Introduction

Welcome to Hooks, an adventure supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition.

The library of Ars Magica Fifth Edition supplements contains many exciting and intriguing story opportunities for your saga. However, it is sometimes difficult to provide a rationale, in play, that draws the player characters in these new story directions. This book, Hooks, provides your troupe with a set of short scenarios that each lure the player characters into new story opportunities.

Each scenario is intended to introduce another supplement for Ars Magica Fifth Edition, and has been been written to only take a single session of play, although depending on your troupe the scenarios may actually take longer to resolve. There is nothing wrong with your troupe if this happens!

The scenarios all offer suggestions as to how your troupe can extend the story in later play using the target supplement, but your troupe does not need to extend the scenarios if you do not want to. Playing these scenarios gives your troupe the chance to see whether you enjoy a certain sort of story, and a launchpad for more of the same if you do. If you don't, the scenarios are perfectly playable as one-off adventures either by themselves or as interludes in a larger saga.

Some chapters refer to the rules and terminology of their target supplement (or other Ars Magica Fifth Edition books). If understanding these rules and terms are critical to using the chapter's scenario a brief explanation is given in the text. Otherwise, these references are not directly relevant now, but may be relevant later if the troupe continues to explore the story possibilities in later play.

Note that your troupe does not actually require the target supplements to play these scenarios; they are intended as tasters.

Each scenario is briefly described here, without spoilers, so that you can choose what you would like to play.

The infant son of the baron is abducted by faeries. The faeries plot to gain power over the baron's fiefdom, which includes (or borders on) the player character covenant.

This scenario introduces Realms of Power: Faerie.

Clay tablets with clues to the location of the lost Canaanite city of En-Dor in the Levant fall into the hands of the covenant. A magus arrives claiming to be the rightful owner. Will the player character magi work with or against him in his quest for the forgotten secrets of the ancient Canaanite necromancers?

This scenario introduces Ancient Magic, Canaanite Necromancy chapter.

The covenant discovers that a local vis source is being harvested by a magus who has taken residence in a nearby town. Confronting the thief reveals a deeper plot involving the awakening of an ancient power.

This scenario introduces Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, Bjornaer chapter.

The magi are confronted by an imminent shortage of lab supplies when their regular supplier fails to deliver. The player characters need to find new suppliers and strike new deals, potentially involving them in the machinations of the merchants. Perhaps they are better off starting a business of their own?

This scenario introduces City and Guild, especially trading and shipping.

The magi learn of a nearby, haunted, ruined monastery. Can the player characters investigate without damning their immortal souls?

This scenario introduces Realms of Power: Infernal.

A pair of covenant grogs begin to act strangely, as if they are being manipulated into spying on the covenant. Can the player characters discover the mechanism behind these cat's paws?

This scenario introduces the Ancient Magic sourcebook's Mechanica of Heron chapter.

A Tytalus magus floods a river, killing hundreds of mundanes, and perhaps damaging the properties of magi. The magus claims his actions are not criminal because (in the Rhine Tribunal) he is the guardian of this river. Do the player characters, and the rest of the Tribunal, support this interpretation of the Code or not?

This political scenario introduces Guardians of the Forests: Rhine Tribunal, particularly for sagas set in a different Tribunal.

A noble knight has a terrible vision of the ruin that the covenant will bring to his lord's lands. The knight thus travels on a quest to slay the player character magi.

This scenario introduces the Lords of Men sourcebook.