Submission: Virtual Adept Avatar

If you can at "interrupt speed" suddenly have an assault rifle for free, this ally would need to cost at least 7 and be burnable by discarding a Master card.

Burnable by discarding a Master card? That sounds doable.

The fact nobody can remove it makes it too good as well.

Well most cards *shouldn't* work against them. They aren't physically there. The Avatar is just their digital signature. I considered making this card an action card that is put in play, but I do agree there needs to be some way to remove it. I am seriously considering the master discard suggestion from above.

Remove the "can't be Target of d actions" part and make the equipment full price and the Avatar cost 1-2 more, or keep cost, drop immunity to d actions, make unique, and make cost be half rounded up.

I am leaning towards #1 from above and adding a special way to remove it. Might be easier to make the card an action.

From a fluff standpoint, why would a VA Avatar help anarch vampires? Even knowing the advancements made recently in techno-thaum by anarchs (printed in v20 suppliments) I see little reason for a tradition mages Avatar to aid vamps.

Virtual Adepts are really odd and in some ways they don't really fit into the Traditions but they hate the Technocracy that much more. The Technocracy tried to end VR before it could begin and ever since then the VA have been huge advocates for a free internet. You know who else is huge advocate for a free internet? Anarchs. However it didn't start that way. This comes from a LARP story. What happened is that there was a large cluster of Virtual Adepts on constant run from the Technocracy. The Technocracy found them, locked down internet access, and used the Sabbat to flush the VA into the open. The plan to wipe out the VA almost worked until Anarchs attacked the Sabbat. There is no official alliance between the VA and Anarchs but they work together often. I personally knew three different Anarch players that had Allies 5: Virtual Adepts. You had two different subgroups of VAs that commonly ran with Anarchs: the Cyberpunks and the Cipherpunks. They cared less than most mages about using Magik in front of sleepers. Ultimately the VAs helped the Anarchs with security issues and weapon smuggling. In return for their services the Anarchs gave up their blood as free tass and provided a haven.

jblacey wrote:

Well most cards *shouldn't* work against them. They aren't physically there. The Avatar is just their digital signature.

While that's fine in the WoD because people could do all sorts of other things - like find their body and punch it to death - it doesn't really work in a card game where cards are supposed to interact with each other. Giving them very strong defenses is one thing - say,wraiths, one of the most annoying things to interact with in the WoD, get to be immune to normal damage in V:TES, but I can still steal them and rush them, and all that sort of thing. Ruling out being the target of actions at all is just a step beyond that. Making actions against it more expensive would be an option - costs additional blood/life/conviction/something. Giving it, say, two optional maneuvers each combat might be an option. That sort of thing.

jblacey wrote:

I am seriously considering the master discard suggestion from above.

It's awkward on two levels.

First, assume I'm a halfway decent player and have put together a reasonably solid deck. What am I discarding? Villein? Pentex Subversion? Giant's Blood? Week of Nightmares? Any other really good master card? It's very expensive.

Second, it lacks real interactivity. I choose to do it, it dies. There's no action to be blocked, combat to be fought, referendum to be held. V:TES at its best is about real interactions between players, and I think this isn't that.

While that's fine in the WoD because people could do all sorts of other things - like find their body and punch it to death - it doesn't really work in a card game where cards are supposed to interact with each other. Giving them very strong defenses is one thing - say,wraiths, one of the most annoying things to interact with in the WoD, get to be immune to normal damage in V:TES, but I can still steal them and rush them, and all that sort of thing. Ruling out being the target of actions at all is just a step beyond that. Making actions against it more expensive would be an option - costs additional blood/life/conviction/something. Giving it, say, two optional maneuvers each combat might be an option. That sort of thing.

I agree that interactivity is extremely important.

It's awkward on two levels.

First, assume I'm a halfway decent player and have put together a reasonably solid deck. What am I discarding? Villein? Pentex Subversion? Giant's Blood? Week of Nightmares? Any other really good master card? It's very expensive.

How much is 3 pool, a card in your hand and an action to put it into play worth? How about a Master card and an action?

Second, it lacks real interactivity. I choose to do it, it dies. There's no action to be blocked, combat to be fought, referendum to be held. V:TES at its best is about real interactions between players, and I think this isn't that.

So a calling a vote on Kindred Segregation isn't interaction? There are more ways to deal with Allies than just actions, but I have a solution that should address these concerns. It is templated closer to an existing card but I wanted my initial idea to fail quickly so I would know the parts of the card people would focus on.

Please ignore this post. I am going to post a completely different card instead in another thread. This card will be redone in a different way that should have considerably more flavor.