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[naitchman]

Weekly Design Contest 117: In the wrong place at the wrong time

This week's challenge is to create a card or card shaped thing that allows players to play cards during non normal times. Any of the following will work:
•Playing non actions during the action phase (for these purposes, the start of your turn is considered your action phase)
•Playing non treasures during the buy phase
•Playing non night cards during the night phase
•Playing cards that normally can't be played at all (such as curses or victory cards)
•Playing cards during other players turns
•Something else that allows cards to be played at a unique time

1) It can be used to play itself at a unique time (such as caravan guard) or to play another card at a unique time (such as black market).
2) The card must actually be played not used (so noble brigand and reserve cards don't count).
3) It is ok if it requires a little support provided the support is common in games. So village green is ok, even though you need some way to discard it since it is relatively common.
4) A card like Capitalism or Inheritance is good even though the card you're now playing is a treasure (in the case of capitalism) or an action (in the case of inheritance) since the card is not normally an action/treasure.

Here is a list of all the cards I found that use this (Feel free to point out the ones I missed):
Caravan Guard
Storyteller
Inheritance
Scepter
Innovation
Capitalism
Black Market
Black Cat
Sheepdog
Village Green
Falconer
Gamble
Toil
March
Reap
(Most of from the later expansions, especially Menagerie)

Judging will be based on how interesting, fun, and balanced the card is. Have fun!

I will post a 24 hour warning.

Feel free to ask any questions, and I will try to clarify.

[mandioca15]

Ruby (Treasure, $4)

+$2
---
When you gain or trash this, you may play an Action card from your hand.

This allows you to play Action cards at potentially unusual times.

[grep]

Nightmare
$5 - Night - Attack - Duration
Each other player gains a Curse into their hand.
At start of your next turn, +2 Cards.
-
While this is in play, Curses are also Night cards with "Gain a Horse".


A nighttime curser which comes with a consolation. Normally the opponent can use the newly received Curse next night.

[Kingreaper]

First thought is a variant on Inheritance - another way to turn Estates into something useful - bit by bit.



Tenancy
Event
Cost: $6

Place your +1 Card, +1 Action, +$1 or +1 Buy token on the Estate pile. (When you play an Estate you first receive that benefit.)

-----
In games using this Estates are also Actions with "+1 Action".


Previous version:

Tenancy
Event
Cost: $2

Place your +1 Card, +1 Action, +$1 or +1 Buy token on the Estate pile. (When you play an Estate you first receive that benefit.)

-----
Estates are also Actions.

[fika monster]

Naitchman: Does cards that returns you to a different phase count?

[naitchman]

Naitchman: Does cards that returns you to a different phase count?

Villa would not count since actions are still being played in the action phase, treasures are still being played in the treasure phase etc.

[LastFootnote]

First thought is a variant on Inheritance - another way to turn Estates into something useful - bit by bit.



Tenancy
Event
Cost: $2

Place your +1 Card, +1 Action, +$1 or +1 Buy token on the Estate pile. (When you play an Estate you first receive that benefit.)

-----
Estates are also Actions.

This is a cool idea. Two suggestions:

First, I think the bottom should say, "In games using this, Estates are also Action cards."

Second, I would price it higher, like maybe $4. I think right now this is something I'd almost always double-open. Getting +1 Card/+1 Action on my Estates after the first two buys is basically like trashing them, and then you can make them stronger from there. In fact, I think it may want to cost $5. Otherwise on a 4/3 split you can buy the +$1 token first and then still buy Tenancy again on Turn 2.

[Kingreaper]

This is a cool idea. Two suggestions:

First, I think the bottom should say, "In games using this, Estates are also Action cards."

Second, I would price it higher, like maybe $4. I think right now this is something I'd almost always double-open. Getting +1 Card/+1 Action on my Estates after the first two buys is basically like trashing them, and then you can make them stronger from there. In fact, I think it may want to cost $5. Otherwise on a 4/3 split you can buy the +$1 token first and then still buy Tenancy again on Turn 2.

