I've tried things like this before, and here's another one!
What is this?
This is a game where you, the players, represent a band of adventurers going on quests, solving puzzles, overcoming challenges, and fighting mighty enemies. You will do so, unsurprisingly, by designing custom Magic cards.
How does it work?
I will post a bit of story, continuing from wherever it has left off, culminating in a challenge that you need to design a card to overcome. Sometimes there might be very specific prompts, sometimes it might be totally open ended. Then when I get the chance and there are a few entries, I will judge, and the winning card will determine how the adventure continues from there. It may often be helpful to post a sentence explaining what your card is doing, flavor-wise, in the adventurers' world.
That's basically it. So let's start.
Our adventurers return, as they always do, to the tavern. Their pockets laden with coin, they take the night to celebrate. The next morning, hands on their heads, they amble down the stairs and share sheepish smiles before heading out to read any local bulletins from citizens who may be requesting assistance. Sure enough, there's a job that looks right up their alley.
Challenge: Design a quest-counter enchantment to represent your next adventure.
Quest for the Spring of Wealth2G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you activate an ability of a land that's not a mana ability, put a quest counter on Quest for the Spring of Wealth.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Quest for the Spring of Wealth has four or more quest counters on it, create a number of colorless Treasure artifact tokens with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color" equal to half the number of quest counters on Quest for the Spring of Wealth, rounded down.
Fables tell of a babbling brook that literally runs with gold and gems but that can't be found intentionally, only accessed by wandering.
Seek the Library of Belrosse1UU Enchantment {MR} Whenever you cast your second incantation spell each turn put a quest counter on Seek the Library of Belrosse.
At the beginning of your upkeep you may look at a number of cards from the top of your library equal to the number of counters on Seek the Library of Belrosse. You may reveal an incantation card from among them and put it back. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.(Instants, Sorceries, and Enchantments are incantations)
Acquisition of Objects1UR
Enchantment R
Whenever an artifact would enter the battlefield, you may remove quest-counters equal to it's converted mana cost. If you do, target player gains control of it.
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, put a quest counter on ~.
I'll get going with three entries with the hopes of getting this off the ground.
void_nothing: This is a very fun card on the payoff side of things, but I am not sure if the first ability, while flavorful, feels right here. I also feel like there are some formats where this thing is almost useless and others where you can almost always get it online within a turn or two. I guess even if you can get it online fast, it's still a do-nothing enchantment when it enters, and thus is unlikely to break anything. Overall, this is a very fun card flavorfully in terms of the mechanics matching the intended flavor, and again, I do really like the way it pays off in a way different than many other quest counter enchantments.
Cardz5000: This doesn't seem quite up to power level to me. The quest counters take some time to get going, and while yes, even with one counter on it, the enchantment has an effect, it feels like a lot of the time this may be a scry that you can whiff on (which I suppose is still useful). This is probably still quite good in a deck with lots of cheap instants which can get counters quickly, but I'm not sure if the payoff is quite strong enough for how difficult getting counters on it can be.
Amuzet: This took me a second as the abilities should probably be in reverse order, but now that I get it, it's interesting. My main problem with this is that quests that keep gaining and losing counters don't feel like quests in the traditional Magic context, they feel like other enchantments that would use a different kind of counter. As for balance, this seems interesting if a bit weak, since your opponents can just hold onto their artifacts until this has been dealt with, theoretically.
WINNER: void_nothing
You examine the bulletins and see a strange one. It is immediately strange not for its content, but by the sheer awfulness of the handwriting with which it has been scrawled. Upon further examination and multiple consultations about whether a letter is an 'L,' 'S,' or 'T,' you discover that it was posted by an academy professor who claims to have discovered a lead to the location of a legendary spring, said to flow with pure gold. You go to the professor, eager at the thought of this bounty. He introduces himself as Allus Greyf and, as he paces from one bookshelf to another, explains his discovery: a map, albeit an unconventional one. Not a drawing of places and routes, but instead a code hidden in the paragraphs of a tome he has been examining. He has been able to decipher only an approximate location: halfway up Mt. Ethreyn, on its southeastern slope. He says that if you are able to chart a route there and return to him with the traditional map, then you are more than welcome to whatever bounty you can carry home with you as well, so far as he's concerned.
