the Cult-Series

[Schattenfresser]

Hi,
here is the thread to the Cult-Series. It has a few unposted ideas in it and there could get some questions while reading it because I had a little problem to write all my thoughts in english.n ???

Have fun while reading 

1. Introduction (#post_intro)
2.Core Ideas (#post_core)
2.1 Theme (#post_coretheme)
2.2 Art (#post_coreart)
2.3 Card Design (#post_coredesign)
3. Card ideas (#post_ideas)
3.1 Cards with one element (#post_mono)
3.2 Card ideas with two elements (#post_duo)
4. Other things (#post_other)
4.1 An alternative name for Priest (#post_otherpriest)
4.2 Discuss (#post_discuss)

1. Introduction

I had the idea about to make a series as I created a few cards with similar characteristics. The theme was found very fast as I had created Fire Cultist before and I liked the idea of cults in elements. The series should be a mono-elements series as the nymphs but I had some ideas recently that involve 2 elements.


2. Core Ideas

2.1 Theme

The idea behind the series is that some creatures are worshipping the elements as gods. But the followers don't adore every aspect of the element as there would be to many. They only adore one or two aspects in their own cults and try to be near their gods. Because it is almost impossible for a weak mortal being, they are going to canalize elemental energy in her body. The procedure let them lose their former nature and become more and more like an element as the process goes on.
The Cultists and the Priest don't represent the start and the end of the way but two intermediary states of the procedure.


2.2 Art

The art should represent the change of the nature from weak being to a strong elemental creature. The Cultist should be more ordinary, simple creature/humanoid with a few signs of their cult. The Priest has lost almost or every sign of her former shape and achieved a body that can represent his cult.


2.3 Card Design

Every Cultist and Priest has the same cost: 6 of her represented element. They have also have similar stats as the summation of attack and HP mostly gives 3 or 4 (there is one exception).
The abilities don't have a common theme as they target creatures, permanents and quanta. And I think that I have to work on the difference between Cultist and Priest because the most Priests have only +1 on attack or HP and no differences in the abilities.


3. Cards ideas

3.1 Cards with one element

Element:   Name: Shifting Cultist / Shifting Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6910.0.html) ATK | HP: 3|2 / 4|3 Ability: Image: Target a creature. Generate an image with the same attack and 0HP. Idea: Creatures from the Aether have the ability to move between the universes and bring creatures from other worlds in the world of elements. The Phase Cultists worship the transfer between the universes and try to learn how to control it. But right now they can only create short-lived images.

Element:   Name: Plumy Cultist / Plumy Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6917.0.html) ATK | HP: 2|1 / 3|1 Ability: Fletching: Double the base damage of the target creature for 1 turn. Idea: When you are flying in the sky, you are free. Plumy Cultists envied the flying creatures and that's why they learned how to fly. But they want to give other creatures the taste of true freedom and learned how to let other creatures fly for a short moment, too.

Element:   Name: Fading Cultist / Fading Elder (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6909.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|2 / 1|3 Ability:   /    Fading: The target creature gains a Fading counter (-1|-1 at the end of every turn) and becomes the element Darkness. Idea: The darkness has no colors and no contour. Fading Cultists have found their salvation in the nothingness of darkness and they are willing to give other creatures the same fate as they have, even against their will.

Element:   Name: Fasting Cultist / Fasting Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7128.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|3 / 3|1 Ability: Revival: Generate Haunting Ghost / Obsessed Ghost when Fasting Cultist / Fasting Priest dies. Idea: Death isn't only about dieing, it's also about the life after dieing. Fasting Cultists use her life time to come the death as near as possible so that they will get a reward once they die: to be reborn as powerful, undead servants of death.

Element:   Name: Serving Cultist / Serving Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7268.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|3 / 1|5 Ability:   /  Recleaming: Target a pillar. Serving Cultist / Serving Priest can't use a skill or attack for 2 turns. Generate a pillar after 2 turns. Idea: The earth has many treasures which want to be used. The Serving Cultists work her entire lifetime to search for this treasures and to build powerful monuments out of it that help her gods.

