The changeling stared at Davison's hand for a moment. "...Hector," he decided, miming the motion. Even without a sweeping physical change, he felt different. More legitimate. He listened to the retelling of Alster's story; war and crystal relics, and a Tree of Vessels. He resolved to head northeast, still feeling like he was missing something.
Hector, VatbornR
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
The goblin freed and now two gold richer, Emeric nods at the goblin and makes a note of the new route. He also realizes that the oddly flightless faerie is heading in the same direction as him. After a bit of debate, Emeric opted to instead head down the sorrows Path toward the goblins house,perhaps this goblin of this Fantaff may lead him to some less known crystals, worth investigating at least.
Skipping ahead to Davison's talk of more crystals.
As Davison starts to speak, Ralthok proclaims "I do not care for petty war or your talk, human. What I care for is power and battle. Show me where I can find either suitable for me, and I will go that path."
Davison replies, "The sinkhole, to the caverns eastward, holds a crystal."
Ralthok pondered for a moment. "You. You are more serviceable than the last one. I will not return for you," he says as he walks toward the east.
Assuming I won't find an encounter on the way...
Ralthok eyes the cliffs where treasure seekers lie. He loudly shouts, "PETTY MEN, DO YOU HAVE WISH FOR BATTLE?!?"
The seekers reply as loud as they see fit, "We are only here to find gold and other valuables, not to fight... things like you."
"YOU CALL ME A THING, SMALL HUMAN?!? YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!!!"
With this, Ralthok scales the cliff.
Scale the Treacherous2R
Sorcery (U)
Choose target creature and flip a coin. If you win the flip, the creature gets +5/+2 and first strike until end of turn. Otherwise, sacrifice it.
RalthokR
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
No abilities
No Inventory
My thoughts are with the friends and family of the Orlando Shooting victims and with the rest of the LGBTQA+ community.
Check out my Newborder Peasant Cube here! http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/37467
Necarg, please don't acknowledge this in any way whatsoever.
True Name Mafia (Win),Clan Contest IX Mafia (Win), Bravely Default Mafia (Loss), BOTAS (loss), BfV (Loss), Ace Attourney (loss)
Rules Advisor before they were eradicated
Just so everyone knows in case there is any confusion, you are not obligated to use color(s) matching your character unless it says so in the challenge restrictions. But you are welcome to play that way if you want.
Careless Theft
Design: I think this is a great synergy of abilities. It saves the trouble of “combos well with a sac outlet” by being its own sac outlet, if the price is right. Innovative. The only thing I’m bumping on with this is the name - It just doesn’t feel careless, it feels more ruthless or the like. Also think the cost could be lower/maybe 2R given the specificity of what it can steal. 8.5/10
Flavor: Your text gives some explanation to how this works, but I can’t shake the feeling that is doesn’t feel like something that pulls something up from the bottom of a deep well. Mechanically, though, if the well were a bit shallower or something, this does make sense for the generally concept of “getting a teddy bear.” 5/10
Score: 13.5 - SUCCESS
You retrieve the teddy bear from the well and, after some deliberation, return it to the child. He thanks you with a Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat).
“Debu,” the goblin replies as he scampers up the road to the north, getting out of sight remarkably quickly.
You proceed to the south to Cabernak Sinkhole, an area surrounded on all sides by ocean except for the north, from where you came. The salty air swirls in your face as you come startlingly to the edge of a giant sinkhole, maybe a quarter-mile in diameter and descending down farther than you can see by a great deal. Presumably, if there is a crystal around here somewhere, it’s more likely down there than up here.
You also can barely see anything down there, so you will need a light source.
CHALLENGE
Descend to the bottom of the sinkhole and give yourself a way to see down there.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
None
Difficulty: 13
Thief’s Agility
Design: This is very interesting. Used on a big enough dude and it’s damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t for the opponent, plus you get to draw a card. I think my favorite version of this card would be to take away the cantrip and make it a common, or maybe add 1 to the cost. It just feels like a card that can sometimes be 4 life advantage + draw a card for one mana is pretty good. But I really like the colorshifting into black like this. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name works well here but I’m not sure that can’t-be-blocked feels like it ties into going down a cliff. 4.5/10
Score: 11 - SUCCESS
You make your way quickly to the shore and meet up with your new comrades. Together, the three of you venture into the cavern. It’s not long until you all start bumping into things - the translucent rocks playing tricks on you as they always do.
“The loot shouldn’t be too far now-- What was that?” One of the treasure hunters stops in his tracks. “You, wait here,” he says to you, before summoning his companion and scouting a few steps ahead with him. You wait as told for a minute before they beckon you to join them again. You slither ahead and find them, swords drawn, facing you. “Looks like we found our treasure.”
CHALLENGE
You are attacked by two of these:
Cave BanditUB
Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever Cave Bandit deals combat damage to a player, you may discard an Island card. If you do, that player discards a card.
2/2
Survive.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must be a common.
You can fight or run or do anything you want, but you can only make one card.
Difficulty: 12
OOC NOTE: Another player (Necarg) has made his way to the cave’s entrance by now. If you wish, you could call out for assistance.
The two of you convene midway through the Horizon Coast Road and find yourselves traveling the same way. You both go east and arrive at the Tree of Vessels.