You make your way out of town in the direction of the mountain. After a few short hours, you must trek off the security of the paved road onto a woodland path. Before long, you are ambushed! You are attacked by three of the following:
Villages in Rout2GW
Instant (R)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt this turn by sources of a creature type of your choice. Creatures of another creature type of your choice get +2/+2 and gain lifelink until end of turn.
Dryads like these must be used to preying on lone and inexperienced travelers. If we stick together and make a show of aggression we can just scare them off.
Wave of Frost3U
Instant (Uncommon)
Tap up to three target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
Draw a card. It's always winter somewhere.
Shatter the Looking Glass 3UWR
Instant (Rare)
Shatter the looking Glass deals 2 damage to each of up to 3 targets
Create three 1/1 red, white, and blue reflection creature tokens that have every keyword ability of each creature dealt damage this way
Amuzet - I am typically not a fan of this degree of color-specific hate. This is an interesting design space in that it can cycle itself if there are no green creatures to hate, but I think that giving mono-blue a mass -1/-1 counters effect against green is both out of the color pie and just kind of weird/unsettling. The flavor of the card is fun, though I do wonder how it would be used by the adventurers in context.
void_nothing: I am inclined to think this card would be very strong (situationally) even without the fog effect. I think the difference between +1/+1 and +2/+2 just makes it a little bit pushed, with the lifelink. It's a very fun card and I like the tribal interactions but from a sheer balance perspective it just feels quite strong to print.
Subject16: This does feel like the next natural step in where we're heading, so the question here is really just: is this costed right? And my answer is: I'm not sure. without the cantrip, it definitely is, but with it, I wonder if this should be costing 4U or 2UU. That said, if this were printed exactly as-is, I don't think anyone would be terribly surprised. It also has intuitive flavor that makes sense in game context and in adventure context.
DarkNightCavalier: This card is also, like the one above, teasing that line of balance. The sorcery speed version of this costs 2R but, importantly, can also hit players. When you take away the ability to hit players but also make it an instant, you are probably keeping it at about the same approximate power level, so then the RR cost seems like it could be totally justified. This card is far from exciting, but it is effective in this context and makes perfect sense.
kwanyeegor: This card is super fun and cool, but has obvious pitfalls when it comes to things like "keyword ability" not being a mechanic recognized by the game. This card is super weird and interesting, too, in that I have no idea if it's any good. Six mana across three colors to shock three things feels very very meh, so the question then is how much of a difference these reflection tokens make. I feel like the answer there is: if they have deathtouch, this spell ends up great, and if not, it end up VERY underwhelming. It's just too swingy for that very restrictive cost.
It comes down to the two simpler options here, I think, between frost and sparks. Ultimate, I think the sparks feel SLIGHTLY more safely balanced, and thus I'm going to say the winner is DarkNightCavalier
A mage from among the adventurers sends a wave of sparks out among the dryads, striking each of them down. But as their flammable bodies are ignited and hit the equally flammable trees and grass, a small fire breaks out. It would be unsafe and also very rude to proceed without doing something to extinguish these flames.
Design a NON-BLUE spell to deal with this small forest fire.
Tashi's Burden1W
Instant (Rare)
Until end of turn, if a source would deal damage to target permanent, instead it deals that much damage to you and you draw a card. The magic of the Tashi ensures the young prince will always live to see himself king.
Transferring all damage to the trees and wildlife to a willing party member
Gasping StruggleBB
Sorcery (C)
Choose one -
• Exile target creature with converted mana cost 2 or less.
• Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card there with converted mana cost 2 or less. That player exiles that card. "The alseids, they live without food. The dromad-yol, they live without water. Nothing can live without breath." - Sülwurok the Depriver, necromancer of Evetrai
Simply cutting off the air immediately around the fires should take care of it.
