New Mechanic (Reworked)

[Tinkerer]

Hello, fine peoples!

This experimental idea is one that's pretty near and dear to me because it evokes a certain sense of the original duel monsters anime.

So... Think back. What was duel monsters?

It was you, the player, as an almighty being that could summon all kinds of creatures to fight on your behalf. You'd set traps - mundane ones like a simple pit (Trap Hole) or magically reinforced ones (Mirror Force). You'd literally drink potions to heal yourself (Red/Blue Medicine), and call down the elements to destroy your foe (Raigeki/Heavy Storm). Way back in the beginning, this was the essence of the game. Coupled with its more fluid, "tabletop rpg-esque" rules in the first season, this flowed naturally with the idea that the player was as much a part of the game as their monsters.

...so what if the player WAS part of the game?

Here's the idea: Alongside LP, players also have an ATK and DEF value. At the start of the game, both stat values are 0. The ATK stat lets you - the player - be able to declare attacks during the Battle Phase alongside your monsters. The DEF stat modifies all damage you take from any source (i.e. If you, the player, have 200 DEF, and a monster attacks you directly with 1000 ATK, you only take 800 damage). Players also have a blank type/Attribute that can also be modified.

Rulings:

- You, the player, are not treated as a Monster, Spell, or Trap. (i.e. A player cannot activate "Malevolent Catastrophe" in response to a player's attack).

- You, the player, are unaffected by effects that do not specifically pertain to you. (i.e. Field-wide ATK/DEF increases/decreases don't affect you).

- Any references to you, the player, will be written in PSCT as "YOU/YOUR" (yes, in all caps).

- If you - the player - have 0 ATK, you - the player - cannot declare an attack.

- A card that references both you and monsters simultaneously refers to the combination as "entities" (see cards 4-5)

 

Example Cards:

Summoner's Sword

Equip Spell

Equip to YOU. YOU gain 500 ATK. If YOU destroy a monster by battle, you can send this face-up card to the GY; Special Summon 1 monster from your GY in attack position.

 

Summoner's Shield

Equip Spell

Equip to YOU. YOU gain 200 DEF. If YOU take 1000 or more damage from 1 attack, you can send this face-up card to the GY; Special Summon 1 monster from your GY in defense position.

 

Summoner's Realm

Field Spell

YOU gain 200 ATK. When this card is activated, declare 1 Attribute. YOUR Attribute becomes the declared Attribute. All monsters you control with the same Attribute as YOU gain ATK/DEF equal to half YOUR ATK/DEF.

 

Insectoid Familiar

EARTH ****

Insect/Effect

When this card attacks, YOU and all monsters you control gain 300 ATK until the End Phase of the next turn. If an entity targets this monster for an attack, YOUR OPPONENT and all monsters they control lose 200 ATK.

1500/1800

 

Dark Star Buster

Equip Spell

Equip only to a DARK entity. It gains 400 ATK. If the equipped entity destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand whose ATK is less than the destroyed monster's ATK.

 

[Horu]

This reminds me of the Orichalcos Arc with Valon's Armor Deck.

[Bluvista]

OMG! I freaking love this! Can Aura Armor be an Equip Trap like it was in the anime for Joey!? Also, I have an idea to add to this, what the amount of life you had influenced your ATK/DEF? Before you dismiss it, check out what I have in mind. 

What I was thinking is that at a certain amount of Life points you get an ATK/DEF boost. Though i'm not entirely sure where the threshold would be, here's my original idea. 

LP = 0/ Game over, YOU lose

LP = 200-500/ ATK/DEF boost = 50

LP = 501-1,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 100

LP = 1,001-1,700/ ATK/DEF boost = 150

LP = 1,701-2,600/ ATK/DEF boost = 200

LP = 2,601-3,700/ ATK/DEF boost = 250

LP = 3,701-5,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 500

LP = 5,001-6,500/ ATK/DEF boost = 1,000

LP = 6,501-8,200/ ATK/DEF boost = 2,000

LP = 8,201-12,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 4,000

LP = 12,001-19,200/ ATK/DEF boost = 6,000

LP = 19,201-33,600/ ATK/DEF boost = 8,000

LP = 33,601-62,400/ ATK/DEF boost = 10,000

LP = 62,401-120,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 12,000

LP = 120,001-350,400/ ATK/DEF boost = 16,000

LP = 350,401-1,752,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 20,000

LP = 1,752,001-7,358,400/ ATK/DEF boost = 24,000

LP = 7,358,401-36,972,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 32,000

LP = 36,972,001-332,748,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 40,000

LP = 332,748,001-2,661,984,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 48,000

LP = 2,661,984,001-23,957,856,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 56,000

LP = 23,957,856,001-215,620,704,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 64,000

LP = 215,620,704,001-3,665,551,968,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 80,000

LP = 3,665,551,968,001-62,314,383,456,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 96,000

LP= 62,314,383,456,001-100,000,000,000,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 100,000

LP = 100,000,000,000,001-1,000,000,000,000,000/ ATK/DEF boost = 1,000,000

LP = 1,000,000,000,000,001-Infinity/ ATK/DEF boost = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Please, tell me what you think! (but before you ask, There is a mathematical pattern in those numbers.)

(Also, nice description of YU-GI-OH! Season 1, I miss that small period where you could summon anything...) 

[Tinkerer]

Thank you both for your interest! When I first thought of this mechanic, I hadn't really fleshed it out all that well. I'm so glad it's getting a more positive reception now!

