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Free for All

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Hat

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High Life w/No Mana

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Highest Life

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Iron Mage

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Iron Man

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It

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Kangaroo Court

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Kill the Man with the Ball

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Liar's Damage

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Lich War

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Magic Combat with Dice

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Magic Tech

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Magic: the Eternal Struggle

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Melee

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Melee, Grand

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Midnight Magic

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Negative Life

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Magic: the RPG v2.0

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War of Dominia

 

 Magic: the Role Playing Game v2.0

By John Reynolds  

The idea is to use the Magic: the Gathering card game as the basis for the character/combat system in a role-playing environment. These rules are work in progress.

Each player plays the role of a wizard whose abilities are determined in part by the spells he has learned. The identity of the wizard is further fleshed out by developing expertise in one of six specializations (Monk, Warrior, Mnemonic, Landmaster, Loremaster, Spiritmaster), and by improving in four fundamental attributes (Knowledge, Memory, Concentration, and Life Points). In addition, characters may discover magical items called relics, which may grant them special abilities useful inside or outside of combat.

The overriding principles of this game system are:

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To use the exquisitely detailed and balanced combat system of Magic: the Gathering as the basis for an exciting role-playing combat system;

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 To allow players to make use of the endless variety and depth of Magic: the Gathering to design and develop interesting, personalized player characters, capable of operating effectively as individuals or as members of a team of player characters (PCs) and non-player characters (NPCs).

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To use the Magic: the Gathering world and its beautiful artwork as the backdrop against which quests occur.

Creating A Character

Characters start out with [to be determined] attribute points.

Attribute points can be spent to develop four fundamental characteristics:

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Knowledge - the spells the character knows, and can put into his deck.

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Memory - the maximum number of cards the character can hold in his hand.

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Concentration - the rate at which spells can be memorized.

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Life Points - the amount of damage the character can sustain before dying.

Attribute points can also be spent to develop expertise in one or more of seven areas of specialization:

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Warrior - On any turn, a Warrior can choose to fight in melee instead of casting spells. The Warrior's power and toughness increased with training.

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Monk - A Monk has purified his thoughts. He can divide his cards into a number of different piles, allowing them to put into their hands just the card they need at crucial moments during combat. The number and types of piles they can separate out improve with training.

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Mnemonic - A Mnemonic has enhanced memory. A Mnemonic can hold more cards in his hand than a normal character, and therefore has greater flexibility during combat.

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Landmaster - A Landmaster forms permanent connections to his sources of mana. Through training, he develops the ability to have one or more standing mana, which is available from the moment combat begins, enabling the Landmaster to respond instantly to an attack.

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Loremaster - Loremasters have access to even the rarest of spells, and the ability to teach these spells to others. Whereas all other characters are limited to learning common spells and using common lands, Loremasters can learn any uncommon or rare spell or land, and teach them to others.

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Spiritmaster - The Spiritmaster can summon a guardian spirit, which protects him and his allies during combat. If killed in combat, the guardian spirit dissipates into the ether, only to be summoned again after combat. Through training, the Spiritmaster can summon increasingly powerful guardian spirits, with a variety of special abilities.

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Arch Mage - The Arch Mage specializes in a given magical discipline, such as Sorcery or Enchantments. When an Arch Mage plays a card within his or her discipline, he or she immediately draws another card.

Further Attribute Points are acquired as a result of winning battles and succeeding on quests. They can be lost as a result of retreating from battles and failing on quests.

Specials and Specializations

Characters may choose to specialize in a given area or areas. Characters must pay an initial cost to begin a specialization. The attribute point cost of adding a specialization is 20 times the number of existing specializations. So, the first specialization is free. The second costs 20 attribute points, the third an additional 40 attribute points, and so on. Beginning characters will be hard pressed to have more than two specializations, and may prefer to have only one. Later in their careers, when more attribute points are earned on each adventure, it may make sense to add additional specializations.

The initial cost of a specialization has no immediate effect on the character's abilities. Rather, it enables the character to spend additional attribute points to develop abilities within the specialization.

Abilities within each specialization are improved by spending attribute points to acquire "specials". The cost to acquire a special is 3 times the number of specials the character has already acquired. So, cumulative attribute point (AP) costs of specials are: 

Number of Specials

Incremental Cost

Cumulative Cost

1

0

0

2

3

3

3

6

9

4

9

18

5

12

30

6

15

45

7

18

63

8

21

84

9

24

108

10

27

135

Note that the cost of specials is independent of specialization. A character with three specializations would spend the same number of attribute points to acquire one special in each, or three specials in one of the specializations.

