[submission]

alasteir wrote:

Hahaha you're all fantastic, but, seriously, I don't see this puritanism of "potence should ONLY do damage" as a limitation for the Cardgame. We need to think a little out of the box.

Potence doesn't only do damage. It destroys equipment (Shattering Blow/Fractured Armament). It burns locations (Rampage). It taps minions (Brick Laying). It cycles cards (Hourglass of the Mind). It has a bleed modifier (Power of One, anarch). It cancels actions (Tangle Atropos' Hand - actually not terrible if you like 'responsible stealth bleed' and you don't have Spying Mission available to you, but do have Potence).


But what limitations are there? You are terrified I will punch you, so you get -3 negative intercept. I smash my way through this wall creating a new shortcut, so I get +2 stealth. I threaten some guy with a face punching, so I get +2 intercept. I flex my muscles at your retainers, who all come flocking to me because otherwise I'll knock their teeth out. (Note: does not apply to wraith retainers.)

Half the point of designing collectible card games is giving players interesting boxes for them to think outside, to challenge new deck building. It really shouldn't be merely saying "Oh, well, Potence couldn't do this before, so I'll think outside the box and hey presto, Potence has a Deflection clone."

James touches on the root here.

Theres giving a discipline something great it didnt have before, typically 2 useful effects between basic and superior. Those kinds of cards are like deep song, eyes of argus, govern(not new, obviously), terror frenzy, etc. Both levels of the card are good.
Next step down is a card where one effect is something the discipline needed badly that can win games and the other ability is something not as great, but useful anyway. Loss is the prime example here, the bleed being the great the burn being utility, but id also consider pack alpha on the same level, the pulling out a retainer in combat being great (not "needed" but great, especially for ani without multiact, and it was pre-deep song...) and the strength bonus being the ok toolboxy part.
The third step, imo, of new cards and abilities for a discipline the the "as above" types of things. Something the discipline either lacked or didnt do well. Same level of good is combo cards that do 2 things the discipline either had on seperate cards, or one ability new and another one they have a billion of. So, under my skin for thanatosis gave thn non-hags wrinkle stealth, and frees up slots a little. Note, samedi have obf too, but not all groupings are as good with it(i run psychic veil with dead hookers) so under skin is good. Potence actions that get permastrength (we need a pdf one thats between HM and PS) are similar. Then the second part of this grouping is swallowed by the night, deny, resist earths grasp, rapid change, etc, where two abilities that are useful but on seperate cards are on one card.

The stuff that ISNT one of these 3 good idea types are things where a discipline would arbitrarily get an illogical ability. Protean sucks. Thats no reason to give it proflection "reaction, 1 blood. pro: only usable when being bled after blocks are declined. Tap this miniom and chose a methuselah other than the acting minions controller. That methuselah is now being bled. PRO: as above, but dont tap this minion. Oh and your hand damafe is agg this turn. Because this is a protean card"

Anytime a known lack of good defense clan or discipline needs a second trad and or deflection, it needs something in theme that lets them block bleeds/actions,,not a clone of those cards. The. Disciplines lose theme, etc.....