@Bluvista That's an interesting addition to the mechanic! Unfortunately, the way it is now, I'll have to decline it. Player DEF is a tricky thing to work with since it reduces all damage. Having 8000+ LP will make it extremely difficult for people to damage each other using monsters at all (making them almost useless). Even if it was just ATK, things would have to be maneuvered around a little bit as having a 4000 ATK player just a little over the starting LP value is pretty crazy. Don't get me wrong, it's a good idea; I think it just needs some tweaks to its execution. Thanks again for your interest!

[Bluvista]

Your welcome, and yeah, I can rework that a bit. Also, I think I might have taken it a bit too far...

[Horu]

1 hour ago, Tinkerer said:

Thank you both for your interest! When I first thought of this mechanic, I hadn't really fleshed it out all that well. I'm so glad it's getting a more positive reception now!

@Bluvista That's an interesting addition to the mechanic! Unfortunately, the way it is now, I'll have to decline it. Player DEF is a tricky thing to work with since it reduces all damage. Having 8000+ LP will make it extremely difficult for people to damage each other using monsters at all (making them almost useless). Even if it was just ATK, things would have to be maneuvered around a little bit as having a 4000 ATK player just a little over the starting LP value is pretty crazy. Don't get me wrong, it's a good idea; I think it just needs some tweaks to its execution. Thanks again for your interest!

Maybe the player could have an ATK/DEF cap of 5000/5000 like the monsters? Also, it could work with turn count as well.

[morrisoni4]

Hmmm... I think this could be a very interesting mechanic. If I might add an idea: what if you could assign yourself a monster type through card effects (Fusion, Ritual, Xyz, Link, Synchro, etc.) and be counted as such an entity? For instance, if you become Xyz, you could attach Xyz Materials to yourself, which you could then detach to activate certain effects. And you could get Summoning bonuses based on which type you pick.

• Fusion: You can Fusion Summon monsters without needing Polymerization (once per turn).
• Xyz: When you Xyz Summon, you can use YOURSELF as one of the Xyz Materials of any Level.
• Synchro: You can Synchro Summon monsters without using Tuners (once per turn).
• Pendulum: YOU have YOUR own Pendulum Scale, and can Pendulum Summon using it when you have only 1 Pendulum Monster. (Once per turn).
• Link: When Link Summoning, you can treat any Link monster you control as a number of monsters anywhere between 1 and its Link rating, not just the extremes.
• Ritual: When Ritual Summoning a Ritual Monster, you may pay LP instead of or combined with Tributing monsters (1000/required level, say).

Example card that might achieve this:

"Summoner's Reform"

Quickplay Spell

Pick one entity type (Fusion, Xyz, Ritual, Link, Pendulum, or Synchro). YOU are now an entity of the selected type.

 

Example that might utilise this:

"Fusionists Farce"

Equip Spell Card

Equip only to a Fusion entity. The equipped entity gains 500 ATK.  If equipped to YOU, YOU gain this effect:

• During your Battle Phase, you may select one Fusion Monster you control. YOU gain ATK equal to the ATK of that targeted monster until the End Phase, also that targeted monster cannot attack this turn.

[Tinkerer]

I like that thought.  It gives players the opportunity to have sub-types.  Honestly, that aspect feels like a natural extension of players gaining ATK/DEF and types/Attributes, so that would work.

I would probably hold off on giving players specific effects based on the sub-type just because it just becomes a whole lot more to remember in addition to everything else in the game.

I really like the cards though!

 

[morrisoni4]

Thanks! I see your point though, it is kind of complicated. But those could also simply be effects that can be gained through card effects upon attaining such a subtype. Also, what if players could attain monster abilities (Flip, Toon, Gemini, Spirit, Union)?

[Horu]

That would be interesting but how would this translate into the card game?

[morrisoni4]

Well, for instance, with the right cards, a Union player could equip themselves to one of their monsters to power it up, likely at the cost of being able to attack themselves. For example:

"Humbling Sacrifice"

Spell Card

If YOU are a Union entity, equip YOURSELF to a monster you control as an Equip Spell Card with this effect:

• The equipped monster loses 300 ATK, but can attack directly and cannot be target for attacks.

YOU cannot attack while equipped to a monster by this effect.

A Gemini player could use their Normal Summon to grant themselves some new power.

"Life Overwhelming"

Spell Card

If YOU are a Gemini entity treated as a Normal entity, you may Normal Summon YOURSELF as your Normal Summon/Set this turn to have YOURSELF be treated as an effect entity with this effect:

• Gain 1000 LP during the End Phase of each turn.

 

A Toon player would benefit greatly from Toon World - attacking directly and being able to buff other Toon entities.

"Toon Physics"

Continuous Trap Card

Activate only while "Toon World" is on the field. If YOU are a Toon entity, your opponent's monsters cannot attack your monsters, unless they are Toon monsters. If "Toon World" is not on the field, destroy this card.

 

Spirit would admittedly be difficult to execute. However, a Spirit player might be able to return other cards to their hand, or prevent themself from being hurt, as well as support Spirit Monsters.

"Spirit Trickery"

Trap Card

If an opponent's monster declares an attack involving your entity, if YOU are a Spirit entity, you may add one Trap or Quickplay Spell from your GY to your hand. It may be activated from the hand during this Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY, return all monsters in you GY to your hand.

 

A Flip player would likely have some support for Traps, and for Flip Monsters.

"Shadow Hunt"

Quickplay Spell

If YOU are a Flip entity, activate one of these effects: 

• Shuffle all your monsters you control, then place them all in face-down Defense Position in random monster zones.
• Reveal as many Traps from your deck or hand as you wish (Min. 1, Max. 7). Then shuffle all the revealed Traps together, then Set them randomly to your Spell & Trap Zones, then send all of the Traps left over to your GY. One of those Set Traps can be activated this turn.