I'm not sure if this counts as an alternate format or not. Basically, getting inspiration from ACG's portability project, I had the thought that maybe we could use coins for status board markers, or at least for mana.
You use one penny (or whatever is the least valued coin where you live) for each point of channeling, mana, health and damage on your mage. If that's hard to keep track of, you can consolidate into larger coins. So one quarter would be 25 points of whichever stat it's in.
Optional rules:
-"You owe me a Soda if I win this Game of" Mage Wars
At the end of the game, the loser must give the winner all the coins currently on their status board. I have estimated that the amount should almost always be about one dollar, and the chances of it being anywhere near three dollars is likely to be REALLY low.
To make this estimation I used two theoretically possible end-game status boards:
12 channeling 30 mana, 35 damage and 35 health
AND
15 channeling, 50 mana, 100 damage and 100 health.
-"You owe me a Sandwich if I win this Game of" Mage Wars
Mana is Money. Every point of mana in the game is worth $0.01. Whenever you or a creature you control casts a spell, you place money equal to the mana cost in the Realm of Voltari (an area to the side of the board)
At the end of the game, the contents of the Realm of Voltari are divided equally between all the winning players.
I calculated that in a game where each mage always has channeling 10 and no spawnpoints or familiars, and that game lasts 100 rounds (not likely, I know), then the winner will gain $10.
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What do you think?
