tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post4807353993747634245..comments2024-03-11T02:32:15.295-04:00Comments on Goblin Artisans: Set Design: Unanswered Question #6Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-67761603369932514862013-03-22T13:14:14.418-04:002013-03-22T13:14:14.418-04:00You'd choose heiroglyphs that look like obviou...You'd choose heiroglyphs that look like obvious things. Bird, Moon, Sprout, Cat, etc.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-24467518363789753842013-03-22T12:58:12.816-04:002013-03-22T12:58:12.816-04:00You'd name them. Just as the Guild symbols hav...You'd name them. Just as the Guild symbols have no meaning without the Guilds, the Glyphs could be 10 tribes or civilizations.George Gonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015973076835746309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-52658883778601484892013-03-22T12:56:00.002-04:002013-03-22T12:56:00.002-04:00Unpronounceable symbols? How well did that go for ...Unpronounceable symbols? How well did that go for the artist formerly known as Prince?HavelockVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698268009797139251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-76738353296365606062013-03-22T11:11:49.164-04:002013-03-22T11:11:49.164-04:00Riffing on "Priests perform potent mystical r...Riffing on "Priests perform potent mystical rites that work differently from magic that we know…" (This is going to be linear or, as the haters say, parasitic)<br /><br />Barta's Rite ƺҖ<br />Sorcery (cmn)<br />(You may cast ~ for 0, but only if there are ƺҖ glyphs among permanents you control.)<br />Shuffle any number of cards you own from outside the game into your library.<br />Draw a card.<br /><br />Priest of Meti 1W<br />Creature-Human Cleric (cmn)<br />Җ<br />1/2Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-87092443841791292902013-03-22T02:37:08.773-04:002013-03-22T02:37:08.773-04:00Do each of the gods ask for something different? L...Do each of the gods ask for something different? Like a god of Knowledge asking you to have 3 or more Instant/Sorcery cards in your graveyard?<br />Chahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15574587448667619081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-9822540570262993052013-03-21T20:39:43.101-04:002013-03-21T20:39:43.101-04:00Things that I think of as "mystical":
W...Things that I think of as "mystical":<br /><br />When you die, your spirit flies to the afterworld. You journey through the deep places, assisted by magic, and your soul get judged. If your name is engraved somewhere, or there's a painted image of you, your soul can persist after death. <br /><br />Glittering temples house mysterious, alien deities. Those deities grant power to godlike pharaohs. Priests perform potent mystical rites that work differently from magic that we know. Glowing, floating pictograms of birds, scarabs, eyes, etc. imbue people or things with special power.<br /><br />A mystical set could reflect something about these things in the mechanics and game play.<br />---<br /><br />By the way, I don't mean it should be creepy. I really like how they handled Japanese beliefs and world view in Kamigawa. Like, how everything has a spirit. They translated that into a fantasy setting, and that setting into mechanics. <br /><br />I would love to reflect the Egyptians' world view (what the nature of people's souls are, what the afterlife world is, etc.) and translate it into a high fantasy setting. If there was a world if those beliefs were literally true, that would be fascinating.Chahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15574587448667619081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-63581399018216808032013-03-20T17:50:03.827-04:002013-03-20T17:50:03.827-04:00Brainstorming:
- convoking to summon some forgotte...Brainstorming:<br />- convoking to summon some forgotten god<br />- convoking that consumes the followers that convoked (very creepy, definitely black)<br />- convoking to enhance power/toughness (Revere)<br />- convoking on artifacts (pyramids, etc.) - this wasn't done in Ravnica<br />- spells/abilities that require an additional convoke cost (i.e. Skirsdag High Priest's ability)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17647677781801914930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-70775489266686903822013-03-20T10:27:32.939-04:002013-03-20T10:27:32.939-04:00We can also tie into Nich's signature spells i...We can also tie into <a href="http://goblinartisans.blogspot.com/2013/03/set-design-unanswered-question-6.html?showComment=1363760204059#c7420186004963183400" rel="nofollow">Nich's signature spells</a> idea. That increases the as-fan for references to the PWers.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-50398478994161148862013-03-20T10:24:02.719-04:002013-03-20T10:24:02.719-04:00Less historical, but arguably better gameplay:
Wr...Less historical, but arguably better gameplay:<br /><br />Wrath of Ra 3WW<br />Sorcery (rare)<br />Convoke<br />Destroy all creatures.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-25333903471708824212013-03-20T07:38:39.035-04:002013-03-20T07:38:39.035-04:00Therefore things like:
Obelisk of Thoth - 7
