Idea for a new Magic keyword...

[Asmor]

A new keyword I thought of. Flavorwise, the setting it appears in would be a brand new plane where mana is still primordial and changing.

Adapt X: When you place a spell with Adapt X on the stack, choose up to X colors. If you choose at least 1 color, the spell becomes the chosen color(s). If you don't choose at least one color, the spell is colorless. (And worth noting that if the spell becomes a permanent, the permanent would be the same colors as the spell) You may only choose a color if you spent at least one of the type of mana to pay for the spell.

If a spell has multiple Adapt abilities, they are each resolved in the order of the caster's choice, and later adapt abilities may overwrite earlier ones. In essence, a spell only has the "highest" adapt ability.

Here are some card examples. Note that (x/y) denotes hybrid mana.

Versatile Soldier 2(R/W)
Creature - Human Soldier
1/1
Adapt 1
If ~this~ is red, it gets +2/+0 and first strike.
If ~this~ is white, it gets +0/+2 and vigilance.

Proteac X1
Artifact Creature - Golem
1/1
Adapt X
If ~this~ is white, it gets +0/+1 and vigilance.
If ~this~ is blue, it has shroud.
If ~this~ is black, it has death touch.
If ~this~ is red, it gets +1/+0 and first strike.
If ~this~ is green, it has "G: Regenerate ~this~."

Fickle Favor (B/W)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Adapt 1
If ~this~ is black, enchanted creature gets -2/-1.
If ~this~ is white, enchanted creature gets +1/+2.

Elemental Rebuke 1(R/U)
Instant
Adapt 1
If ~this~ is red, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
If ~this~ is blue, return target creature to its owner's hand.

Anylace Aura 1U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Permanent
As ~this~ comes into play, choose one or more colors. Enchanted permanent is the chosen colors.
When ~this~ comes into play, draw a card.

Stabilization Matrix 3
Artifact
Players can't choose colors.

Primal Amplifier 3
Artifact
Cards in your hand have Adapt 2. (not sure of how you'd have to template this ability...)

Primordial Landscape
Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Pay 1 life: ~this~ becomes the basic land type of your choice.

 

[Siberys]

There are a couple of problems with this keyword, but they are all solvable.

The first is that this requires tracking. Beads can do it, so not a biggie, but abilities that require remembering are usually not favored.

The other bit is formatting. That Versatile Soldier card there? Because it's got [r/w] in its casting cost, it IS red and white already. Making the card broken. For it to work, you'd need '~ is colorless.' somewhere in there, as well as a note in the keyword about overriding existing colors.

I'd suggest using kicker, actually;

Versatile Soldier
2
Creature - Human Soldier
1/1
Kicker W or R
If ~ was kicked for w, put a White Adaptation counter on it, and it has +0/+2 and vigilance.
If ~ was kicked for r, put a Red Adaptation counter on it, and it has +2/+0 and first strike.
(A creature with an Adaptation counter is that adaptation counter's color.)

 

[Asmor]

It definitely does have issues. Tracking is one of them; as you say, beads would work; honestly, if I were in WotC trying to push this idea, I'd try to get "counter cards" added to the boosters replacing some tokens. The counter cards would be perforated and torn into 6 pieces, one for each color and one for colorless.

The bigger problem is that my Elemental Bolt example doesn't actually work as written. You choose targets on announcement, which is before you pay for the spell. To get it to work, I'd need some awkward templating where you target the creatures regardless but the abilities only happen if the spell is the correct color.

However, the adapt keyword itself deals with the hybrid problem. It specifically says that if you choose no colors then the spell is colorless. If you choose one color, it becomes that color and only that color.

 

[Runestar]

Wording it concisely and precisely is going to be tricky. Personally, I prefer simple and straightforward cards which do not require too much tracking.

That proteac golem seems fairly weak though. I would have it also come into play with X +1/+1 counters and reduce its power/toughness to +0/+0. Otherwise, you are looking at a 2/2 creature for 6 mana, 5 of which have to be of different colours.

 

[MerricB]

Tracking is a hideous thing.

Personally, I'd choose it to be Adapt {X}: Spend {X} additional mana when you play this card. It gains all colours spent in {X}.

Cheers!

 

[Asmo]

Reminds me about a card that I never figured out what it did because of all the text

Ice Cauldron

Asmo

 

[Asmor]

Reminds me about a card that I never figured out what it did because of all the text

Ice Cauldron

Asmo

I love that card, one of the first I ever opened.

In a nutshell, it allows you to pay for a spell in 2 installments; 1 when you charge the cauldron, and then another when you play the spell under it.

I actually got a chance to use Ice Cauldron in a stack game. Used it to get around Limited Resources and cast a Lord of the Pit... which my opponent took control of and killed me with. D'oh.