A couple more mechanics I kicked around for a while, but never used (yet)...
Diffusion (When a land comes into play under your control, put this permanent on the bottom of your library.)
Obviously, it's meant as a drawback. Originally, it was "whenever you play a land," but it seemed like it would be too easy to circumvent the drawback with Rampant Growth and similar cards. It puts the card on the bottom of the library because there are already so many mechanics that put cards into the graveyard, I thought it would be interesting to mix things up a bit. I also like the flavor it invokes.
Trap <cost> — If <this condition is met>, you may play this spell whenever you could play an instant for <the trap cost>.
The wording is similar to Gotcha. There's no reminder text. The ability is spelled out on the card, but it's still preceded by a keyword. The condition can be just about anything. Example...
Sneaky Spider (4G)
Creature - Spider
3/4
Sneaky Spider may block as though it had flying.
Trap 2G — If an opponent played a creature with flying this turn, you may play Sneaky Spider whenever you could play an instant for 2G.
Anyway, I guess both of those could use better names.
Linger- (You may play this card's activated abilities if it's removed from the game.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: You can't play activated abilities on cards if they're removed from the
game. Removed is removed is removed is removed.
I think that ability works just fine. Activated abilities normally only work from play, but if a card says you can play its activated abilities while it's removed from the game, then you can. I don't see how that would be any different from playing the activated abilities of cards in your hand (cycling) or cards in your graveyard (Undead Gladiator).
Also, I object to the "Hall of Shame." I mean, posting constructive criticism is fine, but is it really necessary to make fun of people who are contributing to this thread?
Anyway, here are some comments on Pulp's mechanics... X Allergy = Too much to remember, I think. Obviously, you won't be able to fit reminder text. It's really no more complicated than protection I guess, but protection has been around since the beginning of the game, so everyone knows what it does. Reduce X - Y = Sort of like Kicker in reverse. I like it. Simple and versitile. Break X = Keyword for "Rhystic" spells. Sounds good to me. Break X (alternate)= This is a little more interesting, but I don't know if it should be a keyword. Recall X = Pretty weak. I don't think I'd want to pay mana for that effect unless I had some sort of tutoring engine going. Unstable = Just weird. Don't know what to think of it. Refresh = I like this better than Recall, but it's still not going to have much of an impact on most games. Memory = Not bad, but I'd say it should be one or the other. Reflex - X = Should only trigger when it becomes the target of a spell or ability controlled by an opponent, otherwise you could go nuts with cheap activated abilities. Wound = I'd prefer the wording "Damage isn't removed from this creature as turns end." Flush X = Looks okay. Strafing = Really powerful outside of block. Restore = Nice. I've designed plenty of cards with a similar mechanic. Arcana = Another weird one. Blink X = Kinda cool. I like it. Rally X = It should probably put the card into your hand. It's too swingy otherwise.
Pack (creatures with pack get a +1/+1 for each other creature with pack in play.)
Quote from Ricros »
Gazump XN (When you play this spell, any player may pay its gazump cost. If they do, they gain control of it)
The gazump cost is X + another number. If more than one player gazumps, whoever pays the most into X wins the card.
Competitive Market Lighting - R
Sorcery
Gazump X2
You must have two mountains in play to play gazump Lightining
Deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Quote from Countery Goodness »
Portal <cc> (As long as this card is removed from the game, you may play it's Portal cost to play it.)
Quote from Mirrormn »
Here is some of my own mechanics
"Flash <cost>: You may play this card for its Flash cost at the time you draw it" (Idea and wording based on Madness). This mechanic encourages topdecking. And the luck of the draw.
"Willpower <cost>: If you control no lands, you may play this card for its Willpower cost." Obviously, the cost would be more often things like "Sacrifice two creatures" or "Pay 7 life" or "Target opponent may draw 3 cards" then mana costs.
"Endurance: This card is not destroyed by lethal damage until the end of turn" Allows "dead" creatures to use abilities, count for for things that count creatures, or even be saved by +1/+1 counters.
"Recursion: If this card would be put into a graveyard, put it on top of its owners library instead."
I might post some more mechanics from that thread later, but I don't want to post any mechanics by people I've seen over here, since they can post their mechanics themselves.
Here is a popular mechanic from the old "Qwerty" project. This was created through the efforts of many different people (so I'm not taking credit for it :)).
Manifest <cost> (You may play this card as a 2/2 Spirit creature for <cost>. Replace all instances of "enchanted creature" with "this creature.")
This mechanic is used only on enchant creature cards, like so...
Whisper Wings (1U)
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and gains flying.
Manifest 3UU (You may play this card as a 2/2 Spirit creature for 3UU. Replace all instances of "enchanted creature" with "this creature.")
If you play it as a creature by paying its manifest cost, it becomes a 3/3 flying blue Spirit.
Scatter - (When you play ~this~, for every target ~this~ could target, put a copy of ~this~ onto the stack).
I would add a cost to the scatter effect, so it's more like entwine; You can play a spell normally and target one thing, or pay a little extra and target everything. Like this...
Shard Rain (1R)
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact.
