cheers,

Chris Aylott
Writer and Retailer
http://www.spacecrime.com/

I've read through the book and I really like the background and the diabolist rules look like they could work out nicely. I couldn't see anything there that I could run beginning-middle-end but there are some great hooks and ideas.

If I run a stonehenge saga (or adapt the BM material) then this book will give me a ton of stories. As it stands, the diabolist rules will come in handy for a couple of people in my Veronese setting.

I do recommend it though. Interesting on many levels including seeing the suggestion on D20 Vis mechanics.

Mark

I need to dig up some reviews.

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9513.phtml

~Alex

Now, you are probably thinking "Whoop de doo" here, but one of the Emporers Otto went through his armory snapping swords over his knee before a war, so that this wouldn't happen to his men.

I would remind you, though, that the sheath is worth ten of the sword: Excalibur;s sheath has the magical power that if you are wearing it, you never bleed. That means little injuries are just that: tiny injuries. They don't get worse if you extert yourself and you don't get fatigue from them. In Ars Magica terms, you don't suffer penalties until you are at your last body level, and your wounds don't need chirurgy unless they are Major and always heal cleanly.

Morganna gives him a fake, and gives the original to her lover, and goads the two into a duel. Arthur realises what has happened when his sword shatters and his hands bleed, so he rips his enemy's belt off while beating him to death (or did he draw his dagger? too long ago).

He then gives the sword to his nephew and heir, Gawain, only reclaiming it before the final battle (Camlann).

Some of his other swords are funky: the one he drew from the stone (no, that's not Excalibur - he gets Excalibur from the first Lady of the Lake. First, yes, there are at least three, and I hope they come up in "Faerie Stories" since they seem to come from Brittany.)...anyway...the sword in the stone blinds an army the first time he draws it (and he then leaves it on the atlar of Cantebury Cathedral, so who konws if it can do that sort of thing over and over?)

So, you are asking: if the Sword From the Stone is sitting in a cathedral and Gawain has Excalibur, what is the Bear swinging?

Frankly, I think he had a caddy going around with a bag of words and saying "Oh, fair wind at the moment, and he's a short man, so you need your number five, boss."

In Tennyson he has a sword called "Sequence" which he only uses in mortal combat. Lancelot borrowed it for the battle at the Castle of La Roche (Arthur was the prisoner of a sorceress there.)

If this is the case, I'd vote against it. The content was great but the styling was still a little clunky.

I'd be looking for something a little more stylish in Ars 5.

Mark

Personally, I really liked the interior layout, especially Scott's use of the Dore illustrations of Arthur etc. But I don't think it will be the right approach for 5th edition. (The graphic design of Coriolis is also heavily influenced by the needs of dual-statting and Open Game Content designation, neither of which will be an issue in ArM5.)

The Book of Kells look however is definitely a good one. The font layout needs to be very clear as to the level of headings being used. Can I also suggest that you (Atlas) be very careful with artwork. Trying to get some original Ars artists to do some work would be a good move-- Eric Hotz, William O'Connor, Josh Gabriel Timbrook, etc.

~Alex