Element:   Name: Chaotic Cultist / Chaotic Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7375.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|4 / 2|5 Ability: 2  /  1  Alteration: Randomly convert your quanta in other elements. Idea: The energy of entropy is unstable. It can change the color in every second, it can explode, it never becomes controllable. The ???-Cultists loved the unstable energy and lived near high energy points a dangerous, but extremly interesting life. But there seems to be stable times which encouraged the ???-cultist to learn how they can increase the instability.

Element:   Name: Fire Cultist / Fire Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6908.0.html) ATK | HP: 2|1 / 2|2 Ability: Flame Whip: Deal 1 damage to a creature. Fire Cultist / Fire Priest gains +1|+1 when the target dies through Flame Whip. Idea: Fire burns everything to ash and the ash saves a part of the power. The Fire Cultists learned to rewin the power from the ashes and to become stronger. The hunger for more power let them attack other creatures to gain more ash to become even stronger.

Element:   Name: Gluttonuos Cultist / Gluttonuos Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7194.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|2 / 1|3 Ability:   /  Glutton: Absorb 4 random quanta from your opponent and gain +1|+1. Idea: Gravity attract and absorb everything, Gravity never stops. The Gluttonuos Cultists devour everything and never stop devouring. But normal materials aren't enough that's why they started to devour energy.

Element:   Name: Aspiring Cultist / Aspiring Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7124.new.html#new) ATK | HP: 3|2 / 3|4 Ability: Boost: The target creature gains +1|+1 and an ability of their respective element. Idea: Thousands of lifes are born in every second. But some of the newborn creatures get lost. The Aspiring Cultists search for this helpless lost lambs and use the power of life to let it grow to a strong creature.

Element:   Name: White Cultist / White Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7209.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|3 / 1|5 Ability: Blessing: Target a permanent. It can't be stolen or destroyed for 3 turns. Idea: Not every buildings is protected for evil ghost or destructive powers. The White Cultists found a way to bless the buildings with a special white paint that protects the buildings for short time. They are called White Cultists because they are covered in the white paint but it doesn't have an effect.

Element:   Name: Calming Cultist / Calming Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6979.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|2 / 1|4 Ability: Slowing: Half the base damage of the target creature for 1 turn. Increase the duration of delaying effects by 2 turns. Idea: The time can fly fast or slow. The Calming Cultists are worshipping the slow flow of time because it's peaceful and everything becomes easier to control.

Element:   Name: Floating Cultist / Floating Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6994.0.html) ATK | HP: 1|2 / 1|3 Ability: Quantum Tides: Target a non-water pillar. It gets affected by ebb and flood. When you target a pillars with tides in effect, change the tides. Idea: The floating cultists are swimming in the sea near the coast where you can drift under the power of the tides and meditated. After long meditations they could feel the flow of the energy around them and could learn how to pass the nature of the tides to the energy.

Element: Other Name: Traveling Cultist / Traveling Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7195.0.html) ATK | HP: 2|4 / 3|5 Ability: Polytheism: Gains a random Cultist / Priest ability when played. Idea: The Traveling Cultists see every element as piece of the whole. They travel to every cult to learn more about anything and gain wisdom through the journey that allow them to use the different abilities of the cults.

3.2 Cards with 2 elements

Element:  Name: Burning Cultist / Burning Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8869.0.html) ATK | HP: 2|1 / 2|2 Ability: Holy Fire: Sacrifice Burning Cultist / Burning Priest. Deal 5 damage to the target creature. Generate a photon / Ray of Light. Idea: Everything is polluted and evil. Only light is clean and fire will clean the rest. The Burning Cultists are using her own body to bring the cleaning flame to the enemy.

Element:  Name: Agitating Cultist / Agitating Priest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8830.0.html) ATK | HP: 2|1 / 3|1 Ability:   /  Scapegoat: The target creature gains 'Scapegoat'. Every spell or ability tries to target the creature. Idea: Lies can create chaos and discords. The Agitating Cultists enjoy the created fights between former friends and the atmosphere of mistrust.