Mergatroid_Jones - I am a fan of cards that do a pretty narrow thing but then cantrip so that they feel like they're not a total loss if that narrow situation never comes up. This feels like a very fun example. Good in response to land destruction or with creature-lands and the like. It's fun, feels balanced, might be more likely to be printed at uncommon than rare, but still, fun card.
Subject16 - This is a very strange card to assess, in a fun way! You can save a creature or planeswalker with it, at the cost of some life, but you also draw. I don't really see this being at rare power level unless its in an environment where you are likely to draw lots and lots of cards off of this somehow. My one gripe as far as flavor in the game is that non-creature lands can't be dealt damage, so the mechanics don't QUITE match up to the flavor of the story, but I get what you're going for.
void_nothing - Looking first solely at the card independent of story flavor, it feels pretty balanced. Part of me thinks that the modality makes it a little too good for the cost, but it's color restrictive and sorcery speed and the second mode can whiff a lot, so it's probably fine. As for in-story flavor, I get what you are doing with the air, but my one wish is that the mechanics of the card felt like it more matched the deprivation of air (to me, exile as opposed to destroy in mode one kind of takes me out of the gasping-for-air flavor). That said, this is a very fun common.
kwanyeegor - First I feel like this is probably a rare just for being so cheap, in red, and complex for new players. That said, this is a super interesting card, and in the right sideboard, super powerful. I don't quite see how what it does matches up to the name "distant thunder" unless it is referencing cards I am unaware of, but still, I like this effect a great deal.
For a simple and elegant solution, I think this one goes to Mergatroid!
A druid among you utters a simple but elegant incantation. The fire attempts to rage, but the trees refuse to burn, and within a minute or so the fires, fuel-less, have died out. The way forward is clear, and you move ahead, happy to be free of these fraught woods. You make camp at the other edge of the woods in a clearing next to a flowing river. In the morning, you awaken to discover that bears have stolen your food. It would be unwise to progress any further without provisions, so you must acquire food.
Design a card to represent acquiring more food for your journey. Feel free to use the woods or river as part of the flavor, but you don't have to.
Woolly ChevrotainG
Creature- Elk (C)
When Woolly Chevrotain dies, gain 1 life, and put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Scarce. Adorable. Delicious.
1/1
Gift of the River2UG
Sorcery
If you control a Merfolk creature, you may exile a non-land, non-creature Card in your hand instead of paying for ~’S mana cost.
Scry 2
Draw two cards. The river offers many things. Resources. Clarity. Amongst a few things.
Prepare a Feast
Sorcery -- Rare
As an additional cost to cast ~, tap any number of untapped red and/or green creatures you control.
For each green creature tapped to pay for ~, distribute 2 +1/+1 counters amongst creatures you control.
For each red creature tapped to pay for ~, create 2 1/1 Elemental creature tokens. They have haste and "at the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature".
A fire is an opportunity for companionship with others, as well as self-reflection and new growth. Plus, it's warm and pretty.
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
I want in this so badly. As a fan of both D&D and Magic, I applaud you for coming up with such a cool idea.
That said, here's my attempt at a card that depicts foraging:
Quail Hunting1G
Instant
Destroy target creature with flying. Gain life equal to that creature's toughness. "Don't give me that look. I know you elves are vegetarian, but this is all the food we're gonna get, so eat up."
Perfect Shot1R (Uncommon)
Instant
Perfect Shot can't be countered.
Perfect Shot deals 3 damage to target creature or Planeswalker. One moment. One arrow. One peerless archer.
Blustering FallG
Instant (Common)
Blustering Fall deals 1 damage to each creature with flying. When a creature dealt damage this way this turn dies, you gain 1 life. "Eggs and meat! We eat!"
-Loyi, Woodland Bard"
Flush Out Game WGG
Enchantment (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep reveal the top 2 cards of your library. You may put any of them that's a creature card with power 1 or less into your hand. exile the rest
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
你好 have you eaten?
I'm a simple Magic player since 1 year ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.
Fructivory1G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a creature spell, you gain 1 life. 3, Shuffle a land card from your hand into your library: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then draw a card.
