Hydroelectric Dam

[Bram]

Hydroelectric Dam
1
Artifact
If you do not control an island and a mountain, sacrifice Hydroelectric Dam.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool.

The concept speaks for itself. It's a trap. I mean, it's a dam. Water (island...) build up somewhere high (mountain...) behind a dam. Tap it, and the water flows through the generator, producing electricity (mana). If you don't have an island or a mountain, the dam is destroyed. I think the drawback is sufficient to warrant it's Sol Ring-esque ability.

Possible flavor texts:

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
- T. Fuller, Gnomologia

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.
- L. Eisely, The Immense Journey

'Water its living strength first shows
When obstacles its course oppose'
- Goethe

Current Wording:

Elevated Reservoir
1
Artifact
Condition: Island, Mountain.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool.
'Water its living strength first shows / When obstacles its course oppose' - Goethe

With an addition to the Comprehensive Rulebook:

"Condition: X" is a static ability meaning "This card can't be played unless you control a X. When you do not control X, sacrifice this card."

"Condition: X,Y" is a static ability meaning "This card can't be played unless you control an X and a Y. When you do not control an X and a Y, sacrifice this card."

[/b]
OR

Elevated Reservoir
1
Artifact
If you do not control an island and a mountain, sacrifice Elevated Reservoir.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool if you control an island and a mountain.
'Water its living strength first shows / When obstacles its course oppose' - Goethe

[Jebus]

The sacrifice wording doesn't really work.  It would need to be a triggered ability of some sort.

That would also allow you to play it without the appropriate support cards, tap it for mana, and then sacrifice it.

[Bram]

Yeah, but I specifiaclly don't want to be able to use it if you don't meet the requirements. That way, it's just a one shot Sol Ring which might well be too good. Also, it's terribly out of flavor that way.

[Jebus]

Yeah, but I specifiaclly don't want to be able to use it if you don't meet the requirements. That way, it's just a one shot Sol Ring which might well be too good. Also, it's terribly out of flavor that way.

The point I'm making is, the wording you propose doesn't appear to work as far as rules are concerned.

The only thing I can think of is a triggered abiltiy, however that makes the card too good.

So, you'll have to figure out some other wording to make it work.

[Bram]

Thi has been the case more often, hasn't it?

1. we want some card to only be able to be played under some conditions
2. the rules don't allow for logical wordings to work
3. if we change it to a triggered ability, the card becomes too good.

Maybe we need a new keyword for that. With some reminder text. Something like:

Hydroelectric Dam
1
Artifact
T: Add 2 to your mana pool.
Condition: Mountain, Island. (Unless you have all Condition cards in play, this card can't be played)

This could work for a lot of things.

Some Zombie
B
Creature -- Zombie
2/2
Condition: Creature. (Unless you have all Condition cards in play, this card can't be played)

Am I on to something or not?

[Jacob Orlove]

That's actually a really good idea.

[Matt]

1. Agreed, that is a really good idea.

2. The Goethe text is of course the best.

3. This works:

Hydroelectric Dam
1
Artifact
Hydroelectric Dam can't be played unless you control an island and a mountain.
When you do not control an island and a mountain, sacrifice Hydroelectric Dam.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool.

but it's lengthy. The first two lines are what I would suggest the keyword 'condition' mean, if we ever actually use it.

[Jacob Orlove]

Also, "Hydroelectric Dam" is a terrible name for a magic card.

[Shadow-Walker]

"Steam Turbine" perhaps?  Still reflects islands (water) and mountains (heat).

[Bram]

We have 'hydrolysis' and stuff, so why not this?

Nah, the name really was just a placeholder to convey the general idea. There's a card called Floodwater Dam, so maybe something like Foodwater Generator? Or Elevated Reservoir?

Also: would you guys like me to use the keyword in the Current Wording?

Additionally: what would the Condiotion cards have to be worded like? Would 'Island' be sufficient or would it need to be 'Basic Land - Island'? And how would ik work for creatures?

[stijndon]

Are you hating on my hydrolysis, boy?

Give the card Islandhome and Mountainhome Then it sucks even worse because it can only attack an opponent that has a mountain and an island when you animate it with Karn...

This made me laugh so hard...I didn't feel like making a new post just for that bit of personal info, so I thought I'd edit it into yours - Bram

Now for real: the keyword needs more strict rules. Condition: Creature. Can it be done? There is no card called creature. But it is a type. Island is a subtype, not a type. So Condition: Island would not be the same as Condition: Creature.

Perhaps use general terms, like on regular cards. Say stuff like "basic land," "Island," "Feral Shadow," "Any creature." Then condition has no rules but that the condition itself has to be well-defined.

[dandan]

Dan Dam
1
Artifact
If you do not control an island and a mountain, sacrifice ~this~
T: Add 2 to your mana pool if you control an island and a mountain

Looks cleaner to me

[stijndon]

It's been suggested, but dismissed since you could use it as a one-shot colorless weak Dark Ritual, which is too good.

But I don't think it's too strong. And indeed, Dan Dam looks cleaner.

But the entire "condition" thing seemed nice, too.

[Matt]

Dandan's suggestion works well.

It should be worded like this probably:

"Condition: X" is a static ability meaning "This card can't be played unless you control a X. When you do not control X, sacrifice this card."

"Condition: X,Y" is a static ability meaning "This card can't be played unless you control an X and a Y. When you do not control an X and a Y, sacrifice this card."

[Bram]

You mean in the Comprehensive Rules, no doubt? This is a bit cumbersome for reminder text.

[Laurie Cheers]

How about:
"T, tap an untapped island and untapped mountain you control: Add 2UR to your mana pool."


Alternatively, perhaps it would make sense as an enchantment?

Glimmering Aqueduct
U
Enchant Land
Glimmering Aqueduct can enchant only a mountain.
Enchanted land has "T, Tap an untapped island you control: Add 2UR to your mana pool."

[Matt]

You mean in the Comprehensive Rules, no doubt? This is a bit cumbersome for reminder text.

Yes, that's what I meant.

[Bram]

OK, so do we want this with Dandan's wording or with the new keyword?

[Jebus]

OK, so do we want this with Dandan's wording or with the new keyword?

Dandan's wording doesn't really work.  It looks like it's trying to be a static ability that acts as a triggered ability.

[Bram]

Well, OK then.

Clock on the wording with the keyword!

[Bram]

Closed and added.