The revised edition of the Wizard's Grimoire was one of the most expected products released by Atlas Games for their Ars Magica line. This book could be called The Magus's Handbook, since it's essentially a guide with lots of extra information and material for magus characters.
Art, Layout and Physical Aspect
I don't like Steve Luke's cover art for this book. Although technically the piece is quite good, thematically speaking it's a bad representation of your typical Hermetic magus (which is what I expected, since the book is solely dedicated to magi). The magus looks more like a barbaric shaman and less like the civilized, Roman-tradition Hermetic magus we're accustomed with.
The interior art is quite good, with the Ralph Horsley, John Scotello and Tonia Walden doing the best pieces. Eric Hotz also does some good work imitating medieval art. As far as artists goes, Eric Pommer has, by far, the worst pieces of the book.
The layout is Atlas' standard: lots of text with a picture or two every two pages or so. The text is divided in two columns, with examples and charts in gray boxes. The font size is good and doesn't tire the eyes, which is good for a book containing lots of occasionally boring technical information. The margins is a little too big for my liking, but the lack of pictures compensate for the loss of text.
The bindings are also standard Atlas stuff: the book will last a lifetime, but the covers have the annoying tendency of curling up if you use the book too much.
Chapter 1: Introduction
A small introduction, followed by a in-character explanation of the book's content in the form of a magus's letter to his sodales, followed by small resumes of each of the book's chapter.
Pretty average, although the in-character letter is quite original and refreshing.
Chapter 2: Missives
This chapter consists solely of various magi's missives discussing matters of great importance and concern to the average magus. Exchanging knowledge, relations with the Church, marriage, apprenticeship, serving mundane masters and the creation of wealth are the topics discussed.
It's a short chapter, but it's extremely useful for the in-character perspectives it shows, even when those perspectives are rather stereotypical, like the Church-hating Flambeau. Thumbs up.
Chapter 3: Hermetic Law and Politics
One of the best parts of the book, this chapter is a quaesitor's wet dream. It starts with a small discussion about the Code of Hermes, it's importance and the necessity of a Peripheral Code, followed by the Code itself (a rather small document). Everything not included on the Code of Hermes should be dealt by the rulings in the Peripheral Code with new rulings being added every Grand Tribunal.
The next section is a discussion of crime and punishment in the Order of Hermes, from low crimes to acts so heinous that they require a Wizard's March. This section also includes some commentaries about certámen and personal disputes, as well as a small commentary about Wizard's War.
The following section deals with Tribunals. It starts with a small explanation on how tribunal's started, as well as a more detailed look on Wizard's Councils. Then we see a lengthy list of tribunal customs, such as how many magi you need to form one (twelve magi from four different covenants, with a quaesitor in good standing presiding over the votes), their periodicity (seven years), or what exactly magi do when they're congregated (meeting friends, discussing formal issues, talking about magic etc.). Following this are some paragraphs explaining the duties, powers, privileges and responsibilities of a tribunal's most public figure, the praeco, as well as checks on a praeco's power. The next part deals with voting, like which types of voting require your sigil, when you can vote for another magus etc (especially useful for Tremere with lots of sigils). We then see a small explanation on the ruling quaesitor's power, followed topics generally debated by magi in tribunal. This section ends with some information about Grand Tribunals, such as when they're held and in which ways they differ from a standard tribunal.
The last part of the chapter are eleven pages of excerpts of the Peripheral Code. Although it can get boring sometimes, it will make a Storyguide's life much easier if he stumbles with hermetic legal problems.
If you like hermetic politics and legality or quaesitori are your favorite character type, this chapter is for you. Memorize those eleven pages of Peripheral Code excerpts, and become the nightmare of legally-challenged Stortyguides! Thumbs up here.
