Beginner's guide to Magical Starsign DS: Tips and tricks for new players

Magical Starsign DS is a role-playing video game developed by Brownie Brown and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld console. The game was released in Japan in 2005 and in North America and Europe in 2006. The main idea of Magical Starsign DS is that players control a group of young wizards who attend a magic school in a distant galaxy. These wizards possess different elemental powers, such as fire, water, earth, and wind. The story revolves around a powerful spell called the "Eternal Engine" that controls the flow of magic in the galaxy. When the spell is disrupted, the wizards embark on a quest to restore balance and save their world.

(yes, really truly free of charge! Atlas Games ran out of real world stock when 5th Ed was on the horizon, and decided to put the 4th Ed out for free as a teaser for the rest fo the game line, rather than print a run of books that would be languishing in the warehouse before they had a chance to recoup costs)

invokes a lightning stroke out-of-context, from the magus hand rather than a cloud; it is not possible within this view to produce lesser electrical effects like the DND spells , because. Even assuming magic electricity that didn t cause side effects, per the last bullet point, one might expect water to increase the amount of current flowing through someone due to a nearby lightning strike though the difference is not as large as you would imagine , but this does not happen and that is not surprising because the reason you might expect that is because of the rules that natural electricity obeys.

When the spell is disrupted, the wizards embark on a quest to restore balance and save their world. The game features turn-based battles where players must strategically choose which spells and abilities to use against enemies. Each character can learn new spells and abilities by leveling up and gaining experience points.

Electric spell stick

don't forget diameter as a duration. Also while I concur with the judgement of +4 magnetudes for unnatural effect, it is a judgement call and you might decide differently in your game.

(Heck, the spell guidelines are really just guidelines)

lightnings only come from the sky, thus auram.

Actually,there would be a medieval justification for covering lightning as Ignem. Medieval paradigmn had lightning coming from the Plane (sphere?) of Fire (just below the Lunar Sphere), falling from there through the plane of Air.

It makes sense though for lightning to stay as part of Aurum, from both the justification as a weather phenomenon, and also from the game balance point of not loading up all the big damage effects in Ignem.

Now, what would you think the level of a spell would be to create St. Elmo's fire?

"how about a spell to electrocute deamons?"

Already have one, Incantation of Lightning works just fine on demons.

It looks like you don't have the Fifth Edition rules yet. :) I like the idea of a spell that conjures an electrical elemental in the shape of an animal.

As was pointed out earlier, there is no need for the Animal Art - the thing being summoned is made of electricity and is not really part animal (it only looks like an animal). So I would think the animal shape is a "cosmetic effect" that doesn't require an Animal requisite (ArM5, p. 115).

To me, the Arts of the spell seem like Creo Auram. Creo because it conjures something out of thin air, Auram because the thing conjured is made of electricity (electricity falls under Auram).

There is no need for a spell focus, because Fifth Edition doesn't have them. If you want to make this as a spell for the free Fourth Edition, then your focus looks fine.

You need to decide on a Range, Duration, and Target for your spell. Once that is done we can take a stab at figuring out what Level it should be. I would think it will come out pretty high, maybe in the 30's or so.

No ArM books? Not even the *FREE* PDF download of "Ars Magica 4th Edition" from RPGNow?

go to
http://www.atlas-games.com/arsmagica/index.php
and look in the top-right column for "Free Ars Magica 4th Edition Rulebook PDF at RPG.now" and follow the link.

(yes, really truly free of charge! Atlas Games ran out of real world stock when 5th Ed was on the horizon, and decided to put the 4th Ed out for free as a teaser for the rest fo the game line, rather than print a run of books that would be languishing in the warehouse before they had a chance to recoup costs)

I'll start by saying that the golden rule of Ars Magica discussions holds: "Your Mileage May Vary" or "In Your Saga". In your saga, feel free to introduce Electricity, but.

Feel free to skip the rest, as in my saga, I follow the canon path and Mythic History, and rule out anything to do with electricity.

I am one of those who likes to stick close to a Mediaeval view within ArM, to simulate a magical mirror or the historical period. As such "electric" or "electricity" does not exist. (So in my own saga, I would take aside a player and explain this, and steer their interest onto another path.)

Historically, in C13 Europe, people have not developed a habit of systematic observations of nature. In Mythic Europe, they have even less reason to, as Magic *is* real, and the four Realms explain "everything".
Electricity has not been observed or systematized, other than what most people commonly observe as crackles from fur - but dismiss as irrelevant (and which we call Static Electricity).

Lightning bolts - strokes from the cloud - are a weather phenomenon, related mythically to Zeus, and in Mediaeval Christian literature to. uh, escapes me, but there are explanations.
There is no Mediaeval connection between Lightning bolts and the crackles in rubbed fur.
the hermetic spell /Incantation of Lightning/ has an elevated spell level because it invokes a lightning stroke out-of-context, from the magus' hand rather than a cloud; it is not possible within this view to produce "lesser" "electrical" effects (like the DND spells), because. "electrical" does not exist - the lightning bolt is a unitary phenomenon - you create a powerful Bolt, or nothing.