Scatter 2R (Put copies on the stack targeting each thing bla bla bla.)
I would love to see this happen. When I first started making cards at 'News, I always wondered why they didn't have something like this. So, being the newb I was, I offered to go through the archives and compile a list. Needless to say, that endeavor didn't last very long.
We have the "Big Mechanics creation thread," which is linked in one of the stickies there. It would be nice to have an easily-readable list of mechanics all in a single post, though. Anyway, here are a few of my keyword mechanics...
Vision # (As you play this card, remove the top # cards of your library from the game. This turn, you may play those cards as though they were in your hand.)
Infiltrate # (Whenever this creature attacks, up to # target creatures can't block it this turn.)
Twin (When this comes into play from your hand, you may search your library for a card with the same name and put it into play, then shuffle your library.)
Sneak Attack <cost> (You may play this card for its sneak attack cost instead of its mana cost. If you do, it gains haste and sacrifice it at end of turn.)
Diffusion (When a land comes into play under your control, put this permanent on the bottom of your library.)
Obviously, it's meant as a drawback. Originally, it was "whenever you play a land," but it seemed like it would be too easy to circumvent the drawback with Rampant Growth and similar cards. It puts the card on the bottom of the library because there are already so many mechanics that put cards into the graveyard, I thought it would be interesting to mix things up a bit. I also like the flavor it invokes.
Trap <cost> — If <this condition is met>, you may play this spell whenever you could play an instant for <the trap cost>.
The wording is similar to Gotcha. There's no reminder text. The ability is spelled out on the card, but it's still preceded by a keyword. The condition can be just about anything. Example...
Sneaky Spider (4G)
Creature - Spider
3/4
Sneaky Spider may block as though it had flying.
Trap 2G — If an opponent played a creature with flying this turn, you may play Sneaky Spider whenever you could play an instant for 2G.
Anyway, I guess both of those could use better names.
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
I think that ability works just fine. Activated abilities normally only work from play, but if a card says you can play its activated abilities while it's removed from the game, then you can. I don't see how that would be any different from playing the activated abilities of cards in your hand (cycling) or cards in your graveyard (Undead Gladiator).
Also, I object to the "Hall of Shame." I mean, posting constructive criticism is fine, but is it really necessary to make fun of people who are contributing to this thread?
Anyway, here are some comments on Pulp's mechanics...
X Allergy = Too much to remember, I think. Obviously, you won't be able to fit reminder text. It's really no more complicated than protection I guess, but protection has been around since the beginning of the game, so everyone knows what it does.
Reduce X - Y = Sort of like Kicker in reverse. I like it. Simple and versitile.
Break X = Keyword for "Rhystic" spells. Sounds good to me.
Break X (alternate) = This is a little more interesting, but I don't know if it should be a keyword.
Recall X = Pretty weak. I don't think I'd want to pay mana for that effect unless I had some sort of tutoring engine going.
Unstable = Just weird. Don't know what to think of it.
Refresh = I like this better than Recall, but it's still not going to have much of an impact on most games.
Memory = Not bad, but I'd say it should be one or the other.
Reflex - X = Should only trigger when it becomes the target of a spell or ability controlled by an opponent, otherwise you could go nuts with cheap activated abilities.
Wound = I'd prefer the wording "Damage isn't removed from this creature as turns end."
Flush X = Looks okay.
Strafing = Really powerful outside of block.
Restore = Nice. I've designed plenty of cards with a similar mechanic.
Arcana = Another weird one.
Blink X = Kinda cool. I like it.
Rally X = It should probably put the card into your hand. It's too swingy otherwise.
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
I might post some more mechanics from that thread later, but I don't want to post any mechanics by people I've seen over here, since they can post their mechanics themselves.
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
Manifest <cost> (You may play this card as a 2/2 Spirit creature for <cost>. Replace all instances of "enchanted creature" with "this creature.")
This mechanic is used only on enchant creature cards, like so...
Whisper Wings (1U)
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and gains flying.
Manifest 3UU (You may play this card as a 2/2 Spirit creature for 3UU. Replace all instances of "enchanted creature" with "this creature.")
If you play it as a creature by paying its manifest cost, it becomes a 3/3 flying blue Spirit.
I would add a cost to the scatter effect, so it's more like entwine; You can play a spell normally and target one thing, or pay a little extra and target everything. Like this...
Shard Rain (1R)
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact.
Scatter 2R (Put copies on the stack targeting each thing bla bla bla.)
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
We have the "Big Mechanics creation thread," which is linked in one of the stickies there. It would be nice to have an easily-readable list of mechanics all in a single post, though. Anyway, here are a few of my keyword mechanics...
Vision # (As you play this card, remove the top # cards of your library from the game. This turn, you may play those cards as though they were in your hand.)
Infiltrate # (Whenever this creature attacks, up to # target creatures can't block it this turn.)
Twin (When this comes into play from your hand, you may search your library for a card with the same name and put it into play, then shuffle your library.)
Sneak Attack <cost> (You may play this card for its sneak attack cost instead of its mana cost. If you do, it gains haste and sacrifice it at end of turn.)
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt