Bailout(You may sacrifice this [card type] at any time you could cast an instant.)
Primarily R and G, but probably coupled with B on most occasions, and used largely on cards that grow in some manner (not necessarily in power and toughness), but have negative effects when they leave the battlefield that also grow with that. Bailout is your way to yeet out of there early if need be (kind of like selling out early in the stock market). Example use:
Bailout (You may sacrifice this creature at any time you could cast an instant.) At the beginning of your upkeep, put two +1/+1 counters on ~. When ~ leaves the battlefield, it deals damage to you equal to half its power, rounded down.
Morale(If this creature's blockers are destroyed by this creature and it survives combat, it deals damage equal to its power to defending player.)
RW mechanic. Similar to trample mechanically, but RW flavour and dependent on the creature surviving combat, as opposed to delivering excess damage. I'd be interested to see a morale/deathtouch deck hehe. Official rules may go something like this:
*.a Morale is a static ability. Morale means "If this creature assigns lethal damage to its blockers and its blockers do not assign lethal damage to it, then this creature assigns combat damage to defending player equal to its power in addition to what damage is assigned to its blockers." *.b Multiple instances of morale on the same permanent are redundant.
I feel like that definition might be more complicated than needed. Whoops.
Salvage ____ - (Exile that card with a scrap counter on it. For as long as it has a scrap counter on it, you may pay the salvaged card's casting cost and remove a scrap counter from it. If you do, create a token that's a copy of it except it's an artifact in addition to its other types.)
*Note that it is only supposed to work with permanent cards.
Attribute shift: Once per turn, you may put any number of a creature's power into its toughness or toughness into its power.
It is imo primarily green creature ability and would basically let you shift power into toughness or vice versa. Example: a creature that is 6/6 can become a 4/8 or a 10/2.
You can only make one change per turn, but the amount of power or toughness shifted can be any number within the power/toughness of the creature. The change would be permanent until the card gets reset through flicker abilities or being brought back from the graveyard. Any abilities that would affect a creature based on it having a certain power or toughness would apply based on the new shifted valves, not the value of the creature as it entered the battlefield. If you after attribute shift, the creature would end up with 0 toughness, it would be sent to the graveyard.
It was primarily something I came up with to represent Morphling's ability to shift either his agility into strength to get more tanky or strength into agility to get more damage. To write out the whole ability is too wordy and so I decided to come up with a keyword for it.
@MonkeyPirate2002 Thank you, I think it's pretty accurate. There might be a better way to word it but there's almost always a better way to word anything.
Burrow(Whenever this creature attacks, if it deals combat damage to a player, you may attach it to a permanent that player controls instead of assigning combat damage as an enchantment aura with enchant permanent.)
Note: This ability is only to be found on creatures, and only for creatures.
Spellbind to [type](You may target a [type] spell or a [type] as you cast this spell. If you target a spell, this aura becomes attached to that [type] when that [type] enters the battlefield.)
This is (of course) only on auras, specifically ones with flash.
Spellbind to [type] means "Enchant [type]" and "When you cast this spell, you may target a [type] spell instead of a permanent. If you do, exile this spell as it resolves. When the targeted spell resolves, put this aura onto the battlefield attached to that [type]. If the targeted spell doesn't resolve, put this aura into your graveyard."
Multiple instances of spellbind are redundant if they specify the same type. Otherwise, each instance of spellbind acts independently.
Servant (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with greater power.)
Note: Fits in all colors, most likely. The creature can also have an additional ability which triggers whenever it serves a creature. "Whenever (card name) serves a creature, (effect.)"
(You may cast this spell at any time you could cast an instant on your turn.)
Don't know if it would be worthwhile including, when you could make an instant with rules text to have it only cast on your turn, or a sorcery that has flash on your turn. *shrug* Was just a random idea I thought of 0.2 seconds ago.
@SammySammyson Good thinking, but, yes, as your further retrospection concluded, it would be better to have a traditional spell with rules that governed its timing in its rules text.
Reincarnate N - [cost] ([cost], Exile this card from your graveyard: Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card with power N or less from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.) NOTE: For Orzhov.
