthrough, it may be taught to other magi or recorded in writing.

Chapter 1 covers the Language of Adam, the language spoken before the Tower of Babel -- the language of true names, more or less. For a Hermetic magus, it grants a penetration bonus to spells equal to the magus's skill in the language. The chapter mostly covers adventures one might take to learn the long-dead language. No Insights are necessary to use the language.

Chapter 2 covers Canaanite Necromancy. It includes a Major Supernatural Virtue, Canaanite Necromancy, a Minor Hermetic Virtue, Canaanite Magic, a list of example spells and items, and a few special powers. It also includes an infernally tainted variation on the power. There are also some adventures one could use to seek Insight into this magical tradition.

Chapter 3 covers Defixio Magic, a tradition that allows its practitioners to perform magic beyond sight range without an arcane connection, and cast spells with built-in triggers similar to Watching Ward. Triggered spells require enough Insight for Event Duration, a Minor Breakthrough. Spells without arcane connections require enough Insight for Unlimited Range, a Hermetic Breakthrough. Much of the chapter consists of mini-adventure descriptions for defexiones that a magus might find and use as sources of Insight. There is also a Major Supernatural Virtue, Defixio Lore, which most most magi would be unable to learn because of conflicts with Hermetic learning.

Chapter 4 covers Fertility Magic, which includes the Arcane Ability Fertility Lore, the Minor Hermetic Virtue Fertility Ritual Magic, the spell target Unborn Child, a few example spells and items, and several adventure seeds.

Chapter 5 presents Grigori Magic, a type of magic originally known to children of angels. Spells developed with Grigori Insight allow magi to substitute different sorts of vis when casting vis-boosted spells, and possibly avoid use of vis entirely. Grigori Minor Supernatural Virtues allow using some types of vis interchangeably; Grigori Minor Hermetic Virtues allow that and bypass some requisites. Much of the chapter is adventure seeds.

Chapter 6 presents Heron of Alexandria's Legacy, a type of magic that allows its practitioners to create Mechanica. With a Minor Hermetic Virtue or Major Breakthrough, magi can create magical devices with mutable powers. With a Major Virtue or Hermetic Breakthrough, magi can awaken a magical device, giving it intelligence and personality. The chapter includes numerous example devices and adventure seeds.

Chapter 7 describes the Hesperides, a simple skill that allows a place's longitude and latitude to be used as an arcane connection to it. Since such arcane connections depend on the Law of Names, they may be copied freely. The skill can only be used if one visits Longitude Zero, in today's Canary Islands. Most of the chapter deals with adventures involved in visiting Longitude Zero.

Chapter 8 presents Hyperborean Magic, a tradition based on hymns to Apollo. It includes the Minor Supernatural Virtues Hyperborean Hymnist and Hyperborean Descent; the latter is also a Major Hermetic Virtue. Also included are the Supernatural Ability Hyporean Hymn, the dead language Hyperborean, the new duration 19 Years, numerous hymn-powers, special Insight rules, and adventures to seek Hyperborean knowledge.

Chapter 9 presents Rune Magic, which includes the Duration Rune, the target Inscription, the Major Hermetic Virtue Rune Magic, and the rune wizards' Rune Magic. Rune magic has the advantage that it can be performed without vis. There is also some information about runes and rune magic, and a few adventure ideas.

If a magus is happy with Hermetic magic only, the player doesn't need this book. But this offers a lot of additional options that might broaden a magus's powers -- and add adventure motivations to a campaign.

Atlas Games does it again.
I've always loved Ars Magica and this recent supplement is just great.

It has lots of material that could be brought into many campaigns.Each type of Ancient magic has it's own section with history and rules on researching.In fact the books primary purpose appears to be to provide research opportunities and goals for your magi.A character could have his life goal to pursue norse rune magic and incorporating it into standard Hermetic theory.

too few rules
This one was alright in my opinion, but a little lacking in the rules dept. I feel they could have developed some of the specifics of the various forms of magic much more. I found the book to be more like a collection of adventure ideas. Not bad mind you, but not up to par with the rest of the excellent Ars Magica line. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The United States Marines in North China
As a "China Marine" I can state that this is one of the best books I have ever read about life as a Marine in China, the old 4th Regiment, as well as the Legation Marines and the "Horse"Marines.I knew Col "Jack" White for nearly 50 years until hepassed away about 3 years ago.This book is a whole lot more than justabout the Marines in China. Captain John White was captured by the Japanesetroops on 8 December, 1941 and spent nearly four years as POW. At the timeof his capture Captain White was on a train in charge of a detail bringingthe bones of "Peking Man" to Shanghai for shipment to theSmithsonian Institute. The bones were contained in a USMC wooden locker boxand the Japanese troops came through the train looking for loot. When theyfound nothing in the box of value, only old bones, they were discarded asjunk on the tracks. For the rest of his life Col. White was considered anexpert on "Peking Man" and often lectured on the subject. Thebook is really two books in one, the first half about life in China and thesecond half about life as a POW and their desparate daily struggle to stayalive. It is filled with stories of their efforts to outwitstheirsadistic guards, their attempts to have garden and grow some of their ownfood, their terible work details and the almost daily burial details. Jackstayed in the Corps after a long period in the hospital, made Colonelduring the Korean War before retiring. He was a member of the AnnapolisClass of 1931 and lived long enough to return for the 60th Class Reunion.His wife was one of the early female aviatiors and was a peer of AmeliaEarheart and "Pancho" Gonzales. He came from a long line ofmilitary leaders. His two brother were West Point graduates,one retiringas a two star Army General, the other a two star Air Force General. ColonelJack was the uncle of Astronaut Edward White, the first American to walk inspace and who was later killed with Chaffee and Grissom in the fire thatdestroyed their space capsule during training for their next space mission. Colonel White was negotiating with a publisher to republish his book whenhe died. I would be very happy to share more information about Colonel JohnWhite with anyone who has an interest ... Read more