New Artifact Type

[Ephraim]

In some of the mtg.com articles about equipment, they mentioned that early in the life of equipment, they had a slew of different artifact subtypes that they were considering using. One of those was "Potion." I think that potions are an interesting variant of artifacts. Mechanically speaking, I think it would be neat to pattern them after the Tempest card Essence Bottle. Rather than using charge counters, one could instead use elixir counters, which would be unique to potions, but common through all of them. The ways in which potions acquire elixir counters could vary. Some could get them at the beginning of one's upkeep, others for a mana payment. Some could come into play with a fixed number of elixir counters; some could get counters in response to triggers (sort of like Ki counters in response to arcane spells.) The second aspect of potions may need to be more unified. Essence Bottle, for example, remains in play and can be recharged for further use. A more classical notion of potions is that they are consumed when they are used. I tend to think that potions should be consumed. This facilitates generating more powerful effects with these artifacts, since the effect is guaranteed to be one time only. I'm am going to ask that people do not go hog wild with this idea. Obviously, there are scores of effects that could be translated into potion form. Carefully consider what effects artifacts should get and how potent those effects should be relative to coloured options available.

I will initiate the idea with this generally weak potion (note from the flavour here that I'm not suggesting in any way that potions must be drunk.)

Pegasus Salve

Artifact -- Potion

Pegasus Salve comes into play with one elixir counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put an elixir counter on Pegasus Salve
, Sacrifice Pegasus Salve: For each elixir counter on Pegasus Salve, target creature gains flying until end of turn.

***

I gave this an initial elixir counter because Jump was never any good anyhow and I didn't want it to be totally useless the turn you play it. As it is, it's already considerably worse than Skyshaper, which wasn't particularly good to begin with. I suppose it might be a neat card to play in a team game, at any rate.

***

Current Wording:

Pegasus Salve

Artifact -- Potion

Pegasus Salve comes into play with one elixir counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put an elixir counter on Pegasus Salve
, Sacrifice Pegasus Salve: For each elixir counter on Pegasus Salve, target creature gains flying until end of turn.

[Matt]

This should have a keyword ability, to shorten the text, like Modular. "Elixer 1" (This artifact comes into play with one elixer counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, put an elixer counter on it.)

[Ephraim]

This should have a keyword ability, to shorten the text, like Modular. "Elixer 1" (This artifact comes into play with one elixer counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, put an elixer counter on it.)

I could do that, I reckon. Should all of them get elixir counters automatically? I figured that some should and some should grow in different ways (or not grow at all.) Otherwise, they seem like they're all going to be artifact versions of the Urza's Saga hymns (the enchantments with verse counters.)

[Liam-K]

I don't understand the logic behind adding counters to it.  Is it fermenting or something?  It just feels wierd.

[Ephraim]

Before I proceed with this card, I guess there needs to be discussion regarding how potions are going to work.

Liam-K, I hadn't really worked through the flavour in its entirely. I imagined it as the potions being subject to brewing, such that over time, if you kept up the process, you'd get more potion. Really, I made it that way because this idea was inspired by Essence Bottle.

Matt raised a point that needs to be more thoroughly discussed, however. Should all potions acquire elixir counters in the same way? My first thought was no, but if the idea is more unified, we can use a keyword mechanic to describe how these work. If all potions are going to work the same way, I would be much more comfortable with the "Elixir" ability (name change probably needed if these are going to use "elixir" counters.), keyworded or not, if it had more stringent requirements than my meagre Pegasus Salve suggests are necessary. Like Essence Bottle, I think that accruing an elixir counter ought to involve a mana payment and/or tapping the artifact. Otherwise, only very weak effects can be generated by these, in my opinion.

