So, I posted here the other day regarding a custom set I'm making based on tricolor "blocs" (a mix of shards and wedges), asking for inspiration mechanic-wise. So far I've made some headway thanks to suggestions from other users, and I started mocking up some cards. In specific, the one mechanic I've been having trouble judging the power level of is my URG faction mechanic: Innovate. It is based on the suggestion by user BOVINE (they named it "Conceive), which reads as followed
Innovate - [mana cost], reveal a random card from hand and discard this card. Do effect.
Generally, it reads more like
Innovate - [mana cost], reveal a random card from hand and discard this card. If that card is a certain type (land, creature, instant or sorcery, shaman) do X.
I realize that this is underwhelming for sure and a feel bad if you hit the wrong type of card, which is why I've attempted to pretty aggressively cost these effects. Here are some I jotted down:
Fun Police UUG
Creature – Vedalken Shaman (R)
Flash
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, counter target spell
Innovate – UU, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If it was a noncreature, nonland card, you may counter target spell.
1/2
Fun Scientists 1UR
Creature – Human Artificer (U)
Whenever you reveal a card from your hand, if it is an instant or sorcery card, you may draw a card. Otherwise, deal 1 damage to any target.
Innovate – R, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. Draw a card, then deal 1 damage to any target.
3/3
Innovative Dreadmaw 4GG
Creature – Dinosaur (U)
Trample
Innovate – GGG, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If the revealed card is a creature, you may discard it. If you do, put a 6/6 green Dinosaur creature token with trample named Colossal Dreadmaw onto the battlefield.
6/6
Dwarven Spirit Guide 1RG
Creature – Dwarf Shaman (R)
Innovate – reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If that card is a land card, you may add (R/G) to your mana pool, then exile your graveyard.
2/2
Is innovate an ability word or a keyword? It looks like an ability word but desperately wants to be a keyword. In case you don't know Ability words don't actually have any function, they are just a reminder that effects work similarly. While a keyword has actual rules text that defines how the ability works. I'm not certain it can function as a keyword, but it really wants to try. Either way, with the way you have written this effect I can't tell where the cost ends and the ability begins. Are you supposed to be able to reveal the card with Innovate? If you aren't can you not cast this without a second card?
Innovate - X, Discard this card: Reveal a card at random from your hand. If it is (Quality), do X.
This clearly separates the cost and effect. Like this, you won't need a second card in your hand to activate but you won't ever gain the effect as there is no revealed card, you just discarded it for some reason.
To make this a Keyword I think you will have to go with some really weird wording, or making it two different abilities. Innovate just discards the card from your hand while a second ability triggers, if you revealed the right card.
Innovate - X(X, Discard this card: Reveal a card at random from your hand.)
When you Innovate ~, if you revealed a (quality) card, do X.
This opens some interesting design space while making it awkward with graveyard removal. You can set it so the cards trigger from the graveyard any time you innovate. This allows you to make the effects less drastic as getting more of them actually increases the likely hood of getting an effect and getting multiple effects.
Looking at the effect as is, the only design that looks interesting is Innovative Dreadmaw, the cost of having to discard the revealed card is significant enough that even in an all creature deck where you will almost assuredly reveal a creature card its still a hefty price to make to get the dreadmaw, which is good for an uncommon.
The Fun Police is exactly that, in the deck that wants it, it is almost always a counterspell which just isn't a good thing. Frilled Mystic is already a decent card, allowing control decks the option of using it as a turn 2 counter is far too good even pushing up a rarity.
Fun Scientists is in fact fun because you have taken away the gamble so at worst it's a cantrip that occasionally kills a creature. This would be a powerful first pick rare.
Dwarven Spirit Guide, an obvious riff on the broken spirit guides. It's trying really hard to not be broken, but either it is or it's bad, so why?
You don't want something the swings between broken and unplayable. If you have to ignore the gambling part to make good cards then why are you gambling at all? I would suggest you go with much smaller effects and use the graveyard stacking method I discussed.
