I just have to pitch in my opinion and say that this book, City & Gild, looks very interesting. Ars Magica might be about Wizards, but it's not pure fantasy (well, it depends on the Storyguide, of course). I think a book that focuses on the mundane society will help underline how special the Magi are.
I also really liked the rules for Resources in Covenants, and I hope that City and Gild can expand on this.
Also, are there any news on releases after City and Gild (apart from The Mysteries, that is).
Ars 5 has totally revamped the game. While others have mentioned that a variety of books have been written dealing with mundanes. None are an up to date Ars 5 book. While wizards will always be the core of the game, it is nice to see an exploration of non-wizard characters and the world they live in. I look forward to this potentially definitive 'mundane' book.
I am just not interested in playing those archetypes. A book exploring high-fantasy with Ars Magica would be a sure-sell for me. A book exploring mythic archetypes such as the famous knights and heroes of medieval myth would be grand. A book about staple companions such as wise old crones, wolf-boys, or so on may be interesting.
A book about merchants and city-folk? No, thanks. My games aren't that urban or civilized, I'm just not attracted to that kind of game.
That said, I'll probably buy it. I'll buy anything with an ArM5 seal on it at this point.
Well, my group would love to get their hands in the rules for setting up a business in Mythic Europe. My new campaign revolves around a covenant where the covenfolk actually is a big and rich Jewish merchant family. They have a villa up a river in Schwarzwald in the Rhine Tribunal, near Baden. The Magi protect the Jews from the dangers of the forest, and the Jews run the business through nearby Baden. The patriarch of the family might also be a Kabbalist, I'm not sure yet.
This campaign would benefit greatly from City and Gild, since a couple of the Jews might be played as companions. We made this covenant (it's actually a Chapter House), with the rules from Covenants.
Man, I love this game