My character may be a WBG and slightly sinister figure at this point, but that doesn't mean he won't try a natural vegetarian diet of fresh fruit, easily given up by the trees around us.
What is this?
This is a game where you, the players, represent a band of adventurers going on quests, solving puzzles, overcoming challenges, and fighting mighty enemies. You will do so, unsurprisingly, by designing custom Magic cards.
How does it work?
I will post a bit of story, continuing from wherever it has left off, culminating in a challenge that you need to design a card to overcome. Sometimes there might be very specific prompts, sometimes it might be totally open ended. Then when I get the chance and there are a few entries, I will judge, and the winning card will determine how the adventure continues from there. It may often be helpful to post a sentence explaining what your card is doing, flavor-wise, in the adventurers' world.
That's basically it. So let's start.
Our adventurers return, as they always do, to the tavern. Their pockets laden with coin, they take the night to celebrate. The next morning, hands on their heads, they amble down the stairs and share sheepish smiles before heading out to read any local bulletins from citizens who may be requesting assistance. Sure enough, there's a job that looks right up their alley.
Challenge: Design a quest-counter enchantment to represent your next adventure.
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you activate an ability of a land that's not a mana ability, put a quest counter on Quest for the Spring of Wealth.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Quest for the Spring of Wealth has four or more quest counters on it, create a number of colorless Treasure artifact tokens with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color" equal to half the number of quest counters on Quest for the Spring of Wealth, rounded down.
Fables tell of a babbling brook that literally runs with gold and gems but that can't be found intentionally, only accessed by wandering.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Enchantment {MR}
Whenever you cast your second incantation spell each turn put a quest counter on Seek the Library of Belrosse.
At the beginning of your upkeep you may look at a number of cards from the top of your library equal to the number of counters on Seek the Library of Belrosse. You may reveal an incantation card from among them and put it back. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.(Instants, Sorceries, and Enchantments are incantations)
Enchantment R
Whenever an artifact would enter the battlefield, you may remove quest-counters equal to it's converted mana cost. If you do, target player gains control of it.
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, put a quest counter on ~.
void_nothing: This is a very fun card on the payoff side of things, but I am not sure if the first ability, while flavorful, feels right here. I also feel like there are some formats where this thing is almost useless and others where you can almost always get it online within a turn or two. I guess even if you can get it online fast, it's still a do-nothing enchantment when it enters, and thus is unlikely to break anything. Overall, this is a very fun card flavorfully in terms of the mechanics matching the intended flavor, and again, I do really like the way it pays off in a way different than many other quest counter enchantments.
Cardz5000: This doesn't seem quite up to power level to me. The quest counters take some time to get going, and while yes, even with one counter on it, the enchantment has an effect, it feels like a lot of the time this may be a scry that you can whiff on (which I suppose is still useful). This is probably still quite good in a deck with lots of cheap instants which can get counters quickly, but I'm not sure if the payoff is quite strong enough for how difficult getting counters on it can be.
Amuzet: This took me a second as the abilities should probably be in reverse order, but now that I get it, it's interesting. My main problem with this is that quests that keep gaining and losing counters don't feel like quests in the traditional Magic context, they feel like other enchantments that would use a different kind of counter. As for balance, this seems interesting if a bit weak, since your opponents can just hold onto their artifacts until this has been dealt with, theoretically.
WINNER: void_nothing
You examine the bulletins and see a strange one. It is immediately strange not for its content, but by the sheer awfulness of the handwriting with which it has been scrawled. Upon further examination and multiple consultations about whether a letter is an 'L,' 'S,' or 'T,' you discover that it was posted by an academy professor who claims to have discovered a lead to the location of a legendary spring, said to flow with pure gold. You go to the professor, eager at the thought of this bounty. He introduces himself as Allus Greyf and, as he paces from one bookshelf to another, explains his discovery: a map, albeit an unconventional one. Not a drawing of places and routes, but instead a code hidden in the paragraphs of a tome he has been examining. He has been able to decipher only an approximate location: halfway up Mt. Ethreyn, on its southeastern slope. He says that if you are able to chart a route there and return to him with the traditional map, then you are more than welcome to whatever bounty you can carry home with you as well, so far as he's concerned.