This tree is incredibly wide - it would take upwards of twenty people to form a circle all around it, but also quite short considering - maybe only 30 feet, making it dimensionally look almost more like a bush than a tree. Surrounding it is a grassy expanse, the fertility of the plant life seemingly augmented. Blooming flowers are larger and more colorful than in other nearby areas. To the west is the Horizon Coast Road, to the east is the northern half of a road called Sorrow’s Trail, to the south is a large lake, and to the north are some distant sea cliffs.
If there is a crystal here, it is not out in the open. You could search for it yourself, or, you notice there is a druid investigating a small sapling a few yards away from the main tree. Perhaps he knows something about the place, or perhaps not.
You hear the goblin introduce himself as “Debu” to your brief companion, then he scampers up the road. You proceed north as a more reasonable pace onto Sorrow’s Trail.
This road runs along the coast. It appears rather standard - the reasons it has its ominous name are not apparent just from walking onto it. To the south is Hanged Man’s Crossroads, and to the north you see what looks to be a proper city. To the west is a lake, and a bit of the ways up the road to the east appears to be some sort of strange tree. To the east is ocean, but you can just make out a glimpse of what appears to be another large land mass, but smaller - a small continent perhaps in the distant horizon.
You proceed up the road, heading north, past the lake entirely. The city is now fuller in view, but you stop quite suddenly at the sight of a being staring out into the ocean. It appears to be some sort of bipedal horse creature - it also appears to be very much a ghost. You may address him or, if you would rather seek your reward from Debu, head up to Fantaff.
OOC: Events at the cliffs changed due to other players (read poison counter’s spoiler this round) such that they aren’t there when you get there. As such, I am modifying events a bit.
You come to the Lucent Cavern and see nothing, but hear a commotion that seems to come from just below your feet. You walk to the cliff’s edge and peer over, hearing the word “treasure...” echo from the caves, uttered by a voice that sounds like it belongs to a weakling. As such, you attempt to make your way down and investigate.
Scale the Treacherous
Design: Coin flip cards are always tricky and this is no exception. I think it’s a bit strange that this is a sorcery. Yes, you can possibly boost a creature’s attacking power by a lot, but you’re doing it at great risk and not granting evasion. I think I would like this better if it were an instant that could only target a non-blocking creature. The balance seems OK in terms of the coin flip though. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name works and the notion of bulking up for the task also makes some sense. You’ve also captured the perils of doing so. 8/10
Score: 14.5 - SUCCESS
You make your way to the base of the cave and the ruckus inside seems to be continuing. (I have given poison the option to reach out to you for help, or not to. If poison and you decide to work together, great. If not, you will arrive at the scene inside the cave only in time for the aftermath of whatever poison decides to do.)
Having avoided being wet and having resisted the urges natural to all Satyrs, Kyrillos was in a sweet-and-sour mood. However, upon receiving the sword, he laughed earnestly. What a thing of beauty it was - for a "hero" to retrive a toy at the bottom of a well, he was awarded a toy weapon! Oh, the beautiful irony! His satyrical senses were tickled pink by it. His mood now brightened, the Vatborn ruffled the child's hair.
"Now don't lose it again," he warned. "I'm an important hero now, boy. I have important, hero stuff to do!"
Tying the toy sword at his side as if it were made of real steel, the Satyr headed towards the Tree of Vessels. And to think his first act would be the retrieval of a toy... maybe he could convince the history books to take that part out?
Kyrillos R
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
Bandits, huh. Well, they will give me someone to blame when I inevitably kill the treasure hunters. But first I must get them out of my face as their stench is almost as dangerous as their shoddy daggers. Perhaps an equally vulgar creature could dispose of them.
Cave Abomination 3BB
Creature-Shade Horror
Lifelink 1B:Cave Abomination gets +1/+1 until end of turn
4/4
Hector knelt down at the roots of the tree as the elf and the druid spoke. He tried to reach out to the life force permeating the area, looking for the same aura the crystals in the factory had given off.
Vessel SearchG
Sorcery (U)
Choose target card in your graveyard. Search your library for a card with the same name as that card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. No bloom is ever truly alone.
Hector, VatbornR
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Out from the off putting Hangmans crossing and onto the oddly named Sorrow's Trail. Emeric looked around taking in the scenery as he approached the town, however before he got there he saw an unusual creature,clearly a ghost, but unlike ay creature he had seen thus far, even in the statue room. Curious he approached the spectral figure hand raised in greeting to see why this creature was staring out here.Looks like he had another mystery on his hands.
Note: Many of you are at the Tree of Vessels. You're not doing the same stuff so I separated your spoilers, but it's worth reading each other's to decide whether to team up, since I'm guessing you're all ultimately there for the same reason.
After a rather uneventful day’s journey, you come, exhausted, to the Tree of Vessels, where you see a couple other vatborn spawns have beaten you here. You see one talking to a druid, and the other attempting to detect any crystal energies. You also see a large interesting bird waddling around:
Three-Legged EmuskG
Creature - Bird (U) T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you control a creature with flying.
1/1
You could perhaps try to interact with it in some way if neither of your potential allies are appealing to you.
OOC: If they were to die, you would receive loot from what they had on them, yes, but what exactly it was would be decided by me.
Cave Abomination
Design: Too strong. For the challenge, it’s supposed to be a common and this at common just wouldn’t happen. 4/4 with lifelink is almost an automatic uncommon at any mana cost, and with a shade ability you know you can use at least twice, it’s just overkill. Maybe if this thing’s base stats were 2/2, I’d be giving you a different grade, but as-is: 4/10.
