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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zappo" data-source="post: 1589139" data-attributes="member: 633">To oversimplify, each player represents a wizard with some life points, and each card represents either a land or a spell. Lands give you mana to cast spells. There are all sorts of spells; summoned creatures are rather prominent, so there's a very simple battle mechanic for them (basically, highest number wins). You win by depleting the other guy's life points. Fairly straightforward. The complexity arises from the fact that any card can modify the rules in an arbitrary manner; the special rules are written on the card itself in a very clear language, so you don't have to actually learn the text of every card to play. There are more than 6000 different cards in existance, though you only play with 60 (or more, but most players agree that the less, the better; randomness is your enemy).  The collectability arises from the fact that you've got to have a card if you want to use it. The skill (and, believe me, this isn't a game of luck) lies in "building a deck", i.e. defining a strategy, deciding how many of which cards will best implement that strategy, and fit everything in a 60 cards deck, as well as in actually playing, where you usually have to keep track of a lot of stuff going on while keeping a poker face. The money, if you are very good at it, comes from screwing other people in trades and selling your ill-gotten cards; few people actually make money at tournaments, since tournament-level playing requires lots of time and energy.  [/hijack]  As the mathematician Richard Garfield knew very well, simple elements produce incredible complexity if they are allowed to interact. Would you believe that I had a very similar idea in 1992? Then I dismissed it thinking it was too weird. I still mentally kick myself for it. Garfield's stroke of genius is comparable to Gygax's, but Richard Garfield has never been the face for his game. I think many players don't even know who he is.</blockquote>

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