Descriptions of Specializations

Landmaster

Specialty: Direct access to mana

Landmasters are able to maintain standing mana, which are available immediately at the beginning of combat. Attribute points can be spent to increase the number of points of standing mana. Standing mana are at first colorless, but attribute points can be spent to give them single or multiple colors. Standing mana is considered to be artifacts. They cannot be destroyed by standard land destruction spells, but they can be destroyed by artifact destruction spells.

Costs:
Each colorless mana costs 3 specials.

Adding a color to a mana costs 2 specials.

Mana can be given multiple colors.

 Warrior

Specialty: Melee

Warriors are able to engage in melee when attacked. Attribute points can be spent to give the character power and toughness. When a creature attacks a warrior, the damage done by the creature to the warrior is reduced by the warrior's toughness, and the creature suffers damage equal to the warrior's power. The damage done by the warrior is considered colorless damage.

If the warrior is not being attacked on a given round, he can opt to block a creature that is attacking another wizard. He is considered to be a colorless defender, and he forfeits the ability to put any cards into play during the warrior’s following combat turn. Any normal combat modifiers occur (e.g., if he is blocking a creature with rampage ability, he is considered to be a defending creature. Or, if the Warrior helps block a creature with rampage, the creature's combat strength is increased as though the Warrior were a defending creature.) However, the Warrior cannot be the object of creature enchantments, such as regeneration. The Warrior may also attack, but he forfeits the ability to put any cards into play during the current combat turn. Note that power and toughness have no effect on non-melee attacks. A warrior with 3 toughness still loses 3 life points when hit by a lightning bolt.

Costs:
One point of power costs 3 specials.

One point of toughness costs 2 specials.

The difference between power and toughness cannot exceed 1 point.

 Spiritmaster

Specialty: Pre-summoned creatures

Spiritmasters are able to summon creatures outside of combat. The creatures are present at the beginning of a battle. Attribute points can be spent to increase the number, power, toughness, and special abilities of these pre-summoned creatures. Note that these decisions are permanent - the character cannot choose to have a 1/1 flying creature in one battle and a 2/1 non-flying creature in another battle. Spirits are considered to be colorless for blocking and damage.

Costs:
Each 0/0 creature costs 2 specials.

Adding 1 power or 1 toughness to a creature costs 1 special.

Adding trample ability costs 1 special.

Adding rampage ability costs 1 special.

Adding phasing ability costs 1 special.

Adding first strike ability costs 2 specials.

Adding flanking ability costs 2 specials.

Adding flying ability costs 2 specials.

Adding shadow ability costs 2 specials.

Adding banding ability costs 2 specials.

Adding regeneration ability costs 3 specials. In order to regenerate a spirit, the Spiritmaster must tap N colorless mana, where N is either the power of the creature or 1, whichever is greater.

 Loremaster

Specialty: Knowledge

Loremasters can acquire spells that are unavailable to other characters.

Costs:
Each 5 common spells cost 1 special.

Each 3 uncommon spells cost 1 special.

Each rare spell or land costs 1 special.

A Loremaster can transfer uncommon or rare spells or lands to another character if the character:

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Spends 4 AP.

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Studies with the Loremaster for N hours, where N = The number of hours the character spends to re-learn a spell (determined by his concentration ability) X the number of hours the Loremaster spends to re-learn a spell (determined by his concentration ability) X (5 for an UNCOMMON spell or 10 for a RARE spell)

The game master must approve all spells because some Magic: the Gathering spells (such as Wrath of God) would lead to problems of game balance.

Monk

Specialty: Mental control

Monks can separate their mental lives, and focus their minds even in the heat of battle. Attribute points can be spent to enable the monk to divide his hand into multiple piles, and to exert control over how cards are assigned to each pile. The monk separates out his deck into individual, labelled piles, using the separation skills he has acquired.

Costs:
The ability to separate mana from spells costs 5 specials.

The ability to separate out an individual color costs 3 specials.

The ability to separate out an individual spell class costs 2 specials, or 3 specials, if the Monk hasn't learned to separate out mana from spells. The six spell classes are: instants, interrupts, sorceries, creatures, artifacts, and enchantments.