A mechanic I made and use in my sets on Thestria to represent the plane's invasion of demons is Possessed. Possessed is a static ability that reads: Possessed (Whenever you discard a card or lose life, this creature becomes indestructible until the end of your next turn.) Possessed creatures are usually creatures that are under the influence of demons. Their infernal connections grant them otherworldly stamina, through various rituals. As demonic dominion grows, so do the power of the possessed. The majority of all demon creatures and an assortment of other black cards in this set grant benefits to Possessed creatures. (Creatures that have the keyword ability Possessed.) These benefits usually give Possessed creatures other keyword abilities such as deathtouch or Menace. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/angle-of-false-verdicts?list=set&set=29752 https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ritualist-raider?list=set&set=29752 https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/glaive-demon?list=set&set=29752 https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/subdue-with-sinew?list=set&set=29752 The last one was inspired by Bankrupt in blood.
Mimic (Instants and Sorceries): *Mimic* - For each effect that has [ability involving opponent] this turn, [related but not necessarily the same ability.]
Mimic (Triggered): *Mimic* - [At the beginning of, whenever, etc.], for each effect that has [abilitiy involving opponent] this turn, [related but bot necessarily the same ability.]
Mimic (Activated): *Mimic* - COST - (Copy of Instants and Sorceries.)
Inflection (Activated) *Inflection* - COST: If [color symbol] was spent to activate this ability, [effect]. (May repeat for any number of colors or have other effects that don’t require the colors of mana,)
Inflection (Instants, Sorceries). If [color symbol] was spent to cast this spell, [effect]. (May repeat for any number of colors of have other effects that don’t requires the colors of mana.)
There are just too many custom mechanics for me to sift through, I don't wanna make a duplicate. So I'm gonna post and y'all let me know its been repeated...
Pierce(This creature can deal excess combat damage to another target creature.) It was designed for a custom set I'm working on. Happens to be on Abzan, but usable just like trample, most any color.
Stampede N (This creature gets +N/+0 for each attacking creature you control until end of turn.) I see this mostly in the green color pie.
@spookoops stampede could possibly be in red (or white as well I suppose), but yes, definitely green. Not so much blue obviously, not sure how I feel with black and this ability.
It would appear I've made a few mechanics. Not sure if any are duplicates of ones here, but if not, feel free to take them for your own unscrupulous concoctions.
Wild —(Whenever a creature or land you control is destroyed, [effect].)
Vivid(Colorless mana can't be used to cast this spell or pay the costs of any of its abilities.)
Lunacy(This spell costs {1} less for each card sharing a card type with it that was put into your graveyard this turn.)
Encore(When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield under your control. Then, exile it.)
Someone may have done this already but if not: Spellsurge [cost] ([cost]: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only if you cast two or more instant or sorcery spells this turn.) NOTE: For instants, sorceries, and Wizards.
Blaze N (At the beginning your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Then if it has N or more +1/+1 counters on it, sacrifice it.)
Basically a rewording of Passage from Lujikul, making the sacrifice mandatory and providing more flexibility by adding the variable sac number.
Original wording is "Passage (At the beginning your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Then if it has three or more +1/+1 counters on it, you may sacrifice it.)"
Incarnate (As long as this creature is on the battlefield, damage dealt to you from any source is dealt to this creature instead, and spells and/or abilities that target you target this creature instead.)
Update to Mass Produce: Mass Produce [Cost] (You may cast this spell for its mass produce cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, create a token that's a copy of it.)
Comments
Primarily R and G, but probably coupled with B on most occasions, and used largely on cards that grow in some manner (not necessarily in power and toughness), but have negative effects when they leave the battlefield that also grow with that. Bailout is your way to yeet out of there early if need be (kind of like selling out early in the stock market). Example use:
Bailout (You may sacrifice this creature at any time you could cast an instant.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put two +1/+1 counters on ~.
When ~ leaves the battlefield, it deals damage to you equal to half its power, rounded down.
Morale (If this creature's blockers are destroyed by this creature and it survives combat, it deals damage equal to its power to defending player.)
RW mechanic. Similar to trample mechanically, but RW flavour and dependent on the creature surviving combat, as opposed to delivering excess damage. I'd be interested to see a morale/deathtouch deck hehe. Official rules may go something like this:
*.a Morale is a static ability. Morale means "If this creature assigns lethal damage to its blockers and its blockers do not assign lethal damage to it, then this creature assigns combat damage to defending player equal to its power in addition to what damage is assigned to its blockers."
*.b Multiple instances of morale on the same permanent are redundant.
I feel like that definition might be more complicated than needed. Whoops.
*Note that it is only supposed to work with permanent cards.
It is imo primarily green creature ability and would basically let you shift power into toughness or vice versa.
