Post by DisposableHero on May 28, 2018 19:33:26 GMT
Hey gang! I'm currently at work on my latest project, a new set designed top-down based on the concept of three competing religions. Currently I'm designing the set skeleton, but I've hit a bit of a wall and am looking for some help in order to push forward. So far I've mostly designed commons, a few mechanics, and a bit of flavor for the three factions.
Here's what I've got so far:
And here are the cards thusfar:
{The cards}
{White}
CW01 — Heaven Seeker
Creature — Human Cleric
When CW01 — Heaven Seeker dies, you may gain 3 life.
1/1
CW02 — Cloaked Divinity
Creature — Angel
Nirvana —Whenever you gain life, CW02 — Cloaked Divinity gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
CW03 — Community Pikeman
Creature — Human Soldier
First strike
3/1
CW04 — Emergency Priest
Creature — Human Cleric
Flash
When CW04 — Emergency Priest enters the battlefield, you may gain 2 life.
1/2
CW05 — Local Constable
Creature — Human Soldier
Vigilance
3/5
CW06 — Air Spirit 3
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
4/4
CW07 — Birdemic
Sorcery
Create two 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with flying. You gain 2 life.
CW08 — Instant Karma
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains lifelink until end of turn.
CW09 — Purify
Instant
Destroy target enchantment. You gain 2 life.
CW10 — Blessed Code
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has defender.
RW01 — Glimmering Archangel
Creature — Angel
Flying, lifelink
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
5/5
RW02 — Sacred Language
Enchantment
Skip your draw step.
Your maximum hand size is three.
Whenever you gain life, you may draw a card.
1WW: You gain 3 life.
UW01 — Divine Right
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying.
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, enchanted creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
{Blue}
CU01 — Bringer of Gnosis
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
2/2
CU02 — Enlightened Mystic
Creature — Human Cleric
Hexproof
: CU02 — Enlightened Mystic can’t be blocked this turn.
2/1
CU03 — Septoptic Agent
Creature — Human Cleric
Flying, prowess
The Septoptic Order graces its adherents with gnosis, the secret knowledge of its faith and the truths of existence.
3/2
CU04 — Sunken Seabeast
Creature — Elemental Spirit
CU04 — Sunken Seabeast can’t attack unless there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.
5/5
CU05 — Display Enlightenment
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Counter target spell.
The fruits of gnosis forever change the initiates.
CU06 — Mystery Puzzle
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller puts the top five cards of their library into their graveyard.
The high price of the Septoptic Order’s enlightenment is an effective deterrent to all but the most devoted.
CU07 — Egest
Instant
Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand.
Not all expulsions are as tactful and ritualized as the Septoptic Order’s.
CU08 — Confess in Confidence
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Draw two cards.
CU09 — Book Burning
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Target player puts the top seven cards of their library into their graveyard.
CU10 — Horror of Knowledge
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step.
Not everyone can handle gnosis.
CU12 — Seeker of Gnosis
Creature — Human Cleric
When CU12 — Seeker of Gnosis enters the battlefield, it enlightens. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a noncreature, nonland card. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
1/3
CU13 — Intense Meditation
Sorcery
Target creature you control enlightens. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a noncreature, nonland card. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
Draw a card.
UU01 — Convert Unbeliever
Enchantment — Aura
Ritual 2 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
{Black}
CB01 — Bleeder of Days
Creature — Human Cleric
Lifelink
Those who taste the whip willingly are the most dangerous adherents to the faith.
1/1
CB02 — Spirit of the Sacred Dark
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
CB02 — Spirit of the Sacred Dark can’t block.
3/1
CB03 — Loathsome Being
Creature
Menace
2/3
CB03 — Prophet of Sacred Dark
Creature — Human Cleric
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CB03 — Prophet of Sacred Dark gains deathtouch until end of turn.
2/2
CB05
Creature
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
When CB05 enters the battlefield, you may return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/1
CB06
Creature
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CB06 gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
4/3
CB07
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Destroy target creature.
CB08 — Crisis of Faith
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. You gain 2 life.
CB09 — Taste of the Lash
Sorcery
Target creature gets +2/-2 until end of turn. You gain 2 life.
Some turn away from the whip’s bitter sting. Others embrace the searing touch of the divine.
CB10
Enchantment — Aura
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has menace.
CB11 — Blood Offering
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
You draw two cards and lose 2 life.
RB01 — Doomsayer’s Invocation
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast RB01 — Doomsayer’s Invocation, sacrifice a land.
Destroy all creatures.
RB02 — Sacred Darkness
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have if you have at least 10 life less than your starting life total, you gain 1 life. Otherwise, you draw a card and lose 1 life.
Before cold light pierced the world, warm shadow kept it safe.