Chapter 4: Life of a Magus
This chapter deals with the events in the life of a typical magus, if there is such a thing like a "typical" magus. The first part of this chapter, also called "Life of a Magus", begins with a discussion on how magi find Gifted people, and how magi train their apprentices (Houses of Hermes has better material about this). Following this is a description on how newly-trained magi choose (or become the founders of) a covenant, and the first years of a young magus's life.
The chapter then follows with some information about a magus's creative grotto, his laboratory, and how one can determine a magus's personality by analyzing his working place. There's more info about laboratories on Chapter 7: Laboratory Personalization.
Logically, after information about where a magus works (his laboratory), we have some words about where he sleeps, the sanctum (which also tends to include the laboratory), with things like why fellow magi hate to enter other magi's sancta, and why magi are so protective of sancta.
The next section, which deals with clothing, is trivial in importance when compared to others, but essential if your want your Saga to have an authentic medieval look. How magi dress for formal and day-to-day occasions and information about medieval clothing are examples of what you may find here.
The final section of the first part of this chapter deals with the "Years of Power", a discussion about magi in their middle years and how they rule the Order.
The second part of this chapter, "The Community of the Magus", is a guide on how magi deal with people and organizations in various levels. It begins with how magi deal with their covenant, followed by relations with their Hermetic Houses. An important part is a discussion on the relationship between the generally paranoid magi and friendship, teaching the difference between sodales (fellow magi) and amici (true friends) and so on. This parts ends with an explanation on the relationships between the magus and his most loyal companion, the familiar.
The third and last part of the chapter is about "Titles of Honor". It's a discussion about the archmage, praeco, primus and quasitor titles/positions, relating the methods to achieve those positions, their responsibilities and their powers.
Although this chapter isn't as exceptional like the last one, it's still gives the reader a very good picture of a magus's life, which is essential to a campaign with a big focus on role-playing. Thumbs up.
Chapter 5: Magus Archetypes
This chapter presents eight archetypes similar to the ones presented in A Medieval Tapestry. Each archetype has suggested Virtues, Flaws, Abilities, Arts and Spells, as well as small descriptions of representatives of the archetype in each Hermetic House. The archetypes are The Alchemist, The Astrologer, The Bard, The Court Wizard, The Historian, The Illusionist, The Natural Historian and The Teacher.
This chapter is one of the weakest of the book. Although some of the archetypes are quite original (The Bard, The Court Wizard), most are too stereotypical (The Illusionist, The Alchemist). Also, even the original ones didn't deserve full-page write-ups. Overall, this chapter is only useful to newbies, which makes it wasted space, considering that most Ars Magica players tend to be veterans from other editions of the game, and that The Wizard's Grimoire is a book directed to those veterans, not to people new to the game. Thumbs down.
Chapter 6: Characters
This is the "goodies" chapter. The first and biggest section of it has lots of old and new Virtues and Flaws, most of them Hermetic or magical in nature. From simple things like Weird Magic to mighty ones like Flawless Magic, this section should be useful to any Saga.
The second section is a small one explaining the differences between apparent and real aging, and how magi deal with it. It's accompanied by a small example and some rules to create longevity potions that preserve a magus's youthful appearance apart from preventing real aging.
Th final section, titled "Hermetic Theory and Practice", clarifies some of the most common problems regarding Hermetic Magic. It begins with some words about ritual spells, and why some spells are invented as formulaic while others are made as rituals. The second part is a jewel, and it deals with one of the stingiest problems found in Ars Magica: magic resistance and penetration. Here we find various examples of when magic resistance works and when it doesn't, accompanied by a useful example. This section ends with a small blurb about arcane connections, including a table with the useful lifespan of the most usual ones.
This chapter isn't exceptional, but it is one of the more rules-oriented and practical of the whole book. Since some of the Virtues and Flaws have been collected from other books, you may need those books to use then. This is not the case with each and every one of them (Díedne Druid Magic and Mercurian Magic can be used with no problems even if you don't have The Tempest), but many of them do require their original sourcebook to be useful (such as Guild Alchemist form Hedge Magic or Death Prophecy from Lion of the North, to name a few). Even with the above flaw, this chapter gets a solid thumbs up.
