| From: | Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Fictional Cards of the Week (#3) |
| Date: | Mon, 29 Dec 1997 11:32:49 -0800 |
One of the major new game components in the upcoming Underworld
expansion will be Totems for Shamans. This raises a lot of interesting
possibilities -- for starters, what happens to Scatter, who's alraedy a
Rat shaman -- as well as questions on how exactly they're going to
implement them: In White Wolf's _Rage_ CCG, you basically had a Totem
affect all your Garou in the same manner. (They were the ultra-ultra
rare tin foil cards; I still have one or two around here somewhere).
Before FASA had even mentioned their inclusion in the Underworld set,
Forrest (who seems to be missing from the list lately) had already come
up with a few ideas, and, well, so did I.
Totems are treated as Gear/Magic cards; unlike the Ally Spirit, they
don't require the user to "use" a point of Conjuring to gain their
affect. As Gear card, they can be affected by Street Scum and other
effects that target Gear. Rather obviously, a Shaman can only have one
Totem deployed on him or her at one time.
Bear: "Bear is powerful in body, put ponderous unless he has to move
fast. Bear is a healer. Unless a Bear shaman has a good reason to
refuse healing to someone who needs it, he cannot do so. A Bear shaman
can go berserk when wounded...."
Totem (Bear)
Cost: 5Y
Text: Play on Shaman. User gains Biotech-1. 2Y: +X/+0 until the end
of combat, where X is the number of damage tokens on user.
Flavor: "Bear knows peace. Bear knows war better."
Picture: An Amerind shaman, completely masked by the power of Bear --
his upraised hand has huge, glistening claws!
Eagle: "Eagle is proud, solitary, and sees everything that happens on
the Earth over which he flies. An Eagle shaman will not tolerate evil
or ignoble actions. He is a fierce defender of the land and the purity
of nature."
Totem (Eagle)
Cost: 4Y
Text: Play on Shaman. User gains +1 Conjuring for the purposes of
controlling Outdoor Spirits only. 2Y: Roll D6. On 4+, one of the
Spirits user controls gains Recon.
Gator: I've tampered with Gator a bit to make him more a reflection of
Eagle -- where Eagle knows the outside sky, Gator knows the sewers, the
city's underground.
Totem (Gator)
Cost: 4Y
Text: Play on Shaman. User gains +1 Conjuring for the purposes of
controlling Indoor Spirits only. Turn a Spirit to Recon any Objective
which prohibits Outdoor Challenges.
Phoenix: "Phoenix symbolizes beauty and rebirth. When the time comes
to die, Phoenix builds her own funeral pyre of the finest materials,
then ignites it in a blaze of glory. She rises anew from the ashes to
begin the cycle again..."
Totem (Phoenix)
Cost: 5Y
Text: Play on Shaman. Roll D6 when user is trashed from play: On a
4+, return user to safehouse unharmed. When user is trashed or fragged
frm play, gain 2Y.
Rat: "Rat is the stealthy thief who is too selfish to share
anything.... Rat is a coward, but when he mist fight, he fights to
kill. Rat dislikes working out in the open, for a muttered spell from
the shadows (or a silenced pistol) is more his style."
Totem (Rat)
Cost: 3Y
Text: Play on Shaman. Frag a random Gear card, or trash all Gear on
user, to sleaze any Challenge with Stealth as a requirement.
Shark: "Shark is a cold, relentless hunter... With no home, he knows
all the secrets of the sea. A Shark shaman may go berserk when wounded
in combat or if he kills an opponent."
Totem (Shark)
Cost: 4Y
Text: Play on Shaman. Whenever user or a team user is on defeats a
Challenge or Runner, user gains +2/+2 until end of turn.
Wolf: "Wolf is hunter and warrior. Wolf wins every fight but the last,
and in that one, he dies."
Totem (Wolf)
Cost: 3Y
Text: Play on Shaman. 1Y: User gains Stamina until end of turn.
Medicine Lodge
Type: Location
Cost: 3Y
Text: Turn visiting Runner with a Totem card to search your deck for a
Totem of the same type. Delpoy this card on any legal Runner you
control. 3Y: Turn visiting Shaman to search your deck for a Totem
card. Deploy this card on visiting Runner at no cost.
Toxic Influence
Type: Special
Cost: 0Y
Text: Lose 10 Reputation when you play this card. Upkeep: 5
Reputation. Gain control of target Runner using a Totem. When Toxic
Influence leaves play, return Runner to owner, unturned.
Gianni
Type: Runner / Physad
Cost: 6Y
Text: 5/4. Human. Melee-1, Stealth-2. Totems may be played on Gianni
as if he were a Shaman.
Of course, Physads are also set to be released in a supplement somewhere
down the road as well. Obviously, many other cards can be created that
play with the theme as well. Totems will definitely boost the strength
of Shamans in the game -- now what's the next bonus for Mages? (Foci?
Initiation? Metamagic? MAgical groups? :) :) )
-Mb
