There are mechanical and balance issues of course, is a dangerous, yet very expansive design space. As a "SIXTH COLOR" or "PURPLE" variant, does seem do-able?
"PURPLE" is the color of Mastery, Dexterity, Skill, Simplicity, Innocence(Corruption arose from the Tree of Knowledge of GoodvsEvil), Integration, Paradox, (Everything is Nothing) ect.
Example: Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender, used the bending styles of the other three nations, to influence and help him better understand his own firebending. This type of mentality is INTEGRATIVE.
Another example, the PARADOX of Socrates where he was the WISEST man not most INTELLIGENT man, WISEST man, because he knew NO-THING.
As far as being Multicolord, but None of the 5-Colors, its thought of as White light, when passed through a Prism, reveals to contain all the other colors. So when you combine WUBRG, with a little extra know-how the Planeswalker can make it . The color-pie balancing itself is like All Positive Numbers plus All Negative numbers add up to a sum total of . So is not NO-THING but in fact EVERYTHING.
It wouldn't necessarily have to be printed in as much mass/quantity like a TRUE 6th-color, but something more akin to artifacts.
Since it lacks requiring a mana investment, it can ACT as another color, without interfering with the color-pie or basic land problems.
I also think it lends a hand and perhaps toning down or helping to balance that slight favor for it. Sort of how and share a lot of mechanics and and share a lot of mechanics, but sort of stands alone with its playstyle. "PURPLE" could borrow and perhaps have answers to blue, like evergreen Split Second perhaps?
Also, for EDH purposes, these are as ubiquitous as Artifacts and Eldrazi, going into any deck, even colorless ones!
Finally since it doesn't have a mana symbol it doesn't make cards that are All-Colors be no longer All-Colors.
EXILE MILL - "EMPTY YOUR MIND"
FACEDOWN 2/2 - "LET GO OF YOUR IMAGE"
0 MATTERS - "EVERYTHING IS NOTHING"
ZONES MATTER - "HERE IS THERE"
+1/+1 - "LIFEFORCE/QI/CHI"
OUTSIDE GAME/SIDEBOARD - "SUBCONSCIOUS/SUPER-CONSCIOUS"
SPELL BOUNCE - "KNOWLEDGE OF HOW MAGIC WORKS LIKE BLUE BUT DOESNT INFRINGE ON FREE WILL AND IS NOT CONTROLLING LIKE BLUE"
JAM/DISCARD - "EMPTY YOUR MIND"
SEALS "ENCHANTMENTS WITH SAC THIS"
DAMAGE REDIRECTION/KARMA
ARTIFACT/ENCHANT/GRAVE HATE - "LET GO OF THE PAST/ATTACHMENTS"
KEYWORDS:
VIGILANCE - "ALERT AND DISCIPLINED"
KARMA - "LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT/FALSE DICHOTOMIES"
SENSE - "HEIGHTENED SENSES AND AWARENESS"
SIMPLICITY - "EXECUTING ONLY THE BEST POSSIBLE ACTION AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. "HIt's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." - Bruce Lee"'
FLASH, SPLIT SECOND - "BE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT"
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
FLAVOR OPTIONS:
SUBTERRANEAN: CAVES are HOLLOW, indicating EMPTINESS. KOBOLDS could be a creature type, harkening back to reference.
DESERTS: BARREN and EMPTY like CAVES, use to rationing and reducing, having to settle for the bare minimum, SIMPLICITY.
ZEN: EMPTINESS of Mind. Eastern Flavor. Ninjas. Samurais. Mystics.
Aspect of Self
Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Clear the Mind
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles a card from his or her hand face down.
Fractal
Creature — Reflection (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Gnomish Mystic
Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Journeying Draenei
Creature — Draenei Nomad (C)
If Journeying Draenei is in your opening hand you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
0/1
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment. “Less is more.”
Mandala
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Mandala: Target player exiles the top five cards of his or her library face down.
Mantra
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Mirror Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Mirror Seal: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead. “Breaking it is seven years bad luck.”
Mute Seal
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Mute Seal: Each creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
Prismage
Creature — Draenei Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Prismage gets +1/+1 for each color among creatures you control.
1/1
Qi Blast
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Qigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Selfless Spirit
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Stern Gnome
Creature — Gnome Nomad (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Voidslinger
Creature — Draenei Wizard (C)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
Whenever Voidslinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Warp Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Warp Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down.
1/1
Zerowave
Instant (C)
Target attacking creature's base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
These cards all count as Multicolored Cards that are neither White, Blue, Black, Red or Green.
Aura Reader
Creature — Human Mystic (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Aura Reader enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Aura card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1
Conscience
Instant (C)
Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the damage dealt to you this turn.
Conservation of Energy
Sorcery (C)
Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield face down under your control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
Drunken Sufi
Creature — Human Mystic (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
Drunken Sufi gets +1/+1 for each Aura on the battlefield.
1/1
Karuna
Instant (C)
Prevent the loss of up to 3 life. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Instant (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment.
Master’s Gaze
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creatures base power is 0.
Once Returner
Creature — Human Monk (C)
When Once Returner dies, return it to the battlefield face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Presence
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura you control.
Psionic Slinger
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
: Psionic Slinger deals 1 damage to target player.
1/1
Psiwave
Sorcery (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
Psiwave deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Qigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Sanyasin
Creature — Human Nomad (C) “To be a Sanyasin simply means to be a seeker of truth.”
0/1
Sensible Elder
Creature — Human (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Human Nomad (C)
: Turn Wandering Hermit face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Warp
Instant (C)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Zerowave
Instant (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
All creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
===
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. “That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Free spells are pretty much universally dangerous, and I think many of these are exceedingly overpowered. I like the idea of mastery and obviously it plays well with 0 mana, so some of the designs I like. It's mostly the non-Mastery ones that seem pushed much to hard.
Awareness - I feel like this should either not have Flash or be a temporary effect (an instant that last until EOT). It might not be breaking any games in it's current form, but it seems like an added danger for poison decks in eternal formats.
Conservation of Energy - This one I actually like a great deal. If someone manages to break it with Break Open in Legacy I doubt it would be a problem given how broken everything else is.
Karuna - Preventing loss of life is a really weird thing to do. If I am to prevent the next life I lose and I try to pay one life then I can't pay the cost because the life loss is prevented which means that I rewind to before I tried to play the cost so I still have the effect saying I prevent the next life loss. That seems like a real rules headache. Maybe just prevent the next three damage to you? Without the rules headache this seems safe enough at free.
Let Go - Instant really takes the edge of Mastery. Being able to remove your opponent's play for free right after they play it seems too powerful.
Presence - This one is definitely terrifying with Infect, quite possibly has to be banned in Modern, so probably not a good idea.
Psiwave - People played a lot of Gut Shot, so two damage to a creature for 0 mana seems excessive.
Sanyasin - Given the other things you are handing out for 0 mana, how does a 0/1 with no abilities compete?
Wandering Hermit - Think about people playing three Burning Tree Emissaries on turn two. This is that all over again.
Zerowave - Zero mana mostly-fog seems too good
Zen Tutor - You forgot "reveal it" which is necessary for conditional tutors so that your opponent can see you satisfied the condition
Moved some of the stronger cards to Uncommon and made some of the others weaker, like Psiwave.
Here are the Uncommons --
Cosmic Wall
Creature — Wall (U)
Defender (This creature can’t attack.)
When Cosmic Wall enters the battlefield, you may put an Aura card from your hand onto the battlefield attached to Cosmic Wall
0/1
Immaculate Conception
Instant (U)
Turn face down exiled cards face up until you turn a creature card face up. You may put that card onto the battlefield face down under your control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
Lesson in Patience
Instant (U)
Return target spell to its owner’s hand. You can’t cast spells during your next turn.
No Self
Sorcery (U)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target creature’s base power and toughness become 0/0 until end of turn.
Novice Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
1/1
Presence
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura on the battlefield.
Pure Potential
Creature — Reflection (U) “Zero is the only number you can add to infinity.” — Ancient Shandalar Secret
0/0
Seventh Seal
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice Seventh Seal: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard face down.
Shaolin Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
1/1
Soul Mates
Creature — Human (U)
When Soul Mates enters the battlefield, if its not a token, put a token thats a copy of it onto the battlefield. “Love: The strongest force of all.”
0/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Human Nomad (U)
: Turn Wandering Hermit face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (U)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0 and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it. “That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Cosmic Wall: I'm pretty sure this type of ability is overpowered. I don't want to see someone play this, then attach an Eldrazi Conscription to it, even if it can't attack.
Immaculate Conception: i can barely even tell what's going on here... for starters, how regular is exiling cards face-down; NOT in Magic, but in actual play?
