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[MochaMoko]

Weekly Design Contest #231: But Everything Changed, When...

We're still in time for Rising Sun hype, right? Right?
For this week, you'll be designing either a Prophecy, or a card that provides an additional or changed effect once a certain one-time game event triggers.

Official examples of the latter include:

• pile empties (Poacher, City, Carpenter, Search, Coven, etc.) = A pile emptying is generally an irreversible advancement of the game
• first Province is gained (Mountain Pass)
• your first Gold is gained (Kintsugi)
• once-per-game purchases (Inheritance, Seize the Day, Projects)
• effects that you would usually only do once per game, even if they are generally possible to trigger multiple times (Pathfinding, etc.)

I will not be accepting "repeatable" effects such as:

• a Province is gained (Fawning)
• one-shots (Mining Village, Tragic Hero, Samurai, etc.)
  
  • You can buy these multiple times. Search is valid because of the pile empty trigger
• taking of Artifacts (Swashbuckler, etc.)

Additionally, I will not be accepting Omens or Setup effects (not the point of the contest). Multiple custom cards (for example, States) and custom mechanics or components are allowed, but keep your design focused on the one-time game event.

If you feel your submission fits the spirit of the contest, even though it does not meet the above criteria, try posting it anyways, and I may accept it.

Submissions will be judged on overall simplicity/balance, and "significance" of the triggered effect. For example, Cathedral would be preferred over Citadel, would be preferred over Star Chart. The more it transforms the game, the better. That said, a plainer idea with very strong execution may trump a more weighty effect with less care put into balance or simplicity.

Also, my eyes are bad. Try your best to fit your card text so that the text size remains the largest it gets, on the Shard of Honor card maker. For those who do not make a card image, I will input your text to the maker myself to check. If you make a card image from scratch, that's fine too. A little smaller is okay, but I will outright refuse entries with text that is too small (I will let you know asap).

I will post a 24-hour warning. Happy designing!

[LibraryAdventurer]

...one-time game event triggers.
pile empties (Poacher, City, Carpenter, Search, Coven, etc.) = This is generally irreversible
...
I will not be accepting "repeatable" effects such as:
...effects that generally are once per game, but can be done multiple times (Pathfinding, etc.)

Having a pile empty is something that is generally once per game but can be done multiple times, so you need to clarify this.

[MochaMoko]

You're right -- I will edit the post to allow Events like Pathfinding, which you generally only buy once per game, even though you could technically buy them multiple times. The idea is that the game changes irreversibly after a one-time event occurs. What can be considered "irreversible" and "one-time" can be a bit fuzzy at the ends, but I will likely allow any card idea designed with such a mechanic in mind.

[faust]

Eternal Return
Prophecy

When you trash a non-Victory card, gain a copy of it.

Previous version:

[Udzu]

For this week, you'll be designing either a Prophecy, or a card that provides an additional or changed effect once a certain one-time game event triggers.

To clarify: this can be either once-per-game (like a Prophecy) or once-per-player-per-game (Kintsugi)?

Also are Poacher and Search really once-per-game given that their behaviour also changes after a second pile empites?

[segura]

Eternal Return
Prophecy

When you trash a card, gain a copy of it.

I once tried, when trash Exile instead. Did not work due to TfB like Salvager or Forge. This has the same problem.

[MochaMoko]

To clarify: this can be either once-per-game (like a Prophecy) or once-per-player-per-game (Kintsugi)?

Also are Poacher and Search really once-per-game given that their behaviour also changes after a second pile empites?

Yes, once per game, or once per player per game both are fine.

I consider Poacher and Search to have two once-per-game changes. Poacher's is comparatively minor, but it transforms from alright to unplayable at the second pile.

[faust]

I once tried, when trash Exile instead. Did not work due to TfB like Salvager or Forge. This has the same problem.

It's not a problem, it's a feature.

[JW]

Eternal Return plus Watchtower leads to instant pile-outs. I’m not sure if any other card has similarly degenerate interactions with Eternal Return.

[SignError]

Eternal Return
Prophecy

When you trash a card, gain a copy of it.

I once tried, when trash Exile instead. Did not work due to TfB like Salvager or Forge. This has the same problem.

Cards like Fortress, Trail, and Lich are in the game, so Eternal Return with TFB should be fine.

The one exception could be with Provinces, as you could mill the pile very quickly.  Maybe Eternal Return could include a “costing up to $6” clause like what Shaman has.

Edit: Regarding the pile out combo with Watchtower, that’s definitely a bigger issue than TFB issue.  But there are other degenerate pile outs, like Procession and most gainers, or Sculptor and any cost reduction (especially Inventor, from the same expansion). Of course comparing Eternal Return with such busted combos probably isn’t a good starting point.

[segura]

Yeah, it is one of those ideas like the aforementioned „when trash, Exile instead“ that sounds super cool in theory yet sadly does not work.

[BryGuy]

Withdrawn

White Tree / Night Tree • Randomizer
This pile starts with as many copies of each card as players, but minimum three and maximum five. All copies of White Tree are are on top.

White Tree • $4 • Action - Victory
+1 Card
+2 Actions
You may discard a Treasure for +1 Buy and +$1.
-
If a Supply pile, except Province, is empty, Worth 1VP.

Night Tree • $5 • Action - Victory
+3 Cards
Discard a card and if it was an …
Action, +1 Action and +1 Card;
Victory, +1 Card.
-
Worth 1VP per empty Supply pile.