Flavor: You know, I was ready for you to fail after the balance problems, but the flavor here is quite good so I think you might succeed. It feels like a dark naga summon (speaking of, don’t forget creature type line in your stats please) and its specific to the situation. Strong enough to take on both. I like it. 8/10
Score: 12 - SUCCESS (but barely)
Your abomination takes down the bandits and they scream in agony, but the abomination was so ruthless with them that not much remains for you to loot. You manage to find one scrap of paper left: Ticket to Cavorton. It appears to be a voucher for a sea voyage, perhaps the return trip they were going to take after looting unsuspecting adventurers.
OOC: Hopefully you see this. I know you didn’t post this round but since you were waiting on poison, I thought I’d give you an optional interaction.
You hear a commotion from inside the cave. There is a loud thud and a nearby rock falls - then says “ouch.” Then it looks back up at where it had been dangling, forlorn. Maybe he wants a boost back up, or maybe he’s your next punching bag.
Stalactite GoblinR
Creature - Elemental Goblin
~ can’t block as long as you control an untapped Mountain.
2/1
“Oh, no, nothing wrong with it, quite the opposite!” the Druid replies. “I planted this as a sprout only yesterday and look what it has become. I don’t know what it is about this place that makes the soil so rich, but it truly is. Perhaps something in the roots down below the Tree of Vessels is making things this way. Regardless, I only came to check on my dear sprout, and now I must go. If you ever find yourself at the Crystal Blade outpost near Cavorton, find me there and I may have work for you. My name is Clave, and I hope to see you around.” And with that, he departed.
I’m going to put the difficulty of detecting crystal energy here at 13.5. (Note, in the interest of fairness, I always come up with this before looking closely at the card.)
Vessel Search
Design: I see what you’re doing here, but I wonder if, even with green’s penchant for reclaiming cards in your graveyard, this isn’t still black. Black is the most tutory color overall, and it also interacts with graveyards. I feel like this card would either be black OR cost one more mana if it’s going to be in green. I really like the concept though, it’s a cool new tutor. I also know why you called it this, but the flavor text doesn’t quite mesh with the name. Very small complaint there, though. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name is spot on for this category, and I like that you found a way to search for crystals that’s a lot more interesting than “find an artifact.” It’s very cool. 8.5/10
Score: 15 - SUCCESS
You make your search around the area and start to feel a strange feeling, concentrated in your feet. As you lift them off the ground, they feel normal, but as long as they are in contact with the soil, they feel different, though only faintly. You feel it more strongly the closer you are to the Tree of Vessels. You get the feeling that there’s a lot more going on beneath it.
The ghost, a Noggle, looks back and you, then shrieks in horror. “You can see me!?” he cries out. You reply that you can, and ask what’s wrong.
“There used to be a lot of my kind around here, a small tribe of us. But when war came the last time, we were turned into war horses, so to speak. We were marched along this road, carrying all the human soldiers’ burdens, shackled and chained. Most of us died walking down this road, either from the burden and exhausting or from ambushes by enemy forces. That’s how it got the name Sorrow’s Trail.”
“I thought I was lucky - I died quickly, crushed by a changeling behemoth - but I’ve been trapped here ever since, and I can’t seem to move on.”
CHALLENGE
Help the Noggle ghost move on from his ghostly form.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must cost two mana of a single color.
Ralthok laughs at the face of the puny creature. "What is your purpose now, small gremlin?" he asks.
"Me want boost to ceiling rock," the goblin replies.
Ralthok laughs again, this time at his plan. "Then so be it. But, what reward do I get from this task? No matter, I will 'boost' you." After he finished speaking, Ralthok uses a mighty throw to launch the goblin into the ceiling.
Upward Throw
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to cast Upward Throw, sacrifice a non-flying creature.
Destroy target creature with flying.
RalthokR
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
Nothing. At All.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My thoughts are with the friends and family of the Orlando Shooting victims and with the rest of the LGBTQA+ community.
Check out my Newborder Peasant Cube here! http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/37467
Necarg, please don't acknowledge this in any way whatsoever.
True Name Mafia (Win),Clan Contest IX Mafia (Win), Bravely Default Mafia (Loss), BOTAS (loss), BfV (Loss), Ace Attourney (loss)
Rules Advisor before they were eradicated
"He's right." Hector stood up, brushing the dirt from his hands and turning to Aargas and the satyr he had seen dive into a well. "It's under the trunk. I don't know how deep. We could dig..." He turned and looked at the glade. It seemed such a shame to thrash the most lively place he'd seen in his life for a bauble, even if his nature was tied to it.
Hector, VatbornR
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Is there any restriction to how many crystals we can use? Or should we just touch everything in sight and sort it out later?
The Satyr was excited to see his peers at the Tree of Vessels. Far from being selfish, he appreciated their presence here; mostly because it meant there would likely be more chaos here very soon.
Although the bird provided a short distraction (look at how stubby its legs are!), Kyrillos soon turned towards the "Human" and his suggestion with a large grin on his face.
"Digging! How exciting!" he said, nodding. "I'll definitely help with that! However, this place does feel quite alive, doesn't it? I hope it means we don't get any monsters rearing their ugly heads, huh?"