$5 at a time seems way too much to me - while you're right about $3 and $4 not being much different from $2 in the early game. Although... with a $3 start, you could take +buy and buy it twice on your second go... yeah, that doesn't work out right.

At $5 to make your estates into ruins I can't see it being used under almost any circumstances - you'd need to be sure you were going to hit that second $5 very soon.

Although I did have the thought of having a higher starting cost (like $5) and having them start with +1 Action - so they could become villages. Very different card, but probably more interesting in terms of choices.

Although that does mean a 5/2 opening becomes a guaranteed 5/5... dangit, I like this idea but now that you've pointed out the flaw I'm not sure I can make it actually work.

Eh, $6 it is...

[emtzalex]

$5 at a time seems way too much to me - while you're right about $3 and $4 not being much different from $2 in the early game. Although... with a $3 start, you could take +buy and buy it twice on your second go... yeah, that doesn't work out right.

At $5 to make your estates into ruins I can't see it being used under almost any circumstances - you'd need to be sure you were going to hit that second $5 very soon.

Although I did have the thought of having a higher starting cost (like $5) and having them start with +1 Action - so they could become villages. Very different card, but probably more interesting in terms of choices.

Although that does mean a 5/2 opening becomes a 5/5. Not the first card that can have that effect, but it's a worrying one and this would be guaranteed... dangit, I like this idea but now that you've pointed out the flaw I'm not sure I can make it actually work.

Eh, $6 it is...

If your main concern is the immediacy of this and its effect on openings, you could delay the process by having the Event gain a one-shot non-Supply card that moves the tokens:



That way, players will have to wait until at least the next shuffle for them to take effect, and (in this incarnation) spend a card and an Action (although you could make it non-terminal like Wish, or even a Cantrip).

[kru5h]

My entry: Interpreter. It's Storyteller for Actions instead of Cards.

[spineflu]

Umarell • $5 • Action - Duration - Reaction
At the start of your next turn, +2 Cards, +1 Action, and +1 Buy.
-
Directly after another player finishes playing a card, if they have 8 or more cards in hand, you may play this from your hand.

edit: thanks grep!

[LastFootnote]

When another player has 8 or more cards in hand, you may play this from your hand.

That's an interesting trigger, but I think it needs to be more specific. As it stands, you can literally choose to trigger this at any moment as long as somebody has 8 cards in hand, even in the middle of resolving any effect.

[NoMoreFun]

Misfit
Night - $4
Gain a card costing up to $4. If it's an Action, you may play it.

[Aquila]

Wanderer is basically 'play a Boomerang and get it back again, or if you can't it's a cantrip'. It's ultimately a Peddler variant.

[spineflu]

When another player has 8 or more cards in hand, you may play this from your hand.

That's an interesting trigger, but I think it needs to be more specific. As it stands, you can literally choose to trigger this at any moment as long as somebody has 8 cards in hand, even in the middle of resolving any effect.

see thats what the discord said too, but I don't think it matters to have a well defined time-to-play since its exclusively a well defined time-of-effect.

[MochaMoko]

Weaponsmith
④ Action - Duration
+2 Cards
At the start of your
next turn, +1 Card.
-
When you trash this, set it
aside. If you did, play it.

A very simple draw card. Unlike Fortress, this goes bye-bye from hand and so can't be trashed multiple times easily. There are still plenty of tricks to do! And hey, who doesn't like draw.

[LastFootnote]

When another player has 8 or more cards in hand, you may play this from your hand.

That's an interesting trigger, but I think it needs to be more specific. As it stands, you can literally choose to trigger this at any moment as long as somebody has 8 cards in hand, even in the middle of resolving any effect.

see thats what the discord said too, but I don't think it matters to have a well defined time-to-play since its exclusively a well defined time-of-effect.

But as I've since said in the Discord, that all gets thrown out the window by Way of the Mouse. Suddenly you can be playing Swindler at any moment when any player has at least 8 cards in hand.