You make your way out of town in the direction of the mountain. After a few short hours, you must trek off the security of the paved road onto a woodland path. Before long, you are ambushed! You are attacked by three of the following:
Dryad Pests BG
Creature - Dryad (U)
Vigilance, deathtouch
2/1
CREATE AN INSTANT SPELL THAT REPRESENTS HOW YOU WISH TO DEFEAT/ESCAPE/ETC. THESE ASSAILANTS.
Instant
Distribute X -1/-1 counters among X target green creatures.
Draw a card.
Instant (R)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt this turn by sources of a creature type of your choice. Creatures of another creature type of your choice get +2/+2 and gain lifelink until end of turn.
Dryads like these must be used to preying on lone and inexperienced travelers. If we stick together and make a show of aggression we can just scare them off.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Instant (Uncommon)
Tap up to three target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
Draw a card.
It's always winter somewhere.
Instant
~ deals 3 damage divided among any number of target creatures or planeswalkers.
"Just how I like it. Slightly crispy.
Sasky for the Sig.
I am in your [PACK]. Watching you... do... something.
Instant (Rare)
Shatter the looking Glass deals 2 damage to each of up to 3 targets
Create three 1/1 red, white, and blue reflection creature tokens that have every keyword ability of each creature dealt damage this way
I'm a simple Magic player since 1 year ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.
void_nothing: I am inclined to think this card would be very strong (situationally) even without the fog effect. I think the difference between +1/+1 and +2/+2 just makes it a little bit pushed, with the lifelink. It's a very fun card and I like the tribal interactions but from a sheer balance perspective it just feels quite strong to print.
Subject16: This does feel like the next natural step in where we're heading, so the question here is really just: is this costed right? And my answer is: I'm not sure. without the cantrip, it definitely is, but with it, I wonder if this should be costing 4U or 2UU. That said, if this were printed exactly as-is, I don't think anyone would be terribly surprised. It also has intuitive flavor that makes sense in game context and in adventure context.
DarkNightCavalier: This card is also, like the one above, teasing that line of balance. The sorcery speed version of this costs 2R but, importantly, can also hit players. When you take away the ability to hit players but also make it an instant, you are probably keeping it at about the same approximate power level, so then the RR cost seems like it could be totally justified. This card is far from exciting, but it is effective in this context and makes perfect sense.
kwanyeegor: This card is super fun and cool, but has obvious pitfalls when it comes to things like "keyword ability" not being a mechanic recognized by the game. This card is super weird and interesting, too, in that I have no idea if it's any good. Six mana across three colors to shock three things feels very very meh, so the question then is how much of a difference these reflection tokens make. I feel like the answer there is: if they have deathtouch, this spell ends up great, and if not, it end up VERY underwhelming. It's just too swingy for that very restrictive cost.
It comes down to the two simpler options here, I think, between frost and sparks. Ultimate, I think the sparks feel SLIGHTLY more safely balanced, and thus I'm going to say the winner is DarkNightCavalier
A mage from among the adventurers sends a wave of sparks out among the dryads, striking each of them down. But as their flammable bodies are ignited and hit the equally flammable trees and grass, a small fire breaks out. It would be unsafe and also very rude to proceed without doing something to extinguish these flames.
Design a NON-BLUE spell to deal with this small forest fire.
Instant (R)
Lands gain indestructible until end of turn.
Draw a card
The trees regenerate faster than they can burn, engorging with moisture and quenching the flames.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Instant (Rare)
Until end of turn, if a source would deal damage to target permanent, instead it deals that much damage to you and you draw a card.
The magic of the Tashi ensures the young prince will always live to see himself king.
Transferring all damage to the trees and wildlife to a willing party member
Sorcery (C)
Choose one -
• Exile target creature with converted mana cost 2 or less.
• Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card there with converted mana cost 2 or less. That player exiles that card.