Artif...Therefore things like:<br /><br />Obelisk of Thoth - 7<br />Artifact - common<br />Convoke<br />When artifact of Thoth comes into play, untap all your creatures.<br /><br />Wrath of Ra - 5www<br />Sorcery - rare<br />Convoke<br />Destroy all creatures other than those tapped to pay ~'s convoke cost.<br />[Ra destroyed all but the believers]<br /><br />Fury of Ra - 5R<br />Sorcery - rare<br />Convoke<br /><br />~ deals damage to target creature or player equal to 4 plus the number of creatures that tapped to pay ~'s convoke cost.<br />[Ra furry was stoked by the war chants]A.Charantonishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14764287128554364197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-31896591866912794162013-03-20T07:23:46.397-04:002013-03-20T07:23:46.397-04:00I imagine convoke as the masses building pyramids,...I imagine convoke as the masses building pyramids, or praying for a divine intervention.A.Charantonishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14764287128554364197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-53525539250173183762013-03-20T03:11:45.964-04:002013-03-20T03:11:45.964-04:00Dagnab it, Jules. I love your ideas, apparently. B...Dagnab it, Jules. I love your ideas, apparently. Because planeswalkers being worshipped is awesome. <br /><br />As-fan solution: Think about how there's the Scroll of Griselbrand and Scroll of Avacyn. While Avacyn herself was at rare, the theme was still prevalent at common. If we could have hieroglyphs (in place of Avacyn's collar symbols like in Innistrad) that could allude to planeswalkers, that would be awesome.bradleyrosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05284973109981113059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-74201860049631834002013-03-20T02:16:44.059-04:002013-03-20T02:16:44.059-04:00We could make a series of spells that reference An...We could make a series of spells that reference Ankh-Theb's pantheon of gods. We couls make spells that are "owned" by those gods (like the signature planeswalker spells from recent Core Sets). But I prefer to flip it, so that these spells represent faithful worshipers appealing to their gods. Consider spells that get better once you have a threshold of creatures in play:<br /><br />Appeal to Anobo<br />G<br />Sorcery<br />Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.<br />Cult following — Put that land onto the battlefield instead if you control four or more creatures.<br /><br />Death-Broker's Embrace<br />2BB<br />Instant<br />Target creature gets +1/+1 and has shadow until end of turn.<br />Cult following — That creature gets an additional +2/+2 until end of turn if you control four or more creatures.<br /><br />The flavor of the power dynamic between the god and its subjects comes through with Cult Following. It's also appropriate at all rarities and each color, which is a plus.Nich Graysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08686832423418814443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-23817969459938371622013-03-19T23:43:36.461-04:002013-03-19T23:43:36.461-04:00Considering Ari prefaced his question by referring...Considering Ari prefaced his question by referring to the socio-religious aspects of Ancient Eqyptian culture, I believe we can be confident that he meant "spiritual" when he said "mystical". <br /><br />That is to say, the question is not quite "do you think mythical beasts deserve to be represented?" but rather "is it important that we go so far as to have mechanics about prayer, reverence, reincarnation, etc... and if so, how do we best represent these concepts?"metaghosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18301191638894756414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-85512794555913700362013-03-19T23:05:32.529-04:002013-03-19T23:05:32.529-04:00Not to sound to snarky, but I don't think a g...Not to sound to snarky, but I don't think a game called Magic: The Gathering would really have too much trouble capturing the mystical side of Egypt. I mean, you're going to be casting magical spells and creating fantastic monsters to fight for you. Presumably those monsters will include Sphinxes, Mummies, Scarabs, Golems, Djinn, and Animal-headed gods. The spells will have include curses and enchantments. There will probably also be powerful artifacts and great monuments. <br /><br />Maybe I just don't understand why this would even be a concern? It seems like more of an issue for the other two sets, where Magic isn't an already established part of the genre? Wobbleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11494097707732649864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-34085243778953952002013-03-19T22:54:29.295-04:002013-03-19T22:54:29.295-04:00Agreed, I was trying to say that if we somehow mad...Agreed, I was trying to say that if we somehow made Flickering permanents, adding counters, or damage prevention play into a worship theme, then it would also work with the aliens (walkers). That couldn't be the major focus of the mechanic.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13784920130399590671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-84595431315048568292013-03-19T16:56:26.208-04:002013-03-19T16:56:26.208-04:00Possibly. What kind of designs do you have in mind...Possibly. What kind of designs do you have in mind? (I.e., what sort of Egyptian tropes are represented by it?)HavelockVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698268009797139251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-68696404801796659352013-03-19T13:40:09.035-04:002013-03-19T13:40:09.035-04:00In summary: Yeah, agreed. Nevermind.In summary: Yeah, agreed. Nevermind.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-50720864782487227092013-03-19T13:29:45.987-04:002013-03-19T13:29:45.987-04:00Convoke?Convoke?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17647677781801914930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-88932021610757279672013-03-19T12:06:20.341-04:002013-03-19T12:06:20.341-04:00Arcane was neither weak nor unfun in Kamigawa Limi...Arcane was neither weak nor unfun in Kamigawa Limited. It was a flop overall because it was so parasitic and had no legs outside of block. The same was true of Slivers the first time they were printed or Allies today. If you make more Arcane cards, they all get better.<br /><br />Does Arcane have as many fans as Slivers did before they get more support? I suspect I not nearly. And for that reason I'm not pushing Arcane/Ritual. But if you ask me whether I think supertypes and spell subtypes have a great deal more potential than we've seen, I will say hell yes, they do.