The ability to separate out a specific card costs 1 special.

The ability to separate out spells with a specific casting cost costs 2 specials, or 3 specials if the Monk hasn't learned to separate mana from spells.

Mnemonic

Specialty: Enhanced Memory

Mnemonic can maintain large numbers of spells in mind at once, giving them tremendous flexibility as combat unfolds.

Costs:
In additional to the number of cards the character can hold in hand as a result of basic Memory (basic abilities, below), Mnemonics can spend 2 specials each to add an additional card to the hand.

Arch Mage

Specialty: Very fast at casting spells within a given discipline

Costs:
Spend 5 specials to specify a spell type in which to specialize. When you cast a spell of that type, you may choose immediately to draw into your hand another card from your deck. If you specialize in overlapping classes (e.g., red and sorceries) and draw a card belonging to both classes, (e.g., a red sorcery), you may draw 0, 1 or 2 cards. In order to draw another card after casting a multi-color spell, you must have specialized in all colors of the spell. If a spell costs colored and colorless mana, you may draw another card if you specialized in the color of the colored mana. In order to draw another card after casting a spell that is entirely colorless, you must specialize in colorless spells.

Possible spell classes are:

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Any of the five colors.

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Entirely colorless spells.

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Enchantments.

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Sorceries.

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Summoning Creatures.

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Artifacts.

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Instants.

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Interrupts.

Basic Abilities

1.      Wizards have 4 basic attributes that govern their effectiveness in combat. These 4 attributes start out at a minimal level, and spending attribute points can increase them.

2.      The 4 basic attributes are as follows:

3.      Knowledge: The number of spells the wizard has in his spellbook. Each wizard starts out with no spells and no lands. Each common spell costs 4 attribute points, and each additional basic land costs 1 attribute point.

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A wizard's spell book is the repository where spells and lands are kept when they are not in the character's deck. When a character has time in game to memorize spells, he can draw spells and mana sources, including lands, from this spell book into his deck. Any cards that wind up in the graveyard are returned to the spellbook after each battle, or fifteen minutes after spells are cast outside of battle. Characters are free to discard cards from their deck to their spell book at any time except during combat. So, if a player wishes to exchange a card from the spell book to the deck, he may do so, provided he spends the study time needed to memorize the spell that is going into the deck.

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The spell book must have one card for each spell. One can have no more than 4 of any spell in the deck. One can have as many basic lands as desired, provided that the player spends the attribute points needed to acquire them. Once a character has spent attribute points to add spells or lands to his spellbook, those spells are permanently in the spellbook. Should the character wish to acquire additional spells, he must spend additional attribute points. Spells acquired during adventuring can be added to a character's spell book for free. Only Loremasters can learn uncommon and rare spells, though other characters can learn such spells if taught by a Loremaster (see Loremaster, above).

4.      Memory: The maximum number of cards the wizard can keep in his hand. Wizards start out able to hold only 1 card (including lands) in their hand. Additional card slots can be acquired by spending attribute points equal to 10 times the character's current Memory. So, for 10 attribute points, the character can increase Memory to 2. For an additional 20 attribute points, Memory can be increased to 3.

Memory

Incremental

Cumulative

1

0

0

2

10

10

3

20

30

4

30

60

5

40

100

6

50

150

7

60

210

8

70

280

9

80

360

10

90

450

As in Magic: the Gathering, a character's hand is the set of cards that are drawn from the deck. These are the cards he can put into play during battle or during spell casting outside of battle. At the beginning of spell casting (inside or outside of battle), the character draws N cards into his hand, where N is his Memory attribute. Treat this limit just as the 7-card hand is treated in Magic: the Gathering. At the end of each turn, the character must discard any extra cards that are beyond his Memory.

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Concentration: The speed at which a character can memorize spells from his spell book. Wizards begin with 1 point of concentration. Wizards can re-learn N spells per 3 hours of study, where N = their concentration attribute. Each point of concentration costs 2 times the current concentration value.

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Life Points: The number of points of damage the wizard can withstand before he becomes unconscious (0 life points) and dies (-1 life point). Wizards start out with only 1 life point. The cost of increasing life points by one point is equal to the current number of life points.

