ACG's Custom Spells and Mages

[ACG]

Edit: Below is a list of all cards I have currently made, as of 13 Feb 2014:



Update 1 March 2014:



Update 8 Mar 2014:


Update 23 May 2014:


Update 19 Oct 2014



I am always open to feedback and suggestions. The cards are stored in JPG format with images twice the size (and the same dimensions) as standard cards, so they should be relatively easy to print out and try for anybody who feels like testing them. I will be slowly adding more cards over time.

[DeckBuilder]

Wow!

Foldspace Rift. I love this Arcane teleport wall. Having it usable by either player follows the rule of every wall that it can be a double edged sword. The fact it does nothing without a second wall in play justifies its low cost. I would make it "Does Not Block LOS" (unclear) as then it has no function as a LOS blocker (a Fog Bank needs its purpose). As it is discretionary, I see it has no Passage Attack symbol. My only quibble is the Dune / Star Trek name reference: I think thematically as a fantasy game you would need to call it something like "Teleportal" or "Mordok's Portal" to make it more world-specific.

Reanimate Flesh. This is a lovely idea but it seems too cheap. For less mana than Heal's 8 dice, I know I can heal exactly 9 damage from my Elite or myself. Although the 0-0 range hurts. I like how the specific order means you can't use it at less than 4 life. I think a variant spell which uses your concept of giving Dark direct heal but at a steep price would be "Temporary Revival. Cost X mana where X = total damage on target. Heal all damage on target, replace with X/3 (round up) Rot markers" and also change target to a Living non-Mage Creature. This would make it an interesting two-way spell (like Negate) that forces you to heal any target non-Mage creature to full health but infects them with Rot instead. This follows the Warlock's "killing you slowly and painfully" style. For your spell, maybe reduce it to 9 healing, Dark 2 and remove the "Friendly"?

Akiro's Battle Manual. This is just awesome. The name, the card parameters, everything. I hope the designers like this and will send you something to use this idea. A shame it is not synergetic with Horn but maybe because Battle Orders is so weak, we give up on Horn for a future variant Warlord. I love this card, being able to get those double action flip flops is great. Like Mordok's Tome, this adds such a clever unquantifiable extra benefit.

What great ideas. Post the rest here?

[ringkichard]

Does Battle Manual break the game? Control of the initiative determines who gets to do what in what order during the upkeep. For example, the player with initiative gets to decide who gets to use Battle Manual first.

Might work better as a ready marker ability, though that's kinda klunky.

[DeckBuilder]

He made the Tome Legendary to avoid that exact issue.

It's about leveraging the burst sequence: "last Action > last Final QC > first Early QC > (opponent's Early QC) > first Action"

In a battle of equal activation markers, the burst opportunity alternates. Obviously extra activation markers then give you overlap (a Warlord plays Horde), denying the opponent this burst "opportunity window".

However, this Tome allows you to pay 2 for that burst. If you don't pay 2, then the opponent finally gets his delayed Initiative. It doesn't steal Initiative but skips it. You need to pay 2 every turn to keep Initiative. And it can be simply Dissolved. Sometimes, you need a set-up round of being off-initiative to pull off burst attacks. If opponent tries a combination Teleport trick across rounds on your distant Warlord, this stops that nonsense.

I have thought about a similar concept for Forcemaster: "Amulet of Patience: you may pass actions anytime". To allow the Forcemaster to leverage her skirmisher tactics pop-in acting last then pop-out next round. It also tries to make Invisible Stalker a threat as opponent will generally have more creatures than Forcemaster.

I think this Tome is subtly strong (like Mordok's Tome) but not broken. But may be wrong. Something to add to your Warlord thread, ring?

[ringkichard]

It's nifty, no doubt about that! (I also really like your amulet of patience)

I'm just imagining potential rules nightmares. Like, I have Initiative and  there are multiple "Start of Upkeep" effects. Their order is determined by the player with initiative, but that player can change half way through the order?

Maybe if it occurred during channeling instead of upkeep. "may choose to channel 2 less this round and immediately gains the initiative."

[DeckBuilder]

It's nifty, no doubt about that! (I also really like your amulet of patience)

I'm just imagining potential rules nightmares. Like, I have Initiative and  there are multiple "Start of Upkeep" effects. Their order is determined by the player with initiative, but that player can change half way through the order?

Maybe if it occurred during channeling instead of upkeep. "may choose to channel 2 less this round and immediately gains the initiative."

Good point! Yes, your wording is superior.

[wtcannonjr]

It's nifty, no doubt about that! (I also really like your amulet of patience)

I'm just imagining potential rules nightmares. Like, I have Initiative and  there are multiple "Start of Upkeep" effects. Their order is determined by the player with initiative, but that player can change half way through the order?

Maybe if it occurred during channeling instead of upkeep. "may choose to channel 2 less this round and immediately gains the initiative."

Current rules, as stated above, cover this. The mage with initiative at the Start of the Round or Phase decides order of spell effects. This would allow the player without the tome if they held initiative at the start of the Upkeep Phase to sequence things in their favor before the tome effect takes place.

Doesn't seem a problem here.