With that, he rolled his shoulders and prepared for some chaos. Finally, an opportunity to let his nature loose!
KyrillosR
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
In response to a question asked this round: There is no limit on the total number of crystals you harness throughout the game, BUT you can only harness one crystal per crystal location, and obviously not every location has a crystal.
Boosting the goblin difficulty: 10
Upward Throw
Design: I guess this feels right? Having a pure “destroy target creature with flying” that you can cast in monored feels a bit like an abuse of hybrid mana, even with the sac. I get the flavor of the card mechanically, but the name could use some work since it sounds like something that would grant flying. Balance-wise this is fine. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name is spot-on and since I get what the card represents, it makes sense here. There’s just nothing really for the “destroy target creature with flying” to translate to in the game world, which is a shame. 6.5/10
Score: 13 - SUCCESS
The goblin is hoisted back up and resumes its old perch, falling instantly back to sleep it would seem. The impact of it hitting the cavern ceiling knocked loose a Small Red Gem which you pick up.
Thoughtwisp
Design: This seems very printable to me. A well balanced one-drop with reasonable sac ability and a cool name. Everything works. 9.5/10
Flavor: It took until the flavor text for me to understand how this also solves the lighting problem, and even then I feel like that’s a bit of a stretch, but the flying makes sense and I get how a wisp could be glowing so 7/10
Score: 16.5 - SUCCESS
You make your way down, down, down into the depths of the sinkhole, finally landing at the bottom. From here there is only one way forward, through a suspiciously well-rounded arch, as though it were manmade. Your wisp lighting the way, you weave through the tunnels, making your best guesses on the right way to go in a maze-like system. Eventually, you come into an open area and behold a crystal floating just above the ground. You go to approach it, but you see two guardians sitting in your way:
Sinkhole Guardian2RR
Creature - Golem
Whenever ~ becomes untapped, you may have it deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
3/4
CHALLENGES
1.. Get past/defeat the guardians
Restrictions/Clarifications:
You may make up to two cards for this challenge but each will be judged individually against the difficulty. They can work together or one can be a failsafe for the other.
No card made for this challenge can have a CMC higher than 3.
Difficulty: 14
2.. Harness the floating crystal’s energy
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must have CMC 1
Difficulty: 11
OOC: I feel like neither of you outright declared you’re doing this, but it seems like the implication so let’s just move things forward.
You begin to tunnel near the trunk of the tree and before long find yourselves in a cavernous dome-shapes room under the tree, the walls/ceiling of which are composed of the tree’s branches. In the center you see two pedestals, each overrun with roots. Through cracks in the roots you can see two crystals, one per pedestal. One is small but jittering around very quickly - the other is larger and gray. The closer you get to each pedestal the more tightly the roots seem to wrap around them. You get too close and suddenly find a monster descending from the ceiling.
Vessel Spider1BG
Creature - Spider
Reach
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Vessel Spider.
1/4
TEAMWORK CHALLENGES:
You have two challenges here on which you can work together:
1.. Deal with the Spider.
2.. Deal with the roots.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Each of you can make two cards total for this pair of challenges, dividing the challenges up as you see fit. (You can have 3 total cards for the spider and 1 for the roots, or go 2 and 2, and it’s up to you who makes which cards for which challenge.)
As the spider descended from the ceiling, Hector found himself reflexively bringing mana to bear and conjuring aid. It took the shape of the wolves he had seen in the dark forest around Gunlunshire; he'd been only fleetingly aware of them, but they felt familiar. He looked back at Kyrillos, also prepping his own spells, and sent them after the arachnid.
Haunted Wood-PackRR
Creature - Wolf (C)
When Haunted Wood-Pack enters the battlefield, it gains first strike until the beginning of your next turn.
2/1
Brutal Brawl1R
Sorcery (U)
Untap target creature you control and target creature you don't control. Those creatures fight each other.
Hector, VatbornR
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Can we do the crystal challenge after this one? I feel like it's kinda important to know if we can actually access it before we harness its power.
By the way, we decided on a 3-1 division between us: so three spells for the spider, one for the roots. The spells I present here is one for the spider, one for the roots.
When the gigantic spider descended from the ceiling above them, the Satyr released a dramatic sigh as he raised his hands in defense.
"Oh no, a monster!" he intoned theatrically. "Whatever shall we do!"
Of course, Kyrillos wasn't worried about the spider at all. It was just a spider, and his very blood was made of fire and destruction; what could possibly go wrong?
When his own "brother" summoned a Wolf in order to fight the spider, the Satyr nodded at him with a grin.
"Good thinking, man!" he said, pointing a magic-charged finger at the creature. "But I think it needs a little something more. Something like... this!"
Without further ado, Kyrillos released a bolt of pure magic aimed at the creature that Hector had summoned. Instead of harming it, however, the bolt coursed through its veins and changed the very nature of the beast itself. The wolf snarled, and its pupils went completely white; its muscles bulged and grew slightly in size, as foam began to pour out from its chops and its body began to tremble from the pure rage that Kyrillos had forcibly instilled within the creature. The Satyr admired his own work with a grin; now it was TRULY scary, but it probably couldn't sustain itself for very long at this rate. Oh well - wasn't that just the nature of art? Ephemereal, beautiful...and very, very easy to destroy.
--------
While Brutal Brawl is on the stack, I'll activate an Instant: Consumed by RageRR
Instant {U}
Target creature gets +3/+0 and has haste until end of turn.