I'll be blunt- I don't like this mechanic and I'm not sure there's anything you can do to save it. The fundamental premise here is revealing random cards from your hand and caring about what was revealed. I don't think that's a fun thing to base a mechanic on. It's unreliable and largely uncontrollable, punishes you majorly when you wiff in a way that players will hate, and can potentially majorly reduce hidden information through the card reveals making things less interesting and more predictable.
It's an interesting line of design ideas to consider, but I don't think this goes anywhere. I would look elsewhere for your mechanic, I'm sure you can find something.
"Random" mechanics tend to be wildly unpopular. They don't reward skillful play and have to be designed in such a way that they fail more often then not in order for them to be properly balanced which results in these kinds of cards tending to suck. I love random effects, but they are a nightmare to balance on one-of cards let alone a whole mechanic.
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Innovate - [mana cost], reveal a random card from hand and discard this card. Do effect.
Generally, it reads more like
Innovate - [mana cost], reveal a random card from hand and discard this card. If that card is a certain type (land, creature, instant or sorcery, shaman) do X.
I realize that this is underwhelming for sure and a feel bad if you hit the wrong type of card, which is why I've attempted to pretty aggressively cost these effects. Here are some I jotted down:
Fun Police
UUG
Creature – Vedalken Shaman (R)
Flash
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, counter target spell
Innovate – UU, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If it was a noncreature, nonland card, you may counter target spell.
1/2
Fun Scientists
1UR
Creature – Human Artificer (U)
Whenever you reveal a card from your hand, if it is an instant or sorcery card, you may draw a card. Otherwise, deal 1 damage to any target.
Innovate – R, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. Draw a card, then deal 1 damage to any target.
3/3
Innovative Dreadmaw
4GG
Creature – Dinosaur (U)
Trample
Innovate – GGG, reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If the revealed card is a creature, you may discard it. If you do, put a 6/6 green Dinosaur creature token with trample named Colossal Dreadmaw onto the battlefield.
6/6
Dwarven Spirit Guide
1RG
Creature – Dwarf Shaman (R)
Innovate – reveal a random card from your hand and discard this card. If that card is a land card, you may add (R/G) to your mana pool, then exile your graveyard.
2/2
This clearly separates the cost and effect. Like this, you won't need a second card in your hand to activate but you won't ever gain the effect as there is no revealed card, you just discarded it for some reason.
To make this a Keyword I think you will have to go with some really weird wording, or making it two different abilities. Innovate just discards the card from your hand while a second ability triggers, if you revealed the right card.
This opens some interesting design space while making it awkward with graveyard removal. You can set it so the cards trigger from the graveyard any time you innovate. This allows you to make the effects less drastic as getting more of them actually increases the likely hood of getting an effect and getting multiple effects.
Looking at the effect as is, the only design that looks interesting is Innovative Dreadmaw, the cost of having to discard the revealed card is significant enough that even in an all creature deck where you will almost assuredly reveal a creature card its still a hefty price to make to get the dreadmaw, which is good for an uncommon.
The Fun Police is exactly that, in the deck that wants it, it is almost always a counterspell which just isn't a good thing. Frilled Mystic is already a decent card, allowing control decks the option of using it as a turn 2 counter is far too good even pushing up a rarity.
Fun Scientists is in fact fun because you have taken away the gamble so at worst it's a cantrip that occasionally kills a creature. This would be a powerful first pick rare.
Dwarven Spirit Guide, an obvious riff on the broken spirit guides. It's trying really hard to not be broken, but either it is or it's bad, so why?
You don't want something the swings between broken and unplayable. If you have to ignore the gambling part to make good cards then why are you gambling at all? I would suggest you go with much smaller effects and use the graveyard stacking method I discussed.
It's an interesting line of design ideas to consider, but I don't think this goes anywhere. I would look elsewhere for your mechanic, I'm sure you can find something.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice