Vicious Tutor

[Carlos El Salvador]

Spence For Hire said it looked good, I hope you all agree

Vicious Tutor: 
As an additional Cost to playing Vicious Tutor, pay X life.

Search your library for a card with a converted mana cost of X and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards.

I was originally going to have the pay x life be a cost after you got the card, but additional cost seems less broken.

[jro]

The card needs to be revealed so you can't cheat.

This is better than Grim Tutor 99% of the time.  If nothing else, you get Yawgmoth's Will for 2B and 3 life rather than 1BB and 3 life.

[ErkBek]

The card needs to be revealed so you can't cheat.

This is better than Grim Tutor 99% of the time.  If nothing else, you get Yawgmoth's Will for 2B and 3 life rather than 1BB and 3 life.

Well, revealing your card kinda sucks, especially when you are looking to play a Mind's Desire or sneak out a lethal tendrils. Not revealing is nice since occasionally you get some random stuff. I've Grimed for Pryoblast even Mystical Tutor (to dodge duress). Also, if sometimes you cast Grim Tutor then a bait spell then the tutored card, that wouldn't work anymore. Much of playing Grim Long is tricking your opponent. Revealing is a huge drawback, plus Grim Tutor isn't all that good.

[netherspirit]

The card needs to be revealed so you can't cheat.

This is better than Grim Tutor 99% of the time.  If nothing else, you get Yawgmoth's Will for 2B and 3 life rather than 1BB and 3 life.

Well, revealing your card kinda sucks, especially when you are looking to play a Mind's Desire or sneak out a lethal tendrils. Not revealing is nice since occasionally you get some random stuff. I've Grimed for Pryoblast even Mystical Tutor (to dodge duress). Also, if sometimes you cast Grim Tutor then a bait spell then the tutored card, that wouldn't work anymore. Much of playing Grim Long is tricking your opponent. Revealing is a huge drawback, plus Grim Tutor isn't all that good.

Yeah but the card NEEDS to be revealed to prevent cheating, otherwise you could pay 2 life to get a Tendrils or something.

[Glix]

If you really want to hide it, it is possible, but the templating would be kinda annoying, and probably not worth it, as you'd have to word it like illusionary mask and necro combined.

Something like this:

Vicious Tutor 
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Vicious Tutor, pay X life.
Search your library for a card with a converted mana cost of X or less and remove it from the game face down with X mask counters on it.  You may play that card as if it were in your hand by removing all mask counters from it and turning it face up.

However, revealing seems like a much more simple solution.

[parallax]

Revealing the card is the only natural way to make this card work. It also partially alleviates the "better than Grim Tutor" problem. Basically, if you really want to keep the card hidden, you should play Grim Tutor instead of this card.

[SpencerForHire]

By making it the way Glix specifies it, it is way too strong.  You are invulnerable to discard, and it avoids your own Draw 7s as well as Lion Eye Diamond's cost.

[Venven]

You could make it into a bluff card, but it does get a bit wordy.

Deceitful Tutor   
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play ~this~, pay X life.
Search your library for a card. Then an opponent may pay 2 life. If a player does, reveal that card. If that cards converted mana cost is not equal to X, shuffle that card into your library and you lose 6 life. Otherwise, put that card into your hand.

I don't think that template works, but the general idea is there.

[Liam-K]

Basically I don't think we should be trying to cut a fine line with tutors or fast mana.  Grim Tutor doesn't have much breathing room between playable and restrictable in Vintage.  Similar, effectively cheaper cards are dangerous to all formats.