A short review of Sub Rosa #15 - since no-one else has done one yet!
Step by Step:
- Under the Rose - A nice peek into the mind of one of the authors of Faith & Flame, though I'd have prefered if it had been signed.
- From the Line Editor - It's always interesting to read what the Line Editor has to say, though by now, it's maybe a bit old news.
- The Cattle Raid as a Story - Ah yes, the cattle raid! One of the most iconic stories of Ireland and to a lesser degree, Scotland. Littered with quotes from the classics, how could you not love this article? I've run the cattle raid as a story myself a few times, but much more thought has gone into this article than I ever invested into those raids. In many ways, it is more of a guide to writing and structuring stories than simply a guide to cattle raids - highly recommended. My only complaint is probably that it is suggested that a single raid can net you a Minor Source of Income, which I find perhaps overly generous. But that's a minor detail, not an actual issue.
- Covenant Finances: An Alternative - I'll level with you all. I haven't been able to test this. Indeed I can barely get my troupe to use the system from Covenants, despite the fact that we use Metacreator, so we'd basically just have to keep track of how many characters were around. I think this article looks interesting, but I fear that the odds of ever getting to use it are effectively infinitesimal.
- From the Journal of Vulcanis Argens - Always entertaining to read, though I never did find out if these were notes from someone's actual saga, or more traditional fiction set in Mythic Europe.
- Rats Magica - I ... I'm not really sure what to think of this. It's an interesting variant of Ars Magica to be sure, but I'm a bit put off by some of the details (pawns of Vis being overly divisible, odd statement about the Vis cost of binding a familiar, and whatever the box about Rats as Familiars imply, all Familiars can explicitly assist in the lab) as well as the whole idea which is rather more high fantasy than I usually strive for in Ars Magica. Again, one of those articles that are interesting to read, but that I suspect I will never use.
- The Second Lineage: Explorers of Time and Space - A collection of bonisagi. I like them. I could easily see some of them making appearances in my upcomming saga. Or even my current.
- New Heresies: Fixed Arts - See, this is probably the reason why I've put off this review for so long. I want to say something nice about everyone. In this case I have to admit, I reject the premiss and I reject the proposed solution. Even if this was a relevant problem, which I would argue that it is not, it would be a meta-problem, to be fixed in meta and not in rules. YSMV.
- The Body in the Bog - A story, which is always useful. Can be played as written, or plundered mercilessly for ideas.
- Designing The Intangible Assassin - an otimization article, for Ars Magica? And building on a concept already discussed in Hermetic Projects, no less? And yet the authors must have felt a need for the article. The article itself is perhaps more mechanical in approach than I'd have prefered, but the authors do seem prepared to argue their points. No mention is made of the Wizard's Communion though. An interesting read I feel, if very focused, and with thorough examples.
- Mythic Bloodlines: More than the Founders - Mythic Blood has always been one of those Virtues I never really knew what to do with. How could I be anything but pleased to see a series of articles full of suggestions for it?
- Mappa Mundi - A few extra notes on Provencal and stuff that didn't make it into Faith and Flame. All in very short form sadly, as it's full of clever plothooks. I like it!