Lookout! A new mechanic...

[Thranduil]

Here's a mechanic for you. Just want some good ideas. It's a bit tricky knowing where it fits and where it doesn't at the moment, but what do you think?

So the idea of this mechanic is that it provides an alternate way of playing your cards, turning permanent cards (characters, followers, possessions, conditions) into events. I'm worried it's a bit too confusing, but let me know.

To answer possible questions:

• when you use lookout, you are actually playing the card. So you need to meet normal play requirements like twilight cost and extra stuff (Sméagol's burden adding, for example, or bearer requirements).

• after using lookout, the cards are immediately discarded. They do not hang around for enough time to interact with anything (like Saruman, Coldly Still couldn't get a strength bonus from momentarily bearing a lookout possession). However, normal effects from playing or discarding do trigger (eg. Orc Artisan).


•Sméagol, Absent Guide (F)
Companion
Str: 3
Vit: 4
Res: 5
Ring-bound. Traitor. Lookout – Regroup: Spot a Ring-bound Hobbit. (Regroup: Pay the lookout cost to play Sméagol from your hand; then discard him from play).
To play, add a burden.
When you play Sméagol, you may play the fellowship's next site.
C

Throwing Knife
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +1
Lookout – Archery. (Archery: Play this card from your hand; then discard this card from play).
Bearer must be an companion.
When this possession is discarded from play, you may exert a minion.
C

Vindictive Breelander
Minion • Man
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Sit: 2
Traitor. Lookout – Maneuver: Spot your traitor minion. (Maneuver: Pay the lookout cost to play this minion from your hand; then discard it from play).
When this minion is discarded from play or killed, you may reveal the Free Peoples player's hand.
U

•Orc Worker
Minion • Orc
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Condition and possession cards in your hand gain Lookout – Skirmish: Exert your minion. (Skirmish: Pay the lookout cost to play that card from your hand; then discard it from play)
Each time you play a condition or possession, you may make a companion strength -2.
R

[Not a Zombie]

So could you play these cards regularly as well? I think its cool

[Cw0rk]

It's an interesting idea, but to be honest I think that it looks too much like an event. Perhaps you could make the lookout cards being discarded at the end of the turn instead of being discarded right after you use them.

[legolas3333]

So what advantage does that smeagkl hold over say one good turn deserves another? Intresting idea but it's too much like an event

[stimpy]

I really like the idea, I think it would add an interesting dynamic to gameplay (especially if combined with cards that interact with the discard pile -- take a "lookout" card into hand, for instance). I would think that things could get strange when you start adding "lookout" to other cards, as the orc worker does. But I think it is quite creative and adds some interesting possibilities!

[MR. Lurtzy]

I don't see a need for this keyward. For example, Vindictive breelander doesn't even need lookout, and the others would function better as an event (with Smeagol already being one).

[stimpy]

I think what makes the idea cool is the option it gives the player in how to use the card. The throwing knife, for instance - could be an archery event or a hand possession, depending on how you use it.

[Thranduil]

So could you play these cards regularly as well? I think its cool

You can play these regularly as normal cards. That's the advantage that Sméagol has over One Good Turn Deserves Another – you can play him as a normal Sméagol with Ranger of Westernesse tagged on, or you can use OGTDA. A lot of what this keyword is trying to add is flexibility and new (and hopefully interesting) gameplay decisions.

I don't see a need for this keyward. For example, Vindictive breelander doesn't even need lookout, and the others would function better as an event (with Smeagol already being one).

The Vindictive Breelander still works if you play him normally, which makes it an interesting gameplay decision. Do you need a minion that will reveal the Free Peoples player's hand later, or would you rather know now.

Of course, there is the issue of minions getting discarded during the regroup phase when no one moves on. Perhaps that should be an exception for lookout minions (ie. Vindictive Breelander could read: "When this minion is killed or discarded from play (except during the regroup phase"). That way it's more of a choice between possibly getting the effect but getting a minion and getting the effect. What do we think?

Thranduil

[chompers]

it kind of reminds me of star wars when they combined two cards into one ... seems like a good idea to me

[Witchkingx5]

It's just the "Evoke"-ability of MtG in LotR, simlilar to the version introduced in Morningtide...

[Thranduil]

It's just the "Evoke"-ability of MtG in LotR, simlilar to the version introduced in Morningtide...

Yes! That's exactly what it is! I make no secret of it. One of my main sources of inspiration is MTG. Obviously, not all of what MTG does applies to LotR, but some of it does. I think increasing card flexibility (that MTG does with keywords like evoke, cycling, channel and many others that allow cards to do more than one job) is something that should be looked at for LotR. This was my most successful attempt so far at doing so, so I posted it.

There could be a cycling style mechanic instead by which you pay a cost, discard them and replace them with another card, but it doesn't quite have the same impact in LotR because you're cycling every turn anyway.

Thranduil

[Witchkingx5]

It's just the "Evoke"-ability of MtG in LotR, simlilar to the version introduced in Morningtide...

Yes! That's exactly what it is! I make no secret of it. One of my main sources of inspiration is MTG. Obviously, not all of what MTG does applies to LotR, but some of it does. I think increasing card flexibility (that MTG does with keywords like evoke, cycling, channel and many others that allow cards to do more than one job) is something that should be looked at for LotR. This was my most successful attempt so far at doing so, so I posted it.

Amen to that. I'm sorry that I don't have eough time anymore to be active on the MtG boards, but anyway, some ideas LotR TCG could copy:

"Race and Type": Cards like: Condition: Each  Orc is Strength +1. Each Besieger is strength +1.

Just an idea, but I think cards in that style would be possible.

"strength tokens": There are wounds and Burdens, so why not strength tokens that give the character Strength +1.

And some others I might add later.

[chompers]

Loaded keywords used in Star Trek that may be of some interest / use in LOTR DC design ....

Decay X - This keyword appears on permanents called events (conditions) and it represents a cost to trigger the ability on the event which is always placing a card on the event (the event states where the card comes from such as from hand, from top of draw deck, etc). When the same number of cards are on the event as X, the event and all cards on it are discarded.

Persistent - This keyword appears on dilemmas (which are best represented as shadow cards in LOTR). Once the card has been played, a cost (as specified on the card) can be triggered to get the card back so it can be reused.

Consume - This keyword appears on dilemmas (shadow cards) and is used to effectively reduce the cost of the dilemma (by discarding shadow cards) ... sort of

Interlink - This keyword appears on personnel and allows you to share skills with other personnel by discarding cards from top of draw deck .... sharing abilities could be interesting?

Replicate - This keyword is for interrupts that are discarded once played. Instead of discarding you pay a cost (usually discarding cards from hand), to put it back in hand to play again.

As for MTG - creature tokens

[MR. Lurtzy]

There's no need for them.

[chompers]

There's no need for them.

Very true, but in my opinion need and dream cards should not be used together.

As concepts these keywords already exist in LOTR without defined loaded keywords ... adding them as loaded keywords simply expands the versatility of cards.

* Decay is stacking cards ... the decay keyword specifies where the stacked card comes from and limits it use ... it is actually a highly versatile keyword that limits the power of permanents such as conditions. Tokens are similar in concept, you are using a different marker.

* Persistent and Replicate increase the versatility of events (think events that play from discard pile or elven events that go to top of draw deck).


and so on ....