UB01 — Prayer of Malice
Sorcery
Ritual 2 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
{Red}
CR01 — Divine Ecstacy
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Untap target creature and gain control of it. It gains haste until end of turn.
CR02 — Battle Priest
Creature — Human Cleric
When CR02 — Battle Priest enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each player.
2/1
CR03 — Church Constable
Creature — Human Cleric
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Prowess
2/3
CR04 — Divine Bolt
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
CR04 — Divine Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
CR05 — Blasphemous Boast
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand
Creature — Human Cleric
When UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each creature and player.
, Sacrifice UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand: UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand deals 2 damage to each creature and player.
2/2
{Green}
CG01 — Divine Fortune
Sorcery
Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then, shuffle your library. You gain 3 life.
CG02 — Apostle of Brawn
Creature — Human Cleric
Trample
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CG02 — Apostle of Brawn gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
3/3
CG03 — Pastoral Preacher
Creature — Human Cleric
T: Add .
“The simple faith of the common folk is the divine’s truest expression.”
0/2
CG04 — Strengthening Meditation
Instant
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. You may gain 3 life.
UG01 — Divine Guardianship
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Nirvana — If you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token.
{Artifacts}
CA01 — Sacred Text
Artifact
Whenever you draw a card, you may gain 1 life.
, : Draw a card.
“The sacred texts!”
- Luke Skywalker
UA01 — Staff of Authority
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+2 and has lifelink.
Equip—Pay 3 life.
{Lands}
RL01 — Sacred Volcano
Legendary Land
RL01 — Sacred Volcano enters the battlefield tapped.
: Add .
, Sacrifice a nontoken creature: Add .
Great enlightenment requires great sacrifice.
RL02 — Holy City
Legendary Land
, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
, : You gain 1 life.
UL01 — Cloistered Colony
Land
: Add C.
, : You gain 3 life.
UL02 — Sacred Site
Land
UL02 — Sacred Site enters the battlefield tapped.
, Sacrifice UL02 — Sacred Site: Add CC.
Any balance, flavor, or mechanic advice would be greatly appreciated!
Here's what I've got so far:
{The religions and mechanics}
Also, I have a mechanic called Ritual to represent religious rites. Ritual has players mill cards as an additional cost to cast spells. Every color will have access to this.
- faction, secondary in . Their mechanical theme is lifegain. Their mechanic is Nirvana, which triggers an effect whenever you gain life or if you've gained life this turn. Flavorwise, they're a powerful religious order, teaching that pain and healing are both pathways to divinity.
- faction, secondary in . These guys are called the Septoptic Order, and they're a gnostic group and mystery cult, seeking enlightement through secret knowledge. Their mechanic is enlighten, a variant of Explore that cares about noncreature cards instead of lands.
- faction, secondary in . Flavorwise these guys are a very fervent, communitarian religion, xenophobic and aggressive. I don't have a mechanical identity for them yet, but I know I want their ability to be combat focused.
Also, I have a mechanic called Ritual to represent religious rites. Ritual has players mill cards as an additional cost to cast spells. Every color will have access to this.
And here are the cards thusfar:
{The cards}
{White}
CW01 — Heaven Seeker
Creature — Human Cleric
When CW01 — Heaven Seeker dies, you may gain 3 life.
1/1
CW02 — Cloaked Divinity
Creature — Angel
Nirvana —Whenever you gain life, CW02 — Cloaked Divinity gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
CW03 — Community Pikeman
Creature — Human Soldier
First strike
3/1
CW04 — Emergency Priest
Creature — Human Cleric
Flash
When CW04 — Emergency Priest enters the battlefield, you may gain 2 life.
1/2
CW05 — Local Constable
Creature — Human Soldier
Vigilance
3/5
CW06 — Air Spirit 3
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
4/4
CW07 — Birdemic
Sorcery
Create two 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with flying. You gain 2 life.
CW08 — Instant Karma
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains lifelink until end of turn.
CW09 — Purify
Instant
Destroy target enchantment. You gain 2 life.
CW10 — Blessed Code
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has defender.
RW01 — Glimmering Archangel
Creature — Angel
Flying, lifelink
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
5/5
RW02 — Sacred Language
Enchantment
Skip your draw step.
Your maximum hand size is three.
Whenever you gain life, you may draw a card.
1WW: You gain 3 life.
UW01 — Divine Right
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying.
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, enchanted creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
{Blue}
CU01 — Bringer of Gnosis
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
2/2
CU02 — Enlightened Mystic
Creature — Human Cleric
Hexproof
: CU02 — Enlightened Mystic can’t be blocked this turn.
2/1
CU03 — Septoptic Agent
Creature — Human Cleric
Flying, prowess
The Septoptic Order graces its adherents with gnosis, the secret knowledge of its faith and the truths of existence.