<br /><br />The cards above aren't meant to prove that—they don't—only to get a conversation started.<br /><br />Even if you accept that super/sub-types have untapped potential, that doesn't make them the right solution for Ankh-Theb or for a religion theme.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-7623518437041981582013-03-19T12:04:12.790-04:002013-03-19T12:04:12.790-04:00Magic already has so many great ways to represent ...Magic already has so many great ways to represent mythical being and powerful godlike powers. We could easily reincorporate Sphinx as a major tribe (ranging from mythic to uncommon) and reuse world enchantments or curses from innistrad to make plagues. How about a curse which can be cured:<br /><br />Curse of Drought 1UU (R)<br /><br />Aura - Curse<br /><br />Enchant Player<br /><br />Whenever enchanted player taps a land for mana, that lands does not untap during that players next untap step.<br /><br />Discard 3 cards: Destory ~. Any opponent can activate this ability.<br /><br /><br /><br />So we end up with a nasty enchantment with a get out clause. Player A envoked a god to curse player B but Player B made a sacrifice to get back said god back onside. It is interesting to note that in multiplayer games a third party could intervene on player B's behalf.<br /><br />I'm not sure this idea translates to common or even uncommon but mystical Egypt feels very top down. Antny223https://www.blogger.com/profile/15428604357908431118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-60340662079079805392013-03-19T11:38:19.434-04:002013-03-19T11:38:19.434-04:00I think planeswalker support could be a nice bonus...I think planeswalker support could be a nice bonus, but not a set theme. They just don't have the as-fan presence to make it meaningful.HavelockVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698268009797139251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-89457700610125784102013-03-19T11:28:35.507-04:002013-03-19T11:28:35.507-04:00This is Arcane all over again. Is that really a ro...This is Arcane all over again. Is that really a road we want to go down?HavelockVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12698268009797139251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-90685759142958442622013-03-19T11:09:21.981-04:002013-03-19T11:09:21.981-04:00Miracle could return.
When I think of mysticism /...Miracle could return.<br /><br />When I think of mysticism / religion, I think of Prayers. This is wordy, but a start.<br /><br />Cleansing Communion - 4WW<br />Sorcery (R)<br />Destroy all creatures.<br />Pray - 2W, Exile ~ with three divinity counters on it. Whenever you are dealt combat damage, remove a divinity counter from ~. When the last is removed, exile all creatures.<br /><br />Purifying Flames - RR<br />Sorcery (U)<br />~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If a creature would die this turn, exile it instead.<br />Pray - RRR, Exile ~ with two divinity counters on it. Whenever a player gains life, remove a divinity counter from ~. When the last is removed, ~ deals 3 damage to each creature and player. If a creature would die this turn, exile it instead.<br /><br />Funeral Dirge - 2B<br />Sorcery (U)<br />Exile three target cards from a player's graveyard.<br />Pray - 2B, Exile ~ with a divinity counter on it. Whenever a creature is put onto the battlefield from the graveyard under an opponent's control, remove a divinity counter from ~. When the last is removed, return a creature from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control.<br /><br />Knowledge Supplication - 2U<br />Sorcery (U)<br />Draw two cards.<br />Pray - 2U, Exile this with three divinity counters on ~. Whenever an opponent would draw a card, remove a counter from ~. When the last is removed, until end of turn, if an opponent would draw a card, instead that player skips that draw and you draw a card.<br /><br />Bestial Benediction - 4GG<br />Sorcery (U)<br />Put two 3/3 green Elephant creature tokens onto the battlefield.<br />Pray - 1G, exile ~ with a divinity counter on ~. Whenever a creature spell you cast is countered by a spell or ability an opponent controlled, remove a counter from ~. When the last is removed, put two 3/3 green Elephant creature tokens onto the battlefield<br />George Gonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015973076835746309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479847193762153273.post-84958602288600394562013-03-19T10:25:25.042-04:002013-03-19T10:25:25.042-04:00One way to represent faith/religion/etc is with su...One way to represent faith/religion/etc is with supertypes like Divine or subtypes like Arcane. The first set I designed as a teen was called Mythos. It was terrible, of course, but religion was the crux of the block and it introduced a spell subtype, Ritual, which various cards cared about in different ways. I don't have the files from well over a decade ago, but the rose-colored glasses of hindsight conjure these kinds of designs, which I will give an Egyptian flavor:<br /><br />Priest of the River's Blessing 2G<br />Creature—Human Cleric (cmn)<br />Whenever you cast a Ritual, gain 2 life.<br />2/2<br /><br />Ritual of Seht W<br />Instant—Ritual (cmn)<br />Add W to your mana pool and draw a card.<br /><br />Heavenly Inspiration 1U<br />Sorcery (cmn)<br />Draw a card.<br />For each Ritual you cast this turn, draw an additional card, then discard a card.<br /><br />Righteous Fire R<br />Sorcery (cmn)<br />~ deals 3 damage to target creature for each Ritual you cast this turn.<br /><br />Sun God 2WW<br />Creature-Avatar (rare)<br />Flying<br />~ has P/T equal to the number of Ritual cards in your graveyard.<br />Whenever you cast a Ritual, you may return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.<br /><br />We can do much better, but it's a starting point.Jay Treathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428861685923241850noreply@blogger.com