Goofy Sorcerer pitch: Sorcerer: King of Games

One-sheet pitch

Inspiration: Yu-Gi-Oh! the cartoon

Look & Feel: Early 2000s children's cartoon from Japan. Expect inexplicable hair. Also expect guns; this ain't 4Kids.

Premise: What kind of person will you grow up to be, and how will a children's card game play into that?

Humanity: The power of friendship

Humanity gain: Being a good, honest person, who supports your friends

Humanity loss: Cheating, betraying friends, being mean

Humanity 0: Turn into Kaiba circa episode 1, a selfish jerk who'd put an old man in a hospital to get a rare card. Naturally you can keep playing at 0 Humanity, but you're subject to sorcerous rituals, the GM can hose you with karmic retribution, and, if you're using a Millennium Artifact, you turn into the demon of the artifact.

Lore: Insight into the heart of the cards and the game's ancient origins in Egypt and Atlantis

Demons: Egyptian and Atlantean spirits bound to playing cards. Past that, go wild! Seriously, look up Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, there's a staggering variety. -- Also, much, much more powerful Egyptian and Atlantean spirits, including the spirits of humans, bound to ancient jewelry and clothing.

New descriptors

Ignore all the old Lore descriptors except Coven. Here's some new ones. 

  • Noob. You've just picked up a fun children's card game for the first time. Definitely don't start with a Millennium Artifact. If you're very pure of heart, you might still have a high Lore.
  • Themed deck-builder. Some archetype of Duel Monster holds strong appeal for you -- insects, the undead, wind-up toys, samurai, whatever. If you don't have a Millennium Artifact, you can start with two Duel Monsters.
  • Historian. You know an awful lot about ancient Egypt and Atlantis. Maybe you're even from there?
  • Card Shark. You play and you're good. That's it. (Useful for cynics, adults, non-spiritual criminals.)

Demons: Duel Monsters

These are the most common sort of demons in the world, spirits bound in playing cards for a children's game.

We'll use a new type of demon, Duel Monster. They've got a few features in common:

  • They're found out in the world, usually in card shops
  • They have to be activated to affect the world. (This is an action in a complex conflict.) Otherwise they just look like cards.
  • You can hear their opinions and criticism even when they're not activated.
  • They can have a second type if need be -- some Duel Monsters are pieces of equipment, or trap cards. 

Metaphysically, these guys are spirits summoned by the ancient Egyptians and Atlanteans. They can take on a mind-boggling array of forms. Some are nice, some are nasty.

Everybody knows about Duel Monsters. It's not a big deal to see people dueling, and it's legal, as long as you're not disturbing the peace, destroying property, or hurting anyone. Almost nobody knows the true spiritual significance of Duel Monsters.

Demons: Millennium Artifacts

These guys are rare. They're Object demons, but if you are reduced to 0 Humanity while you're holding one, you'll be possessed by it. They've all got Taint and some ability that lets them hold special Shadow Games.

Metaphysically, these are the spirits of specific, named humans from ancient Egypt and Atlantis. These guys were all sorcerers themselves. They may be noble, but they're never nice.

Almost nobody has ever heard of Millennium Artifacts, and even fewer people would ever believe that they're capable of magic.

You can start with a Millennium Artifact in addition to your Duel Monster. 

Duels

Duels are fights under normal Sorcerer rules, but you can also harm your opponent through psychological and symbolic attacks. Get zany with it. A duel ends when one player/side yields, or takes 2x Stamina damage. All participants, including demons, are returned to full Stamina and Power afterwards -- death isn't permanent in a duel.

By the consent of all human parties, you can duel for control of the loser's best card. The winner makes a pact with that demon, and a binding roll, immediately after the duel.

Of course you can always get clever and set the duel up so the loser falls off a building. Then they'd still die.

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