Custom Characters

By Yenreb, in Citadels

I saw in a thread here that some people were interested in the possibility of custom expansions and/or more new characters. Here is a set of characters of my creation. (The Actor was inspired by someone's suggestion of a character who can imitate unused characters.)

(1) - Actor
After taking an action, choose a character to impersonate, then immediately end your turn. When that character is called, if no player has that character, resume your turn using that character's ability.

(2) - Warlock
Choose a character. When that character is called, the player with that character must give you his or her entire hand.

(3) - Sorcerer
For each player, you may pay that player 1 gold in order to draw a card from that player's hand.
You may reveal any number of district cards from your hand which are duplicates of districts in your city. Discard those cards to the bottom of the deck, then draw that many cards.

(4) - Advisor
You gain 1 gold for each noble (gold) district in your city.
The player with the crown token passes it to the player to his or her left.

(5) - Cardinal
You gain 1 gold for each religious (blue) district in your city.
Each other player may give you a district card from their hand in exchange for 1 gold from the bank.

(6) - Banker
You gain 1 gold for each trade (green) district in your city.
Each other player may pay you 1 gold to draw a district card from the deck.

(7) - Fortune Teller
Draw 5 district cards, then put 3 cards from your hand on the top or bottom of the deck.

(8) - Privateer
You gain 1 gold for each military (red) district in your city.
At the start of your turn, each other player may pay you 2 gold. During your turn, you may destroy one district in any player's city, unless that player paid you gold.

(9) - Civic Planner
You gain 1 gold for each special (purple) district in your city.

Notes:

  • The Thief/Warlock CAN target the target of the Actor. If a player has the character, you will get his/her gold/hand. If no one has the character, you get nothing, as normal for when you target a character that no one has. (You would not get to take from the Actor.)
  • Another idea I had for the Cardinal was "You cannot be targeted by the Thief or Assassin (or Witch, or Warlock)." Similar to how the Bishop is protected against the Warlord (and Diplomat and Privateer).
  • Disclaimer: I have not playtested these. Feel free to try them out, but know they may need some tweaking. (If you do try them out, give me feedback! I'd love to know what you think.)

Seven look quite reasonable. The two I have concerns with is the Warlock and the Privateer. Very overpowered IMHO. Without an assassin, these two would run the other players down tempo-wise profoundly.

If you were to play these two, I'd have to have the thief and the assassin incorporated somehow to counterbalance them.

Going to be difficult and nothing new seems to me. Good old basic citadel.

CTuxford said:

Seven look quite reasonable. The two I have concerns with is the Warlock and the Privateer. Very overpowered IMHO. Without an assassin, these two would run the other players down tempo-wise profoundly.

If you were to play these two, I'd have to have the thief and the assassin incorporated somehow to counterbalance them.

Yes, I agree that the Warlock and Privateer are really powerful. Definitely need to have the theif and assassin in there to balance the game.

The advisor should chose the person on their left/right to become king to add to the theme of the advisor and make it a character they would want to use. Maybe throw in the option to change the direction of play too.

(1) - Actor

After taking an action, choose a character to impersonate, then immediately end your turn. When that character is called, if no player has that character, resume your turn using that character's ability.

The problem I foresee with this character is that if you call a character who does appear you lose your turn, and without the assassin the only way for a character to not appear is if it's one of the cards that are out of play. Basically the only time I'd feel safe taking the Actor is if I was King (ie: picking first) and the character I really wanted was not among those I had to choose from, or if the leader I wanted was face up and out of play.

I think a more interesting form of this idea would be as follows: "After taking an action, choose one of the leaders from those not taken by other players. Take your turn as if you were that leader. If any of these leaders are face down, you must choose blindly or pick one that is face up."

I thought about letting him pick up all unchosen leaders and pick one, but then the Actor would have complete knowledge of which leaders are in play (by elimination), which the game seems to discourage.

(2) - Warlock
Choose a character. When that character is called, the player with that character must give you his or her entire hand.

Seems a bit too powerful for my tastes. I don't think we would ever use this character.

(3) - Sorcerer
For each player, you may pay that player 1 gold in order to draw a card from that player's hand.
You may reveal any number of district cards from your hand which are duplicates of districts in your city. Discard those cards to the bottom of the deck, then draw that many cards.

I'd say one of these abilities or the other, not both. Seems like this character can do "too much" if you see my meaning. Maybe give the other ability to the Warlock.

(4) - Advisor
You gain 1 gold for each noble (gold) district in your city.
The player with the crown token passes it to the player to his or her left.

Nice idea. Round robin instead of jumping all over the place. Does the player who receives the crown still need to give a gold or a card (ala Emperor)? I'd say add it if it wasn't implicit.

(5) - Cardinal
You gain 1 gold for each religious (blue) district in your city.
Each other player may give you a district card from their hand in exchange for 1 gold from the bank.

I like him. Maybe even add a caveat that the player gets 2 gold if he gives you a Blue district? This would require the player to reveal which card he was giving for the sake of fairness.

(6) - Banker
You gain 1 gold for each trade (green) district in your city.
Each other player may pay you 1 gold to draw a district card from the deck.

Like him too. Good counterpoint to the Cardinal.

(7) - Fortune Teller
Draw 5 district cards, then put 3 cards from your hand on the top or bottom of the deck.

Interesting.

(8) - Privateer
You gain 1 gold for each military (red) district in your city.
At the start of your turn, each other player may pay you 2 gold. During your turn, you may destroy one district in any player's city, unless that player paid you gold.

I'd say either have him pay money like the Warlord or limit his destructive potential to districts valued 3 or less. The ability to destroy a 5 or 6 gold district while GAINING money (or at the very least not losing anything) is more than a bit broken IMHO.

(9) - Civic Planner
You gain 1 gold for each special (purple) district in your city.

The ability to tax purple is cool. I think he could use a little something else too, though. All the regular taxers have abilities besides taxation, I don't think it would be broken to give this guy one as well.

My opinion:

1.Actor: Yes, he´s too weak, but what about this: If anyone has the character, you can say him, whether he shall take gold or cards, what district he builds, how he uses his special ability, etc.

2.Yes, too powerful, and the characters of number two have to do with gold...

3.Like it

4.Nit really spectacular

5./6. Dunno, if they wouldn´t change the whole game by letting other players have some advantages,too

7. Maybe a bit more cards, you can draw/kepp, but nice idea

8. Taking gold doesn´t fit to those characters

9. Okay, maybe a little additional effect like looking at the top card of the pile, or sth. like that

Number 2 is situational. While it is good to take another players hand. Sometimes other players don't have hands and are basically top decking points.

In which case Number 2 becomes tremendously useless as an ability. I do think its a bit too early for the ability... id say be number 3 "Artificer" with the clause discard 2 buildings at the end of the turn.. So this way, everybody loses something.