When that creature deals damage this turn, it deals that much damage to itself. Forget your reservations, and give in to your most basic instinct.
--------
But Kyrillos quickly lost interest in the figurative dog-fighting that was going on between the enraged wolf and the spider, and so he turned towards another problem that he could see. Those crystals were very pretty indeed, and the Vatborn was interested in grabbing the one that was moving around too much - just like him! However, the roots were blocking their access, and he knew that there was no way they were going to access it easily without some form of weed-killer.
The Satyr grinned as he watched the plants, and called upon his magic once more. His eyes began to glow red, and his hands clenched into fists as he let it flow through his bloody. Finally! After the ordeal with the teddy bear, he finally had a chance to let go of his restaints and wreck some havoc! Oh, how happy it made him to be given a chance to destroy something!
Once his spell was fully prepared, Kyrillos raised his fist in the air. His fist was surrounded by a great, wild bonfire. He reeled his whole arm back, and threw the ball with as much force as his lithe body could muster; the spell was hurled through the air, and it hit the roots straight in their center... only for the spell to be absorbed by them shortly. But the Satyr was not discouraged; instead, he raised two fingers.
"Two, one..." he counted, lowering a finger each time, visibly excited.
When his last finger was lowered, a great explosion shook the roots from within, and fire roared from the point of the spell's impact. So great was the noise that it shook the ground itself; so powerful was his spell that the fire spread throughout the roots, the flames licking and devouring everything in their path as they sought to destroy everything that they touched.
Kyrillos laughed joyously as he witnessed the effects of his spell, hopping in place from one leg to the other. What a magnificient bonfire he had created! If only others were here to see it!
--------
For the roots, I'll cast this: Living Bomb2RR
Sorcery {U}
Living Bomb deals 3 damage to target creature. When that creature dies this turn, it deals 2 damage to its controller and to each creature he or she controls. "That's not a stomach burn you're feeling..."
--------
KyrillosR
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
Ralthok continues through the cave where the cries came from.
Ralthok R
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
Small Red Gem
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My thoughts are with the friends and family of the Orlando Shooting victims and with the rest of the LGBTQA+ community.
Check out my Newborder Peasant Cube here! http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/37467
Necarg, please don't acknowledge this in any way whatsoever.
True Name Mafia (Win),Clan Contest IX Mafia (Win), Bravely Default Mafia (Loss), BOTAS (loss), BfV (Loss), Ace Attourney (loss)
Rules Advisor before they were eradicated
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Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Taking you up on the offer to skip ahead.
Creature - Merfolk (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Gold: 2
As Davison starts to speak, Ralthok proclaims "I do not care for petty war or your talk, human. What I care for is power and battle. Show me where I can find either suitable for me, and I will go that path."
Davison replies, "The sinkhole, to the caverns eastward, holds a crystal."
Ralthok pondered for a moment. "You. You are more serviceable than the last one. I will not return for you," he says as he walks toward the east.
Assuming I won't find an encounter on the way...
Ralthok eyes the cliffs where treasure seekers lie. He loudly shouts, "PETTY MEN, DO YOU HAVE WISH FOR BATTLE?!?"
The seekers reply as loud as they see fit, "We are only here to find gold and other valuables, not to fight... things like you."
"YOU CALL ME A THING, SMALL HUMAN?!? YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!!!"
With this, Ralthok scales the cliff.
Scale the Treacherous 2R
Sorcery (U)
Choose target creature and flip a coin. If you win the flip, the creature gets +5/+2 and first strike until end of turn. Otherwise, sacrifice it.
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
No abilities
No Inventory
Check out my Newborder Peasant Cube here! http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/37467
True Name Mafia (Win),Clan Contest IX Mafia (Win), Bravely Default Mafia (Loss), BOTAS (loss), BfV (Loss), Ace Attourney (loss)
Rules Advisor before they were eradicated
Careless Theft
Design: I think this is a great synergy of abilities. It saves the trouble of “combos well with a sac outlet” by being its own sac outlet, if the price is right. Innovative. The only thing I’m bumping on with this is the name - It just doesn’t feel careless, it feels more ruthless or the like. Also think the cost could be lower/maybe 2R given the specificity of what it can steal. 8.5/10
Flavor: Your text gives some explanation to how this works, but I can’t shake the feeling that is doesn’t feel like something that pulls something up from the bottom of a deep well. Mechanically, though, if the well were a bit shallower or something, this does make sense for the generally concept of “getting a teddy bear.” 5/10
Score: 13.5 - SUCCESS
You retrieve the teddy bear from the well and, after some deliberation, return it to the child. He thanks you with a Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat).
“Debu,” the goblin replies as he scampers up the road to the north, getting out of sight remarkably quickly.
You proceed to the south to Cabernak Sinkhole, an area surrounded on all sides by ocean except for the north, from where you came. The salty air swirls in your face as you come startlingly to the edge of a giant sinkhole, maybe a quarter-mile in diameter and descending down farther than you can see by a great deal. Presumably, if there is a crystal around here somewhere, it’s more likely down there than up here.
You also can barely see anything down there, so you will need a light source.
