I generally like board games where every player has some sort of personality and a special unique ability that can use throughout the game. Examples include Bang!, Android Netrunner, Lords of Waterdeep and others, but this is not the subject.
My point is, why not allow for such a behavior in Dominion as well??!!!
I've thought of some unique abilities that players can have that could perhaps be represented by some special cards that will describe what the ability does and include an artwork relevant to the ability's name.
Each player, at the start of the game will be able to choose one of these abilities (with some randomizing method i suppose -otherwise they could possibly be too strong) and will have that ability for the whole duration of the game. In other words, they will have a character that can perform some special actions, described in the corresponding character's card, that will be in front of them and visible to everyone else throughout the whole game.
For ability-using reasons, i have created a new kind of Token, the Counter Token. Some abilities will have you take one or more of these Tokens at the start of the game, and their purpose will be to keep track of how many times you can use the corresponding ability throughout the game. Counter Tokens cannot be recovered and you cannot take more Counter Tokens than it is allowed.
So, on to the abilities:
Duke's Minion Setup: Take 3 Counter Tokens.
Once per turn, you may spend an Action to use a Counter Token. If you do, gain a Duchy.
Summital TraderOnce per turn, during your Buy phase, you may pay $1 to get +1 Buy.
Fund SaverAt the end of your Buy phase, if you have any unspent Coins, take a Coin Token.
TemplarWhen you buy a Card that is not an Action or Treasure, take a Victory Token.
Clairvoyant CleanserSetup: Take 1 Counter Token.
You may look through your discard pile any time. During your Action phase, you may use a Counter Token. If you do, trash up to 2 Cards from your hand or your discard pile.
Resource ManagerSetup: Take 3 Counter Tokens.
At the start of your Clean-up phase, you may use a Counter Token. If you do, choose a card you have in play and put it on top of your Deck.
StrategistSetup: Take 1 Counter Token.
When you are about to shuffle your deck, you may use a Counter Token. If you do, look through your Deck and take up to 4 Cards from it. After shuffling, put these Cards anywhere you want in your Deck.
Junk-LiverSetup: Take 1 Counter Token.
As long as you have a Counter Token, when one or more of your Cards are trashed as a result of a Card effect, +1 Card.
You may spend an Action to use a Counter Token. If you do, trash up to 3 Cards from your hand; +1 Card, per card trashed.
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Ok, Junk-Liver may be too good, but i just liked the idea. Anyway, i think they are all rather interesting concepts. Maybe some of them need some tweaks, but i want to know if you guys generally like the concept.
Some clarifications:
- "Spend an Action" means that you have to use one of your available Actions. So, if you opt to use an ability that requires an Action to be spent before playing any other Actions, you won't be able to play any Actions this turn.
- Fund Saver: If you buy a Silver for $4 or more, you have unspent Coins, so you're getting a Coin Token. If you buy a Silver for $3, you 're not.
- Clairvoyant Cleanser: You can use this ability at the start of your turn, or after playing an Action Card.
- Resource Manager: You opt to do that, before any other card effects can take place (like Herbalist, or Scheme).
- Strategist: Right before you shuffle, you choose and take 4 cards from your Deck. Then, after shuffling, place each of them in any position you want (with the Randomizer side face-up) as you would do with Stash.
- Junk Liver: You 're getting +1 Card after the full effect of the Card that trashed one or more of your cards has completely resolved.
A tempting idea for me would be to try to create a character with the name "Destroyer" and one with the name "Defender". The first one will probably perform some kind of trashing attack, while the second one will have some sort of mechanisms that will counter various Attack cards, along with giving some other utility.
I haven't thought anything good about that yet.
Any comments, suggestions, or even your own character ideas would be welcome!!!
I hope you liked my idea!!!