Atlas Games has announced plans to release the Ars Magica role-playing game system and setting under an open license. The initiative will be supported by a crowdfunding campaign set to launch on October 15 at 11 a.m. Central US time on BackerKit.com.
The campaign is tied to the upcoming release of the Ars Magica Definitive Edition, a new, deluxe version of the 5th Edition of the game, featuring an expanded 600-page rulebook. One of the campaign’s early stretch goals is to make the text of the core rulebook available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. This open license will allow players and creators to share, adapt, and build upon both the game’s mechanics and its Mythic Europe setting, and to sell their creations.
Additional stretch goals may unlock licenses for all of the game’s 5th Edition sourcebooks, totaling more than 40 titles. These sourcebooks expand on various aspects of the Mythic Europe setting, offering creators a wider range of content to use in their own projects.
John Nephew, the founder of Atlas Games, emphasized the strong community support that has surrounded Ars Magica for many years. He noted that while the game has never previously had an open license, fan-created content has thrived online;
Ars Magica has never had an open license, yet still the internet is full of fan-created content, which is something we’ve always quietly encouraged. That speaks more than anything to the game’s devoted and creative fan following, and the importance of this license to make our support explicit.”
Co-producer Michelle Nephew echoed these sentiments, stating that the decision to release the game under an open license is intended to give the fan community more creative freedom and ensure the game’s longevity.
Line developer David Chart expressed optimism that the move will encourage more creators to contribute to the game, saying, “Their creativity will determine the game’s legacy.”
The crowdfunding campaign will launch on October 15 on BackerKit.com.