[silvernail]

Well what about an elixir that is effected by the artifacts and or creatures around it? chemicals can be altered by their surroundings is all im saying here, so accuring counters might involve other means, such as distilling water ( sacrifice island or something ) or getting blood from a living creature via sacrifice( for a black flavored potion ). Lets not yet limit how a potion can be made, because there arent many limits there.Id propose this template:


Name
Artifact- Elixir
At the begining of your upkeep you may add an elixir counter to [cardname] if you X.
T,Sacrifice [cardname] : Effect varies but has magnitude equal to elixir counters on [cardname]


thats a basic template for potions that are expired on use but all potions should have the  italics line, unless you want to design a potion in a follow up set that has a twist. Potions might not need be sacrificed on use but then it would feel mroe liek a potion factory of sorts instead of a potion that you improve over time. The X could be any number of things unique to the flavor of the potion and maybe even be altered to other actions or triggers instead of just upkeep ( for example a knowledge potion can get elixir counters at draw step if you forfeit that draw).

[asmoranomardicodais]

The problem with that template though, is that it has rules text outside the text box (Because it is an elixir, it gets that ability.). That makes it exactly the same as Walls (Walls can't attack), and pre-aura auras (enchant land). Both these things were reworded to keep rules text out of the card type line (With Defender and Auras). Wizards has already made a precedent that keeps that template from working. Sorry, keep trying.

[silvernail]

well you could force it to be an ukpeep thing and have Elixir X with elixir meaning at hthe beginning of your upkeep add an elixir counter to [cardname] if you do X.

[Liam-K]

I'm thinking this mechanic is more suited to a cycle than an entire type.  Maybe a card of each rarity in each colour?

[wardo]

The "potion" subtype itself seems kinda useless, doesn't it ?

[Ephraim]

The "potion" subtype itself seems kinda useless, doesn't it ?

I've read all of the other comments, but I only want to reply to this one for the time being. The potion subtype is as useless as the arcane subtype was after the first member of the design team just thought of it. If we go ahead and develop this subtype, I intended to flesh it out somewhat. For example, a creature themed as an alchemist that can dig potions out of the graveyard, an artifact themed as a Philosopher's Stone that can sacrifice to put additional elixir counters on your potions, and a spell that fetches potions from the library. The subtype is useful as a means of identifying and separating mechanically similar cards for flavour purposes and for the purpose of having those mechanically similar cards interact with other cards.

[JAG]

Personally I don't really like the idea of keywording the "at the beginning of your upkeep, add (some number of) elixir counters to <this>".  Yes, it was done with Modular, but that doesn't mean it needs to be done with this.  I think the design room that is opened by not making it standard for potions to "ferment" (if you wanted to keyword something, keyword that).  For example, some kinds of potions would have an effect that is fixed, or can only be generated a set number of times (btw I'm not sure I agree with the idea of potions automatically being lost once they are used).  That way, some potions (rare ones, most likely) could have a stronger effect, but one that will not grow with time, as weaker ones might. 

That said, I do like the flavor of potions, and there is a lot of territory to cover with them.  There is of course the common idea of Healing Potions from countless RPGs (these could gain life, prevent damage, etc.).  We could have grenade-like potions, or Equipment Potions that function as one-use weapons.  There's a lot we can do with this.

BTW, i mentioned possibly keywording the growth of the potion with something like "ferment."  Whether this is the appropriate keyword depends how this is implemented.  After all, "ferment" implies that it's just sitting there, getting better as time goes on, wheras with "brew" or something similar, we can imply that an action is taken to increase the potion's potency.  In my mind, "Ferment" might be best keyworded by the number of Elixir counters added, for example "Ferment 2 - At the beginning of your upkeep, add 2 elixir counters to <this>."  "Brew" would probably be better keyworded in relation to the cost, example: "Brew Pay 2 Life: At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 2 life.  If you do, put an elixir counter on <this>."  I'm not sure if both the cost and the number of counters added can be varied except by multiple instances of "Brew" but it's a thought if you like that direction.

As for the card itself, yes it's a bit weak, perhaps too weak for consideration, but it's a good starting example of the mechanic we're considering.

-JM