Ghosts - are Mentem spirits. Any hermetic magus can investigate and prove this within the limits of magic; spirits, whether ghosts, elementals, faeries or others have supernatural abilities, described in game terms as Powers, which use the (Realm) Might of the spirit to invoke and power them.

In this view, you cannot "duplicate" a ghost by indirect means. You can use powerful Creo Mentem to create a ghost ab initio, and even use Vis to "make it real". You can summon a ghost (from elsewhere) with Rego Mentem. Vim spells can also affect all knids of spirit, but typically at reduced effectiveness vs a spell of the correct Form.

In the mediaeval view, there is no connection between crackling fur or lightning bolts and ghosts.

Several of "caribet"s points are *REALLY* worth noting;
I'll repeat those here, for emphasis:

> No ArM books? Not even the *FREE* PDF download of
> "Ars Magica 4th Edition" from RPGNow? go to
> http://www.atlas-games.com/arsmagica/index.php
> and look in the top-right column for "Free Ars Magica
> 4th Edition Rulebook PDF at RPG.now" and follow the
> link.

Absolutely! Get it ASAP. Please note that *I* own 2 softcover
copies of these rules, *AND* a hardcover copy. and I *STILL*
got the PDF from RPGNow!

Note that you'll have a *MUCH* better time with the game if you
actually. well. *HAVE* the game. At least, so I suspect.

Also, caribet said:

> the hermetic spell /Incantation of Lightning/ . invokes
> a lightning stroke out-of-context, from the magus' hand
> rather than a cloud; it is not possible within this view
> to produce "lesser" "electrical" effects (like the DND spells),
> because. "electrical" does not exist - the lightning bolt
> is a unitary phenomenon - you create a powerful Bolt, or
> nothing.

This is a key, and IMHO often under-emphasized, part of the Medieval
Paradigm, which drives Ars Magica: people believed these things
(that there are dragons in the mountains, witches in the forests,
and that the faeries will get pissed if you don't leave out a bit
o' milk for 'em) NOT because they were superstitious, ignorant
dolts, but because these things were TRUE, were part of reality,
independent of whether people believed in them or not.

This is equally true for "electricity" -- it doesn't exist. No such
thing. There's lighning bolts, but they ARE NOT electricity. Cat
fur can shock, sometimes, but *THAT* isn't electricity either. This
isn't mere ignorance on the part of the peasantry, a low level of
technology among the universities and the professors there: the
whole "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" bit wouldn't
happen, because the world of Mythic Europe *IS* *NOT* simply an
earlier snapshot of our own word: in Mythic Europe, the underlying
physics DON'T WORK. Think rather of deCamp's "Compleat Enchanter"
(Harold Shae) series, where he was expecting to impress the local
"primitive" folk with his flashlight, matches, etc. The magicians
were *NOT* impressed by the geek fumbling with gear, and producing
NO effects.

Finally, I'll also reiterate caribet's opening remarks:
> the golden rule of Ars Magica discussions holds:
> "Your Mileage May Vary" or "In Your Saga. "
> In your saga, feel free to introduce Electricity, but.

Also, caribet said:

The game also incorporates puzzle-solving elements, such as finding hidden paths and using magic spells to overcome obstacles. Magical Starsign DS received positive reviews from critics, who praised its charming art style, engaging story, and addictive gameplay. The game's unique blend of role-playing and puzzle-solving mechanics made it a hit among fans of the genre. In conclusion, Magical Starsign DS is a fun and engaging role-playing game that combines elements of magic and adventure. The game's charming art style, captivating story, and addictive gameplay make it a must-play for fans of the genre..

Reviews for "Epic battles in Magical Starsign DS: How to defeat tough enemies"

1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to play Magical Starsign on my DS, but I was ultimately disappointed with the gameplay. The battle system felt tedious and repetitive, and the story was lackluster. The dialogue was especially cringe-worthy, with annoying characters and cheesy jokes. Overall, I found the game to be quite underwhelming and would not recommend it to others.

2. Emily - 1/5 stars - I couldn't stand Magical Starsign on my DS. The graphics were outdated and unappealing, with pixelated characters and dull environments. The controls felt clunky and unresponsive, making navigation a frustrating experience. The pacing of the game was also off, with long stretches of tedious tasks and little excitement. I was thoroughly disappointed with this game and regretted purchasing it.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - Magical Starsign was a letdown for me. The story had potential, but it ended up feeling disjointed and unresolved. The character development was weak, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The battles became monotonous, and there didn't seem to be much strategy involved. Additionally, the game felt too short and left me wanting more. Overall, I found it to be an underwhelming experience and wouldn't recommend it to others.

Level up your skills in Magical Starsign DS: Proven strategies for success