Real Magic

Introduction

Magic sure can be a fun game, even though it's not very logical. No, not in regards to the hundreds of pages of errata and such, but how some of the mechanics and play rules seem to be less than what they could be. That's not necessarily a bad thing; in fact it probably just saves headaches for the designers and beginning players. Let's face it, even though at it's core Magic can be horribly complicated, one can get the very basics down with only a few games with someone who knows what he/she is doing. But how many players have asked the question "Why don't creatures have an agility rating?" Or "Why can't creatures equip artifacts?" These mechanics don't exist in normal Magic play, but they do exist in REAL Magic.

Rules

REAL Magic is simply a way to give Magic more of an RPG feel. In REAL Magic creatures have an agility rating next to their power/toughness. Creatures can deliver critical hits, and land more than one blow if it's attacked or attacking. Don't like a creature that your opponent just summoned? Bribe it, and maybe it will come to your side and fight for you. Want to send one of your creatures on a quest that will sabotage your opponent’s plans? Go for it! REAL Magic makes each game seem more like an epic war than a simple wizard-to-wizard duel.

Listed below are the necessary changes/additions needed to change Magic into REAL Magic.

All games played under REAL Magic follow the most current Type 1 restricted/banned lists. Decks must contain at least 120 cards, and players start with 60 life.

When playing REAL Magic, please ignore the ability “banding.” You may still play creatures that have this ability but you may not use it. This also includes cards that have abilities like “banding” such as “bands with other.”

When a creature has locked in damage, you roll dice and it does 0-N damage, where N is the creature's power. Example - a Force of Nature will do anywhere from 0-8 damage; how much exactly depends on how good a roller you are. When rolling for creatures use the smallest dice possible. If you attack with a 5-powered creature then use a d6, but if you attack with a 8 powered creature use a d8. If you attack with a 11 power creature then use a d12. If you don’t have a dice that goes high enough for your creatures power then use a d20 and roll until you get a number that your creature can do.

Agility and Rolling to Hit

Creatures have an agility number next to their power/toughness. The number will be 1, 2, or 3. Creatures with a 1 (Lead Golem, Ironroot Treefolk) are the slowest of the bunch... they have a good chance of hitting a creature with an agility of 2, and a poor chance of hitting a creature with an agility of 3. Creatures with an agility of 2 (Benalish Hero, Arctic Wolves) have a good chance of hitting both agility 1 and agility 3 creatures. Creatures with an agility of 3 (Serra Angel, King Cheetah) have a good chance of hitting agility 2 creatures, and will just about always hit agility 1 creatures.

Here's how it combat works:  (note: a 1 will always miss and a 6 will always hit.)

Some examples:

I am attacking with a Lead Golem (agility 1) and your opponent blocks with Arctic Wolves (agility 2) they you will need to roll a 5 or 6 to deal damage to the Arctic Wolves. And for the Arctic Wolves to deal damage to the Lead Golem he will need to roll a 3-6 to deal damage back. 

Note - I am aware of possibly arguments that can arise over what agility rating some creatures have. Simply put, I do not have the time to give an agility rating to each individual creature in Magic. Therefore, the official rule regarding arguments is this: if you cannot agree on an agility rating, flip a coin to decide.

Dealing Damage

When a creature hits, you do the penetration roll. This is simple. Roll 2D6, and if the result is 2-10, the creature penetrates, and combat proceeds. If the result is 11-16, it does not penetrate, and the creature deals no damage in combat.

When a creature has both won the agility roll and penetration roll, you proceed to see of the creatures hit is critical. To do this, roll 2D6. If the result is a 2 or 12, the opposing creature dies instantly and is sent straight to the graveyard, without the possibility of regeneration. (note the creature that was sent to the graveyard still deals his damage back) If the result of the roll is 3-11, the strike was not critical and combat proceeds as normal.