CHALLENGE
Descend to the bottom of the sinkhole and give yourself a way to see down there.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
None
Difficulty: 13
Thief’s Agility
Design: This is very interesting. Used on a big enough dude and it’s damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t for the opponent, plus you get to draw a card. I think my favorite version of this card would be to take away the cantrip and make it a common, or maybe add 1 to the cost. It just feels like a card that can sometimes be 4 life advantage + draw a card for one mana is pretty good. But I really like the colorshifting into black like this. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name works well here but I’m not sure that can’t-be-blocked feels like it ties into going down a cliff. 4.5/10
Score: 11 - SUCCESS
You make your way quickly to the shore and meet up with your new comrades. Together, the three of you venture into the cavern. It’s not long until you all start bumping into things - the translucent rocks playing tricks on you as they always do.
“The loot shouldn’t be too far now-- What was that?” One of the treasure hunters stops in his tracks. “You, wait here,” he says to you, before summoning his companion and scouting a few steps ahead with him. You wait as told for a minute before they beckon you to join them again. You slither ahead and find them, swords drawn, facing you. “Looks like we found our treasure.”
CHALLENGE
You are attacked by two of these:
Cave Bandit UB
Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever Cave Bandit deals combat damage to a player, you may discard an Island card. If you do, that player discards a card.
2/2
Survive.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must be a common.
You can fight or run or do anything you want, but you can only make one card.
Difficulty: 12
OOC NOTE: Another player (Necarg) has made his way to the cave’s entrance by now. If you wish, you could call out for assistance.
The two of you convene midway through the Horizon Coast Road and find yourselves traveling the same way. You both go east and arrive at the Tree of Vessels.
This tree is incredibly wide - it would take upwards of twenty people to form a circle all around it, but also quite short considering - maybe only 30 feet, making it dimensionally look almost more like a bush than a tree. Surrounding it is a grassy expanse, the fertility of the plant life seemingly augmented. Blooming flowers are larger and more colorful than in other nearby areas. To the west is the Horizon Coast Road, to the east is the northern half of a road called Sorrow’s Trail, to the south is a large lake, and to the north are some distant sea cliffs.
If there is a crystal here, it is not out in the open. You could search for it yourself, or, you notice there is a druid investigating a small sapling a few yards away from the main tree. Perhaps he knows something about the place, or perhaps not.
You hear the goblin introduce himself as “Debu” to your brief companion, then he scampers up the road. You proceed north as a more reasonable pace onto Sorrow’s Trail.
This road runs along the coast. It appears rather standard - the reasons it has its ominous name are not apparent just from walking onto it. To the south is Hanged Man’s Crossroads, and to the north you see what looks to be a proper city. To the west is a lake, and a bit of the ways up the road to the east appears to be some sort of strange tree. To the east is ocean, but you can just make out a glimpse of what appears to be another large land mass, but smaller - a small continent perhaps in the distant horizon.
You proceed up the road, heading north, past the lake entirely. The city is now fuller in view, but you stop quite suddenly at the sight of a being staring out into the ocean. It appears to be some sort of bipedal horse creature - it also appears to be very much a ghost. You may address him or, if you would rather seek your reward from Debu, head up to Fantaff.
You come to the Lucent Cavern and see nothing, but hear a commotion that seems to come from just below your feet. You walk to the cliff’s edge and peer over, hearing the word “treasure...” echo from the caves, uttered by a voice that sounds like it belongs to a weakling. As such, you attempt to make your way down and investigate.
Scale the Treacherous
Design: Coin flip cards are always tricky and this is no exception. I think it’s a bit strange that this is a sorcery. Yes, you can possibly boost a creature’s attacking power by a lot, but you’re doing it at great risk and not granting evasion. I think I would like this better if it were an instant that could only target a non-blocking creature. The balance seems OK in terms of the coin flip though. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name works and the notion of bulking up for the task also makes some sense. You’ve also captured the perils of doing so. 8/10
Score: 14.5 - SUCCESS
You make your way to the base of the cave and the ruckus inside seems to be continuing. (I have given poison the option to reach out to you for help, or not to. If poison and you decide to work together, great. If not, you will arrive at the scene inside the cave only in time for the aftermath of whatever poison decides to do.)
"Now don't lose it again," he warned. "I'm an important hero now, boy. I have important, hero stuff to do!"
Tying the toy sword at his side as if it were made of real steel, the Satyr headed towards the Tree of Vessels. And to think his first act would be the retrieval of a toy... maybe he could convince the history books to take that part out?
Kyrillos R
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
Cave Abomination 3BB
Creature-Shade Horror
Lifelink
1B:Cave Abomination gets +1/+1 until end of turn
4/4
OOC: Can I steal their daggers?
1/1
no inventory or abilities
Vessel Search G
Sorcery (U)
Choose target card in your graveyard. Search your library for a card with the same name as that card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
No bloom is ever truly alone.
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Creature - Merfolk (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Gold: 2
After a rather uneventful day’s journey, you come, exhausted, to the Tree of Vessels, where you see a couple other vatborn spawns have beaten you here. You see one talking to a druid, and the other attempting to detect any crystal energies. You also see a large interesting bird waddling around:
Three-Legged Emusk G
Creature - Bird (U)
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you control a creature with flying.
1/1
You could perhaps try to interact with it in some way if neither of your potential allies are appealing to you.
