Rules Changes: Observations & Discussion

Artes Liberales controls what scripts you know, i.e., Greek lettering is different from Arabic is different from the Latin alphabet we still use. Most any language can be rendered in a non-native alphabet (i.e., some Moor gabbling his heathen tongue at you could still be transcribed in English using the Latin alphabet), but some sounds are of course difficult to replicate. So books will not only have a language but also a script associated with them.

If I read this right, you cant take more than one language if you dont take a highe liberal arts score...

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Mark

Several differences with Certamen. No more Certamen skill, for instance. Your Stamina & Parma Magica now act very similarly to your combat "soak" to avoid certamen fatigue.

-DC

Wounds are handled very differently than the 3rd edition we're used to.

You can now have many, many wounds and still not be dead. It takes a pretty mighty blow to kill you in one shot. Otherwise, you don't die unless you fail to recover from your wounds. The tougher the wound, the tougher the recovery roll.

-DC

Here are some combat-oriented ones...

Just like in 3rd ed, but not in 4th, weapon skill adds to your Attack total, which if you overcome your enemy's Defense total, will add to your damage done. Higher skill = hit for more damage.

Crossbows are no longer available on the weapons table.
They've cut some other melee weapons from the table.

No more combat botch tables. Attack botch means you just outright miss; no chance to hit. Defense botch means you're wide open; only your Soak Total will protect you from damage.

The protection values of armor have dropped significantly.

*** There are only three HTH weapon skills now: Brawl, Single Weapon (1h) and Great Weapon (2h).

So, to be good with all one-handed weapons, you only need to develop one skill (Single Weapon). Your specialty (ex: Mace) gives you +1 when using that weapon.

Very generous, but I think this is a good change overall...

-DC

Yes, but the system of Familiar Virtues & Familiar Flaws is gone. Also, the shopping list of familiar special powers is gone. Giving a familiar special powers is now very similar to enchanting a magic item - you enchant the power that you want into the creature, but it's based upon your lab total for that enchantment.

Before:
All familiar attributes based upon Animal, Mentem & Intelligo, with a minimum of 10 Animal.

Now:
Open familiar bond = Any form + technique you and the GM think is appropriate based upon the creature.

Give the familiar a power = form + technique of a spell of that type. Mental communication = Creo Mentem. Familiar can create a protective ring of fire around itself = Creo Ignem [Rego].

Very different...

-DC

The way confidence works has changed....but it changes every edition

Laboratory total is now used for everything research related.

Magi can get familiars earlier.

Magic is integrated into the combat initiative system.

Books will be quite a bit different for people only used to 3rd edition; they are similar to 4th edition.

Downtime xp is calculated a little differently.