Lesson in Patience: Pact of Negation 2.0, huh? I'd say that its pointless to 95% of decks, and it's an instant 4-of in the last 5%.
No Self: This is a 0 cost kill spell most of the time. Too strong.
Novice Monk: Memnite clone. I'd consult everything that was said about it when that card was released.
Presence: Ancestral Mask says this is green. Costing it at G would be powerful; this ability is simply too strong for 0.
Pure Potential: Umm... Not really sure what to think about this thing. It just feels useless. Why would i ever use this thing when i could use Memnite or your Monk?
Seventh Seal: Unless you have lots of cards dealing with face-down stuff, which is going to be a royal pain when you have face-up and face-down cards in your exile zone, i'd say reprint Tormod's Crypt and call it a day.
Shaolin Monk: Way to push Memnite. Flash makes Mastery almost a mute point. Keep in mind that Mastery becomes MUCH less relevant when the card has flash/is an instant.
Soul Mates: One of the few cards here i actually really like.
Wandering Hermit: Feels a bit too strong. 0 mana for a 2/2 on a 1 turn delay is still a strong board early on.
Zen Master: Not a zero cost card, end of story. Afterlife, and its ilk, costs 3 CMC; making the token it leaves behind stronger doesn't mean you can knock off that cost AND give yourself a 1/1.
Zen Tutor: This is an odd card. I feel this card does too much for its cost, seeing as how it can fetch any land for you. Being able to fetch lands makes this card too strong, simple as that.
Overall, i would say that this is further proof that 0 CMC cards are a trap waiting to happen. From personal experience, i've only ever designed a single 0 CMC cycle, and those cards were either useless or better than some of the 1 phyrexian mana cards. Also, keep in mind that bumping a card's rarity up will only fix so many balance issues before the abilities themselves need to be addressed.
Dahammer4
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Choose one - Equipped creature gets +4/+0; or Double Strike; or "When this creature deals combat damage to a creature, exile that creature"; or t, unattach ~ from this creature: ~ deals 5 damage to target creature." t: Equipped creature gains flying until end of turn.
Equip 3
Turn 1, Drunken Sufi, Presence, Presence, Presence, Presence, Island, Robe of Mirrors.
Pass turn.
And I'm sure this is far from the most broken application.
Gotta admit, too, the flavor of something called "Master" at common feels weird, as does saying something is Multicolored, but has none of the five colors.
Yeah, I mean, there are mechanical and balance issues of course, is a dangerous, yet very expansive design space. As a "SIXTH COLOR" or "PURPLE" variant, does seem do-able? Perhaps with a different flavor or mechanical identity (Like less/more Aura emphasis ect.) ?
@: Mastery @(C)- "PURPLE" is the color of Mastery, Dexterity, Skill, Innocence, Integration, Paradox, (Everything is Nothing) ect.
Example: Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender, used the bending styles of the other three nations, to influence and help him better understand his own firebending. This type of mentality is INTEGRATIVE.
Another example, the PARADOX of Socrates where he was the WISEST man not most INTELLIGENT man, WISEST man, because he knew NO-THING.
As far as being Multicolord, but None of the 5-Colors, its thought of as White light, when passed through a Prism, reveals to contain all the other colors. So when you combine WUBRG, with a little extra know-how the Planeswalker can make it . The color-pie balancing itself is like All Positive Numbers plus All Negative numbers add up to a sum total of . So is not NO-THING but in fact EVERYTHING.
It wouldn't necessarily have to be printed in as much mass/quantity like a TRUE 6th-color, but something more akin to artifacts.
Since it lacks requiring a mana investment, it can ACT as another color, without interfering with the color-pie or basic land problems.
I also think it lends a hand and perhaps toning down or helping to balance that slight favor for it. Sort of how and share a lot of mechanics and and share a lot of mechanics, but sort of stands alone with its playstyle. "PURPLE" could borrow and perhaps have answers to blue, like evergreen Split Second perhaps?
Also, for EDH purposes, these are as ubiquitous as Artifacts and Eldrazi, going into any deck, even colorless ones!
Finally since it doesn't have a mana symbol it doesn't make cards that are All-Colors be no longer All-Colors.
Here are some Rares:
Karmic Protector
Creature - Spirit (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Other creatures you control have karma.
1/1
Eternity
Creature - Avatar (R)
Eternity can’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield for having 0 or less toughness and can’t be destroyed by lethal damage.
"You exist in time, but you belong to me."
0/0
Dexterity
Instant (R)
The next card you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
If you cast a spell with Mastery this turn, you may cast an additional spell this turn.
1/1
Satori
Instant (R)
Target player who searched his or her library this turn exiles the top thirteen cards of his or her library face down.
==
BONUS:
Xin Tzu
Planeswalker - Xin (M)
Xin Tzu isn’t put into a graveyard for having 0 or less loyalty counters on him.
/+1\ Turn up to one target nontoken creature you control face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
\-1/ Up to one target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
{0}
Black Hole
Sorcery (M)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. Each player moves all nonland permanents he or she owns to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
If you cast a spell with Mastery this turn, you may cast an additional spell this turn.
1/1
Doesn't work. Mastery puts a restriction saying "You can't cast other spells". In Magic, "can't" always beats "can". If you have an Aggressive Mining out and play Exploration, you still can't play any lands.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
If you cast a spell with Mastery this turn, you may cast an additional spell this turn.
1/1
Doesn't work. Mastery puts a restriction saying "You can't cast other spells". In Magic, "can't" always beats "can". If you have an Aggressive Mining out and play Exploration, you still can't play any lands.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Whenever a player casts a spell, it counts as the first and only spell that player cast that turn. (For example, if you cast a spell this turn, then cast another spell this turn, you would have cast only one spell this turn, not two.)
1/1
His ability lets you cast non-mastery spells before a mastery spell since his ability makes all your mastery spells count as the first you cast that turn. It also hoses Storm decks since it always reduces the spell count to 0/1 and his rules text allude to false-diachotomy magnetic poles thing. That "The Two are not really Two but One."
Still doesn't work - that's a triggered ability that triggers when a player casts a spell, which they can't do. I think you want something like "Spells players cast count as the first and only spell that player cast this turn."
Alrighty, updated the text in the Render.
Still working around on "Purple"'s mechanical identiy. This is my notepad currently:
EXILE MILL
FACEDOWN 2/2
0 MATTERS
ZONES MATTER
+1/+1
OUTSIDE GAME/SIDEBOARD
SPELL BOUNCE
JAM/DISCARD
SEALS "ENCHANTMENTS WITH SAC THIS"
DAMAGE REDIRECTION/KARMA
ARTIFACT/ENCHANT/GRAVE HATE
KEYWORDS:
VIGILANCE
KARMA
SENSE
MASTERY
FLASH
SPLIT SECOND
These ideas are very interesting, and I think this is probably the weirdest you've made purple - which is saying a lot! But, as always, I'm a big fan of your speculative work. You certainly have a unique and fascinating design style.
Now, on to card comments:
Aura Reader: I feel like this is a bit strong for 0, even with Mastery. A tutor that is also a 1/1 creature for absolutely no mana feels a bit nutty. Awareness: This feels a bit strong at +1/+1. +0/+1? Conscience: Sure. Good flavor. Conservation of Energy: This one is ridiculous, especially without Mastery. A 2/2 creature for 0 just isn't doable, even with this restriction. Drunken Sufi: This feels way too good... sure, it takes 3 times longer to kill somebody through Erasure, but that boost will slaughter creatures, no? I do like the idea of this. Not sure why a Drunken Sufi is good at wiping people's brains, though. Karma: Hm... this negates payments, and that doesn't feel right. I recommend you just prevent damage, even though I know that undermines the flavor a bit. This feels a bit good as-is. Even the 'worst' of effects, like this one, get a bit nutty when they're 0. Koan: Alright, I don't see the flavor of this. It's a Koan so puzzling that it breaks their brain? This seems fine with Mastery. Let Go: Instants with Mastery are just Instants. And this one is ridiculously powerful. "Target player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment" would STILL be powerful. Master's Gaze: Too strong for common. Fine at uncommon. Needs a better name, it implies you're enchanting the creature with a Master's Gaze. Once Returner: Feels too strong. Presence: This one's ridiculous. That's a crazy boost for 0, Psionic Slinger: I don't see why this needs to have erasure and the damage. That just feels like being clever for no reason. Simplify. Name doesn't feel Purple at all - feels too aggressive. Psiwave: Free creature kill is disgusting. Not possible. Qigong Master: Very interesting, but pushed IMO. Especially in multiples. Sanyasin: Sure. Memnite at common would be weird in any other set, but it feels fine here. Sensible Elder: Experimenting with variations? This one seems too good. Perfect chumper. Wandering Hermit: Name doesn't make sense with ability. I'd prefer if Sanyasin and this one swapped names - going face-down represents him 'finding the truth'. (: Anyway, this is uncommon. Warp: Too good at common. I'd like this at uncommon or even rare. Zen Master: "Target creature you control", sure. As-is, way too effective of removal. Zerowave: Again, Instants with Mastery mean absolutely nothing. This one feels too good. Zen Tutor: Neat!
