Modern RPGs owe quite a lot to Ars Magica—for example, it was the first game to popularize the Attribute + Skill system of achieving tasks (still used today in White Wolf's Storyteller system, among many others). Yet what really makes it go down in history is, of course, its magic system: it was the first deeply flexible RPG magic system and is still considered to be the best ever created (and I'm not just transcribing that from the Ars Magica press release; that opinion has been on the lips of fellow gamers and store owners ever since I got into RPGs).

The game is set in Mythic Europe, a world developed from a premise called the Medieval Paradigm: what people believed back then actually exists. This necessitates the existence, of course, of dragons, demons, giants, angels and fairies, and whatever else you can think of—it's an open-ended setting in which the Storyguide (the GM) and the players are encouraged to research the time period and read up on folklore, mythology, history and culture. It's a bit of an academic approach to things, but it sets apart the game, as a look at any Ars Magica fansite—revealing not just discussion boards and house rules but also extensive articles and bibliographies concerning the real-life practices of the period—might show you.

Your main character is a Magus—a magic-user and member of the Order of Hermes—but you also play your Magus' main Companion (a talented individual but not a Magus) as well as a bunch of Grogs common to the entire player group (bodyguards, servants, etc.). The entire group of player characters reside in a place called the Covenant. Gameplay is interesting because all of these storylines and characters are available to every player, and as long as the Covenant still exists a campaign can extend across generations. Not only that, but the Storyguide isn't fixed—the role of GM is free to switch from player to player.

The Magus, of course, performs magic, utilizing the much fawned-about system I've mentioned several time. This is how it works: there are two kinds of magical Arts that you can spend character points on—verbs (called Techniques) and nouns (called Forms). The five Techniques are Creo, "I create," Intéllego, "I perceive," Muto, "I transform," Perdo, "I destroy," and Rego, "I control." The ten Forms are Animál, "animal," Aquam, "water," Auram, "air," Corpus, "body," Herbam, "plant," Ignem, "fire," Imáginem, "image," Mentem, "mind," Terram, "earth," and Vim, "power." (If you're a language nerd like me, you might notice that all of the nouns are in the accusative case, for obvious reasons. This should make you happy.)

Magic is performed by combining a verb and a noun, either in a standard formula spell or the more difficult spontaneous style of spellcasting. If you wanted to break down a stone wall, you'd use Perdo and Terram. If you wanted to deceive someone with an illusion, you'd use Creo and Imáginem. If you wanted to read someone's mind—well, you get the idea.

Even after all this time and so much emulation, the game is still vibrant and interesting and different. Best of all, the fourth edition is free. (If you want the fifth edition you're going to have to buy the book, but it's a great investment if you find you love the game.)

So what are you waiting for? Download the PDF from e23. Happy Free Game Friday!