Life Points

Incremental Cost

Cumulative Cost

1

0

0

2

1

1

3

2

3

4

3

6

5

4

10

6

5

15

7

6

21

8

7

28

9

8

36

10

9

45

11

10

55

12

11

66

13

12

78

14

13

91

15

14

105

16

15

120

17

16

136

18

17

152

19

18

170

20

19

189

Combat

The main difference between Magic: the Gathering combat and Magic: the RPG combat is that in the RPG, combat is not limited exclusively to battle between wizards.

In Magic: the Gathering, creatures may only attack the enemy wizard. In Magic: the RPG, if there is an enemy wizard, you can only attack him, and standard Magic: the Gathering rules apply, except where otherwise noted.

If there is no enemy wizard, then the following procedure applies:

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The GM may designate one or more creatures to be the leader(s) of a group of creatures. If an untapped leader is present, then enemy creatures can attack the leader, just as a wizard can be, and attacking creatures can directly attack no other creatures. The leader(s) take the place of an enemy wizard in Magic: the Gathering - it/they are the only legitimate target(s) of attack by attacking creatures. If a team with a leader is attacked, then the player controlling the leader can then decide to block any attacks using other creatures under his control. If an attack is not blocked, it is directed to the untapped leader of the attacker's choice. Of course, if the attacker can't be blocked (e.g., it's a flyer) then it will get through to attack the leader.

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If a leader is tapped (e.g., because it attacked the prior turn), it cannot act as leader, and the remaining creatures must defend as though they had no leader. No tapped creature, including a tapped leader can be attacked by attacking creatures (just as in Magic: the Gathering).

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If a group of defenders does not have any leaders, or all leaders are tapped, then the following rules apply.

  1. The attacker puts forth any attacking creatures.

  2.   If there are any attacking creatures, then the defender must assign one untapped creature to block each attacker, until there are no more defending creatures. Once all attackers are blocked, then the defender has the option of assigning additional untapped defenders, who have not yet been assigned to block, to any attackers of his choice. At his option, he may instead leave any additional defenders of his choice out of the battle.

  3. The attacker then assigns damage from each blocked attacker among the defenders blocking that attacking creature, just as in Magic: the Gathering.

Exceptions:

bulletFlyers. A defender must also block flying attackers in the same manner as non-flying attackers. The creature assigned to block a flyer must be a flyer if one is available. If a flying attacker is blocked by a flyer, then damage is assigned as normal. However, if any of the creatures blocking a flyer is a non-flyer with no ranged weapon (e.g., bow), then the player controlling the flying attacker may decide to exclude any non-flying, non-ranged defenders from the damage computation. That is, the flying attacker may opt to remain just out of reach of the non-flying non-ranged creature.
bulletFlying defenders are only obliged to defend if there are flying attackers. If there are flying defenders, then they must be assigned to any flying attackers, until flying attackers are all blocked. Once all flying attackers are blocked, any additional flying defenders are not obliged to defend. Flying defenders may be assigned to block non-flying attackers. If they do, they may be hurt, just as non-flying defenders would be.
bulletBanding. Defenders may band together against one attacker, even if this will result in some attackers remaining unblocked.

Other than these differences, the standard Magic: the Gathering rules apply. If it is unclear how to apply a rule, the players and game master will discuss what the rule should be, with the final decision being entirely up to the game master. Any such decisions shall be added to this document.

Spell Casting and Land

Spells may be cast either inside or outside of combat. However, any permanents (e.g., enchantments, summoned creatures, artifacts, lands, extra life points from Stream of Life beyond normal maximum points) are wiped out fifteen minutes after being cast, or at the end of a battle, whichever comes first.

If the party has time to prepare an attack on an enemy that is nearby (e.g., just behind a door), they may begin drawing and discarding cards. However, as soon as any player puts a card into play, the creature will be aware of the party's presence, and may either attack, begin preparing for battle, or flee. Mana and spells are relatively fixed in position, so if the party chooses to pursue a fleeing enemy, they will have to leave their spells and mana behind, as will any wizard who pursues the party. Furthermore, after they leave the area, their spells and mana will cease to be active (so if they return, the cards will not be active) and can be taken by wandering monsters, unless a guard is left behind.

Once put into play, cards last for only 15 minutes, and a character cannot concentrate to memorize spells while spells are in play. So it would be virtually impossible to prepare for an attack without knowing when the attack is coming.