Cosmic Wall: Way too good with anything that allows walls to attack. Give it a CMC restriction and I think it'd be fine. Immaculate Conception: This is weird for the sake of being weird. Not a good design. Lesson in Patience: Too good at 0. Interesting idea for an actual blue spell, though. No Self: Creature-kill for 0 is disgustingly overpowered. Novice Monk: Stick to memnites. It's more fitting for purple's flavor that their 'base' creature is non-aggressive. Presence: Even at uncommon this is too powerful. Being rare don't help, either. It's just not printable at this cost in any rarity. Pure Potential: Why? So many other things invalidate this. Seventh Seal: Sure. Shaolin Monk: Instant-speed with Mastery might as well not have Mastery. This is too good. Soul Mates: Love doesn't feel purple, no? I thought love was an earthly attachment. Wandering Hermit: Uncommon feels correct for this guy. Still rooting for a name-swap with Sanyasin. Zen Master: Nontoken - nice. Still needs to say "you control" - too good as removal.
Karmic Protector: Sure, even if very strong the creatures die fast anyway. Where are all the other cards with Karma? Eternity: Sure. This is what I expected Pure Potential to be. Dexterity: While I dislike Mastery spells that natively have flash, this design feels fine, as when a player figures out that they can use Mastery stuff on your opponent's turn, they'll feel smart. Osho: You're not going to be able to find a version of this that works - just saying. Removing the drawback from Mastery is a baaaad idea. Satori: Sure. Xin Tzu: Sure, even if very very weak. I expected this guy to have a 0 ability. Black Hole: Feels way too good. Only rarely will people pick graveyard or hand - might as well not even present the choice.
Overall:
Mastery is a great way to balance 0, but you're not using it nearly enough, and the drawback should only appear on sorcery-speed cards, or else it isn't even a drawback. If you insist this appear on instants, change the wording - "Cast this spell only if it's the first spell cast this turn." Then you have to preempt your opponent, and your opponent can shut off Mastery spells with an instant of their own. Seems far more balanced that way.
The name 'Mastery' doesn't seem fitting for common, as GigaGuess noted. Try finding a word related to 'Concentration' or 'Meditation' or something.
Why would anyone want to play Purple? It has no native win-condition of its own. At best, I can see some of these spells being used in small quantities - but I can't imagine a mono-Purple deck, or a deck that uses a lot of Purple cards. Sell me on Purple - give it a way to win that's still balanced and fitting for purple. Mill might just be that way.
A way to balance Purple would be in seeking costs that are outside the colors. Exiling cards from your hand, graveyard, or your side of the battlefield ("removing attachments") - requiring a certain number of turns to have passed in the game a la Serra Avenger ("meditating") - and requiring specific conditions to have come to pass a la Traps and your own design Satori ("the way of least resistance"). These alternative 'costs' would allow you to push some Purple cards a lot more, and make them the power levels you need to make Purple an appealing faction.
Another way to balance Purple is to give them strength that only lies in synergy. Purple is supposed to be the 'integrative color', right? Then why is there no integration? This is the color I expect to have cards like Quirion Dryad, Cliffrunner Behemoth, the the 'Sedge Cycle', and so on. That would allow you to 'push' Purple, confident that they require SOME mana to work, even if that mana investment isn't on the card itself.
Overall, you have a very interesting idea. Probably impossible to ever see come to print, but I encourage you to keep exploring it, as this is certainly the most experimental and interesting of design space you have touched yet. I'm looking forward to seeing more.
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These ideas are very interesting, and I think this is probably the weirdest you've made purple - which is saying a lot! But, as always, I'm a big fan of your speculative work. You certainly have a unique and fascinating design style.
Now, on to card comments:
Aura Reader: I feel like this is a bit strong for 0, even with Mastery. A tutor that is also a 1/1 creature for absolutely no mana feels a bit nutty. Awareness: This feels a bit strong at +1/+1. +0/+1? Conscience: Sure. Good flavor. Conservation of Energy: This one is ridiculous, especially without Mastery. A 2/2 creature for 0 just isn't doable, even with this restriction. Drunken Sufi: This feels way too good... sure, it takes 3 times longer to kill somebody through Erasure, but that boost will slaughter creatures, no? I do like the idea of this. Not sure why a Drunken Sufi is good at wiping people's brains, though. Karma: Hm... this negates payments, and that doesn't feel right. I recommend you just prevent damage, even though I know that undermines the flavor a bit. This feels a bit good as-is. Even the 'worst' of effects, like this one, get a bit nutty when they're 0. Koan: Alright, I don't see the flavor of this. It's a Koan so puzzling that it breaks their brain? This seems fine with Mastery. Let Go: Instants with Mastery are just Instants. And this one is ridiculously powerful. "Target player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment" would STILL be powerful. Master's Gaze: Too strong for common. Fine at uncommon. Needs a better name, it implies you're enchanting the creature with a Master's Gaze. Once Returner: Feels too strong. Presence: This one's ridiculous. That's a crazy boost for 0, Psionic Slinger: I don't see why this needs to have erasure and the damage. That just feels like being clever for no reason. Simplify. Name doesn't feel Purple at all - feels too aggressive. Psiwave: Free creature kill is disgusting. Not possible. Qigong Master: Very interesting, but pushed IMO. Especially in multiples. Sanyasin: Sure. Memnite at common would be weird in any other set, but it feels fine here. Sensible Elder: Experimenting with variations? This one seems too good. Perfect chumper. Wandering Hermit: Name doesn't make sense with ability. I'd prefer if Sanyasin and this one swapped names - going face-down represents him 'finding the truth'. (: Anyway, this is uncommon. Warp: Too good at common. I'd like this at uncommon or even rare. Zen Master: "Target creature you control", sure. As-is, way too effective of removal. Zerowave: Again, Instants with Mastery mean absolutely nothing. This one feels too good. Zen Tutor: Neat!
Cosmic Wall: Way too good with anything that allows walls to attack. Give it a CMC restriction and I think it'd be fine. Immaculate Conception: This is weird for the sake of being weird. Not a good design. Lesson in Patience: Too good at 0. Interesting idea for an actual blue spell, though. No Self: Creature-kill for 0 is disgustingly overpowered. Novice Monk: Stick to memnites. It's more fitting for purple's flavor that their 'base' creature is non-aggressive. Presence: Even at uncommon this is too powerful. Being rare don't help, either. It's just not printable at this cost in any rarity. Pure Potential: Why? So many other things invalidate this. Seventh Seal: Sure. Shaolin Monk: Instant-speed with Mastery might as well not have Mastery. This is too good. Soul Mates: Love doesn't feel purple, no? I thought love was an earthly attachment. Wandering Hermit: Uncommon feels correct for this guy. Still rooting for a name-swap with Sanyasin. Zen Master: Nontoken - nice. Still needs to say "you control" - too good as removal.
Karmic Protector: Sure, even if very strong the creatures die fast anyway. Where are all the other cards with Karma? Eternity: Sure. This is what I expected Pure Potential to be. Dexterity: While I dislike Mastery spells that natively have flash, this design feels fine, as when a player figures out that they can use Mastery stuff on your opponent's turn, they'll feel smart. Osho: You're not going to be able to find a version of this that works - just saying. Removing the drawback from Mastery is a baaaad idea. Satori: Sure. Xin Tzu: Sure, even if very very weak. I expected this guy to have a 0 ability. Black Hole: Feels way too good. Only rarely will people pick graveyard or hand - might as well not even present the choice.
Overall:
Mastery is a great way to balance 0, but you're not using it nearly enough, and the drawback should only appear on sorcery-speed cards, or else it isn't even a drawback. If you insist this appear on instants, change the wording - "Cast this spell only if it's the first spell cast this turn." Then you have to preempt your opponent, and your opponent can shut off Mastery spells with an instant of their own. Seems far more balanced that way.
The name 'Mastery' doesn't seem fitting for common, as GigaGuess noted. Try finding a word related to 'Concentration' or 'Meditation' or something.
Why would anyone want to play Purple? It has no native win-condition of its own. At best, I can see some of these spells being used in small quantities - but I can't imagine a mono-Purple deck, or a deck that uses a lot of Purple cards. Sell me on Purple - give it a way to win that's still balanced and fitting for purple. Mill might just be that way.
