What if we updated these cards?

charmer wrote:

Our playgroup was mulling over cards needing an update and Acrobatics was mentioned several times.

Indeed, Celerity appears to be a discipline that should, flavor-wise and mechanically, have the easiest access to this effect, yet the card still costs a blood and is virtually unplayable. Hence the suggestion to update the card:


Acrobatics - [costs 0 blood]
cel: Additional strike (limited).
CEL: Strike: dodge, with an additional strike (limited).

It appears as a clear-cut case too because:

* Quickness was updated in a similar way without really breaking any metas.
* Obtenebration is going away and the best dodge+additional effect in the form of Arms of the Abyss is likely not going to appear in V5's Oblivion in the same form. (They are still different cards but vie for similar slots in decklists).
* Anarchs already have two of these effects for CEL and ANI


What do you think?

Oblivion and Obtenebration have the same discipline symbol, all the obtenebration cards will continue to be playable like thaumaturgy cads are now blood sorcery cards, or i'm wrong on this?

Oblivion and obtenebration will have different icons, as announced by BCP. Current obt is legacy only discipline.

Lech wrote:

Oblivion and obtenebration will have different icons, as announced by BCP. Current obt is legacy only discipline.

Booring

different icons ? i have missed this annoucement, this way will be easy to balance i suppose

I don't think it was announced yet. The icon briefly leaked via a playtesting app.

To get us back on track, I believe it is clear that Blur should be left alone if only to keep things balanced - not only is it widely played as is (in 207 TWDs right now), it has a unique effect no other card has and making it free would invalidate several other Cel strike cards.

Now, shall we fix some poor retainers? Starting with the one that has 0 entries in TWDA:

Faithful Servant
[costs 0 blood]
Mortal with 1 life.
If the action to employ ~ is successful, unlock the acting vampire.
If the vampire with this retainer is in torpor, he or she gains 1 blood at the beginning of his or her minion phase.

Seems to me, that this card was never properly tested and was released with the "better safe than sorry" attitude... The above change might make it worthwhile for some combat decks but I could imagine making it even better.


Childling Muse
[requires a Malkavian][costs 1 pool]
Changeling with 1 life.
This Malkavian gets +1 bleed.
The turn this Malkavian employed ~, he or she can use the discard phase action to unlock.

With Tasha, Camera Phone etc already available, the Childling Muse only appeared in a single TWD more than 10 years ago. In this case, reducing the cost did not feel right but there should be some boost for the investment. Maybe the above change could help somewhat without propping up S&B too much.


Fortune Teller
[requires a Ravnos][costs 0 blood]
Mortal with 1 life.
When ~ is employed and during your minion phase, you may look at one card picked at random from your prey's hand and look at one card picked at random from your predator's hand.

I originally wanted to tack on an effect that the cards you already saw would be put face-down in front of its owner, not to be picked from the next time but it would likely bloat the card text too much...

This next one is curious because is has 20 TWDA entries but not a single one after 2010:

Marijava Ghoul
[requires Presence][costs 2 blood]
Ghoul with 2 life.
The minion with this retainer gets +1 stealth when attempting an action that requires Presence.
The minion with this retainer and with superior Presence gets +1 stealth instead.

Feels cleaner and more consequential this way - what do you think?