Hey there, I'm a little behind the times on this one.
I just wanted to publicly congratulate Timothy Ferguson on the "Sanctuary of Ice" Tribunal book. Damn, that is some FINE writing. Engaging, unique, curious, and extremely "readable." I look forward to whatever the heck you've come up with in "Ancient Magic."
Good stuff.
eric
Hey, thanks for that.
My part in AM (hey...our system of acronyms has just thrown ints first duplication) is only one chapter, but I really enjoyed doing it and hope you like it. The other authors have, in some cases, far longer pieces, which are also quite intriguing. I'm not sure you can fit all of AM in one saga...but in any one saga, particularly a mature saga, you might get a huge kick along from one of the chapters.
I always liked and enjoyed Sanctuary of Ice, but found that that artwork really let it down.
Alex
Is Sanctuary of Ice worth reading if you've only played 5th Ed.?
Well, yes. Buying...well that depends.
SoI was mechanics-light compared ot most of the other Tribunal books. That being said, a lot of the innovative things it did have been taken on board and used by later books, most notably GotF and HoH:MC. There's still a lot of useful stuff in there, in story and setting terms, but if you have a choice between it and one of the books in the new edition, and there's nothing in your saga theme that prods you one way or the other, then perhaps the newer book is the better way to go in terms of purchasing.
That being said, if you want crochety old covenants, a culture that tells younglings they are not important until their elders tell them so, and politcis played at the level where war is unthinkable because the damage is incalulable, then maybe it works for you. I still love most of it, but then again, I wrote it, so I'm biased. The only thing I'd change is the Criamon, where I didn't take enough risks the first time around.
Oh...and I'd tweak the Jerbitons. They are a bit too...well everything for everyone? I'd give a bit more...oh, I don't know, but they need a bit more of something.
Those things aside, I like how the redcaps turned out. I like the chapter houses, which weren't my idea (they are in "Deadly Legacy") but I like the way they were used. I think the cats are good. I like the Lightning Lineage. and the Idea of True Enemies for Tytalus magi. I like the idea that the Order might have a secretly-designated war leader, who is waiting, hoping he doesn't need to use his powers. I like that the faeries aren't sex-and-song-in-the-forest. I like the devil's bridge ideas...
So, generally, I still like it, and think its worth a read. Buying's up to what suits you, really. If you can only buy one tribunal book, then buy GotF, because it will give you more play, IMO.
Well, have bought and will buy nay ArM book for the current addition. But, the hunger for more Ars in ever present.
I'll look into SoI, any other of the old books that you would recomend?
Most Ars products have gems of story ideas scatterd around like in a dragon's hode. I suggest you look at some of the titles and see what sort of things would benefit your particular Ars Game.
I personally LOVE Mythic Seas, very light on fluff, long on mechanics. Lots of story ideas. Our current saga is very ship-centric so this is perfect for us.
The Stormrider series is the best introduction adventure I've ever seen. If you're looking for a way to get a game together in a day, this is it.
Mythic Europe is one of the most interesting game information books ever. Tons of stuff on Europe, without bogging down in any one area. This is the cornerstone of the game, to me. It gives you enough information in just a couple of pages to vamp answers to most PC questions.
They Mythic Bestiary is a wealth of interesting creatures for those times when you want an interesting fight, plus lots of more complicated story ideas.
I no longer have "Mythic Places", but I remember the first one being full of interesting places for your Covenant to explore.
For a very weird campaign, try buying the .pdf of "South of the Sun". It's 2nd edition, and things have moved on a lot since then, but as a high fantasy setting in distant Prester John Africa, I think its a lot of fun.
Other books...hrmmm, Heirs to Merlin is probably the best Tribunal book. Ordo Nobilis is the strongest of the setting books (it deals with nobility).