A way to balance Purple would be in seeking costs that are outside the colors. Exiling cards from your hand, graveyard, or your side of the battlefield ("removing attachments") - requiring a certain number of turns to have passed in the game a la Serra Avenger ("meditating") - and requiring specific conditions to have come to pass a la Traps and your own design Satori ("the way of least resistance"). These alternative 'costs' would allow you to push some Purple cards a lot more, and make them the power levels you need to make Purple an appealing faction.
Another way to balance Purple is to give them strength that only lies in synergy. Purple is supposed to be the 'integrative color', right? Then why is there no integration? This is the color I expect to have cards like Quirion Dryad, Cliffrunner Behemoth, the the 'Sedge Cycle', and so on. That would allow you to 'push' Purple, confident that they require SOME mana to work, even if that mana investment isn't on the card itself.
Overall, you have a very interesting idea. Probably impossible to ever see come to print, but I encourage you to keep exploring it, as this is certainly the most experimental and interesting of design space you have touched yet. I'm looking forward to seeing more.
Thanks for the awesome feedback.
Most of what you were getting at was where I was headed with, with the alt costs like turns and Delve. And the SYNERGY thing was there from the inception, though with other colors I hadn't thought of. As far as SYNERGY, that is sort of what kind of feel Xin Tzu seeks to achieve. Where Between 1/1 creatures, turning them face down and pumping them for +1/+1 with Qi Blast effects and giving them Karma all eventually amount to slowly bringing an opponent down with small incremental parts.
EXILE-MILL is the main win-con I wanted to approach with the flavor of the PURPLE-MAGE being a MENTOR and WINNING by EMPTYING his OPPONENT's MIND, thus ENLIGHTENING by reducing him to NOTHING. The PURPLE-MAGE uses the opponent's own force against them (Damage redirection and Karma) to achieve these ends.
Most of the cards themselves are just rough quick drafts the main focus now is fleshing out flavor and mechanical identities for the color.
I recommend Karma and other damage-reversal effects convert it into mill. That'd feel less powerful, and more fitting for Purple, no?
If mill is what you envisage as the primary win-con, why does Xin Tzu not mill?
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I recommend Karma and other damage-reversal effects convert it into mill. That'd feel less powerful, and more fitting for Purple, no?
If mill is what you envisage as the primary win-con, why does Xin Tzu not mill?
I didn't want to over-extend Purple into Mill to the extent that it couldn't play well with other colors who were trying to win by damage. Also this:
Jace, Sensei
Planeswalker - Jace (M)
/+1\ Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
[0] Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
\-1/ Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the number of face down exiled cards he or she owns.
{1}
Jace, with his struggle between and would be a good candidate for . Perhaps going to Kamigawa and learning some "Ancient Eastern Secrets" then return to Ravnica which will be in dissaray, where the pressure and chaos will force him to choose either or to either restore the Guildpact or Rule Ravnica as a Tyrant. Whereby he will rather than going left or right, will TRANSCEND the color Pie! And thus bring INTEGRATION to the Guilds.
Osho0 Legendary Creature - Human Advisor {R}
Mastery
You may cast one spell with mastery each turn as though you haven't cast any spells this turn.
1/1
Also, how exactly do these cards register as multicolored? The mana costs don't have colored mana symbols, nor do they have a color indicator. But there also aren't any other abilities that state explicitly that they're multicolored.
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How to use card tags (please use them for everybody's sanity)
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format Minimum deck size: 60 Maximum number of identical cards: 4 Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
Osho0 Legendary Creature - Human Advisor {R}
Mastery
You may cast one spell with mastery each turn as though you haven't cast any spells this turn.
1/1
Also, how exactly do these cards register as multicolored? The mana costs don't have colored mana symbols, nor do they have a color indicator. But there also aren't any other abilities that state explicitly that they're multicolored.
I guess as far as the Multicolored thing is concerned, A • color indicator could work where • means MULTICOLORED but not W, U, B, R, or G.
I guess as far as the Multicolored thing is concerned, A • color indicator could work where • means MULTICOLORED but not W, U, B, R, or G.
Is there a real reason for the whole multicolored thing besides the "everything and nothing" thing? You're changing what multicolored is defined as for no real benefit (Multicolored is defined as two or more of the five colors).
I guess as far as the Multicolored thing is concerned, A • color indicator could work where • means MULTICOLORED but not W, U, B, R, or G.
Is there a real reason for the whole multicolored thing besides the "everything and nothing" thing? You're changing what multicolored is defined as for no real benefit (Multicolored is defined as two or more of the five colors).
Aesthetics and to give "Purple" a sense of being a "Color" and having its own identity away from colorless since "Multicolor" is already like the 7th part of the Magic Rainbow with Colorless being the 6th. Mechanically, it means rather than saying "DO X to target PURPLE thing" it can be "DO X to target MULTICOLOR thing"
• would just mean MULTICOLOR as a color indicator, but there just would appear no mana symbols or other colors that make it up. The definition fits the flavor that two or more is actually Purple or Void.
==
Most recent attempt at Common Creatures:
Aspect of Self • Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Blind Gnome • Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Dharma Speaker • Creature — Human Monk (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Fractal • Creature — Reflection (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Gnomish Nomad • Creature — Gnome Nomad (C)
0/1
Voidslinger • Creature — Dranaei Wizard (C)
Whenever Nullslinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Qigong Master • Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Rainbow Mage • Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Rainbow Mage enters the battlefield, return target multicolored card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Selfless Spirit • Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Zen Master • Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down.
1/1
Gnomish Nomad feels too obviously below par in comparison to the other designs.
Rainbow Mage feels a little strong.
Other than those, I like the rest! Seems like you're starting to hit the sweet spot of balance.
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What about sharing the Elkin Bottle ability with ? Its works good for since you'll pretty much be guaranteed to play the card you exile.
Purple will have most of its spells be Seals ala Seal of Cleansing like such:
Spell Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Spell Seal: Return target spell to its owner's hand.
This way it can make a more effect use out of Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.) for its Instant speed effects.
As such, Rainbow Mage ideally would like to return Seal cards from the graveyard to the hand. So I went with Multicolor but also considered CMC 0, though its a lot more lines of text...
Or maybe something like this?
Skillful Monk • Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Skillful Monk enters battlefield, you may return a card with flash from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
I like the idea of the Seals using Simplicity. That makes for some very interesting gameplay.
I don't think Purple needs to get the Elkin ability natively, it feels like far too powerful of a synergy. You can definitely emphasize red's Elkin abilities in the set they share with Purple, though, as a point of synergy.
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Clear the Mind
Enchantment (C)
Each opponent’s maximum hand size is reduced by one. Empty your mind. Be formless. Shapeless.
Gnomish Mystic
Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Headspace
Instant (C)
Target player’s maximum hand size is reduced by two until end of turn. Pouring my guest a cup of tea, he shouted: “No more will go in! It is overfull.” I replied, that “Like this cup, you are full of your own beliefs. How can I show you anything unless you first empty your cup?”
Instant Karma
Instant (C)
Target creature gains karma until end of turn. (Whenever a source deals damage to that creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.) Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Karmic Reflection
Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Ki Blast
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment face down. “Less is more.”
Mantra
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Master's Gaze
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature’s base power is 0.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Meditation Seal
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Meditation Seal: Target player exiles the top five cards of his or her library face down.
Mirror Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Mirror Seal: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead. “Breaking it is seven years good luck.”
Mystical Moonfolk
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (C)
If Mystical Moonfolk is in your opening hand you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
0/1
Once Returner
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Once Returner dies, return it to the battlefield face down under its owner’s control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Planar Eye
Creature — Eye (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Prismage
Creature — Moonfolk Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Prismage gets +1/+1 for each color among creatures you control.
1/1
Selfless Spirit
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Sunya Slinger
Creature — Moonfolk Wizard (C)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
Whenever Sunya Slinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Warp Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Warp Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Ego Death
Sorcery (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Turn target nontoken creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.) “Persona means ‘mask’.”
Enlightened Soratami
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (U)
Enlightened Soratami is all colors (even if this card isn't in play).
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Vigilance
1/1
Fractal Reflection
Creature — Reflection (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal Reflection this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Introvert
Creature — Human Nomad (U)
: Turn Introvert face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.) “When the whole world is in disarray, the only direction to run is in.”
0/1
Jannah Gnome
Creature — Gnome Mystic (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Jannah Gnome enters the battlefield, you may return target multicolored card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Ki-Fist
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Ki-Fistenters the battlefield, target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
1/1
Kigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Pure Potential
Creature — Reflection (U) “Zero is the only number you can add to infinity.” — Ancient Shandalar Secret
0/0
Seventh Seal
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice Seventh Seal: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard face down. All mana will return to whence it came.
Shaolin Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
Vigilance
1/1
Silent Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Silent Seal: Each creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
Spell Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Spell Seal: Return target spell to its owner’s hand.
