Random Magic

Magic: the Gathering Random Effects

These effects are designed to be in place from the beginning of the game. Pick a subset for your event, and then select among them at random for each game. For example, you could pick the last 20, then roll d20 at the beginning of the game to decide what effect is in use.

01
Hiding in the Library

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player loses 1 life.
If a player would lose life, he or she instead removes that many cards from the top of his or her library.
If a player would gain life, he or she instead puts that many cards that he or she owns that aren't in his or her library or hand into his or her hand.

02
Chain Reaction

Whenever an instant, sorcery or ability targeting a single player or permanent resolves, that player or that permanent's controller may pay {3}. If he or she does, put a chain counter on that target and copy that instant, sorcery or ability and that player changes its target to a player or permanent without a chain counter. Otherwise, remove all chain counters from all permanents and players.

03
Proximity

Tap a creature you control: That creature and another target creature each deal to one another an amount of damage equal to their power. Any player may play this ability.

04
Busy Graveyard

If fading would put a permanent into the graveyard from play, remove it from the game instead.
As any nonland permanent without Fading comes into play, its controller pays {X}. That permanent comes into play with Fading and X Fade counters.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, if there are four or more creature cards in that player's graveyard, he or she may return a creature card from his or her graveyard to play.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, if there are three or more enchantment cards in that player's graveyard, he or she may return a enchantment card from his or her graveyard to play.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, if there are five or more artifact cards in that player's graveyard, he or she may return a artifact card from his or her graveyard to play.

05
Waiting Room

As permanents come into play, they lose all characteristics until another permanent comes into play. (CIP triggers don't trigger; they still get counters and other 'as' choices made.)

06
Bright Spark

Activated nonmana abilities of permanents cost {1} less to play. This cannot reduce an ability's converted mana cost to less than {1}.
Whenever a player plays an activated nonmana ability of a permanent, he or she sacrifices that permanent at end of turn, or immediately if it's the End phase.

07
Living in a Box

If a player controlling more than five permanents would put a permanent into play, he or she chooses five permanents he or she controls, sacrifices the rest, and then puts that permanent into play.

08
Primordial Dawn

All cards are white. All land cards are basic Plains. Spells and abilities produce white mana instead of mana of any other color. White mana may be spent as though it were mana of any color. All color words on all cards are white, and all land words on all cards are plains. The restrictions non-white, non-basic and non-plains no longer apply. All permanents lose protection from white.

09
Yawgmoth's Saga

Each player may play nonland cards in his or her graveyard. When a spell played this way would be put into play, it comes into play with a trilogy counter, otherwise remove that card from the game.
Each player may play land cards in his or her graveyard. Lands played this way come into play with a trilogy counter.
If a permanent with a trilogy counter on it would leave play, remove it from the game instead.

10
Gaping Cavern Full of Lava

{X}, discard a card with converted mana cost X: The next time a source of your choice would deal damage, it deals an additional X damage. Any player may play this ability.

11
Phase Lag

In each player's untap step, that player untaps permanents he or she doesn't control instead of permanents he or she controls.

12
Crossed Wires

As each player plays a spell or ability, he or she chooses an opponent. That opponent makes choices for that spell or ability except for choices for alternative costs and player targets.

13
Buzz

Each spell and ability cost X less to play, where X is one less than the amount of non-variable generic mana in the cost to play that spell or ability.

14
Hive Mind

Creatures have the abilities of other creatures.
Artifacts have the abilities of other artifacts.
Lands have the abilities of other lands.

15
Downhill Battle

Players enter the game with 2 payment counters.
Players may remove a payment counter instead of paying a spell's mana cost. (X must be set to 0 if you pay this way).
Instead of each player's draw step, he or she gains a payment counter, puts his or her hand on the bottom of his or her library, and the top 7 cards of his or her library into his or her hand.

16
Kickback

Instead of each player's draw step, that player may search the top 5 cards of an opponent's library for an artifact, creature or enchantment card, reveal it and put it into play. If he or she does, that opponent shuffles his or her library.

