Medieval Player's Manual (Off Topic)

[YR7]

Not entirely related to Ars Magica, and I'm sorry if it's impolite to post about another company's products in Atlas' forums, but Green Ronin is having a sale on the Medieval Player's Manual, a book about playing medieval with D&D rules written by a certain David Chart. It's offered for only 10$, and it's part of a sale they are having to raise funds to pay their freelancers (so supposedly David will see most of the money you spend on this?).

I just thought it might interest some of the crowd. Specifically,

The Medieval Player's Manual gives you everything you need to have exciting adventures in the age of Christianity and crusade. This is not Hollywood medievalism, but the real thing. The Medieval Player's Manual has been exhaustively researched to provide rules that reflect the actual beliefs of the period. Ars Magica line developer David Chart has written a book that is both authentic and playable. Take your d20 game back to the Middle Ages with the Medieval Player's Manual. The book includes:

* Three new magic core classes (cunning man, natural magician, and theurge) and two support prestige classes (necromancer and theophanist).
* New systems for medieval magic like folk charms, alchemy, astrology, astral charms, and theurgy.
* Three new religious core classes (priest, canonist, and saint) and five supporting prestige classes (crusader, templar, prelate, hermit, and mystic).
* The introduction of Charisms, new feats representing gifts of miraculous power granted by God.
* Rules for holding academic disputations, creating theories, and writing books.
* Non-combat core classes like scholar and artist.
* [b]Overviews of the Christian Church, the political history of the time, philosophy and the arts, and medieval laws and beliefs.
* Suggestions for alternate campaigns, like the Abbey Campaign and the Court Campaign, and intriguing historical "What ifs?".
* Backgrounds and stats for important people of the day, like Empress Matilda, Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, and natural magician Adelard of Bath.[/b]

The book also presents Kin of the Conqueror, a campaign setting detailing the anarchic period after the death of King William the Conqueror. From 1087 to 1154 the British Isles and northern France were convulsed by wars over his legacy. Plunge into adventure with Kin of the Conqueror, or use the rules to explore other parts of the medieval world. Either way, the Medieval Player's Manual is your starting point for a new d20 experience.

Note that the book is also available in PDF for 11$.

Yair

[Jarkman]

I have this, and though have never used it found it an interesting read.

Some of the mechanics seem a bit complicated.

In particular, David's treatment of the "Medieval" spellcasting classes in d20 terms are perhaps an insight into how hedge magicians may be treated in future ArM5 products. Or maybe not.

It's not Ars Magica d20 but it's interesting nonetheless.

Jarkman

[caribet]

I have long had a copy of this - it's interesting to compare Atlas Game' own Occult Lore, Ars Magica's "The Mysteries" (4th Ed) - both with substantial contributions by Adam Bank - and The Medieval Player's Manual. TMPM is a strong book, and has material of interest to the ArM player though you have to modify the underlying rules.

It does have rules for Book Fights! (Debating battles fueled by scholarly quotations!)

As for the Freelancer's Sale - there is a sorry tale at http://www.greenronin.com/index.php?id=P416#news_top wherein Green Ronin explain that their past distributor stole substantial amounts of revenue - GR are now stable again and paying off debts, but in an effort to bring forward payments to their freelancers, they're having a special sale, and even asking specifically for donations to the freelancer's fund.
Without this, they say they will pay the freelancers eventually but it's slow, and they feel the freelancers particularly deserve a better deal.

(For another insight into a freelancer's life - from the other side - see http://www.davidchart.com/Japan/Diary/index.html)

[David_Chart]

@YR7

Not entirely related to Ars Magica, and I'm sorry if it's impolite to post about another company's products in Atlas' forums, but Green Ronin is having a sale on the Medieval Player's Manual, a book about playing medieval with D&D rules written by a certain David Chart. It's offered for only 10$, and it's part of a sale they are having to raise funds to pay their freelancers (so supposedly David will see most of the money you spend on this?).

As it happens, I don't think Green Ronin owe me any money at the moment. You should, however, buy lots of things from them to help all the other freelancers.