4. Other Things

4.1 An alternative for Priest

The Priest remind some people at the rpg-class Priest and they hope that I could use a different name. You can suggest me different alternatives for Priest and they can be different for every cult.

I will make a list about the suggestions until I think we have enough to start a poll. And then can you decide which name or which way is the coolest. 8)
1) different names for every Priest
2) Mystic (Chromanim)
3) Spiritualist (Slovenc555)
4) Zealot (Wynden)


4.2 Discuss

Discuss 

[Chromanin]

This is pretty cool, I'd be down with this showing up in elements. hmmm instead of 'priest' how about.. 'mystic'. The entropy cultist hmmm.... 'Entropy cultist' is probably a perfect name for it because that's exactly what it is.
Now i know you probably want some help making your card ideas better and balanced.. sooo.. I'm not sure anyone who deals with an entropy deck is going to want to randomly convert their own quantum, maybe there could be something better. Well, actually, you know how entropy is random and all, and improved mutation grants a random bonus in attack/defense, perhaps this 'entropy cultist' could grant a rand increase/decrease in target creatures attack and defense. Its completely random, and that's what entropy is all about. It seams that this type of creature should be able to do this kind of thing anyway.

The darkness cultist... the idea of the ability makes sense, its pretty cool too, and not to sound offensive but I'm not sure the ability is of any real use. The only thing it could help would be to save its fellow darkness creatures from floods. When i think of darkness, i think of shady deeds, manipulation, deception.. An interesting ability would be to 'possess' target creature untill the end of the turn. This would be as though the fading cultist turns the opponents creatures against him/her for your attack phase. This would be pretty powerful. Another option is to change target creatures element to darkness, their ability now costs darkness instead. Both of these together would be a sick card, perhaps too powerful so.. maybe it'd be good to pick only one of them. These are your ideas, I'm just sharing possibility, do what you will with my ideas. =]

Maybe with the water and time cultist abilities, the effect can vary between targets. Say I target one of my creatures with the time cultists ability, it attacks twice, or does 50% more damage... but targeting the opponents creature would half its damage. As with the water cultist when targeting your own pillar (if thats how it would work) it doubles quantum production for 1 turn. But used on an opponent pillar it would decrease production by... 50%? I think it could work well this way.

The earth cultist is a little shaky, i'm not sure whether its ability is a good one yet or not, but its still pretty cool. As for the rest, I think they are all sick ideas, the whole theme... its good. You would get mad props for this idea if you could pull together some artwork.

[ManOfManySpoons]

I really like the series, they're all pretty cool and stick to the theme. 

I have to agree that darkness seems kind of lackluster.  Stealing creatures is too much, but perhaps that could be fixed by making it ' Fading Cultist switches spots with the targeted creature.  Generate  per turn'. 

Now, you can steal an opponent creature, but he gets your fading cultist and the ability to take back his creature or any one of yours in two turns (assuming they aren't running a rainbow or  deck of their own.  Could up the cost to 3, but that seems like it would be a bit much. 

Entropy's name... Bedlam Cultist?

What is a Haunting/Obsessed Ghost?

Water is definitely less desirable to use than the others, I'm not sure if that's on purpose. 

I'm especially fond of the light one.  You can use it to protect an hourglass earlygame and then later protect shields or a weapon.... awesome. 

Well done all around!

[Schattenfresser]

Ok, the first thing is thank you both. And you can check out my already posted Cultists. I linked the existing threads in the name of the Cultists.

I really like the series, they're all pretty cool and stick to the theme. 

I have to agree that darkness seems kind of lackluster.  Stealing creatures is too much, but perhaps that could be fixed by making it ' Fading Cultist switches spots with the targeted creature.  Generate  per turn'. 
No, I'm going a different way to buff the card. You can read more about here (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6909.0.html).
Now, you can steal an opponent creature, but he gets your fading cultist and the ability to take back his creature or any one of yours in two turns (assuming they aren't running a rainbow or  deck of their own.  Could up the cost to 3, but that seems like it would be a bit much. 