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0 and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it. “That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Black Hole
Sorcery (M)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. Each player moves all nonland permanents he or she owns to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn. Do not fear to approach it. How do you know the side you’re on isn’t better than the one to come?
Bodhidharma
Legendary Creature — Human Monk (R)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn. “Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path.”
1/1
Common Sense
Enchantment (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Creatures you control have sense. (Effects that say creatures you control can’t block other creatures don’t apply.)
Dexterity
Instant (R)
The next card you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash. Effortlessness comes after effort, not before.
Eternity
Creature — Avatar (R)
Eternity can’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield for having 0 or less toughness and can’t be destroyed by lethal damage. “You exist in time, but you belong to me.”
0/0
Gnostic Gnome
Creature — Gnome Mystic (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target face-down exiled card and turn it face-up. You may play it this turn.
1/1
Gravity Seal
Enchantment (R)
Sacrifice Gravity Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. The owner of target permanent moves it to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn. Neither time nor death escape the void.
Karmic Protector
Creature — Spirit (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Other creatures you control have karma.
1/1
Manaforge Mystic
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Whenever you cast a white, blue, black, red or green spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Manaforge Mystic.
1/1
Master Beleren
Planeswalker — Jace (M)
Starting Loyalty: 1
+1: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0: Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
-1: Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the number of face down exiled cards the or she owns.
Mysterious Chimera
Creature — Chimera (M)
Simplicity
Flying
Mysterious Chimera’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of exiled cards. Made up of both dreams and nightmares.
*/*
Satori
Instant (R)
Target player who searched his or her library this turn exiles the top thirteen cards of his or her library face down. “It is one thing to see the peak from the valley. Another to ascend to the peak, another all together to become the peak!”
I like this mechanic. I like where you're going with it. I don't know if it's purple. It's definitely 0.
Simplicity/Mastery is a necessary mechanic for this.
I would suggest that it is to flash-in-the-pan to be a bonafide color. 0 is interesting for a set or a block, but it would take some pretty serious work to bring that something worthy of grandfathering another color into Magic.
That the design of Purple led you here is absolutely fantastic. Definitely spaghetti method. It's sticking, but perhaps not in the way you'd like. (IE, it's not another color, it's 0. It's its own thing.)
Small set mechanic for the benefit of magic as a whole. To many of these cards and you run the risk of them all being borked somewhere down the road.
I'm still hopeful to push for an extra color identity just because seeing results having stuck with the endeavor this far I'm confident that there may be more to come, especially given the back of the Magic card Purple ring.
Here's some more stuff:
A Render by the name of Involuted Negator. The literal name of the artwork by James Roper.
Rather than Gnomes, Negators and Moonfolk being the + and - aspects of the 0/∞ diachotomy of the Purple philosophy.
PURPLE
PARADOX 0 INTEGRATION
Paradox
Synthesis
Emptiness
Purple mages rather than using mana to fight their battles are self-reliant and physical, using ancient martial arts techniques and the power of emptiness. Just as we blow glass into a cup, it is the hollow of the cup that allows us to drink. There is usefulness in emptiness. The Purple mage draws from this resource. When a Purple mage fights, they will force opponents to defeat themselves, drawing portals that reflect attacks back to where they came from, sometimes even tearing rifts open into the blind eternities themselves, the space between planes.
Simplicity, dexterity and awareness are the signature of the Purple mage.
For Purple mages, what goes around comes around. So it chooses to remain still, neither coming nor going. Thus came, thus gone. The Purple mage uses the forces of gravity and magnetism to make the world seek Purple out rather than Purple seeking it. Purple’s style is that of no-style. Its world view is no-world view. The art of fighting without fighting. By remaining undefined it is open to all possibilities. By not giving them anything to oppose, eventually Purple wins by allowing the enemy to defeat itself.
Examples of Purple spells include ki-blasts, reversal of energetic forces and sovereignty over space to tear open rifts and portals into the blind eternities!
Purple-aligned creatures use their keen senses and skillfulness to subdue enemies without fighting them. Purple-aligned creatures seek to relinquish their opponents from their own limitations and inner conflicts and do this by coaxing them to drop their own world-views. Letting go of what they were, they become what they might be. Purple mages call reflections of their opponents forth that they may be forced to confront their own shadows. Brotherhoods of honorable Monks come to the aid of their fellow Purple mages. For between all Purple mages, there is no distance, either of time or of space.
"PURPLE" is the color of Mastery, Dexterity, Skill, Simplicity, Innocence (Corruption arose from the Tree of Knowledge of GoodvsEvil), Integration, Paradox, (Everything is Nothing) ect.
Example: Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender, used the bending styles of the other three nations, to influence and help him better understand his own firebending. This type of mentality is INTEGRATIVE.
Another example, the PARADOX of Socrates where he was the WISEST man not most INTELLIGENT man, WISEST man, because he knew NO-THING.
As far as being Multicolord, but None of the 5-Colors, its thought of as White light, when passed through a Prism, reveals to contain all the other colors. So when you combine WUBRG, with a little extra know-how the Planeswalker can make it . The color-pie balancing itself is like All Positive Numbers plus All Negative numbers add up to a sum total of . So is not NO-THING but in fact EVERYTHING.
It wouldn't necessarily have to be printed in as much mass/quantity like a TRUE 6th-color, but something more akin to artifacts.
Since it lacks requiring a mana investment, it can ACT as another color, without interfering with the color-pie or basic land problems.
I also think it lends a hand and perhaps toning down or helping to balance that slight favor for it. Sort of how and share a lot of mechanics and and share a lot of mechanics, but sort of stands alone with its playstyle. "PURPLE" could borrow and perhaps have answers to blue, like evergreen Split Second perhaps?
Also, for EDH purposes, these are as ubiquitous as Artifacts and Eldrazi, going into any deck, even colorless ones!
Finally since it doesn't have a mana symbol it doesn't make cards that are All-Colors be no longer All-Colors.
EXILE MILL - "EMPTY YOUR MIND"
FACEDOWN 2/2 - "LET GO OF YOUR IMAGE"
0 MATTERS - "EVERYTHING IS NOTHING"
ZONES MATTER - "HERE IS THERE"
+1/+1 - "LIFEFORCE/QI/CHI"
OUTSIDE GAME/SIDEBOARD - "SUBCONSCIOUS/SUPER-CONSCIOUS"
SPELL BOUNCE - "KNOWLEDGE OF HOW MAGIC WORKS LIKE BLUE BUT DOESNT INFRINGE ON FREE WILL AND IS NOT CONTROLLING LIKE BLUE"
JAM/DISCARD - "EMPTY YOUR MIND"
SEALS "ENCHANTMENTS WITH SAC THIS"
DAMAGE REDIRECTION/KARMA
ARTIFACT/ENCHANT/GRAVE HATE - "LET GO OF THE PAST/ATTACHMENTS"
KEYWORDS:
VIGILANCE - "ALERT AND DISCIPLINED"
KARMA - "LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT/FALSE DICHOTOMIES"
SENSE - "HEIGHTENED SENSES AND AWARENESS"
SIMPLICITY - "EXECUTING ONLY THE BEST POSSIBLE ACTION AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. "HIt's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." - Bruce Lee"'
FLASH, SPLIT SECOND - "BE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT"
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
FLAVOR OPTIONS:
SUBTERRANEAN: CAVES are HOLLOW, indicating EMPTINESS. KOBOLDS could be a creature type, harkening back to reference.
DESERTS: BARREN and EMPTY like CAVES, use to rationing and reducing, having to settle for the bare minimum, SIMPLICITY.
ZEN: EMPTINESS of Mind. Eastern Flavor. Ninjas. Samurais. Mystics.
SPACE: INTER-Planar beings, Void/Blackhole, stars ect
FULL IMAGE SPOILERS
Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Clear the Mind
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles a card from his or her hand face down.
Fractal
Creature — Reflection (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Gnomish Mystic
Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Journeying Draenei
Creature — Draenei Nomad (C)
If Journeying Draenei is in your opening hand you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
0/1
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment.
“Less is more.”
Mandala
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Mandala: Target player exiles the top five cards of his or her library face down.
Mantra
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Mirror Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Mirror Seal: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead.
“Breaking it is seven years bad luck.”
Mute Seal
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Mute Seal: Each creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
Prismage
Creature — Draenei Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Prismage gets +1/+1 for each color among creatures you control.
1/1
Qi Blast
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Qigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Selfless Spirit
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Stern Gnome
Creature — Gnome Nomad (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Voidslinger
Creature — Draenei Wizard (C)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
Whenever Voidslinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Warp Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Warp Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down.