[ringkichard]

There's a bit of an arms race issue, though. It works for now because no other card has an effect during channeling, but one day there might be another, and then the problem comes back again. This would have to be the only card ever to trigger this way. Which might be ok, but its a big commitment of design space.

[ringkichard]

wtcannon, often upkeep actions will trigger other actions: a burn damage will kill a creature, and then that death triggers Rise Again, or upkeep isn't paid and then an enchantment falls off, and then something else happens and so on.

You can't just determine the order at the top of the round, you have to adjudicate after each effect.

I'm not saying that I can prove it doesn't work, just that it makes me nervous.

[wtcannonjr]

There's a bit of an arms race issue, though. It works for now because no other card has an effect during channeling, but one day there might be another, and then the problem comes back again. This would have to be the only card ever to trigger this way. Which might be ok, but its a big commitment of design space.

Understood.

For me it is an open system design which I enjoy. The game system has more potential to model complex reality compared with a closed system.

However, as you point out, this aspect of the design does create added complexity in testing as new elements are added.

[ACG]

What great ideas. Post the rest here?

Sure, I can do that. It will probably take up a lot of space on the page, though. The reason I linked to BGG is so that I could just update there and not have an endless list of cards here. I guess maybe the best way to do things is to leave a "database" of cards in the thread on BGG, and post new ones in this thread. With that in mind, here are the rest that I have at the moment:












Blink X - teleport the target of this attack to a zone of your choice, up to X zones away)

Foldspace Rift. I love this Arcane teleport wall. Having it usable by either player follows the rule of every wall that it can be a double edged sword. The fact it does nothing without a second wall in play justifies its low cost. I would make it "Does Not Block LOS" (unclear) as then it has no function as a LOS blocker (a Fog Bank needs its purpose). As it is discretionary, I see it has no Passage Attack symbol. My only quibble is the Dune / Star Trek name reference: I think thematically as a fantasy game you would need to call it something like "Teleportal" or "Mordok's Portal" to make it more world-specific.

Thanks for the advice; you're quite right on the LOS issue - I'll change that. I'll think about a new name.

Reanimate Flesh. This is a lovely idea but seems too cheap. For less mana than Heal's 8 dice, I know I can heal exactly 9 damage from my Elite or myself. I like how the specific order means you can't use it at less than 3 life. Although the 0-0 range hurts. I think a variant spell which uses your concept of giving Dark direct healing but at a steep price would be "Price of Beauty. Cost X mana where X = total damage on target. Remove all damage on target, replace with X/3 (round up) Rot markers". Change target to any Living Non-Mage Creature. This would make it an interesting two-way spell (like Negate) that forces you to heal any target non-Mage creature to full health but infects them with Rot instead. This follows the Warlock's "killing you slowly and painfully" style.

Yes, still balancing this one. Pricing these cards is difficult without playtesting.

Regarding the timing on Battle Manual: I worded it that way for simplicity. I initially intended for it to occur during  the initiative phase (During initiative, mage may pay 2 mana to take the initiative token regardless of which player held it in the previous round) but this seemed more elegant. If the timing is an issue, I am sure a better wording can be found.

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

[sIKE]

Might change it to the beginning of the Actions Phase, this would avoid any Ready Stage issues and only effecting Actions.

My question, is does this card steal the opponents initiative, meaning I would have three rounds in a row with initiative or does it flip my opponents next initiative with mine that would follow his/hers?

[jacksmack]

Absolutely great ideas.

Very original and well thought up.

I would never use cards like this, just like i dont play promos.

BUT!!! i love how you made the cards printable, so for people who dont care about promos / no promos they can actually use them.

I very much hope that your ideas get noted by AW because they really bring something new and interesting to the table.


@ Ringkichard
i still think the wall servers a purpose with actually BLOCKING LOS.
such as: Block the enemys archer while your creatures can walk through it to melee it down.

edit:
sry wasnt you ring.

[ringkichard]

I don't think I commented on the LOS of the wall.

Bottle is fun, though! Potentially quite strong, actually.

Also, you've got a talent for funny flavor text.

[ACG]

@ Ringkichard
i still think the wall servers a purpose with actually BLOCKING LOS.
such as: Block the enemys archer while your creatures can walk through it to melee it down.

Actually, it was Deckbuilder that commented on LoS. The main point was that Fog Bank costs the same and has less utility. I have corrected this issue, along with renaming the card; here is the updated version:

My question, is does this card steal the opponents initiative, meaning I would have three rounds in a row with initiative or does it flip my opponents next initiative with mine that would follow his/hers?

The intent of the card is to allow a player to take the initiative pretty much whenever they like. If they want to hog it for 10 rounds in a row and are willing to expend the mana, they may do that. Of course, they should probably expect a dissolve headed their way.

Also, you've got a talent for funny flavor text.

Thanks!

Here is the latest card: Simulacrum. Thematically, the idea is that it is a construct that thinks it is a person. Thanks to its link with its creator's mind, it can cast any spell. Unfortunately, every round it becomes more "independent" (which translates into +upkeep,+channeling, which effectively steals mana from its controller), so eventually it will have to be put down.



(I considered giving it lifebond, but that seemed like too much. Maybe for another creature.)