I sometimes like to take games and make them into things for other games in my head, and this came from one of those.
Random Quest: This card is not in the Supply. [Whatever the Knights text says] Also, add a different pile to the Supply.
Each individual card is different, and behaves like the Knights in that respect. They all have the following text in common:
$0 Action
+2 Card
+2 Action
---
This card is not in the supply. You may immediately claim it at any time during your turn if you [X]
[X] varies by card, and has requirements like:
A-Have at least 7 cards in your hand
B-Have at least $10 available
C-Have no cards in your deck or discard
D-Have at least 5 actions in play
E-Have at least 3 actions available
F-Have at least 3 buys available
G-Reveal three victory cards from your hand
H-Reveal four treasure cards from your hand
I-Reveal a hand with no duplicates
J-Reveal a card costing $7 or more from your hand
The basic idea is that you have some slightly tricky random requirement, but if you can pull it off, you get a snazzy card for free.
Issues/Questions:
-How should I best handle gaining? I would rather it be in the Supply, but couldn't find a simple and balanced way to do it. I don't really want it buyable or gainable, at least not easily. I did think about making it a regular supply card that's just overpriced- you CAN buy or gain one if you really want to, and it works well for TfB, but it's not something you're likely to fool with if you can't hit the requirement.
-How can I best balance the requirements? I would like to have requirements that take SOME luck/intentionality to pull off, but not ones that will get "stuck" for the entire game if there is absolutely no way to do it or if it's too hard. Maybe a way to cycle the pile somehow?
-How should I balance the reward? I figure +Card/+Action is pretty much always helpful, but it's kinda boring. Maybe something with VP? Or I could even personalize it to the requirement (like the big hand one lets you discard for benefit, or the treasures one gives you +buy, stuff like that)
Obviously it needs some polish, but I think it's an interesting idea even if it doesn't turn out to be a good one.
This sounds like a great idea, but there are some problems with the individual cards.
First of all, "+2 Cards +2 Actions" would be a $6 card if it were in the supply. Also note that gaining them does not take a buy, making the option like a card that says "+1 Card, +1 Action, gain a Gold." This is a super-powerful option. Now let's consider each of the options and when you could reasonably get them. I have labeled the cards A through J for clarity.
A: You can gain this turn 3-4 if you buy a Smithy or similar card e.g. Courtyard, Rabble on turn 1-2.
B: This would take a long time to earn; think about when you can usually get Platinum and go a little farther.
C-F: These will usually require you to build your engine up first, so they'll take a while.
G: You can get this on turn 1 or 2 with a 5/2 split.
H: You can always get this on turn 1 or 2.
I: Similar to Menagerie; about the same time to activate.
J: A long time. I'd say about the same as B when you factor in the time to see the $7+ card after buying it.
The main problem is that some can be gained almost instantly, regardless of the kingdom, but others will take forever. It will be too swingy; some people will get lucky and gain a power card early, while others won't. Changing A, B, G, and H seems like a good idea. The others can be left as is.