1/1
Zerowave
Instant (C)
Target attacking creature's base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
Aura Reader
Creature — Human Mystic (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Aura Reader enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Aura card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1
Awareness
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Conscience
Instant (C)
Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the damage dealt to you this turn.
Conservation of Energy
Sorcery (C)
Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield face down under your control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
Drunken Sufi
Creature — Human Mystic (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
Drunken Sufi gets +1/+1 for each Aura on the battlefield.
1/1
Karuna
Instant (C)
Prevent the loss of up to 3 life.
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Instant (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment.
Master’s Gaze
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creatures base power is 0.
Once Returner
Creature — Human Monk (C)
When Once Returner dies, return it to the battlefield face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Presence
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura you control.
Psionic Slinger
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
: Psionic Slinger deals 1 damage to target player.
1/1
Psiwave
Sorcery (C)
Erasure (If this would deal damage to a player, prevent that damage and that player exiles that many cards from the top of his or her library face down.)
Psiwave deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Qigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Sanyasin
Creature — Human Nomad (C)
“To be a Sanyasin simply means to be a seeker of truth.”
0/1
Sensible Elder
Creature — Human (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Human Nomad (C)
: Turn Wandering Hermit face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Warp
Instant (C)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Zerowave
Instant (C)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
All creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
===
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
“That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Awareness - I feel like this should either not have Flash or be a temporary effect (an instant that last until EOT). It might not be breaking any games in it's current form, but it seems like an added danger for poison decks in eternal formats.
Conservation of Energy - This one I actually like a great deal. If someone manages to break it with Break Open in Legacy I doubt it would be a problem given how broken everything else is.
Karuna - Preventing loss of life is a really weird thing to do. If I am to prevent the next life I lose and I try to pay one life then I can't pay the cost because the life loss is prevented which means that I rewind to before I tried to play the cost so I still have the effect saying I prevent the next life loss. That seems like a real rules headache. Maybe just prevent the next three damage to you? Without the rules headache this seems safe enough at free.
Let Go - Instant really takes the edge of Mastery. Being able to remove your opponent's play for free right after they play it seems too powerful.
Presence - This one is definitely terrifying with Infect, quite possibly has to be banned in Modern, so probably not a good idea.
Psiwave - People played a lot of Gut Shot, so two damage to a creature for 0 mana seems excessive.
Sanyasin - Given the other things you are handing out for 0 mana, how does a 0/1 with no abilities compete?
Wandering Hermit - Think about people playing three Burning Tree Emissaries on turn two. This is that all over again.
Zerowave - Zero mana mostly-fog seems too good
Zen Tutor - You forgot "reveal it" which is necessary for conditional tutors so that your opponent can see you satisfied the condition
Here are the Uncommons --
Cosmic Wall
Creature — Wall (U)
Defender (This creature can’t attack.)
When Cosmic Wall enters the battlefield, you may put an Aura card from your hand onto the battlefield attached to Cosmic Wall
0/1
Immaculate Conception
Instant (U)
Turn face down exiled cards face up until you turn a creature card face up. You may put that card onto the battlefield face down under your control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
Lesson in Patience
Instant (U)
Return target spell to its owner’s hand. You can’t cast spells during your next turn.
No Self
Sorcery (U)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target creature’s base power and toughness become 0/0 until end of turn.
Novice Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
1/1
Presence
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura on the battlefield.
Pure Potential
Creature — Reflection (U)
“Zero is the only number you can add to infinity.” — Ancient Shandalar Secret
0/0
Seventh Seal
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice Seventh Seal: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard face down.
Shaolin Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
1/1
Soul Mates
Creature — Human (U)
When Soul Mates enters the battlefield, if its not a token, put a token thats a copy of it onto the battlefield.
“Love: The strongest force of all.”
0/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Human Nomad (U)
: Turn Wandering Hermit face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
0/1
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (U)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0 and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it.
“That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Immaculate Conception: i can barely even tell what's going on here... for starters, how regular is exiling cards face-down; NOT in Magic, but in actual play?
Lesson in Patience: Pact of Negation 2.0, huh? I'd say that its pointless to 95% of decks, and it's an instant 4-of in the last 5%.
No Self: This is a 0 cost kill spell most of the time. Too strong.
Novice Monk: Memnite clone. I'd consult everything that was said about it when that card was released.
Presence: Ancestral Mask says this is green. Costing it at G would be powerful; this ability is simply too strong for 0.
Pure Potential: Umm... Not really sure what to think about this thing. It just feels useless. Why would i ever use this thing when i could use Memnite or your Monk?
Seventh Seal: Unless you have lots of cards dealing with face-down stuff, which is going to be a royal pain when you have face-up and face-down cards in your exile zone, i'd say reprint Tormod's Crypt and call it a day.
Shaolin Monk: Way to push Memnite. Flash makes Mastery almost a mute point. Keep in mind that Mastery becomes MUCH less relevant when the card has flash/is an instant.
Soul Mates: One of the few cards here i actually really like.
Wandering Hermit: Feels a bit too strong. 0 mana for a 2/2 on a 1 turn delay is still a strong board early on.
Zen Master: Not a zero cost card, end of story. Afterlife, and its ilk, costs 3 CMC; making the token it leaves behind stronger doesn't mean you can knock off that cost AND give yourself a 1/1.
Zen Tutor: This is an odd card. I feel this card does too much for its cost, seeing as how it can fetch any land for you. Being able to fetch lands makes this card too strong, simple as that.
Overall, i would say that this is further proof that 0 CMC cards are a trap waiting to happen. From personal experience, i've only ever designed a single 0 CMC cycle, and those cards were either useless or better than some of the 1 phyrexian mana cards. Also, keep in mind that bumping a card's rarity up will only fix so many balance issues before the abilities themselves need to be addressed.
Sigpic by Rivenor
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Choose one - Equipped creature gets +4/+0; or Double Strike; or "When this creature deals combat damage to a creature, exile that creature"; or t, unattach ~ from this creature: ~ deals 5 damage to target creature."
t: Equipped creature gains flying until end of turn.
Equip 3
Courtesy of Crepes
[OMC] Omerium's Collapse
Immaculate Conception - This doesn't seem to work. How do you choose what order to turn the cards over in?
Lesson in Patience - Immediately restricting in Vintage, banned in Legacy and Modern. That's not a good place for a card to start.
Pass turn.
And I'm sure this is far from the most broken application.
Gotta admit, too, the flavor of something called "Master" at common feels weird, as does saying something is Multicolored, but has none of the five colors.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
@: Mastery @(C)- "PURPLE" is the color of Mastery, Dexterity, Skill, Innocence, Integration, Paradox, (Everything is Nothing) ect.
Example: Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender, used the bending styles of the other three nations, to influence and help him better understand his own firebending. This type of mentality is INTEGRATIVE.
Another example, the PARADOX of Socrates where he was the WISEST man not most INTELLIGENT man, WISEST man, because he knew NO-THING.
As far as being Multicolord, but None of the 5-Colors, its thought of as White light, when passed through a Prism, reveals to contain all the other colors. So when you combine WUBRG, with a little extra know-how the Planeswalker can make it . The color-pie balancing itself is like All Positive Numbers plus All Negative numbers add up to a sum total of . So is not NO-THING but in fact EVERYTHING.
It wouldn't necessarily have to be printed in as much mass/quantity like a TRUE 6th-color, but something more akin to artifacts.
Since it lacks requiring a mana investment, it can ACT as another color, without interfering with the color-pie or basic land problems.
I also think it lends a hand and perhaps toning down or helping to balance that slight favor for it. Sort of how and share a lot of mechanics and and share a lot of mechanics, but sort of stands alone with its playstyle. "PURPLE" could borrow and perhaps have answers to blue, like evergreen Split Second perhaps?
Also, for EDH purposes, these are as ubiquitous as Artifacts and Eldrazi, going into any deck, even colorless ones!
Finally since it doesn't have a mana symbol it doesn't make cards that are All-Colors be no longer All-Colors.
Here are some Rares:
Karmic Protector
Creature - Spirit (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Other creatures you control have karma.
1/1
Eternity
Creature - Avatar (R)
Eternity can’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield for having 0 or less toughness and can’t be destroyed by lethal damage.
"You exist in time, but you belong to me."
0/0
Dexterity
Instant (R)
The next card you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
If you cast a spell with Mastery this turn, you may cast an additional spell this turn.
1/1
Satori
Instant (R)
Target player who searched his or her library this turn exiles the top thirteen cards of his or her library face down.
==
BONUS:
Xin Tzu
Planeswalker - Xin (M)
Xin Tzu isn’t put into a graveyard for having 0 or less loyalty counters on him.