17
Upsurge

Creatures deal combat damage equal to their toughness instead of their power.
Creatures are destroyed when they have non-zero damage no less than their power instead of their toughness.
Creatures lose defender.

18
Narrow Passage

Creatures must block if able.
Creatures have haste and vigilance.
No more than two creatures may attack each turn.
Players may not play spells or abilities during combat.

19
Random Fluctuations

Whenever a source would deal damage, its controller flips a coin. If he or she loses the flip prevent that damage. Otherwise, double that damage.

20
Pit of Spawning Beebles

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, her or she may pay {2}. If he or she does, at end of turn he or she puts a 0/1 Beeble creature token into play with color(s) equal to the color(s) of mana paid.

21
Flaming Spellbook

Remove a card in your hand from the game: Add X mana of any color to your mana pool, where X is the converted mana cost of the card removed. This mana may not share a color with the card removed. Any player may play this ability.

22
Focus

Spells and abilities may not target local enchantment spells, spells with no targets or permanents with no activated abilities.

23
Spread

Whenever a spell is played, any player may pay an amount of mana equal to its converted mana cost. If he or she does, that player chooses new targets for that spell.

24
Altar of Altars

Sacrifice a permanent: Add two mana of any one color to your mana pool. At the beginning of each opponent's next main phase, that player adds two mana of any one color of his or her choice to his or her mana pool. Play this ability only when you could play an instant. Any player may play this ability.

25
Cellar of Prophecy

If a player would draw a card, he or she instead puts the bottom card of his or her graveyard into his or her hand.
At the beginning of the game, each player puts his or her library into his or her graveyard in a random order.

26
Metempsychosis

Whenever a permanent goes to the graveyard from play, any of its controller's opponents may pay an amount of mana equal to its converted mana cost. If no player does, its controller chooses another target permanent. That permanent gains the abilities of the permanent that left play.

27
Frayed Edges

Players have a starting and maximum hand size of six cards.
If a player would draw a card, he or she instead removes the top card of his or her library from the game face up and draws a card. Until the beginning of that player's next turn, that player may play that card.

28
Mana Circus

Whenever a mana ability adds mana to a player's mana pool, add one additional mana of a color of that player's choice to that mana pool.
Player's mana pools do not drain when phases end.
At the end of each player's end step, that player loses life equal to the amount of mana in his or her mana pool minus four.
At the beginning of each player's turn, that player may add to his or her mana pool an amount of mana of any one color equal to the amount of mana in an opponent's mana pool.

29
Squirming Licids

Permanents other than local enchantments gain ``2,T: this permanent becomes a local enchanment granting its other abilities to its enchantee. Move this local enchantment onto target permanent. You may pay 2 to end this effect''

30
Prismatic Battlesphere

Creatures gain ``1: change the color of this creature to the combination of colors of your choice.'' (Colorless is a valid combination of colors).

31
Treacle

Spells and activated nonmana abilities cost an additional 1 to play.

32
Tutorial

Whenever a player would draw a card, he or she may instead pay 2 and 2 life, search his or her library for a card, put that card into his or her hand and shuffle his or her library.

33
Ivory

Whenever a player would discard a card, instead remove it from the game and that player chooses an opponent. Until the end of that opponent's turn, he or she may play that card.
Whenever a permanent would go to the graveyard from play, instead remove it from the game and its controller chooses an opponent. Until the end of that opponent's turn, he or she may play that card.

34
Unlucky

Whenever a player is dealt damage, for each point of damage, he or she removes the top card of his or her library from the game and draws a card.

35
Symmetry

Whenever an effect of a spell causes a player to draw a card, each other player may draw a card.

36
Urza's PA System

Play targeted abilities and instant and sorcery spells as spells and abilities that instead affect all legal groups of targets. Assign groups when you would normally choose targets. Groups of targets may not overlap. (That spell or ability is no longer targeted)
Example: To play Cannibalise, group each player's creatures into pairs; one of each pair will be removed from the game, the other will get two +1/+1 counters.
Play untargeted abilities and instant and sorcery spells as spells and abilities that instead affect only a single target. (That spell or ability is now targeted)

37
Temporary Dye

Remove a card in your hand from the game: the next time you play a spell this turn, you may spend mana for its cost as though it were any color of the card removed. Any player may play this ability.