3/2
CU04 — Sunken Seabeast
Creature — Elemental Spirit
CU04 — Sunken Seabeast can’t attack unless there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.
5/5
CU05 — Display Enlightenment
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Counter target spell.
The fruits of gnosis forever change the initiates.
CU06 — Mystery Puzzle
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller puts the top five cards of their library into their graveyard.
The high price of the Septoptic Order’s enlightenment is an effective deterrent to all but the most devoted.
CU07 — Egest
Instant
Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand.
Not all expulsions are as tactful and ritualized as the Septoptic Order’s.
CU08 — Confess in Confidence
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Draw two cards.
CU09 — Book Burning
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Target player puts the top seven cards of their library into their graveyard.
CU10 — Horror of Knowledge
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step.
Not everyone can handle gnosis.
CU12 — Seeker of Gnosis
Creature — Human Cleric
When CU12 — Seeker of Gnosis enters the battlefield, it enlightens. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a noncreature, nonland card. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
1/3
CU13 — Intense Meditation
Sorcery
Target creature you control enlightens. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a noncreature, nonland card. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
Draw a card.
UU01 — Convert Unbeliever
Enchantment — Aura
Ritual 2 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
{Black}
CB01 — Bleeder of Days
Creature — Human Cleric
Lifelink
Those who taste the whip willingly are the most dangerous adherents to the faith.
1/1
CB02 — Spirit of the Sacred Dark
Creature — Elemental Spirit
Flying
CB02 — Spirit of the Sacred Dark can’t block.
3/1
CB03 — Loathsome Being
Creature
Menace
2/3
CB03 — Prophet of Sacred Dark
Creature — Human Cleric
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CB03 — Prophet of Sacred Dark gains deathtouch until end of turn.
2/2
CB05
Creature
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
When CB05 enters the battlefield, you may return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/1
CB06
Creature
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CB06 gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
4/3
CB07
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Destroy target creature.
CB08 — Crisis of Faith
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. You gain 2 life.
CB09 — Taste of the Lash
Sorcery
Target creature gets +2/-2 until end of turn. You gain 2 life.
Some turn away from the whip’s bitter sting. Others embrace the searing touch of the divine.
CB10
Enchantment — Aura
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has menace.
CB11 — Blood Offering
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
You draw two cards and lose 2 life.
RB01 — Doomsayer’s Invocation
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast RB01 — Doomsayer’s Invocation, sacrifice a land.
Destroy all creatures.
RB02 — Sacred Darkness
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have if you have at least 10 life less than your starting life total, you gain 1 life. Otherwise, you draw a card and lose 1 life.
Before cold light pierced the world, warm shadow kept it safe.
UB01 — Prayer of Malice
Sorcery
Ritual 2 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
{Red}
CR01 — Divine Ecstacy
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Untap target creature and gain control of it. It gains haste until end of turn.
CR02 — Battle Priest
Creature — Human Cleric
When CR02 — Battle Priest enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each player.
2/1
CR03 — Church Constable
Creature — Human Cleric
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Prowess
2/3
CR04 — Divine Bolt
Instant
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
CR04 — Divine Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
CR05 — Blasphemous Boast
Sorcery
Ritual 1 (As an additional cost to cast this spell, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand
Creature — Human Cleric
When UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each creature and player.
, Sacrifice UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand: UR01 — Mendicant Firebrand deals 2 damage to each creature and player.
2/2
{Green}
CG01 — Divine Fortune
Sorcery
Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then, shuffle your library. You gain 3 life.
CG02 — Apostle of Brawn
Creature — Human Cleric
Trample
Nirvana — Whenever you gain life, CG02 — Apostle of Brawn gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
3/3
CG03 — Pastoral Preacher
Creature — Human Cleric
T: Add .
“The simple faith of the common folk is the divine’s truest expression.”
0/2
CG04 — Strengthening Meditation
Instant
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. You may gain 3 life.
UG01 — Divine Guardianship
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Nirvana — If you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token.
{Artifacts}
CA01 — Sacred Text
Artifact
Whenever you draw a card, you may gain 1 life.
, : Draw a card.
“The sacred texts!”
- Luke Skywalker
UA01 — Staff of Authority
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+2 and has lifelink.
Equip—Pay 3 life.
{Lands}
RL01 — Sacred Volcano
Legendary Land
RL01 — Sacred Volcano enters the battlefield tapped.
: Add .
, Sacrifice a nontoken creature: Add .
Great enlightenment requires great sacrifice.
RL02 — Holy City
Legendary Land
, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
, : You gain 1 life.
UL01 — Cloistered Colony
Land
: Add C.
, : You gain 3 life.
UL02 — Sacred Site
Land
UL02 — Sacred Site enters the battlefield tapped.
, Sacrifice UL02 — Sacred Site: Add CC.
Any balance, flavor, or mechanic advice would be greatly appreciated!