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[Graystripe77]

Prospector: $5
Action
+$1
Trash a card from your hand.
Draw up to 5 cards in hand.
Each other player may put a card from their hand on top of their deck.

<I wasn't sure about adding the last bit, but it seemed a bit overpowered, just slightly. Initially I was going to say 'may discard a card', but then I realized it would only make this more powerful, and no one bought it in fear someone else would too. So, yea. I rather like this one.>

[rinkworks]

It's a terminal, so what would it look like to play this as the first and only Action card of your turn?  Basically:

+2 Cards
+$1
Trash a card (from your hand, you should probably say).

This doesn't seem so outrageously strong that it can't be a $5 card without a penalty.  The vanilla parts only add up to a card of Smithy-like power, and while the trashing clearly makes it stronger, the fact that the trashing is mandatory is somewhat of a big deal.  I mean, if you don't use the trashing part, it's a terrible card, but it's worse not to play it at all.

Of course, that isn't what the card is.  It's "draw up to 5," not "+2 Cards."  So it gets stronger in combination with non-terminal hand-size reducers and weaker with non-terminal drawers.  (With Village + terminal, it could go either way.)  So there are a number of enablers for this card (Festival, e.g.) but actually a bit fewer than you'd think.  Just as there are not a huge number of great enablers for Library/Watchtower engines, so also would there not be a whole lot for this.  Still, a card being narrow isn't a bad thing, and the fact that it's useful without enablers is a good thing.

So I think my instinct is to say that the penalty probably isn't necessary.

[Graystripe77]

It's a terminal, so what would it look like to play this as the first and only Action card of your turn?  Basically:

+2 Cards
+$1
Trash a card (from your hand, you should probably say).

This doesn't seem so outrageously strong that it can't be a $5 card without a penalty.  The vanilla parts only add up to a card of Smithy-like power, and while the trashing clearly makes it stronger, the fact that the trashing is mandatory is somewhat of a big deal.  I mean, if you don't use the trashing part, it's a terrible card, but it's worse not to play it at all.

Of course, that isn't what the card is.  It's "draw up to 5," not "+2 Cards."  So it gets stronger in combination with non-terminal hand-size reducers and weaker with non-terminal drawers.  (With Village + terminal, it could go either way.)  So there are a number of enablers for this card (Festival, e.g.) but actually a bit fewer than you'd think.  Just as there are not a huge number of great enablers for Library/Watchtower engines, so also would there not be a whole lot for this.  Still, a card being narrow isn't a bad thing, and the fact that it's useful without enablers is a good thing.

So I think my instinct is to say that the penalty probably isn't necessary.

I wouldn't compare that card to mine. My card draws AFTER trashing. Big difference.

[eHalcyon]

I wouldn't compare that card to mine. My card draws AFTER trashing. Big difference.

Just move the +2 cards to the end then.  It actually makes it weaker because you have a smaller pool to trash from.  So rinkworks created a stronger variation of your card and said it still wasn't so strong that it needed a penalty.

[Graystripe77]

I wouldn't compare that card to mine. My card draws AFTER trashing. Big difference.

Just move the +2 cards to the end then.  It actually makes it weaker because you have a smaller pool to trash from.  So rinkworks created a stronger variation of your card and said it still wasn't so strong that it needed a penalty.

I wouldn't say it's weak at all. Hamlet/Prospector is 4 prov in 12 turns average, and Prospector/BM on a 4/3 start gets 4 Prov in 15-16 turns. and I'm sure it would do even better in an engine.

[One Armed Man]

Why has no one else said that this is a JOAT variant? They both do 4 things. This one moneys instead of Silver gains, trashes anything (before drawing) and is mandatory. It gives other people the chance to modify the top of their deck instead of you.

It seems like the right cost, since this basically give you +1 card at the cost of benefiting your opponent instead of checking out the top card of your deck.

[eHalcyon]

Why has no one else said that this is a JOAT variant? They both do 4 things. This one moneys instead of Silver gains, trashes anything (before drawing) and is mandatory. It gives other people the chance to modify the top of their deck instead of you.

It seems like the right cost, since this basically give you +1 card at the cost of benefiting your opponent instead of checking out the top card of your deck.

Hm, this does put a different perspective on the card.  It is like JOAT but doesn't flood Silver, yet it is able to trash Coppers as well as Estates... hm.

[rinkworks]

I wouldn't compare that card to mine. My card draws AFTER trashing. Big difference.

Just move the +2 cards to the end then.  It actually makes it weaker because you have a smaller pool to trash from.  So rinkworks created a stronger variation of your card and said it still wasn't so strong that it needed a penalty.

I wouldn't say it's weak at all. Hamlet/Prospector is 4 prov in 12 turns average, and Prospector/BM on a 4/3 start gets 4 Prov in 15-16 turns. and I'm sure it would do even better in an engine.

Weaker, but -- as you say -- not weak.  The comparison to JoaT is apt, as it illustrates the principle that doing a lot of little things makes a strong card.  (Masquerade illustrates this principle as well.)  Still, I don't think it's a power $5 even without the penalty.  15-16 turns for BM-X is respectable but not earth-shattering, and 12 turns for a power combo (Hamlet being self-evidently one of this card's best enablers) isn't outrageous or unusual for a power combo either.

[Lhurgoyf]

There are not many mandatory trash cards, that are not trash for benefit (depending on the card's costs).
I only recall Trading Route. So if you compare Prospector with Trading Route, there is a difference in how they work and thus how often you can play them:

Trade Route has +buy, which allows you to refill your deck with cards, if you want to trash cards in lategame.
Prospector lacks this and even has a carddrawing effect, so you get to play it more often.

What I imagine will happen is that you will trash cards fast with no great benefit in the earlygame (+cards is weaker than +$ when most of your cards are still Copper / Estates; that's why Moneylender is so good) and in the endgame without +buy or gain, you will run out of cards you want to trash.

Ofc this is all theorycrafting and I might be terribly wrong.