There`s something I kind of need help with, and so I

thought I`d turn to this list for advice. Me and my friends started

analyzing some of the rules for the Wheel of Time collectable card game

(CCG) and although opinions are mixed on it, I think it works well for

representing a story as a game, at least better than others who have tried.

So I`m modifying the Wheel of Time CCG rules a little and I`m going to make

all new cards for a Birthright collectable card game (which will be

created/distributed in decks, not packs).



While I feel the mechanics of the game are easily portable into a Birthright

theme (even the rules for magic and monsters seem suitably apt), what I`m

asking about is the overall premise of the game and which characters should

be used. These are mostly just flavor issues and don`t have much to do with

the mechanics of the game, but I think they`re important.



In Wheel of Time, there is presumably going to be an inevitable Last Battle

and all the books are just sort counting down until that happens. In the

card game, the whole game is setup to prepare for the Last Battle and

everything else is just minor skirmishes and plots for power and gathering

allies to prepare for it along the way. The whole game is setup to prepare

for a climactic confrontation that comes at the game`s end and if you`ve

been doing well you start with an advantage in that confrontation. In a

Birthright card game, what should that confrontation represent? I`m

thinking it should be the attempt to seize the Iron Throne, but that

generally means I`m only limited to Anuire. (Which might be okay.) That

doesn`t feel very inevitable though, and it`s strange that the final

confrontation would just happen at some point. I was thinking of maybe

making it Deismaar but then I`d be inventing all new characters and such and

it wouldn`t really be Birthright. It also seems weird to play for the Iron

Throne if you`re an elf or dwarf or goblin or even certain Awnsheigh. I

don`t particularly like the final confrontation being anything as

epic/permanent as the extermination of all humans on Cerelia, though. Any

thoughts on this?



I could just significantly lower the scale of this and say that the game

isn`t really a contest for the Iron Throne but just any old conflict between

two important realms, but I like the idea of gathering your resources,

gathering allies, recruiting characters of different factions, etc. in

preparation for the major conflict. Though I`m not sure why winning the

Iron Throne would make the game end.



There are two types of characters in the Wheel of Time CCG. Let`s call them

Starting characters and Supporting characters. You can pretty much guess

how this works. The Starting character sort of represents your character.

He`s usually very powerful, you start with him in play, he sometimes grows

through the progression of the game, and if he dies you lose the game. Any

ideas on who should be the starting characters? Right now my only thoughts

are Avan, Ghoere, and the Gorgon. I`m debating whether or not High Mage

Aelies should be on that list. He`s not competing for the Iron Throne, but

I`m sure he has his own agenda, and he`s pretty powerful. I need about

three more. I`m not sure if I should include an elf and a dwarf or not, but

I think it just makes some sense. Unless all the elves, dwarves, goblins,

etc. should just be limited to Supporting characters.



The Starting characters are characters who will not only be contesting for

the Iron Throne, but who have their own faction in the conflict and who will

not be recruited as a supporting character to someone else`s side. I`m not

sure whether or not High Mage Aelies would be recruited under some other

Starting Character or not.



The other question is are there any characters that you feel would make very

apt Supporting Characters. I`m thinking maybe the High Mage Aelies, but I`m

not sure. I think Suiries Elien (not sure if I`m spelling these names

right) might be a good candidate, providing your faction with realm magic

capability and minor political advantage. I`m probably just going to

abstract everyone`s Domain into their character. So that if you control

Guilder Kelien it`s just assumed he`s using the might of Endier in his

political or intrigue rolls. Do you think it`s right that regent characters

should be supporting characters under these uber-factions? Is it right that

if you no longer control the regent character (like Guilder Kelien) by

intrigue or death, then you`d lose the resources of Endier for your faction?



Do you like the idea of playing regent characters for your faction or

playing domains? Again, mostly just a flavor issue, but a significant one I

think. Would you rather play a card called El-Hadid that lists his stats

and abilities, or would you rather play a card called Port of Call Exchange

that lists those same stats and abilities?



I`m also thinking of making certain domains into cards seperate from the

regent cards. What do you think of this? Should it be possible (and highly

probable) that you`d control a resourceful regent though another player (or

no player) might control the influence of the domain itself? One thing that

I liked about the Wheel of Time CCG was its emphasis on characters, and I`m

not sure I want to take away from that.



Any thoughts? Any suggestions for characters to use?



-Lord Rahvin