Entropy's name... Bedlam Cultist?
Doesn't sound bad.
What is a Haunting/Obsessed Ghost?
I started the thread about the Fasting Cultist and the Haunting Ghost for a few minutes. Link (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7128.0.html).
Water is definitely less desirable to use than the others, I'm not sure if that's on purpose. 
The basic idea was to give a different way of gaining quanta. The problem is to balance it that it becomes useable. 
I'm especially fond of the light one.  You can use it to protect an hourglass earlygame and then later protect shields or a weapon.... awesome. 

Well done all around!

at Chromanin:
1) The name Entropy isn't good because it is to general and i can't name a Cultist that should only represent a aspect of an element after the whole element.
2) I'm happy about everyone that want to help to make my cards better. A good way to make that is to post your suggestions to every single card in the corresponding thread when it exists. But you can post your ideas about the balance of the series as whole or about cards without their own thread.
3) I know that the Cultists from Darkness and Entropy have weak abilities right now. And I'm changing the ability of the Fading Cultist (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6909.0.html) right now, but the Entropy has to wait a little bit until I open the extra thread for him.
4) The Calming Cultist is a useable creature control card for time. I don't think that he need a buff.
5) But Floating Cultist need a few changes.
6) And the earth cultist. I think his ability is good for longer games but I may change his ability a little bit.

And the artwork, it's the limiting factor right now. ??? 

[Flayne]

awesome idea, i love the nature behind the idea aswell.

for the entropy element cultist, i would giveth it the name "Entropic Cultist", since the idea is to bring disorder to your own quanta 
not too general and keeping the ideals 

[Malduk]

I really love the series. Most of those will be really valuable cards in the decks. Thumbs up!

[kalkiran]

how about chaotic cultist or cultist of confusion?
also as the element takes them over maybe they could become possesed...or as in the game monsters den there could be neophyte or acoloyte stages im not sure which of these comes before or after...

edit:
looked deeper could also have demagogue or daemon...though these are  more tenous
oh and btw-LOVE IT!
er edit again sorry keep having ideas shouldnt this be in the series section-im new and i might have made a mistake but i thought thats where its meant to go.

[Schattenfresser]

Thanks.

But the names remind me that I need to search for art. 

er edit again sorry keep having ideas shouldnt this be in the series section-im new and i might have made a mistake but i thought thats where its meant to go.

The series won't go to the series section as long as no series template is ready. 

[kalkiran]

ok i get it now, but why is there nothing in that section at the minute?

[Schattenfresser]

ok i get it now, but why is there nothing in that section at the minute?

There won't be series in the section until the series-template is ready.
I think that it will follow this steps:
1) Creating a series-template.
2) Using the template for the resprective series-thread.
3) The card curator says ok to the thread.
4) The thread will be moved to the series forum.

[slovenc555]

Element:   Name: Transforming cultist/Transforming priest ATK | HP: 1|2 / 2|2 Ability: 2   Alteration: Randomly convert your quanta in other elements. Idea: The energy of entropy is unstable. It can change the color in every second, it can explode, it never becomes controllable. The ???-Cultists loved the unstable energy and lived near high energy points a dangerous, but extremly interesting life. But there seems to be stable times which encouraged the ???-cultist to learn how they can increase the instability.

Priest = spiritualist ...or... prophet

Thank you very much 

Btw, you should make card images (take a image and change its hue to match the element's color) and post this in the "series" subforum.

[Schattenfresser]

Priest = spiritualist ...or... prophet

Thank you very much 

Btw, you should make card images (take a image and change its hue to match the element's color) and post this in the "series" subforum.

I added Spiritualist to the list, but i think that Prophet doesn't fit the theme completly. I see Prophets more as messenger of a higher being / god.

You can't post in the series-subforum and the series won't be move there until the series-template is ready.

And I posted the entropy Cultist as Chaotic Cultist (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7375.0.html).