If a character wishes to cast spells outside of combat, he may select any cards to play from his deck. For example, he may go through and pick out Stream of Life along with 8 lands, and give him/herself (or another wizard in the party) 7 life points. When finished casting spells either inside or outside of combat, he puts any cards he cast into his graveyard, and puts his graveyard into his spell book.

Conducting Combat

At the beginning of each combat, all players' decks are shuffled. Monks shuffle each of their piles separately.

At the end of combat or at the end of a non-combat spell casting, all cards (lands, summoned creatures, enchantments) that have been played are sent to the graveyard, and then the graveyard is returned to the spellbook.

Any cards remaining in the hand at the end of a combat or non-combat spell casting are shuffled back into the deck.

At the beginning of battle, players and opponents all role 1 six-sided die. The GM will indicate any modifiers due to surprise, etc. If the side with the higher initiative value has 5 or fewer points more than their opponents, they gain initiative. If they have 6 or more, they get an extra attack and then get initiative.

The turn of the team with initiative is run, phase-by-phase, going around to each team member in turn. So, first, the untapping phase takes place for each team member. Then, upkeep for each, and so on. When the team’s turn ends, the opposing team's turn begins, and so on.

Just as in Magic: the Gathering, wizards draw a card at the beginning of each turn from their deck into their hand. However, unlike Magic: the Gathering, Magic: the RPG wizards can continue to cast spells after their deck is empty, as long as they have cards to cast from their hand. When a wizard's hand is empty, he continues to fight. He continues to control any cards he has cast, and he can still be attacked.

Wizards can summon creatures only on their own behalf. However, a wizard's summoned creatures CAN be used to block an attack on another wizard.

If the wizard dies, all cards he has cast (including his graveyard) return to his spell book at the end of the turn. The wizard may continue to do things until the end of the turn he dies, and his creatures remain in play until the end of the turn.

Typically, when a character is killed, his spellbook is entirely destroyed. However, some fractions of the spells of non-player characters and enemy wizards may be salvageable.

Except where noted on a card, Wizards can cast spells on one another's lands, creatures, artifacts, etc. Spells can also be cast on non-summoned creatures, and on other wizards, as well. However, spells that specify the target of their effect can only be applied as specified. Cards that have effects on other cards can affect another wizard's creatures, unless specified. One wizard cannot tap another's lands. Nor can wizards share mana, unless the card says otherwise.

Wounds, Death, and Escape

Creature's life points work just as they do in Magic: the Gathering. If a creature survives a round of combat, it is considered healed the next round.

Wizards' life points are treated differently from non-wizards. Unlike mere mortals, wizards are able to sustain enormous amounts of damage because their bodies’ course with magical power that protects them from normal, physical damage. Each time a wizard is damaged for N points, he loses N - T life points, where T is the wizard's toughness. Only warriors have non-zero toughness.

A wizard can regain life points through rest, at a rate of 1 life point for each 4 hours of rest, provided that normal first aid is applied first. Life points can also be recovered through magical healing.

Note that spells such as stream of life can be used to heal a wizard, but such spells cannot bring a wizard above his normal maximum life points for more than 15 minutes because such effects are temporary, and wear off when the spell wears off.

If a wizard or creature chooses to do nothing on a given round (including paying activation costs, laying down lands or spells, but excluding ordering summoned creatures to attack) he may attempt to flee from combat. If a wizard successfully flees from combat, all cards that have been played immediately go to the graveyard, and the graveyard is left behind! The wizard may try to return and reclaim them, but at the end of combat, the victors have the ability to take any and all cards. The wizard may return to battle, but assuming the battle is still raging (and therefore, the spells haven't disappeared), all spells and lands will be in his graveyard.

Monsters

Monsters and NPC's are created by the GM and can range in complexity from a simple creature card in Magic: the Gathering to a wizard, to a combination, with special rules for play. The GM may decide to make some or all of the rules governing a NPC or creature's combat abilities clear at the beginning, or he may keep some secrets, and explain that they are special abilities when they come into play during combat.

The goal should be to give the players enough of an understanding about how to attack and defeat a monster that it isn't necessary for them to play a guessing game during combat, and to remain true to the spirit of Magic: the Gathering. The GM should be free to surprise the characters with monsters whose abilities aren't all clear at the beginning of combat, just as an Magic: the Gathering wizard's threat is obscured at first by having a hidden deck and hand. However, once the abilities come into play, they should be clear. All monster abilities should be specified as much as possible in written form before the combat.