38
Manic Depression

Whenever a creature would deal combat damage to a player, it instead deals 1 damage to that player.
Whenever a creature attacks and is not blocked, its controller may sacrifice it. If he or she does, it deals an amount of damage equal to its power to defending player.

39
Theatrical Costumier

As a permanent comes into play, its controller may change its color to any combination of colors. (Colorless is a valid combination of colors).
As a creature comes into play, its controller may exchange points of power for toughness in either direction, except that toughness cannot be less than 1 and power cannot be less than 0. Its controller may change its creature type to any combination of creature types.

40
Illusions of Power

When a creature comes into play, its controller gains life equal to its toughness.
When a creature leaves play, its controller loses life equal to its power.

41
Levelled

Creatures may block as though they had shadow.
Creatures may block as though they didn't have shadow.
Creatures may block as though they had flying.
Creatures may block as though they didn't have flying.
Creatures with landwalk abilities may be blocked as though they didn't have those abilities.

42
Graveyard Shift

Card in players' hands may not be played.
Players may play cards in their graveyards.
At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player may discard a card from his or her hand.
If a card would be put into a player's graveyard from the stack or from play, instead remove that card from the game.

43
Mental Land

Remove a land card in your hand from the game: Draw a card. Any player may play this ability.
Any time a player could play a basic land card, he or she may put a card from his or her hand into play face down. This counts as playing a land. As long as it's in play face-down, that card counts as a basic land of all basic land types.

44
Popularity Contest

Creatures have ``X1,T: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost X or less and which shares a color with this creature. Put that card into play tapped. X is this creature's converted mana cost.''

45
Fax Machine

At the beginning of the game, each player removes the top 3 cards of his or her library from the game.
Cards other than land cards must be played as copies of cards which have been removed from the game.
Whenever a player plays a card, he or she reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a non-land card, he or she removes that card from the game. Otherwise, he or she shuffles his or her library.

46
Aura Magnetism

Whenever a permanent comes into play, move onto it all local enchantments that could enchant it.

47
Spellshaper Academy

Creatures have ``Imprint --- remove an instant or sorcery card in your hand from the game. Play this ability only when you could play a sorcery.''
Creatures have ``T, discard a card: you may copy and play an imprinted card.''

48
Vernal Nexus

Global enchantment cards are local enchantments of type `Enchant Permanent.'
Local enchantment cards are global enchantments that affect all legal enchantees as though they were enchanted by that card.

49
School of Hard Knocks

If a creature would be dealt combat damage, instead put that many -1/-1 counters on it.
If a player would be dealt combat damage, instead he or she loses that much life.

50
Trampling Free

All creatures lose trample.
If an attacking creature would deal damage to a blocking creature, and the damage exceeds the blocking creatures toughness, instead the excess damage is dealt to the controller of the attacking creature.

51
Stereotypes

Creatures lose their creature types.
Green creatures are Elves. They have ``T: Add G to your mana pool.''
White creatures are Soldiers. They have first strike.
Blue creatures are Merfolk. They have ``U: This creature gains flying until end of turn.''
Black creatures are Zombies. They have ``This creature comes into play with an undeath counter on it,'' and ``Remove an undeath counter from this creature: Regenerate this creature.''
Red creatures are Goblins. They have haste.
Artifact creatures are Golems. They get +1/+1.

52
Peer Pressure

Creatures lose their creature types.
Green creatures are Wurms. They lose their abilities and gain trample.
White creatures are Townsfolk. They get -1/-0. If this would reduce a creature's power to less than 1, that creature's power becomes 1.
Blue creatures are Illusions. Blue creatures can't be the target of spells and abilities controlled by their controllers.
Black creatures are Horrors. They attack each turn if able.
Red creatures are Beasts. They get -0/-1. If this would reduce a creature's toughness to less than 1, that creature's toughness becomes 1.
Artifact creatures are Legendary.

