Diabolic Judgment

[Machinus]

I want to design the card around , and some kind of draw.

Diabolic Judgment

Instant
Look at the top card of your library. As many times as you choose, you may pay 1 life to remove that card from the game.
Draw a card.

[Evenpence]

This card is twenty times better than Spoils of the Vault.  I don't know if this would be printed based on power-level.

[Machinus]

Yeah, right now it's just the general idea of where I'm trying to go. I want to make it good - not broken - while being at 1 mana. Everything else is pretty open as long as it has a useful draw effect.

[Ephraim]

For starters, this name is all sorts of wrong.  I assumed I was going to see some sort of variant of Diabolic Edict, because that's exactly what this card sounds like.  Maybe call it "Infernal Logic" or something like that.

As far as the mechanic goes, I think I can do something with this card.  The templating below is NOT rulesworthy by any means.  I just used it because it conveys how I envision this card working.

Infernal Logic

Instant

Until Infernal Logic finishes resolving, you gain "Pay 1 life: Look at the top card of your library" and "Pay 1 life: Remove the top card of your library from the game."
Draw a card.

***

Basically, you can look at cards for 1 life each and remove cards for 1 life each.  If you want to both look and remove, it'll cost you 2 life for each card.  If for some reason you know you don't want the top N cards of your library (you just cast Sage Owl or something), then you can pay N life to remove those cards right off the top.  When you're done looking and removing, then you draw a card and the spell is finished.

[chrissss]

remove the "draw a card" ability to make it more balanced.
spoils can be very good, imagine this card.

[Machinus]

I think the name makes some sense. Someone is being possessed with an unnatural abiliity to make decisions - what would you call that?

Ephraim is heading in the right direction with the ability. I want to keep the cantrip and somehow balance the other ability. I think your version could be simplified by just changing my initial cost to 2 life instead of 1.

What if the card was something like this?

Diabolic Judgment

Instant
Look a the top card of your library. You may pay 1 life to remove the top 2 cards of your library from the game. Repeat this process as many times as you choose.
Draw a card.

It's a much higher risk, since you only know half of what you are removing, and you have to pay more life. Losing life and cards from your library fits in well with black, and you are sort of getting a tutoring effect out of it.

[Harlequin]

I second the motion to drop the "Draw a card" aspect of it.  This way it falls more inline with the "topdeck" Mirage style tutors (sorta... Vamp Tutor meets L-D Vault ), rather than being closer to Spoils of the Vault or Demonic Consultation.

But I like the the See one, Remove two idea.  That way there is a bit more gamble to playing the card.

[asmoranomardicodais]

I like Ephraims version a lot. However, if we're moving in the remove 2 cards direction, I think you should go even farther and make it three, and still cantrip. That creates a lot of tension with this card, and makes it really interesting.