/+1\ Turn up to one target nontoken creature you control face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
\-1/ Up to one target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
{0}
Black Hole
Sorcery (M)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. Each player moves all nonland permanents he or she owns to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Doesn't work. Mastery puts a restriction saying "You can't cast other spells". In Magic, "can't" always beats "can". If you have an Aggressive Mining out and play Exploration, you still can't play any lands.
Osho
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Mastery (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Whenever a player casts a spell, it counts as the first and only spell that player cast that turn. (For example, if you cast a spell this turn, then cast another spell this turn, you would have cast only one spell this turn, not two.)
1/1
His ability lets you cast non-mastery spells before a mastery spell since his ability makes all your mastery spells count as the first you cast that turn. It also hoses Storm decks since it always reduces the spell count to 0/1 and his rules text allude to false-diachotomy magnetic poles thing. That "The Two are not really Two but One."
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Alrighty, updated the text in the Render.
Still working around on "Purple"'s mechanical identiy. This is my notepad currently:
EXILE MILL
FACEDOWN 2/2
0 MATTERS
ZONES MATTER
+1/+1
OUTSIDE GAME/SIDEBOARD
SPELL BOUNCE
JAM/DISCARD
SEALS "ENCHANTMENTS WITH SAC THIS"
DAMAGE REDIRECTION/KARMA
ARTIFACT/ENCHANT/GRAVE HATE
KEYWORDS:
VIGILANCE
KARMA
SENSE
MASTERY
FLASH
SPLIT SECOND
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Now, on to card comments:
Aura Reader: I feel like this is a bit strong for 0, even with Mastery. A tutor that is also a 1/1 creature for absolutely no mana feels a bit nutty.
Awareness: This feels a bit strong at +1/+1. +0/+1?
Conscience: Sure. Good flavor.
Conservation of Energy: This one is ridiculous, especially without Mastery. A 2/2 creature for 0 just isn't doable, even with this restriction.
Drunken Sufi: This feels way too good... sure, it takes 3 times longer to kill somebody through Erasure, but that boost will slaughter creatures, no? I do like the idea of this. Not sure why a Drunken Sufi is good at wiping people's brains, though.
Karma: Hm... this negates payments, and that doesn't feel right. I recommend you just prevent damage, even though I know that undermines the flavor a bit. This feels a bit good as-is. Even the 'worst' of effects, like this one, get a bit nutty when they're 0.
Koan: Alright, I don't see the flavor of this. It's a Koan so puzzling that it breaks their brain? This seems fine with Mastery.
Let Go: Instants with Mastery are just Instants. And this one is ridiculously powerful. "Target player sacrifices an artifact or enchantment" would STILL be powerful.
Master's Gaze: Too strong for common. Fine at uncommon. Needs a better name, it implies you're enchanting the creature with a Master's Gaze.
Once Returner: Feels too strong.
Presence: This one's ridiculous. That's a crazy boost for 0,
Psionic Slinger: I don't see why this needs to have erasure and the damage. That just feels like being clever for no reason. Simplify. Name doesn't feel Purple at all - feels too aggressive.
Psiwave: Free creature kill is disgusting. Not possible.
Qigong Master: Very interesting, but pushed IMO. Especially in multiples.
Sanyasin: Sure. Memnite at common would be weird in any other set, but it feels fine here.
Sensible Elder: Experimenting with variations? This one seems too good. Perfect chumper.
Wandering Hermit: Name doesn't make sense with ability. I'd prefer if Sanyasin and this one swapped names - going face-down represents him 'finding the truth'. (: Anyway, this is uncommon.
Warp: Too good at common. I'd like this at uncommon or even rare.
Zen Master: "Target creature you control", sure. As-is, way too effective of removal.
Zerowave: Again, Instants with Mastery mean absolutely nothing. This one feels too good.
Zen Tutor: Neat!
Cosmic Wall: Way too good with anything that allows walls to attack. Give it a CMC restriction and I think it'd be fine.
Immaculate Conception: This is weird for the sake of being weird. Not a good design.
Lesson in Patience: Too good at 0. Interesting idea for an actual blue spell, though.
No Self: Creature-kill for 0 is disgustingly overpowered.
Novice Monk: Stick to memnites. It's more fitting for purple's flavor that their 'base' creature is non-aggressive.
Presence: Even at uncommon this is too powerful. Being rare don't help, either. It's just not printable at this cost in any rarity.
Pure Potential: Why? So many other things invalidate this.
Seventh Seal: Sure.
Shaolin Monk: Instant-speed with Mastery might as well not have Mastery. This is too good.
Soul Mates: Love doesn't feel purple, no? I thought love was an earthly attachment.
Wandering Hermit: Uncommon feels correct for this guy. Still rooting for a name-swap with Sanyasin.
Zen Master: Nontoken - nice. Still needs to say "you control" - too good as removal.
Karmic Protector: Sure, even if very strong the creatures die fast anyway. Where are all the other cards with Karma?
Eternity: Sure. This is what I expected Pure Potential to be.
Dexterity: While I dislike Mastery spells that natively have flash, this design feels fine, as when a player figures out that they can use Mastery stuff on your opponent's turn, they'll feel smart.
Osho: You're not going to be able to find a version of this that works - just saying. Removing the drawback from Mastery is a baaaad idea.
Satori: Sure.
Xin Tzu: Sure, even if very very weak. I expected this guy to have a 0 ability.
Black Hole: Feels way too good. Only rarely will people pick graveyard or hand - might as well not even present the choice.
Overall:
Overall, you have a very interesting idea. Probably impossible to ever see come to print, but I encourage you to keep exploring it, as this is certainly the most experimental and interesting of design space you have touched yet. I'm looking forward to seeing more.
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
Thanks for the awesome feedback.
Most of what you were getting at was where I was headed with, with the alt costs like turns and Delve. And the SYNERGY thing was there from the inception, though with other colors I hadn't thought of. As far as SYNERGY, that is sort of what kind of feel Xin Tzu seeks to achieve. Where Between 1/1 creatures, turning them face down and pumping them for +1/+1 with Qi Blast effects and giving them Karma all eventually amount to slowly bringing an opponent down with small incremental parts.
EXILE-MILL is the main win-con I wanted to approach with the flavor of the PURPLE-MAGE being a MENTOR and WINNING by EMPTYING his OPPONENT's MIND, thus ENLIGHTENING by reducing him to NOTHING. The PURPLE-MAGE uses the opponent's own force against them (Damage redirection and Karma) to achieve these ends.
Most of the cards themselves are just rough quick drafts the main focus now is fleshing out flavor and mechanical identities for the color.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
I recommend Karma and other damage-reversal effects convert it into mill. That'd feel less powerful, and more fitting for Purple, no?
If mill is what you envisage as the primary win-con, why does Xin Tzu not mill?
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
I didn't want to over-extend Purple into Mill to the extent that it couldn't play well with other colors who were trying to win by damage. Also this:
Jace, Sensei
Planeswalker - Jace (M)
/+1\ Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
[0] Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
\-1/ Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the number of face down exiled cards he or she owns.
{1}
Jace, with his struggle between and would be a good candidate for . Perhaps going to Kamigawa and learning some "Ancient Eastern Secrets" then return to Ravnica which will be in dissaray, where the pressure and chaos will force him to choose either or to either restore the Guildpact or Rule Ravnica as a Tyrant. Whereby he will rather than going left or right, will TRANSCEND the color Pie! And thus bring INTEGRATION to the Guilds.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Osho 0
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor {R}
Mastery
You may cast one spell with mastery each turn as though you haven't cast any spells this turn.
1/1
Also, how exactly do these cards register as multicolored? The mana costs don't have colored mana symbols, nor do they have a color indicator. But there also aren't any other abilities that state explicitly that they're multicolored.
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format
Minimum deck size: 60
Maximum number of identical cards: 4
Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
I guess as far as the Multicolored thing is concerned, A • color indicator could work where • means MULTICOLORED but not W, U, B, R, or G.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Aesthetics and to give "Purple" a sense of being a "Color" and having its own identity away from colorless since "Multicolor" is already like the 7th part of the Magic Rainbow with Colorless being the 6th. Mechanically, it means rather than saying "DO X to target PURPLE thing" it can be "DO X to target MULTICOLOR thing"
• would just mean MULTICOLOR as a color indicator, but there just would appear no mana symbols or other colors that make it up. The definition fits the flavor that two or more is actually Purple or Void.
==
Most recent attempt at Common Creatures:
Aspect of Self
• Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Blind Gnome
• Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Dharma Speaker
• Creature — Human Monk (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Fractal
• Creature — Reflection (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Gnomish Nomad
• Creature — Gnome Nomad (C)
0/1
Voidslinger
• Creature — Dranaei Wizard (C)
Whenever Nullslinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Qigong Master
• Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Rainbow Mage
• Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Rainbow Mage enters the battlefield, return target multicolored card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Selfless Spirit
• Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Zen Master
• Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down.