53
Ricochet Reversal

If a creature would deal combat damage to another creature, instead it deals that damage to itself.

54
Sowing Forks

Remove a card in your hand from the game: This turn, spells you play are copies of the removed card, except that they don't copy its color or mana cost. Any player may play this ability.

55
Innocence

All creature cards not in play are Beeble creature cards. All creatures are Beebles. All creature type words on all cards are ``Beeble.''

56
Shifted Sky

Red permanents are also blue. Green permanents are also black. White permanents are also red. Blue permanents are also green. Black permanents are also white.

57
Kjeldoran Rules Combat

Creatures block as though neither attacking nor blocking creatures had abilities.

58
Powerhouse

Numeric mana costs of all spells and abilities that are greater than 1 are 1 instead. (Numeric costs are generic costs that are just numbers, not Xs.)

59
Downhill Battle

At the beginning of the game, each player gains 2 cost counters.
If a player would draw a card during a draw step, for the first card drawn, that player gains a cost counter instead.
Players may spend a cost counter instead of paying a spell's mana cost. (X in the cost must be 0)
At the end of each player's turn, that player puts his or her hand on the bottom of his or her library and puts the top seven cards of his or her library into his or her hand.

60
Secret Passage

Players may play spells with converted mana cost 3 or less without paying their mana cost.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, for each nonland permanent that player controls, that player may pay 2. If he or she does not, that permanent deals 2 damage to that player.

61
Orchestral Mine

At the beginning of each player's draw step, each player draws a card.

62
Hoard of Medals

Each player starts the game with 6 medal counters. At the beginning of each player's turn, that player loses a medal counter. For each player, spells played by that player cost up to X less to play, where X is the number of medal counters he or she has.

63
Pickle Jar

Remove your hand from the game: draw 7 cards. At end of turn, exchange the cards in your hand for the cards removed this way. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. Any player may play this ability.

64
Mana Blaze

Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player adds an additional 2 mana to his or her mana pool, each of a color of his or her choice.

65
Permanence

Lands are also artifacts. Enchantments are also lands. Creatures are also enchantments.

66
Ruggedness

Creatures have protection from enchantments and sorceries.

67
Refreshments

Players play with the top card of their libraries revealed.
After the beginning of the first turn of the game, whenever a player draws a creature card, that player discards that card.
Whenever a creature goes to the graveyard from play, its owner returns a creature card from that graveyard to his or her hand.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, if that player has no creature cards in his or her hand, he or she may reveal his or her hand, search his or her library for a creature card, reveal it, and put it into his or her hand. If so, he or she shuffles his or her library.

68
Sidekick

Sacrifice a non-land permanent: Reveal cards from an opponent's library until you reveal a card that shares a permanent type with the sacrificed card. Put that card into play, and put the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of that opponent's library. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. Any player may play this ability.

69
Chaos Laboratory

At the beginning of each player's turn, that player gains a chaos counter if there are an odd number of land cards in play, and loses a chaos counter if there are an even number of land cards in play. Players cannot play spells or attack or block with creatures that have converted mana cost equal to the total number of chaos counters on all players.

70
Storyteller

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player may put a story counter on a basic land he or she controls.
Plains with story counters on them have ``T, remove all story counters from this land: Destroy all creatures and enchantments with converted mana cost equal to the number of counters removed this way. They can't be regenerated. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.''
Forests with story counters on them have ``T, remove all story counters from this land: Each player draws a card for each creature he or she controls with converted mana cost equal to the number of story counters removed this way.''
Mountains with story counters on them have ``T, remove all story counters from this land: This land deals damage to each player equal to the number of permanents they control with converted mana cost equal to the number of story counters removed this way.''
Islands with story counters on them have ``T, remove all story counters from this land: Each player returns to its owner's hand each permanent he or she controls with converted mana cost equal to the number of story counters removed this way. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.''
Swamps with story counters on them have ``T, remove all story counters from this land: Each player returns to his or her hand all creature cards in his or her graveyard with converted mana cost equal to the number of story counters removed this way. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.''