"The alseids, they live without food. The dromad-yol, they live without water. Nothing can live without breath." - Sülwurok the Depriver, necromancer of Evetrai
Simply cutting off the air immediately around the fires should take care of it.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Instant (Uncommon)
you may change any targets of target spell or ability that targets a noncreature permanent
I'm a simple Magic player since 1 year ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.
Subject16 - This is a very strange card to assess, in a fun way! You can save a creature or planeswalker with it, at the cost of some life, but you also draw. I don't really see this being at rare power level unless its in an environment where you are likely to draw lots and lots of cards off of this somehow. My one gripe as far as flavor in the game is that non-creature lands can't be dealt damage, so the mechanics don't QUITE match up to the flavor of the story, but I get what you're going for.
void_nothing - Looking first solely at the card independent of story flavor, it feels pretty balanced. Part of me thinks that the modality makes it a little too good for the cost, but it's color restrictive and sorcery speed and the second mode can whiff a lot, so it's probably fine. As for in-story flavor, I get what you are doing with the air, but my one wish is that the mechanics of the card felt like it more matched the deprivation of air (to me, exile as opposed to destroy in mode one kind of takes me out of the gasping-for-air flavor). That said, this is a very fun common.
kwanyeegor - First I feel like this is probably a rare just for being so cheap, in red, and complex for new players. That said, this is a super interesting card, and in the right sideboard, super powerful. I don't quite see how what it does matches up to the name "distant thunder" unless it is referencing cards I am unaware of, but still, I like this effect a great deal.
For a simple and elegant solution, I think this one goes to Mergatroid!
A druid among you utters a simple but elegant incantation. The fire attempts to rage, but the trees refuse to burn, and within a minute or so the fires, fuel-less, have died out. The way forward is clear, and you move ahead, happy to be free of these fraught woods. You make camp at the other edge of the woods in a clearing next to a flowing river. In the morning, you awaken to discover that bears have stolen your food. It would be unwise to progress any further without provisions, so you must acquire food.
Design a card to represent acquiring more food for your journey. Feel free to use the woods or river as part of the flavor, but you don't have to.
Creature- Elk (C)
When Woolly Chevrotain dies, gain 1 life, and put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Scarce. Adorable. Delicious.
1/1
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Sorcery
If you control a Merfolk creature, you may exile a non-land, non-creature Card in your hand instead of paying for ~’S mana cost.
Scry 2
Draw two cards.
The river offers many things. Resources. Clarity. Amongst a few things.
Sasky for the Sig.
I am in your [PACK]. Watching you... do... something.
Sorcery -- Rare
As an additional cost to cast ~, tap any number of untapped red and/or green creatures you control.
For each green creature tapped to pay for ~, distribute 2 +1/+1 counters amongst creatures you control.
For each red creature tapped to pay for ~, create 2 1/1 Elemental creature tokens. They have haste and "at the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature".
A fire is an opportunity for companionship with others, as well as self-reflection and new growth. Plus, it's warm and pretty.
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
That said, here's my attempt at a card that depicts foraging:
Quail Hunting 1G
Instant
Destroy target creature with flying. Gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
"Don't give me that look. I know you elves are vegetarian, but this is all the food we're gonna get, so eat up."
Artifact Creature - Illusion (u)
Defender
Whenever Mind-Woven Net blocks, draw a card.
0/4
Instant
Perfect Shot can't be countered.
Perfect Shot deals 3 damage to target creature or Planeswalker.
One moment. One arrow. One peerless archer.
Instant (Common)
Blustering Fall deals 1 damage to each creature with flying. When a creature dealt damage this way this turn dies, you gain 1 life.
"Eggs and meat! We eat!"
-Loyi, Woodland Bard"
Enchantment (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep reveal the top 2 cards of your library. You may put any of them that's a creature card with power 1 or less into your hand. exile the rest
I'm a simple Magic player since 1 year ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a creature spell, you gain 1 life.
3, Shuffle a land card from your hand into your library: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then draw a card.
My character may be a WBG and slightly sinister figure at this point, but that doesn't mean he won't try a natural vegetarian diet of fresh fruit, easily given up by the trees around us.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