Ability-removing mechanic
Custom Cards forum
Posted on May 15, 2015, 2:16 p.m. by Jeyrrick
I had an idea for an ability that removes abilities:
Darkfire Recruiter - 
Creature - Human Cleric
When ~ enters the battlefield, brainwash a creature with converted mana cost 3 or less. (A brainwashed creature is black and has no abilities.)
2/2
This would mostly be used to hose creatures with keywords or cards that get buffed from other effects (like Tarmogoyf), but it could also be used in a set with a lot of detrimental effects.
It might also make a new way to Torpor Orb only select creatures:
Darkfire Torturer -
Creature - Human Warrior
If a creature with converted mana cost 1 or less would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, instead it enters the battlefield brainwashed.
2/2
Well, is it too underpowered or overpowered? Could we possibly see an ability like this in a set?
Epochalyptik says... #4
Interesting concept. I think there's room to develop it more, though.
And as Slovak said, you could go white on this as well. Ability-removing effects tend to be white or blue, with the blue ones typically being polymorphic effects. There are a few black examples (Sudden Spoiling, Yixlid Jailer), but it isn't really a "true" black ability.
May 15, 2015 2:29 p.m.
TheRedMage says... #5
I thik you have a misconception on what abilities like the one on Tarmogoyf do. Goyf does not have a base power and then gets a boost for each creature type in graveyards. Rather, his power is defined to be equal to the number of card types in graveyards. If you remove that ability, its power will not be defined anymore and the rules will not know what to do.
For this reason when you make a card lose all abilities it's necessary to also set its power and toughness (and possibly creature type and color, although creatures can exist without type/color so that's not as big of a deal) to some value. The rules are not equipped to deal with creatures that lose their power-setting characteristic-defining abilities suddenly not having a well defined power and/or toughness anymore.
So, yeah, you should change the ability to include making the creature an 0/1 or something.
Also, as it's now, Darkfire Torturer is going to make you very sad when your opponent plays a Phyrexian Dreadnought or a Death's Shadow
Personally I think that this would also be cleaner if you had the ability work not like a change but like an effect with a duration. Recruiter would read something like "When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, brainwash target creature for as long as you control CARDNAME" and the Torturer would read like "Creatures your opponent control with cmc 1 or less are brainwashed".
May 15, 2015 2:33 p.m. Edited.
TheRedMage, I just did a little research on cards that cause creatures to lose abilities, and only one of those cards don't change base power and toughness: Yixlid Jailer. Errata on that card says yes, the ability is gone, but the ability still actually takes effect due to the nature of continuous abilities. (The errata uses Mistform Ultimus as an example, saying it still has all creature types even with the Jailer.) However, I am not sure if the power and toughness could still change since it wouldn't have the ability that changes that power and toughness.
Epochalyptik, slovakattack, you are kind of right. I mainly made it black for a custom set I've been dreaming up that involves a black-aligned cult. Maybe it is more of a blue ability, though, and I think that would be good to use instead of white just so I can keep the "brainwash" name and keep it in flavor, too. :P
May 15, 2015 3:07 p.m. Edited.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #7
Definitely not blue. I could see this in black though. Also, it might get a bit confusing to remember that the creature is permanently disabled, if flashing solves this, etc... but that's more details. Nice idea!
May 15, 2015 3:27 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
Melon makes a good point. Typically, these kinds of effects are either temporary and thus end at the specified time or are tied to continuous static abilities of permanents. Watch your implementation to see whether it's easy enough to track the mechanic's application if you need to assess the game state.
May 15, 2015 3:49 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #10
Personally I prefer counters to denote status of effects when it comes to designing and to gameplay (although using counters when not mentioned on the card irks me). It would also let you keep the flavor of permanence you initially designed. However, I think this ability can be seen in the light of each color. Also, making vanilla makes sense for each color since each color has vanilla creatures.
That's just my opinion as it would make a lot of sense to restrict it to just black or even just white.
May 15, 2015 4:14 p.m.
I think it could work as a 
cost artifact or 
////
enchantment.
slovakattack says... #2
I feel like that's much more of a white flavored ability. Call it 'Purify' or something?
May 15, 2015 2:21 p.m.