Super Lazuli digs up an old project
so forever ago, I wanted to make my own card game, and today i stumbled upon the text files I kept the rules in.
The rules are actually pretty complete (though not totally), so I wanted you guys to look at them and see what you think.
(also the formatting was shot to shit transferring this over from the word doc, so I apologize for it being a bit hard to read)
INTRODUCTION
With Grimorie, aka Spell Game, I sought to bring the experience of a "spell duel" to a card game format. This is not the first time this has been done, but many prior attempts focused on creatures. While certainly not a bad thing (a good thing in those cases, even!) this is not what I wanted to do with Spell Game. Spell Game is meant to emulate a different kind of battle between magic-users. One that is fast, direct, and somewhat chaotic. With fireballs and lightning bolts being flung back and forth as wizards duck for cover in a frantic attempt to revitalize their magic energies and heal themselves.
I avoided giving Spell Game a background story for the simple reason that I want players to be able to imagine themselves as the kind of magic-user they'd like to be. Whether that be a traditional, Merlin-esque wizard, a cute witch, or a Potter-style "chosen one", I want you to be able to imagine yourself in the shoes of these wizards, witches, and warlocks, and I hope I have succeeded.
RULES
PHASES OF A TURN
Energy Gathering (Gather Phase) -- At the very beginning of one's turn, one takes their Essence Count's worth of Prismatica from the Pool.
Essence Count - The amount of Prismatica you are allowed to take from the Pool each turn. At the beginning of the Spell Game, each player's Essence Count is Ten (10) and can never go below 5.
Prismatica - The basic resource unit of the game. Prismatica Points are used for preparing spells (drawing cards), casting spells (activating cards) and healing oneself at the end of the turn. Prismatica always dissipates (goes away) at the end of your opponent's next turn. As such, you will always start your turn with 0 Prismatica Points.
The Pool - The area where Prismatica is taken from. A standard Spell Game's Pool will have One Thousand (1,000) Prismatica in it at the beginning of the Spell Game.
PHASES
Preparing Spells (Spell Prep Phase) -- After one has taken their Essence Count, they may spend up to their Prep Cap in Prismatica Points to prepare one spell for each Prismatica Point spent.
Preparing a Spell - Drawing a card.
Spell - Any card in the game is referred to as a Spell.
Prep Cap - The amount of Spells one can prepare in a single Spell Prep Phase. At the start of a Spell Game, each player's Prep Cap is Three (3) and Prep Cap can never go below 1.
Casting Spells (Cast Phase) -- During this phase of one's turn, one can cast a number of Spells equal to one's Level, and provided one has enoughPrismatica Points to cover the Spell Cost. One's opponent can also do this, but only if the Spells they are playing are Counterspells (See "CARD TYPES" below)
Spell Cost - The amount of Prismatica Points, as printed on the card, required to cast a Spell. Weak spells will cost very few Prismatica Points, whilst extremely powerful, game-altering spells may cost as much as 20 or 30 Prismatica Points.
Level - The maximum number of Spells a player can cast in a turn. At the beginning of a Spell Game, each player's Level is Three (3) and Level can never go below 1.
Healing (Heal Phase) -- As the last action in one's turn, one can spent Prismatica Points to heal a single Hit Point for each.
Hit Points (HP) - The Spell Game's life unit. Each player begins the game with 30. When a player's Hit Points drop to or below 0, that player loses the game.
CARDS
Each Spell (card) in The Spell Game falls into two categories. One is its Type (Black Magic, White Magic, or Counterspell) and the other is its Element (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, or Darkness).
CARD TYPES
Card Types effect how each Spell can be used.
Black Magic Spells
Damage your opponent, and sometimes you as well.
May be instantaneous, or over time
"Damage" is not necessarily "Hit Point Damage", some Black Magic Spells instead reduce your opponent's Level or Prep Cap, for example.
can be played only during your own Cast Phase.
White Magic Spells
Aid you in some way.
Remain on the field for as long as they are active.
can be played only during your own Cast Phase
Counterspells
Prevent your opponent from casting a spell, or punish them for doing so.
can be played only during your opponent's Cast Phase.
CARD ELEMENTS
Each Spell in The Spell Game also has one or more elements (but never more than three). Elements are just that, one of the six fundamental forces of magic. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Light, and Darkness. None of these forces are any more powerful than any of the others. It is possible for strong enough fire to make water evaporate into steam, and strong enough a wind to erode solid rock into dust.
You may not have more than three different elements in your Spellbook.
The Elements:
Fire
Represents destruction, force, and change.
Covers not just fire itself. But also lightning, plasma, and a number of other high-temperature, destructive substances.
indicated by the color Red
Water
Represents life, calmness, and fluidity.
Covers ice, mist, etc.
indicated by the color Blue
Air
Represents speed, flight, and instability
covers tornadoes, storms, clouds, etc.
indicated by the color Green
Earth
Represents strength, endurance, and stability
covers wood, sand, metal, etc.
indicated by the color Brown
Light
Represents purity, cleansing, and life
covers light, as well as living things.
indicated by the color Yellow
Shadow
Represents contamination, deceit, and death
covers shadows, as well as diseases, poison, and viruses.
indicated by the color Black
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Comments
They do, don't they?
Hm, I considered swapping out Light and Shadow for Wood and Metal respectively (the former would cover living things, and the latter, all things artificial and mechanical). I just never got around to implementing the changes.
Prismaticka is my mana. I like the idea of raw magic being an amorphous blobby rainbow substance for some reason.