1/1
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Rainbow Mage feels a little strong.
Other than those, I like the rest! Seems like you're starting to hit the sweet spot of balance.
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
Purple will have most of its spells be Seals ala Seal of Cleansing like such:
Spell Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Spell Seal: Return target spell to its owner's hand.
This way it can make a more effect use out of Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.) for its Instant speed effects.
As such, Rainbow Mage ideally would like to return Seal cards from the graveyard to the hand. So I went with Multicolor but also considered CMC 0, though its a lot more lines of text...
Or maybe something like this?
Skillful Monk
• Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Skillful Monk enters battlefield, you may return a card with flash from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
I don't think Purple needs to get the Elkin ability natively, it feels like far too powerful of a synergy. You can definitely emphasize red's Elkin abilities in the set they share with Purple, though, as a point of synergy.
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Clear the Mind
Enchantment (C)
Each opponent’s maximum hand size is reduced by one.
Empty your mind. Be formless. Shapeless.
Gnomish Mystic
Creature — Gnome Mystic (C)
: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0/1
Headspace
Instant (C)
Target player’s maximum hand size is reduced by two until end of turn.
Pouring my guest a cup of tea, he shouted: “No more will go in! It is overfull.” I replied, that “Like this cup, you are full of your own beliefs. How can I show you anything unless you first empty your cup?”
Instant Karma
Instant (C)
Target creature gains karma until end of turn. (Whenever a source deals damage to that creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Karmic Reflection
Creature — Reflection (C)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
0/1
Ki Blast
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Koan
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Target player exiles the top seven cards of his or her library face down.
Let Go
Sorcery (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Exile target artifact or enchantment face down.
“Less is more.”
Mantra
Sorcery (C)
Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Master's Gaze
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature’s base power is 0.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
Meditation Seal
Enchantment (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Meditation Seal: Target player exiles the top five cards of his or her library face down.
Mirror Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Mirror Seal: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead.
“Breaking it is seven years good luck.”
Mystical Moonfolk
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (C)
If Mystical Moonfolk is in your opening hand you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
0/1
Once Returner
Creature — Human Monk (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Once Returner dies, return it to the battlefield face down under its owner’s control. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Planar Eye
Creature — Eye (C)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
0/1
Prismage
Creature — Moonfolk Wizard (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Prismage gets +1/+1 for each color among creatures you control.
1/1
Selfless Spirit
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
0/1
Sunya Slinger
Creature — Moonfolk Wizard (C)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn’t cause this creature to tap.)
Whenever Sunya Slinger attacks, defending player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
0/1
Warp Seal
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Warp Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. If target permanent would leave the battlefield this turn, its owner moves it to the chosen zone instead.
Zen Master
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Zen Master enters the battlefield, turn target nontoken creature you control face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
1/1
Ego Death
Sorcery (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Turn target nontoken creature face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
“Persona means ‘mask’.”
Enlightened Soratami
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (U)
Enlightened Soratami is all colors (even if this card isn't in play).
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Vigilance
1/1
Fractal Reflection
Creature — Reflection (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to Fractal Reflection this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.
1/1
Introvert
Creature — Human Nomad (U)
: Turn Introvert face down. (Its a 2/2 creature.)
“When the whole world is in disarray, the only direction to run is in.”
0/1
Jannah Gnome
Creature — Gnome Mystic (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Jannah Gnome enters the battlefield, you may return target multicolored card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Ki-Fist
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
When Ki-Fistenters the battlefield, target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
1/1
Kigong Master
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
1/1
Pure Potential
Creature — Reflection (U)
“Zero is the only number you can add to infinity.” — Ancient Shandalar Secret
0/0
Seventh Seal
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice Seventh Seal: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard face down.
All mana will return to whence it came.
Shaolin Monk
Creature — Human Monk (U)
Flash
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sense (Effects that say this creature can’t block another creature don’t apply.)
Vigilance
1/1
Silent Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Silent Seal: Each creature’s base power becomes 0 until end of turn.
Spell Seal
Enchantment (U)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Sacrifice Spell Seal: Return target spell to its owner’s hand.
Zen Tutor
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 0 and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it.
“That is the difficulty with all that is great: if you try, you miss. It comes effortlessly or not at all.”
Black Hole
Sorcery (M)
Choose graveyard, hand or exile. Each player moves all nonland permanents he or she owns to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn.
Do not fear to approach it. How do you know the side you’re on isn’t better than the one to come?
Bodhidharma
Legendary Creature — Human Monk (R)
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
“Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path.”
1/1
Common Sense
Enchantment (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Creatures you control have sense. (Effects that say creatures you control can’t block other creatures don’t apply.)
Dexterity
Instant (R)
The next card you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash.
Effortlessness comes after effort, not before.
Eternity
Creature — Avatar (R)
Eternity can’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield for having 0 or less toughness and can’t be destroyed by lethal damage.
“You exist in time, but you belong to me.”
0/0
Gnostic Gnome
Creature — Gnome Mystic (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target face-down exiled card and turn it face-up. You may play it this turn.
1/1
Gravity Seal
Enchantment (R)
Sacrifice Gravity Seal: Choose graveyard, hand or exile. The owner of target permanent moves it to the chosen zone. You skip your next turn.
Neither time nor death escape the void.
Karmic Protector
Creature — Spirit (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Karma (Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source’s controller loses that much life.)
Other creatures you control have karma.
1/1
Manaforge Mystic
Creature — Moonfolk Mystic (R)
Simplicity (Cast this spell only if its the first you cast this turn. You can’t cast other spells this turn.)
Whenever you cast a white, blue, black, red or green spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Manaforge Mystic.
1/1
Master Beleren
Planeswalker — Jace (M)
Starting Loyalty: 1
+1: Target player exiles the top card of his or her library face down.
0: Target player exiles the top three cards of his or her library face down.
-1: Target player exiles the top X cards of his or her library face down, where X is equal to the number of face down exiled cards the or she owns.
Mysterious Chimera
Creature — Chimera (M)
Simplicity
Flying
Mysterious Chimera’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of exiled cards.
Made up of both dreams and nightmares.
*/*
Satori
Instant (R)
Target player who searched his or her library this turn exiles the top thirteen cards of his or her library face down.
“It is one thing to see the peak from the valley. Another to ascend to the peak, another all together to become the peak!”
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Simplicity/Mastery is a necessary mechanic for this.
I would suggest that it is to flash-in-the-pan to be a bonafide color. 0 is interesting for a set or a block, but it would take some pretty serious work to bring that something worthy of grandfathering another color into Magic.
That the design of Purple led you here is absolutely fantastic. Definitely spaghetti method. It's sticking, but perhaps not in the way you'd like. (IE, it's not another color, it's 0. It's its own thing.)
Small set mechanic for the benefit of magic as a whole. To many of these cards and you run the risk of them all being borked somewhere down the road.
Banner by Topher!
Here's some more stuff:
A Render by the name of Involuted Negator. The literal name of the artwork by James Roper.
Rather than Gnomes, Negators and Moonfolk being the + and - aspects of the 0/∞ diachotomy of the Purple philosophy.
PURPLE
PARADOX 0 INTEGRATION
Paradox
Synthesis
Emptiness
Purple mages rather than using mana to fight their battles are self-reliant and physical, using ancient martial arts techniques and the power of emptiness. Just as we blow glass into a cup, it is the hollow of the cup that allows us to drink. There is usefulness in emptiness. The Purple mage draws from this resource. When a Purple mage fights, they will force opponents to defeat themselves, drawing portals that reflect attacks back to where they came from, sometimes even tearing rifts open into the blind eternities themselves, the space between planes.
Simplicity, dexterity and awareness are the signature of the Purple mage.
For Purple mages, what goes around comes around. So it chooses to remain still, neither coming nor going. Thus came, thus gone. The Purple mage uses the forces of gravity and magnetism to make the world seek Purple out rather than Purple seeking it. Purple’s style is that of no-style. Its world view is no-world view. The art of fighting without fighting. By remaining undefined it is open to all possibilities. By not giving them anything to oppose, eventually Purple wins by allowing the enemy to defeat itself.
Examples of Purple spells include ki-blasts, reversal of energetic forces and sovereignty over space to tear open rifts and portals into the blind eternities!
Purple-aligned creatures use their keen senses and skillfulness to subdue enemies without fighting them. Purple-aligned creatures seek to relinquish their opponents from their own limitations and inner conflicts and do this by coaxing them to drop their own world-views. Letting go of what they were, they become what they might be. Purple mages call reflections of their opponents forth that they may be forced to confront their own shadows. Brotherhoods of honorable Monks come to the aid of their fellow Purple mages. For between all Purple mages, there is no distance, either of time or of space.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.