Chapter 7: Laboratory Personalization
If Chapter 3 was a joy for Quaesitor players, Chapter 7 (alongside the next one, Discoveries), is perfect for Bonisagus's followers. It includes the many costs and procedures to raise the quality of any kind of laboratory. The first part explains what you have to do to just raise your laboratory rating, and how such labs look like. The next section is more interesting, showing us many laboratory variants. The examples given are faster, specialized and risky labs. This section ends with some rules on how to take over another magus's lab.
The final section of this chapter details the various kinds of equipment and specialized tools magi use in their laboratories. The part on mundane tools is interesting, but the one on special magical ones is awesome, explaining how you may use magical items to improve your lab, as well as seven examples of magical artifacts specifically tailored to help magi in their labs (I1m particularly fond of The Gremlin).
Good chapter, part of the meat and bones of a labrat's campaign. Thumbs up.
Chapter 8: Discoveries
If Bonisagus's fans loved the last chapter, they'll probably have a seizure reading this one. The first section, "Arcane Experimentation", begins with some rules on how to optimize spells (reduce their nominal level while maintaining their previous power). Useful for power-crazy Flambeau and Tremere, we also finally learn why Pilum of Fire kicks so much ass for a fourth magnitude spell. The next part, "Original Research", is, quite simply, a set of rules on how magi may exceed the limits of Hermetic Theory. Things like creating new Arts, changing a person's Essential Nature, Resurrecting the Dead etc. Powerful stuff that will take a magus's whole lifetime, but would likely make him the primus of his House.
The next section is for Merenita fans out there. Titled "Faerie Familiars", here we find variations of the normal familiar rules adapted to faerie creatures. Good stuff, although the number of different types of faerie cords may confuse the reader.
The third section is also House-oriented. In this case, we have House Criamon Imprints, those cool magic tattoos every Criamon worth his salt has all over his body. They are essentially very specialized magic items, giving different Form and effect Bonuses dependent on which part of the body they're tattooed (imprints on the hand have a +3 to sense of touch Form and Effect Bonus). Their main advantage is that enchantments that affect the user are very easy to instill, and that it is impossible to lose them. But enchantments that affect others are expensive to instill, and each imprint increases your Twilight Point total by one (of course, Criamon magi don't care much about the last effect).
Following "Criamon Imprints" we have "Automata". This is a small guide on how to create Hermetic Golems, Homunculi and other Animates. A bit too specialized for my tastes, but good stuff anyway (if you want info about the original, Jewish golems, wait for my review of Kabbalah: Mythic Judaism)
Ending this chapter with have three small independent sections named "Magic Items with Abilities", "Unique Longevity Potions" and "Form and Effect Bonuses". The first one has rules for creating things such as swords that fight independently and self-playing instruments. The second one shows a variety of longevity potions, such as potions that do not make their users sterile or that make them more vigorous, and rules to create them. The chapter ends with nothing less then four pages (using small print) of diverse objects and the Form and Effect Bonuses associated with them. Although it makes the magic item creation process much slower ("What's better to create a fire-shooting wand, a ruby or a salamander's heart), it's worth the reading.
Overall, a very good chapter, and essential if your Saga is overly concentrated on it's magi laboratory activities. Thumbs up.
Chapter 9: Magical Items
This chapter needs little explanation: here we find the description and uses of 35 Hermetic and non-Hermetic magical items. Some of them are very useful (Scribe's Quill), others very powerful (Staff of Glory), dangerous (Satha's Mail), or even funny (Boots of Faerie Jig), but all of them quite original (among all items, there are only three magical weapons, and one of them is a sword useless in combat).
Although not very brilliant, this is good material nonetheless. Thumbs up.