[JW]

Renowned Master
Prophecy
After each Action card you play, if you have exactly one copy of it in play, +1 Card.

Notes: the name is meant to be similar to Artist, a similarly-themed card.

[Holger]

Eternal Return
Prophecy

When you trash a card, gain a copy of it.

I once tried, when trash Exile instead. Did not work due to TfB like Salvager or Forge. This has the same problem.

Cards like Fortress, Trail, and Lich are in the game, so Eternal Return with TFB should be fine.

The one exception could be with Provinces, as you could mill the pile very quickly.  Maybe Eternal Return could include a “costing up to $6” clause like what Shaman has.

Edit: Regarding the pile out combo with Watchtower, that’s definitely a bigger issue than TFB issue.  But there are other degenerate pile outs, like Procession and most gainers, or Sculptor and any cost reduction (especially Inventor, from the same expansion). Of course comparing Eternal Return with such busted combos probably isn’t a good starting point.

You could make ER's gaining happen only at clean-up (or end of turn) to prevent rapid pile-outs.

[LibraryAdventurer]

I think I submitted an old version of this before (with a different name), but this version is simpler and probably better.

EDIT: New conditional peddler version gets rid of some wordage and the heirloom.
EDIT2: Shorter name helps with spacing when mocking it up.
EDIT3: Everything on this post has been retracted.

Fancy Hall
$4 - Action - Gathering
+1 Card
+1 Action.
If there are any empty Supply piles, trash this to take 2VP from the Fancy Hall pile.
Otherwise if you have at least 4 differently-named cards in play, +$1 and add a token to the Fancy Hall pile.

Old version:

Pretentious Hall
$4 - Action - Gathering
+1 Action.
If there are no empty piles: Reveal the top 2 cards of your deck, add a VP token to the Pretentious Hall pile per Victory card revealed, discard either or both revealed cards, then +1 Card.
Otherwise, trash this to take 2VP from the Pretentious Hall pile.
-
Heirloom: Ornate Door.

Ornate Door
$3 - Treasure - Heirloom - Victory
Choose one: +$1; or discard a card to gain a card costing up to $3.
-
Worth 1VP if you have at least 2 VP tokens.

[Optimal_Inefficiency]

Pyre Ship — ($4)(Action - Duration) +1 Buy Now or at the start of your next turn, trash a card from your hand. Then, if you have trashed a Gold this game, +$5. Otherwise, +$2.

[MochaMoko]

Pretentious Hall/Ornate Door

Unfortunately, your card does not meet the length restriction (I shortened the name to minimize text length). Please try to reduce the text so that it fits on a card with a standard font size. I will also accept the text size two sizes smaller than the default (delete up until and including the comma after "revealed" in the above wording).

[LibraryAdventurer]

Pretentious Hall/Ornate Door

Unfortunately, your card does not meet the length restriction (I shortened the name to minimize text length). Please try to reduce the text so that it fits on a card with a standard font size. I will also accept the text size two sizes smaller than the default (delete up until and including the comma after "revealed" in the above wording).

Oops. Didn't realize how much space it took. And that heirloom banner on the card. I don't bother putting those on my fan cards printed for home use. I'll try to shorten it.

EDIT: Updated my OP with a new simpler version (which is hopefully still interesting enough...).

[MochaMoko]

The card text is still too small, unfortunately. I am getting an acceptable font size if text is deleted from the end up until and not including "cards".

I know that the point of variant cards is to do things that Donald X. wouldn't do, but please do follow this guideline―I am sure you can make an interesting card that is short enough to fit.

[fika monster]

Prophecy: Royal Decree
The first non-Duration card you play each turn is played three times, and is then trashed.

[NoMoreFun]

Fashionista
Action/Command - $4
Play a non-Command Action from a full supply pile or the trash, leaving it there.

[Gamer3000]

[binbag420]

FAQ - Cards with the same cost in $ can be ordered any way as long as your deck is from highest cost to lowest, (so a deck with Copper, Curse, Transmute, Overlord and Village can be ordered any way, but the village has to stay on top).
Shadow cards can still be played from deck but won't be placed on the bottom as no shuffling takes place (this means emissary cant give favours this way).

[LibraryAdventurer]

I know that the point of variant cards is to do things that Donald X. wouldn't do, but please do follow this guideline―I am sure you can make an interesting card that is short enough to fit.

I can see why the majority of people are submitting prophesies. Having an if...then condition for the prompt adds a lot of words and doesn't leave room for much else.

Here's something new:

Locksmith
$5 - Action
+3 Cards.
If any Provinces have been gained, you may discard a Victory card for +2 Cards.
Otherwise, you may reveal your hand for +$1 per Estate revealed.

[infangthief]

Prohibition Prophecy Once per game, when you discard an Action from play, you may put it here. For the rest of the game, players can't play any copies of it.

Clarifications:

• The "once per game" limit applies to each player separately.
• "Can't play" overrides any instruction to play a card.
• Cards on Prohibition do not belong to any player and do not contribute to scoring at the end of the game.

Interestingly the Wine Merchants seem to be immune to this Prohibition... But you can prohibit Fishing Villages if you lost that split, stop an impending flood of Coven Curses or maybe just thin your own Chapel. Only if the prophecy is fulfilled of course.