Cave Abomination
Design: Too strong. For the challenge, it’s supposed to be a common and this at common just wouldn’t happen. 4/4 with lifelink is almost an automatic uncommon at any mana cost, and with a shade ability you know you can use at least twice, it’s just overkill. Maybe if this thing’s base stats were 2/2, I’d be giving you a different grade, but as-is: 4/10.
Flavor: You know, I was ready for you to fail after the balance problems, but the flavor here is quite good so I think you might succeed. It feels like a dark naga summon (speaking of, don’t forget creature type line in your stats please) and its specific to the situation. Strong enough to take on both. I like it. 8/10
Score: 12 - SUCCESS (but barely)
Your abomination takes down the bandits and they scream in agony, but the abomination was so ruthless with them that not much remains for you to loot. You manage to find one scrap of paper left: Ticket to Cavorton. It appears to be a voucher for a sea voyage, perhaps the return trip they were going to take after looting unsuspecting adventurers.
You hear a commotion from inside the cave. There is a loud thud and a nearby rock falls - then says “ouch.” Then it looks back up at where it had been dangling, forlorn. Maybe he wants a boost back up, or maybe he’s your next punching bag.
Stalactite Goblin R
Creature - Elemental Goblin
~ can’t block as long as you control an untapped Mountain.
2/1
Vessel Search
Design: I see what you’re doing here, but I wonder if, even with green’s penchant for reclaiming cards in your graveyard, this isn’t still black. Black is the most tutory color overall, and it also interacts with graveyards. I feel like this card would either be black OR cost one more mana if it’s going to be in green. I really like the concept though, it’s a cool new tutor. I also know why you called it this, but the flavor text doesn’t quite mesh with the name. Very small complaint there, though. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name is spot on for this category, and I like that you found a way to search for crystals that’s a lot more interesting than “find an artifact.” It’s very cool. 8.5/10
Score: 15 - SUCCESS
You make your search around the area and start to feel a strange feeling, concentrated in your feet. As you lift them off the ground, they feel normal, but as long as they are in contact with the soil, they feel different, though only faintly. You feel it more strongly the closer you are to the Tree of Vessels. You get the feeling that there’s a lot more going on beneath it.
“There used to be a lot of my kind around here, a small tribe of us. But when war came the last time, we were turned into war horses, so to speak. We were marched along this road, carrying all the human soldiers’ burdens, shackled and chained. Most of us died walking down this road, either from the burden and exhausting or from ambushes by enemy forces. That’s how it got the name Sorrow’s Trail.”
“I thought I was lucky - I died quickly, crushed by a changeling behemoth - but I’ve been trapped here ever since, and I can’t seem to move on.”
CHALLENGE
Help the Noggle ghost move on from his ghostly form.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must cost two mana of a single color.
Difficulty: 12.5
"Me want boost to ceiling rock," the goblin replies.
Ralthok laughs again, this time at his plan. "Then so be it. But, what reward do I get from this task? No matter, I will 'boost' you." After he finished speaking, Ralthok uses a mighty throw to launch the goblin into the ceiling.
Upward Throw
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to cast Upward Throw, sacrifice a non-flying creature.
Destroy target creature with flying.
Ralthok R
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
Nothing. At All.
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Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Although the bird provided a short distraction (look at how stubby its legs are!), Kyrillos soon turned towards the "Human" and his suggestion with a large grin on his face.
"Digging! How exciting!" he said, nodding. "I'll definitely help with that! However, this place does feel quite alive, doesn't it? I hope it means we don't get any monsters rearing their ugly heads, huh?"
With that, he rolled his shoulders and prepared for some chaos. Finally, an opportunity to let his nature loose!
Kyrillos R
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
Boosting the goblin difficulty: 10
Upward Throw
Design: I guess this feels right? Having a pure “destroy target creature with flying” that you can cast in monored feels a bit like an abuse of hybrid mana, even with the sac. I get the flavor of the card mechanically, but the name could use some work since it sounds like something that would grant flying. Balance-wise this is fine. 6.5/10
Flavor: The name is spot-on and since I get what the card represents, it makes sense here. There’s just nothing really for the “destroy target creature with flying” to translate to in the game world, which is a shame. 6.5/10
Score: 13 - SUCCESS
The goblin is hoisted back up and resumes its old perch, falling instantly back to sleep it would seem. The impact of it hitting the cavern ceiling knocked loose a Small Red Gem which you pick up.
Thoughtwisp
Design: This seems very printable to me. A well balanced one-drop with reasonable sac ability and a cool name. Everything works. 9.5/10
Flavor: It took until the flavor text for me to understand how this also solves the lighting problem, and even then I feel like that’s a bit of a stretch, but the flying makes sense and I get how a wisp could be glowing so 7/10
Score: 16.5 - SUCCESS
You make your way down, down, down into the depths of the sinkhole, finally landing at the bottom. From here there is only one way forward, through a suspiciously well-rounded arch, as though it were manmade. Your wisp lighting the way, you weave through the tunnels, making your best guesses on the right way to go in a maze-like system. Eventually, you come into an open area and behold a crystal floating just above the ground. You go to approach it, but you see two guardians sitting in your way:
Sinkhole Guardian 2RR
Creature - Golem
Whenever ~ becomes untapped, you may have it deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
3/4
CHALLENGES
1.. Get past/defeat the guardians
Restrictions/Clarifications:
You may make up to two cards for this challenge but each will be judged individually against the difficulty. They can work together or one can be a failsafe for the other.