Chapter !0: Books and Manuscripts
The chapter starts with expanded book rules, showing three new types of books: Authorities, the main authority (duh) in a specific Art, full of knowledge (50 points, and may be studied infinite times), but very difficult to understand (Quality –5), Glosses (not really books, but sidenotes scribbled on already written books), and Commentaries (books about other books).
The next part "On the Creation of Manuscripts", is a very detailed guide on medieval book construction and how different materials and techniques affect a book's Rating. From the difference between parchment and paper, to inks, quills writing (including illumination), binding and study, everything is in here. We also have a "Virtues and Flaws"-like systems for books, as well as rules for damaging books (NEVER let a low-Dexterity magus touch an important work) and a small explanation on why it was so dammed difficult to write books in the Middle Ages.
A interesting chapter overall, but too specialized for my tastes. I doubt many people will use this rules in their Sagas. Thumbs down, not because it's boring, but because more useful stuff could have been put in the book had this chapter been cut.
Chapter 11: Faerie Magic
This chapter is, without a doubt, the most specialized chapter I've seen in any Ars Magica book. While a book like Faeries can be used in any Ars Magica Saga, the information contained here is solely dedicated to the Merenita House. It doesn't bother me very much, being Merenita one of my favorite Houses, but it's next to useless for Merenita-lacking Sagas, and shows the necessity of "splatbooks" for each Ars Magica House. Many people dislike the idea of "splats" (count me among them), but that's because the main producer of "splats", White Wolf Game Studio, did a very lousy job with most of their Clan/Tribe/Tradition/Guild/Kithbooks. There are some good "splats" out there (AEG's Way of the Clans books for Legend of the Five Rings, or even White Wolf's Order/Region book for their sci-fi game Trinity, for example), and it wouldn't hurt Atlas to think about it. That way, specialized stuff like Merenita Faerie Magic would be acquired only by Merenita players, leaving more space in more general sourcebooks such as the Wizard's Grimoire free for information that concerns ALL Houses (I also love the idea of a Quaesitor/Guernicus Housebook full of Hermetic Law loopholes!).
Rantings aside, this chapter explains the various differences between standard Hermetic Magic and Hermetic Faerie Magic. Ruleswise, Faerie Magic has an easier time casting Muto and Imáginem spells and has difficulties with Creo, Perdo and (especially) Vim. It also interacts differently with Auras, and has some different study bonuses and penalties. What's really cool about it is that Faerie Magic may tweak some of the limits of magic. Some special Faerie ranges and durations would be impossible with regular Hermetic Magic (I LOVE the new Bargain duration). This section ends with some talk about learning and storyguiding Faerie Magic.
This chapter ends with an enormous list of Faerie Magic spells. Each Technique/Form combo has some spells listed, so these part should please almost any kind of Merenita magus.
Good chapter, and essential to any Merenita player. As said before, a Merenita "splatbook" would have been a more appropriate place to put this kind of stuff, but it's still very useful. Thumbs up.
Chapter 12: Spells
A big list of spells, with many spells for each Technique/Form combination. Good and bad stuff mixed here, most spells are somewhat original.
I know it's expected from a book called Wizard's Grimoire to have some spells on it, but Ars Magica has more than enough spells and spell guidelines on it's basic book. I would have dedicated this space to other stuff, such as more detailed Certámen rules or those hard-to-find Verditius Runes rules. Thumbs down.
Conclusion
The Wizard's Grimoire Revised Edition is essential for any magi-focused Saga. It may be a bit too technical or specific in some places, but any Storyguide worth his salt will find something useful in here. Just one negative comments: this book is not for newbies. People unfamiliar or new to the Ars Magica setting and rules will be very confused after reading some parts. But if you're already accustomed with the game, by all means buy this book. It's worth every silver penny.
A Note for Owners of the Old Edition: I don't have the old edition of the WG, but I've read it, and it doesn't seem very different from this one. There is some new material in the new book (new Faerie Magic system, some of the book types), but your best bet is to skim a copy on your local store and see if you're willing to spend 23 buck for the new material.
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