When a creature kills another creature it gains experience points equal to the combination of the dead creature's power/toughness/agility. A creature raises a level once it has gained X experience, where X is equal to it's combined power/toughness/agility. Whenever a creature raises a level, it gets +1/+1 (no additions to the agility rating) and one special ability (phasing, flanking, islandwalk, first strike, etc.) of your choice (you cannot choose banding.) Example - your Benalish Hero, by some miracle with lucky die rolls, takes down a Force of Nature (8/8/2.) The Force will give the Hero 18 experience points. The Hero needs 3 experience points to raise a level, so... the Hero will gain 6 levels! This means the Hero will now be 7/7/2 and will have 6 special abilities. Imagine the possibilities... give it flanking 6 times, make it a shadow-flanking-flying-islandwalking-first strike-rampage monstrosity... the possibilities are endless.

Creature Quests

This ability is played as a Sorcery and can only be done only once per turn, and only in your main phase. To initiate a creature quest, first choose a creature you control. Then announce you are sending it on a quest, and state to what opponent you are targeting it with. Remove that creature from the game until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn place the creature back into play and roll 3D6 choosing "odd" or "even.” (note this does not trigger leaves play and comes into play abilities.) If all three numbers are what you chose, then the quest was successful, and you can choose from the following options:

If the quest is unsuccessful, then the opponent gets to choose one of those options to be performed on you. These abilities last as long as the creature that went on the quest is still in play.

Bribing

You can bribe creatures. Whenever a creature attacks you, and you decide not to block it, you can bribe it. Here's how it works - say a War Mammoth attacks you and you can't block and decide to bribe it. Roll 2D6. Whatever the result of the roll is, you lose life equal to the number rolled (cannot be prevented or re-directed.) If the result is 2-3, the creature is bribed and is taken out of combat. If the result is 12, the creature is taken out of combat and you gain control of it. If the result is 4-11 the bribe was unsuccessful and combat proceeds as normal. Note - you can only bribe a specific creature once per combat.

Equipping Artifacts

Creatures can equip certain non-creature artifacts. This boosts their power/toughness (not agility). You'll have to use logic to determine what artifacts can and cannot be equipped. For example, you can equip Aladdin's Ring, Helm of Awakening, Helm of Obedience, Sword of the Ages, and Dingus Staff. Flying Carpet, Ivory Tower, and Library of Leng cannot be equipped. (Note - again, if arguments arise, the official rule is to flip a coin to decide.) So what does this do for the creature? Add this text to each artifact that is able to be equipped: 0, Remove this artifact from the game: target creature gets +X/+X, where X is the casting cost of this artifact. (This change is permanent; it expires only when the creature is put into the graveyard or removed from the game.)

Hiding

You can hide creatures. Once a turn, during your main phase, you may pay 3 mana and place a creature card face down on the table. Since the creature is hidden, it is considered out of play, so spells and global effects like Wrath of God would not get rid of it and it cannot be targeted. At any time fast effects are legal, you may pay the hidden creature's casting cost and flip it over, treating it as though it has just been cast, however it is not effecting by summoning sickness

The purpose of REAL Magic is simply to make Magic more fun and involved. If you have any other RPG ideas that you think will add to the experience of REAL Magic, go ahead and implement them. The goal here is to provide another way of having fun with the game you love to play. Don't be intimidated by the seemingly complex extra rules needed to play REAL Magic.

 Deck Construction

All games played under REAL Magic follow the most current Type 1 restricted/banned lists. Decks must contain at least 120 cards.

Sideboard

You can have a 15-card sideboard in Constructed and in Limited the cards you don’t use are your sideboard.

Banned & Restricted List

This variant is normally played in a Type 1 setting but may be played in Type 1.5, Type 2, or Extended.

Mulligan Rules

Standard “Paris” Mulligan is used for this variant.

Before each game begins, a player may, for any reason, reshuffle and redraw his hand, drawing one less card. This may be repeated as often as the player wishes, until he has no cards left in his hand. After the participant, who plays first, mulligans as often as he likes, the decision of whether to mulligan passes to the other player. Once a player passes the opportunity to mulligan, that player may not change his mind.

History

This variant was created by Ryan Hutnick.