Dryad

Templating Mana Creation Cards

any idea why cards that can make colorless OR colored mana (like nightshade dryad) are templated with one ability for colorless, and one for colored?

The other way to write it would be “T: Add W, U, B, R, G or C” which would make give it a five-color color identity and make the card very hard to play in Commander.

Color Identity Colorless Commander Dryads Mana Templating Nightshade Dryad

Future of Dryad Arbor-like Cards

Will we ever get more cards like dryad arbor

Creature Land cards have some issues, with rules being the largest, so I’m skeptical.We will make lands that can turn into creatures.

Dryad Arbor Rules Dryad Creatures Lands

Dryad Arbor Confusion

Would dryad arbor be okay if it got the Fulltext treatment like in that one secret lair. Scince it would spell out exactly how to use it thus removing the confusion.

The problem with Dryad Arbor is twofold:
There is huge confusion with the players.
There are rules issues.
Spelling everything out on the card (assuming you even have space for it all) only helps with problem #1.

Dryad Dryad Arbor Rules Secret Lairs

Templating Reach Versus Flying

regarding the templating as far as reach as flying. My inclination would be to divide it into 'what the caster needs to know' and 'what both players need to know'. especially in draft, if a creature draws a card on ETB, that can go below, the owner will read that, but a combat relevant keyword should always be up top to be visible. To me, 'reach' at the bottom is the same basic Dryad Arbor problem.

But let’s say the card has an alternative cost. If you put that too far down on the card, players miss they can cast it. It’s a tricky balance.

Creatures Draft Formats Dryad Dryad Arbor Enter The Battlefield Flying Keywords Templating

Nightshade Dryad Mana Clarification

Why does Nightshade Dryad have "T: Add C" and "T: Add one mana of any color" instead of "T: Add one mana of any type"? Was it to make clear that it can add colorless?

I assume.

Colorless Colors Dryad Mana Nightshade Dryad

Problems with Dryad Arbor

What's a problem that Dryad Arbor causes that Urza's Saga doesn't?

It’s a land and a creature in all zones.

Creatures Dryad Dryad Arbor Lands Sagas Urza's Saga Urza's Saga

Introducing Rule-Challenging Cards

Why is it a problem to introduce cards with rules issues to formats that already contain similar cards?For instance, many times I've hard that Dryad Arbor causes a number of difficulties with the rules, and thus no more land creatures will be made. But Dryad Arbor already exists, and the rules for twenty land creature cards are the same as for just one: what's the issue with introducing another land creature to a format that already contains Dryad Arbor?

A card existing doesn’t mean the rules have all been figured out. Sometimes we make something, thinking we have it covered, and it turns out we don’t. When that happens, we stop making cards that do that thing, because the last thing the rules needs is more pressure on areas that are already problematic.To use a metaphor, if you lean on a window and it causes a crack, you probably don’t lean on that window any more, even if it hasn’t fully broken yet.

Creatures Dryad Dryad Arbor Lands Rules

Land Tokens Possibility

If/when on getting "Land Tokens" in a set? I know there were Forest Dryad tokens at one point, but I mean just, say, a "Swamp land token." Are there any particular issues that'd make you avoid doing it entirely, or is it on the table if it makes sense for the set?

We’ve experimented with it. It has numerous logistical hurdles.

Dryad If/When Lands Swamp Tokens

Dryad Arbor Balance

Would dryad arbor be okay balanced if it had defender.

Dryad Arbor’s main issues have to do with rules and confusion, not power level.

Defender Dryad Dryad Arbor Power Level Rules

Land Tokens

If/when. Something that produces land tokens. Not Dryad Arbor-esque land creatures, but straight land tokens.

Probably when, but our attempts so far have failed.

Creatures Dryad If/When Lands Tokens

Dryad Arbor Series

If when complete the dryad arbor sycle

If. It was both not planned as a cycle, and is problematic as a card.

Cycles Dryad Dryad Arbor

Basic Type Animate Land

If/When, Mark: An animateable land that also has a Basic Land type (I'm not looking at you, Dryad Arbor. You cause too many headaches)

If.

Dryad Dryad Arbor If/When Lands

DFC Rules Solution

Would having a transforming double face card which became a creature land avoid many of the rules issues that came with Dryad Arbor?

It helps with a number of the larger issues, yes.

Creatures Dryad Dryad Arbor Dual Faced Cards Lands Rules

Retiring a Card Type

If you retire a type, what would happen to the existing cards with the type? Suppose the land type 'Forest' is retired.a) the type name is replaced with more appropriate word.b) every Forest card loses the type through errata. (e.g. Dryad Arbor becomes "Land Creature - Dryad")c) every Forest card is banned. (like the ante cards)

Usually the retired term is replaced with a new term, so a).

Bannings Card Types Creatures Dryad Dryad Arbor Errata Format Legality Lands

Playing Lands on Turns

If you somehow played a card that allows you to play an additional land each turn (IE Enter the Unknown) on an opponent's speed (such as via Teferi shenanigans), could you play Dryad Arbor on your opponent's turn?

Lands, by the current rules definition, I believe can only be played on your turn.

Dryad Dryad Arbor Enter the Unknown Lands Rules Shenanigans

Land Tokens Concept

have you ever thought about creating Land tokens? you've recently experimented with dryad arbor tokens, and done mana generating artifact tokens for a while, so it doesn't seem particularly hard to do from a rules and complexity perspective(i imagine one reason to be that you'd rather search for a basic, and i am curious about the finer details as to why that is)

We have had land tokens in multiple design files.

Artifacts Dryad Dryad Arbor Lands Mana Rules Search Tokens

Land and Spell Dynamics

If WotC were to make a Land card with another card type (e.g. Creature) AND a mana cost, would it be possible to play the card as a land for your land drop OR cast it as a spell? For example, you could have an expensive Dryad Arbor-type card with a "When you cast this spell..." clause.

No. That’s why we shouldn’t make it. It doesn’t match player intuition.

Card Types Creatures Dryad Lands Mana Wizards of the Coast

Transforming Creatures Convention

Assuming Song of the Dryads is a break, what colors would be able to transform a creature into a land (to remove most of its usefulness)?

That’s probably green/white.

Bend / Break Colors Creatures Dryad Lands Pop Culture Selesnya (G/W) Song of the Dryads Transform White

Card Types Ordering

Are there rules on how card types and subtypes are ordered?- Dryad Arbor: "Land Creature" vs "Creature Land"- The Reality Chip: "Equipment Jellyfish" vs "Jellyfish Equipment"- The Royal Scions: "Will Rowan" vs "Rowan Will"

That’s an editing question, but I assume there are rules. I don’t know them. My guess is Rowan and Will’s order was based on the art.

Art Card Types Card Types Creatures Dryad Dryad Arbor Equipment Jellyfish Lands Rules Scion Subtype The Reality Chip The Royal Scions

Land as Commander

re land as commander, surely something like dryad arbour could be your commander if it was legendary?

The rules about commanders talks about casting them, which you don’t do with Dryad Arbor.

Commander Dryad Dryad Arbor Lands Rules