That is a legit concern. But I feel that if you're playing a 5-color Commander deck, you should probably consider those problems during the deckbuilding stage.
I would honestly prefer to let the player choose what color(s) of mana to add, but I kind of have to use because it's the dumb workaround that lets you play a five-color deck.
Hey, I haven't posted anything here in (checks calendar) two years!
Accursed Tormentor Creature -- Demon (U) When Accursed Tormentor enters the battlefield, search your library for a Curse card, put it onto the battlefield attached to you, then shuffle. If you didn't put a Curse onto the battlefield in this way, sacrifice Accursed Tormentor. "Only an amateur signs a demon's contract before negotiating first." —Molcrom, Demonologist 6/6
Experiment Seven Creature -- Frog (R) : Experiment Seven becomes a Frog Drake with base power and toughness 2/2 and flying. : If Experiment Seven is a Drake, it becomes a Frog Drake Turtle with base power and toughness 3/3 and flying and hexproof. : If Experiment Seven is a Turtle, it becomes a Frog Drake Turtle Leviathan with base power and toughness 6/6 and flying, trample, and hexproof. 1/1
I enjoy coming up with little characters to attribute flavor text to and then bringing them back when appropriate. One of my favorites is Brushell Wagg, a somewhat bumbling but well-meaning world traveler and zoologist. He was the first to discover the brushwagg and bestowed the honor of being named after himself upon the humble creature.
Here are some random cards from my file that feature the esteemed Mr. Wagg, though I wouldn't say any of them are super noteworthy as designs:
Ornery Quillbeast Creature -- Beast (R) Whenever an opponent attacks, casts a spell, or activates an ability that isn't a mana ability, Ornery Quillbeast deals 1 damage to them. "I beg the reader to forgive the brevity of my entry on this fascinating creature, but I could get no closer to study it." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 4/4
Wetland Sower Creature -- Ox (U) When Wetland Sower enters the battlefield, if you control an Island, search your library for a basic Island card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. "Its dragging horns carve new paths for the flow of water, ensuring it always has a wetland to call home." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 4/4
Skydive Hunter Creature -- Griffin (U) Flying When Skydive Hunter enters the battlefield, you may tap it and put a stun counter on it. If you do, return target creature to its owner's hand. "To see one plummet from the heavens, talons primed for its prey... well, let's just say I'm glad I was born a man and not a fish." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 2/3
Greathorn Rager Creature -- Minotaur Berserker (U) When Greathorn Rager attacks, double its power until end of combat. "Despite their reputation, I found the horned folk of the Dumaz to be quite hospitable. In my time of need, they provided me food, water, and a warning to never enter their lands again." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 2/4
Stag Bison Creature -- Insect Ox (U) At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card if Stag Bison's power is greater than the power of each other creature on the battlefield. "I was delighted to witness the two males engage in a territorial dispute -- until the loser was tossed overhead and nearly on top of me." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 2/2
Ambush Lyex Creature -- Cat (U) Flash When Ambush Lyex enters the battlefield, it gains first strike until end of turn. "The natives say you do not find a lyex: it finds you. With mixed feelings, I will consider myself fortunate that my journey to Shebreth proved fruitless." —Journal of Brushell Wagg, zoologist 4/3
Proposition: we make indestructible tertiary in Red, but only for attacking creatures.
Berserker's Charge Instant (U) Target attacking creature gets +3/+0 and gains trample and indestructible until end of turn. "An axe, skillfully swung, can cleave through a shield. But fury, properly wielded, can cut through an army." —Sygg Borinson, the Young Wolf
Sparring Drone Artifact Creature -- Drone (U) : Sparring Drone fights target creature you control. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature. Activate only as a sorcery. "Taking a punch to the face is part of the learning process, but I don't have enough fists for the lot of you." —Malath, Guard-Captain 0/3
I posted this a long time ago in one of the game threads. I'm posting it here for posterity because I liked the design. I think this might be the first land card I've ever added to my Hoard; I don't generally like designing lands very much.
Thran Ruins Land (R) : Add , then add an additional for each permanent attached to Thran Ruins. The mechanisms inside lie dormant but ready, awaiting only a power source.
I need to make more cards with Neon Dynasty flavor.
Saiba Infiltrator Artifact Creature -- Human Ninja (C) When Saiba Infiltrator enters the battlefield, create a 0/1 colorless Drone artifact creature token with “This creature must be blocked if able." When Saiba Infiltrator deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. 2/2
Drone Token Artifact Creature -- Drone (T) This creature must be blocked if able. 0/1
I'm envisioning a Limited format with / overlapping with "saboteur" mechanics, with these Drones being a minor theme created by a few different cards.
I've been interested in the possibilities presented by extra decks recently. Here's a mechanic I've been toying with: quests! Let me show you some cards first, then I'll get into how I imagine the mechanic would work.
