A new fanzine for Ars Magica, now avialable from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io.
Why a fanzine?
Making Ars Magica supplements was a collaborative game. Most books needed at least three authors, to insure against real world tragedies, and so that the strengths of one author could cover the weaknesses of another. The line editor was the leader of the the metagame – choosing themes and assembling teams.
I do not recall who told me that David Chart looked like Morten Harket, but I believed it until disillusioned by Facebook. I’m not sure whether he deliberately assembled authors who covered each other’s weak points. I presume he did, because if this was simple luck his run was extraordinary. The metagame was over, but with the Open License and Definitive Edition it begins anew.
The Open License makes each of us our own line editor and our own publisher. Atlas Games has been remarkably generous, but it does mean potential authors need to work through the publishing process. While preparing Mythic Venice I learned a great deal. I realized that the need to learn basic layout, find sources of public domain art, and register with online marketplaces were a barrier to new players entering the metagame.
In the old metagame, the fanzines were the places where new authors could try their hand, and established authors could experiment with fringe material. Teams could form and workshop ideas. It’s my hope that Mythic Europe Magazine fills that place in our community.
Games From Folktales 