Example: a creature that is 6/6 can become a 4/8 or a 10/2.
You can only make one change per turn, but the amount of power or toughness shifted can be any number within the power/toughness of the creature. The change would be permanent until the card gets reset through flicker abilities or being brought back from the graveyard. Any abilities that would affect a creature based on it having a certain power or toughness would apply based on the new shifted valves, not the value of the creature as it entered the battlefield. If you after attribute shift, the creature would end up with 0 toughness, it would be sent to the graveyard.
It was primarily something I came up with to represent Morphling's ability to shift either his agility into strength to get more tanky or strength into agility to get more damage. To write out the whole ability is too wordy and so I decided to come up with a keyword for it.
If anyone has an idea to reword this but have the effect remain the same then please tell me, it seems off to me.
Pack mentality - Whenever this creature attacks, each other creature you control with pack mentality must attack this turn if able.
I think this words it better, but I'm not exactly sure if it is the most correct wording.
Note: Usually combined with an ability that triggers when the creature is sacrificed to its Passage ability.
Note: This ability is only to be found on creatures, and only for creatures.
This is (of course) only on auras, specifically ones with flash.
Spellbind to [type] means "Enchant [type]" and "When you cast this spell, you may target a [type] spell instead of a permanent. If you do, exile this spell as it resolves. When the targeted spell resolves, put this aura onto the battlefield attached to that [type]. If the targeted spell doesn't resolve, put this aura into your graveyard."
Multiple instances of spellbind are redundant if they specify the same type. Otherwise, each instance of spellbind acts independently.
Note: Fits in all colors, most likely. The creature can also have an additional ability which triggers whenever it serves a creature. "Whenever (card name) serves a creature, (effect.)"
Set containing all my cards with servant.
For example:
1:Promote target creature tapped.
(You may cast this spell at any time you could cast an instant on your turn.)
Don't know if it would be worthwhile including, when you could make an instant with rules text to have it only cast on your turn, or a sorcery that has flash on your turn. *shrug* Was just a random idea I thought of 0.2 seconds ago.
Good thinking, but, yes, as your further retrospection concluded, it would be better to have a traditional spell with rules that governed its timing in its rules text.
yeet thanks for the input
Note:
For Instants and Sorceries. They transform into a nonland permanent.
NOTE: For Orzhov.
Not sure if I posted this here already or not...
This costs up to {x} less to cast
equal to the difference between N and the converted mana cost of the spell this targets.
Example:
If you are counting something that costs 4+, it costs 4. Countering a 3cmc spell costs 1uu. Countering a 2, 1, or 0 CMC spell costs uu.
Can probably be generalized and applied to designs that don't specifically target spells.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/angle-of-false-verdicts?list=set&set=29752
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ritualist-raider?list=set&set=29752
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/glaive-demon?list=set&set=29752
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/subdue-with-sinew?list=set&set=29752
The last one was inspired by Bankrupt in blood.
Mimic (Triggered): *Mimic* - [At the beginning of, whenever, etc.], for each effect that has [abilitiy involving opponent] this turn, [related but bot necessarily the same ability.]
Mimic (Activated): *Mimic* - COST - (Copy of Instants and Sorceries.)
Example:
Inflection (Instants, Sorceries). If [color symbol] was spent to cast this spell, [effect]. (May repeat for any number of colors of have other effects that don’t requires the colors of mana.)
Pierce(This creature can deal excess combat damage to another target creature.) It was designed for a custom set I'm working on. Happens to be on Abzan, but usable just like trample, most any color.
Stampede N (This creature gets +N/+0 for each attacking creature you control until end of turn.) I see this mostly in the green color pie.
Wild — (Whenever a creature or land you control is destroyed, [effect].)
Vivid (Colorless mana can't be used to cast this spell or pay the costs of any of its abilities.)
Lunacy (This spell costs {1} less for each card sharing a card type with it that was put into your graveyard this turn.)
Encore (When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield under your control. Then, exile it.)
Spellsurge [cost] ([cost]: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only if you cast two or more instant or sorcery spells this turn.)
NOTE: For instants, sorceries, and Wizards.
Basically a rewording of Passage from Lujikul, making the sacrifice mandatory and providing more flexibility by adding the variable sac number.
Original wording is "Passage (At the beginning your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Then if it has three or more +1/+1 counters on it, you may sacrifice it.)"
Mass Produce [Cost] (You may cast this spell for its mass produce cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, create a token that's a copy of it.)