[grep]

edit: Added "and no card effects are resolving" so this doesn't trigger when someone hits 8-in-hand off a Forum or an all-copper Royal Blacksmith. I think I borrowed that from mtg or something so if someone has a more appropriate dominionese wording, i'm open to suggestions.

That's a bit hard to follow condition, especially when Duration cards are present (are they still resolving?). One option is to borrow the wording from Royal Carriage: "Directly after another player finish playing a card,...."

[LastFootnote]

Weaponsmith
④ Action - Duration
+2 Cards
At the start of your
next turn, +1 Card.
-
When you trash this, set it
aside. If you did, play it.

Because an upvote isn't enough, let me say right now that this is fantastic.

[mxdata]

Mad Hatter
Event
$3
Place your Action or Treasure token on any Supply pile

The Action and Treasure tokens add those types to the pile they're placed on.  So, the Treasure token works like a mini-Capitalism, only affecting a single card (but at the same time not restricted to those with +$).  The tokens can be placed on any supply pile. Technically, you could even put them on cards that already have those types, but they wouldn't do anything in that case

Like Capitalism, the tokens do not change what the cards do, only when they can be played. You can put them on Curses or pure Victory cards, but it would rarely be useful to do so - playing a Curse or Victory card has no effect other than to put the card in play and. if played during the Action phase, using up an Action. However, it can sometimes be useful if there are cards that interact with those types. E.g., placing the Treasure token on Curses would allow cards like Spice Merchant to trash them

In most kingdoms, the Action token wouldn't see much use, but there are some nice combos. Placing it on, say, Duchy would allow you to use Advance to turn any other Action card into a Duchy, or placing it on Curse could allow you to use Advance to turn Curses into Action cards. Where it would really shine is in games with Ways. A card with the Action token works just like any other Action card and can therefore use the Way. Way of the Horse with the Action token on Copper or Curse, for example, would effectively let you gain Horses for free with any extra buys, and would make Cursers useless. Some Night cards would also benefit from the Action token

[X-tra]

Toil plays from your hand, March plays from your discard pile, Gamble plays from your deck and Summon plays from the Supply. Monarchy, thus, plays from your cards in-play. It is the missing link!

[Chappy7]

Kind of a weird Shephard thing.  You can't discard and redraw the same Victory cards.  It can help you gain victory cards. The draw could scale really big, but that would mean you have a junky deck. 

[Timinou]

EDIT: Revised submission


Original submission


Gaulish Village allows you to play a Potion during your Action phase.

Essentially, your Potion gives you +3 Cards without spending an Action if you can collide it with a Gaulish Village.  You don't spend the Potion that you play in order to get the extra draw, so you can still use it during your Buy phase to buy another Gaulish Village (or other Potion-cost card). 

[naitchman]

Weaponsmith
④ Action - Duration
+2 Cards
At the start of your
next turn, +1 Card.
-
When you trash this, set it
aside. If you did, play it.

A very simple draw card. Unlike Fortress, this goes bye-bye from hand and so can't be trashed multiple times easily. There are still plenty of tricks to do! And hey, who doesn't like draw.

I am not disqualifying this card (yet). I am on the border at the moment. I am going to let you state your case if you'd like.
One of the rules was "It is ok if it requires a little support provided the support is common in games"

The number of ways to trash an action, not during your own action phase is relatively low. Here are the cards I've found (I may have missed a few):
goat
monastery
bat
exorcist
donate
advance
bonfire
plan
ritual
trade
farmland
doctor
cemetery
saboteur
swindler
knights
rogue
giant warrior
locusts
war
governor
bishop

(note that 2 of them are hexes which means they won't come up that often even in games using them)
I did a couple randomized sets and got 3/10 that had a way to trash outside of your action phase. So I am somewhat leaning to disqualify this.

[Timinou]

Sauna/Silver works as well.

Likewise, playing a Reaction during an opponent’s turn as Way of the Mouse with any card that trashes would also do the trick.