No card made for this challenge can have a CMC higher than 3.
Difficulty: 14
2.. Harness the floating crystal’s energy
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must have CMC 1
Difficulty: 11
OOC: I feel like neither of you outright declared you’re doing this, but it seems like the implication so let’s just move things forward.
You begin to tunnel near the trunk of the tree and before long find yourselves in a cavernous dome-shapes room under the tree, the walls/ceiling of which are composed of the tree’s branches. In the center you see two pedestals, each overrun with roots. Through cracks in the roots you can see two crystals, one per pedestal. One is small but jittering around very quickly - the other is larger and gray. The closer you get to each pedestal the more tightly the roots seem to wrap around them. You get too close and suddenly find a monster descending from the ceiling.
Vessel Spider 1BG
Creature - Spider
Reach
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Vessel Spider.
1/4
TEAMWORK CHALLENGES:
You have two challenges here on which you can work together:
1.. Deal with the Spider.
2.. Deal with the roots.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Each of you can make two cards total for this pair of challenges, dividing the challenges up as you see fit. (You can have 3 total cards for the spider and 1 for the roots, or go 2 and 2, and it’s up to you who makes which cards for which challenge.)
Spider Difficulty: 31
Roots Difficulty: 15
SEPARATE CHALLENGE:
Harness the crystal of your choice.
Restrictions/Clarifications:
Must have CMC 1
Crystal Difficulty: 11
Haunted Wood-Pack RR
Creature - Wolf (C)
When Haunted Wood-Pack enters the battlefield, it gains first strike until the beginning of your next turn.
2/1
Brutal Brawl 1R
Sorcery (U)
Untap target creature you control and target creature you don't control. Those creatures fight each other.
Creature - Human Werewolf (C)
1/1
Abilities: None
Inventory: None
Can we do the crystal challenge after this one? I feel like it's kinda important to know if we can actually access it before we harness its power.
By the way, we decided on a 3-1 division between us: so three spells for the spider, one for the roots. The spells I present here is one for the spider, one for the roots.
"Oh no, a monster!" he intoned theatrically. "Whatever shall we do!"
Of course, Kyrillos wasn't worried about the spider at all. It was just a spider, and his very blood was made of fire and destruction; what could possibly go wrong?
When his own "brother" summoned a Wolf in order to fight the spider, the Satyr nodded at him with a grin.
"Good thinking, man!" he said, pointing a magic-charged finger at the creature. "But I think it needs a little something more. Something like... this!"
Without further ado, Kyrillos released a bolt of pure magic aimed at the creature that Hector had summoned. Instead of harming it, however, the bolt coursed through its veins and changed the very nature of the beast itself. The wolf snarled, and its pupils went completely white; its muscles bulged and grew slightly in size, as foam began to pour out from its chops and its body began to tremble from the pure rage that Kyrillos had forcibly instilled within the creature. The Satyr admired his own work with a grin; now it was TRULY scary, but it probably couldn't sustain itself for very long at this rate. Oh well - wasn't that just the nature of art? Ephemereal, beautiful...and very, very easy to destroy.
--------
While Brutal Brawl is on the stack, I'll activate an Instant:
Consumed by Rage RR
Instant {U}
Target creature gets +3/+0 and has haste until end of turn.
When that creature deals damage this turn, it deals that much damage to itself.
Forget your reservations, and give in to your most basic instinct.
--------
But Kyrillos quickly lost interest in the figurative dog-fighting that was going on between the enraged wolf and the spider, and so he turned towards another problem that he could see. Those crystals were very pretty indeed, and the Vatborn was interested in grabbing the one that was moving around too much - just like him! However, the roots were blocking their access, and he knew that there was no way they were going to access it easily without some form of weed-killer.
The Satyr grinned as he watched the plants, and called upon his magic once more. His eyes began to glow red, and his hands clenched into fists as he let it flow through his bloody. Finally! After the ordeal with the teddy bear, he finally had a chance to let go of his restaints and wreck some havoc! Oh, how happy it made him to be given a chance to destroy something!
Once his spell was fully prepared, Kyrillos raised his fist in the air. His fist was surrounded by a great, wild bonfire. He reeled his whole arm back, and threw the ball with as much force as his lithe body could muster; the spell was hurled through the air, and it hit the roots straight in their center... only for the spell to be absorbed by them shortly. But the Satyr was not discouraged; instead, he raised two fingers.
"Two, one..." he counted, lowering a finger each time, visibly excited.
When his last finger was lowered, a great explosion shook the roots from within, and fire roared from the point of the spell's impact. So great was the noise that it shook the ground itself; so powerful was his spell that the fire spread throughout the roots, the flames licking and devouring everything in their path as they sought to destroy everything that they touched.
Kyrillos laughed joyously as he witnessed the effects of his spell, hopping in place from one leg to the other. What a magnificient bonfire he had created! If only others were here to see it!
--------
For the roots, I'll cast this:
Living Bomb 2RR
Sorcery {U}
Living Bomb deals 3 damage to target creature. When that creature dies this turn, it deals 2 damage to its controller and to each creature he or she controls.
"That's not a stomach burn you're feeling..."
--------
Kyrillos R
Creature - Satyr (C)
1/1
Inventory: Toy Sword (One time use, add +1.5 to score during combat)
Equipment: None
Creature - Minotaur (C)
1/1
Small Red Gem
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