Eager Expeditioner Creature -- Human Warrior (C) When Eager Expeditioner enters the battlefield, you may accept a quest. (If you do, abandon any other quests you have accepted.) Whenever you complete a quest, put a +1/+1 counter on Eager Expeditioner. 2/2
Claim the Loot Sorcery (U) This spell costs less to cast as long as you've completed a quest. Draw three cards. "I say I do what I do for the sense of adventure, or for the good company, but this is what it's really all about." —Exena, expedition rogue
Expedition Deserter Creature -- Human Rogue (U) You may cast this spell for by abandoning a quest you've accepted. Deathtouch Loyalty can be rented, but it can't be bought. 3/3
Guildhome Logistician Creature -- Human Advisor (R) When Guildhome Logistician enters the battlefield, you may accept a quest. You may accept quests without abandoning quests you’ve already accepted. "Work is plentiful; good help is not." 2/2
Adventure's End Sorcery (C) Destroy target creature. Its controller abandons a quest they've accepted. "In my travels, I've seen marvels few others have. But I've also seen men die in ways you couldn't even imagine." —Jallen Kar, adventurer
Guul Draz Eliminator Creature -- Vampire Assassin (U) When Guul Draz Eliminator enters the battlefield, destroy target creature an opponent controls. Whenever you complete a quest, you may return Guul Draz Eliminator to its owner's hand. 3/2
Jallen Kar, Adventurer Legendary Creature -- Human Warrior (R) When Jallen Kar, Adventurer enters the battlefield, you may accept a quest. When you complete a quest, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control, then you may accept another quest. 3/3
This was a mechanic I'd imagined for a revisit to Zendikar set, hence the flavor.
Renders
Quest rules
When playing with quest cards, you bring an extra deck of quests as well (similar to how you'd bring a Contraption or Attraction deck). The exact nature of how the deck is composed would be something that would need playtesting, but I'd imagine that you'd be limited on the amount of duplicate quests you can have and there would be a minimum quest deck size.
At the beginning of the game, you reveal the top three quests of the deck to form a job board. When a card instructs you to accept a quest, you can choose any of the three available quests -- which is then replaced by the top card of your quest deck on the job board. That quest goes into the command zone and can't be interacted with. Each quest has a condition you must fulfill to complete the quest and an associated reward. When you complete the condition, the reward ability goes on the stack, and the quest itself goes on the bottom of your quest deck.
By default, you can only have one active quest at a time, and accepting a new quest means you have to abandon your existing one. Abandoning a quest means to put it on the bottom of your quest deck -- you don't receive it's corresponding reward.
Quests
Determining the best requirements and the rewards for quests is something that would need a lot of fine-tuning, especially for Limited where you can't entirely custom-make your quest deck. You've got to try to make sure that the quests can be reasonably completed by each color (so you can't have a quest centered around gaining life, which blue and red just couldn't do), and they'd also optimally tie into the themes of the set. I personally also allowed for a few "oddball" quests that encouraged you to build around them.
Anyway, here are some example quests, with the caveat that these are totally untested and would likely need to be adjusted.
Explore Ior Ruins Quest Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a progress counter on Explore Ior Ruins. Then if it has three or more progress counters on it, complete this quest. Reward: Return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
Bandit Hunting Quest Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, complete this quest. Reward: Create a Treasure token
Cartographer's Request Quest Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a progress counter on Cartographer's Request. Then if it has three or more progress counters on it, complete this quest. Reward: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Escort the Diplomat Quest When you accept this quest, create a 0/1 Advisor token that's all colors. Whenever that token attacks and isn't blocked, complete this quest. Reward: Draw two cards.
Investigate Zektar Shrine Quest Whenever you attack with three or more creatures, complete this quest. Reward: Create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token.
Assemble a Team Quest At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control a full party, complete this quest. (A full party consists of a Cleric, a Rogue, a Warrior, and a Wizard.) Reward: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. They gain indestructible and vigilance until end of turn.
Apiary Druid Creature -- Human Druid (U) Whenever Apiary Druid attacks, exile it and create three 1/1 green Insect creature tokens with flying that are tapped and attacking. At the end of combat, exile those tokens. If you exiled at least one token in this way, return Apiary Druid to the battlefield tapped. 3/3
That's gonna proc 4 triggers in each combat for cards that care about creatures entering the battlefield. Seems a bit crazy.
The design is very cool though. Gives me Skinshifter sort of vibes.
It being a 3/3 at base is a bit weird as well. Considering the various positive interactions this would have - like in addition to ETB stuff, this also sort of enables you to have two creatures for saccing fairly free - I think it could just have like 0/3 stats or something.
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The Master held his palms aloft. "Behold my wounds," said He. The onlookers observed the cauterization and the sunlight that shone through His great hands... "Let there be pain." —The Book of Cataclysm, Syndicate Wars Deck lists (tappedout.net) Bunch more of my designs!
Good points. It seems like the main concerns are power level-related, which seems easily fixed by adding to the cost. For cards I post here, I tend to push them to the most aggressive cost I can reasonably see.
After thinking about it more, yeah, I'd probably cost this at as 3/3 or at as a 0/3.
It's a relatively minor quibble but I also do find it a bit weird that Apiary Druid would attack as a swarm but when blocking, simply do it as a 3/3 stomper. Seems a bit inconsistent, which is why I prefer 0/3 from that perspective as well.
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The Master held his palms aloft. "Behold my wounds," said He. The onlookers observed the cauterization and the sunlight that shone through His great hands... "Let there be pain." —The Book of Cataclysm, Syndicate Wars Deck lists (tappedout.net) Bunch more of my designs!
@Cato: Never seen that one before, sweet! I loved Fallingman's stuff. Miss him.
@Tahazzar: I agree, but I think it's obvious why it has to be that way. Trying to give it a similar insect ability that triggered on blocking would be make the card a wordy nightmare and it would barely change how it plays out in most situations.
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because it's the dumb workaround that lets you play a five-color deck.
: Experiment Seven becomes a Frog Drake with base power and toughness 2/2 and flying.
