Morbid

Absence of Turtlefolks in Bloomburrow

Despite being Archelos' home plane, I noticed a distinct lack of Turtlefolks on Bloomburrow- even including the commander set they did not even get a one-off card. Additionally, not a single art in the set depict one, and the closest we got was a Frogfolk wearing a turtle shell (in my opinion looks a little morbid to be honest). Which leads me to ask, did something happen to them?

Frogs and Turtles were the two front runners for green/blue and Frogs won out. Bloomburrow does have one Turtle.

Art Blogatog / Tumblr Bloomburrow Blue Commander Frogs Morbid Simic (G/U) Turtles

Tinybones Origin Mystery

Not to be morbid, but I had assumed Tinybones was a young human.

He could be. I don’t know.

Human Morbid

Common Design Complexity

What’s the current outlook on designs with abilities like Stitcher’s Apprentice? Can it still exist at common, is it too “cute” in design, does it make it too easy to utilize morbid? Would love to hear your thoughts.

We tend to avoid repeatable effects at common that generate permanents.

Morbid Permanents Stitcher's Apprentice

Ability Words Flexibility

Can ability words be added/removed from cards for the sake of reprints? For example, "Tragic Slip" having it's Morbid tag removed in a set where that isn't a theme, or "Bone Picker" having Morbid added to it if you want to use it in a set where that's a theme.

Ability words can be removed/added. They don’t functionally impact a card.

Ability Words Bone Picker Card Printing Morbid Reprints Tragic Slip

Once-Per-Turn Restrictions

I, for one, love the once-per-turn restrictions. Some of us dislike combos and prefer games to have a steady buildup, and the restriction really helps with that. Not every card needs to be able to overwhelm the opponent in a single turn, I don't need Morbid Opportunist drawing you seven cards because you had some kind of sacrifice effect.

: )

Humor Morbid Morbid Opportunist Opportunist Overwhelm Sacrifice

Power Through Restriction

I think one of the most important things people are overlooking about "once per turn" restrictions is it lets you put power into the card in other place. Morbid Opportunist is one of my favorite cards from the past couple years because having this effect at 3 mana is super powerful and it isn't hard to still get multiple triggers out of it on each players' turn.

An important part of good game design is restrictions. You want to provide challenges that the players have to work through. Figuring out how to get what you want is a big part of what makes games fun.

Game Design Mana Morbid Morbid Opportunist Once Per Turn Opportunist Triggered Abilities

Creators' Health Updates

Hey MaRo, I realize this is kinda morbid, but several of my favorite comic book creators have died or gotten very sick over the past year. You'll tell us if/when magic creators are seriously ill, right? (Obviously, only if their family want you to)

If it’s public, I would.

If/When Mark Rosewater Morbid Pop Culture

Stretching Creature Deaths

I hated "triggers once per turn" until I drafted Morbid Opportunist and got to play the "how do I stretch creature deaths across multiple turns" minigame, which was great. It plays a lot better than it reads.

Figuring out how to work around restrictions is a fun part of games. Game designers purposefully put restrictions in your way to make you have to figure out how to get around them.

Creatures Morbid Morbid Opportunist Once Per Turn Opportunist Triggered Abilities

Suggestions for Trigger Wording

Regarding the "Only trigger once per turn" template: maybe a "the first time [X] happens each turn" would seem more positive? Like, to reword Morbid Opportunist's effect: "The first time a creature dies each turn, draw a card."

The current template is trying to let the player choose which time rather than forcing it to be the first.

Card Draw Creatures Morbid Once Per Turn Templating

Strength of Turn Restrictions

A reminder to everyone complaining about "only once per turn" effects: Morbid Opportunist, which has that limitation, is probably the best card in Midnight Hunt limited (outside of bomb rares/mythics).

Yes, once per turn doesn’t mean the card can’t be strong.

Limited Morbid Morbid Opportunist Mythic Rares Once Per Turn Opportunist Rares

Trivia on Lumberknot and Morbid

Could I get some birthday trivia on my favorite creature from my first deck, Lumberknot, or the morbid mechanic?

The morbid mechanic came about because we wanted to find a way for death to be meaningful in our gothic horror set. It was one of the first things we tried, and it worked, so we didn’t ‘t have to try much else.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Horror Lumberknot Mechanics Morbid

Favorite Mechanics or Cards

I feel like a lot of people who say you’ve only done bad for the game don’t realize you’re probably behind some of their favorite mechanics or cards too. For a change of pace, can you list some beloved mechanics or cards you’re responsible for?

Here are the Magic mechanics I’ve had a hand in creating: Absorb, Addendum, Affinity, Aftermath, Aura Swap, Battle Cry, Bolster, Champion, Changeling, Cipher, Companion, Contraptions, Crew (Vehicles), Dash, Deathtouch, Delve, Dredge, Embalm, Energy, Entwine, Evoke, Exert, Exploit, Fabricate, Fateful Hour, Fateseal, Ferocious, Flashback, Flip, Forecast, Fortify, Frenzy, Gotcha, Graft, Gravestorm, Heroic, Hexproof, Host/Augment, Hybrid Mana, Imprint, Infect, Intimidate, Kicker, Landfall, Lifelink, Living Weapon, Madness, Manifest, Mentor, Modular, Monstrosity, Morbid, Morph, Multikicker, Mutate, Ninjitsu, Phyrexian Mana, Poisonous, Populate, Proliferate, Prowl, Raid, Rally, Reach, Recover, Reinforce, Retrace, Ripple, Shroud, Soulbond, Splice, Split Cards, Split Second, Suspend, Transfigure, Transform, Typecycling, Undying, Unearth, Vanishing and Wither.

Absorb Absorb Addendum Affinity Aftermath Aura Swap Battle Cry Battle Cry Bolster Champion Changeling Cipher Companion Contraptions Crew Dash Deathtouch Delve Dredge Dredge Embalm Entwine Evoke Exert Exploit Fabricate Fabricate Fateful hour Fateseal Ferocious Flashback Forecast Fortify Fortify Frenzy Graft Gravestorm Gravestorm Heroic Hexproof Hybrid Imprint Infect Intimidate Kicker Landfall Lifelink Lifelink Living Weapon Madness Mana Manifest Mechanics Mentor Modular Monstrosity Morbid Morph Morph Mutate Ninjitsu Phyrexian Poisonous Populate Proliferate Prowl Raid Rally Rally Recover Reinforce Retrace Ripple Shroud Soulbond Splice Split Cards Split Second Suspend Suspend Transfigure Transform Undying Unearth Unearth Vanishing Vanishing Vehicles Wither Your Hand

Evergreen Potential

Would it ever be possible for an ability word (like Morbid/Enrage/Landfall) to become an evergreen mechanic?

Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

Ability Words Enrage Evergreen Landfall Mechanics Morbid

Morbid Prospects

Hi Mark, where is Morbid on the Storm scale? I'd really love to see it again as its one of my favorite mechanics and I wish it had more support. Thank you! =D

Morbid is a 5. There’s a good chance we’ll see it again.

Appreciation Keyword Abilities Keyword Actions Mechanics Morbid Storm Scale

Mechanic Design Overlap

Would Morbid and Raid in the same set be problematic?

The biggest problem is that they overlap a lot on design space.

Design Space Morbid Raid

Keyword Usage Policy

What's up with not using keywords on cards that have rules text of keyword abilities? Ex. Metalcraft on inventor's fair, or morbid on life goes on.

We don’t use keywords outside of a set that uses them. The ongoing nature of the game means we have to keep isolating elements for themes. We name them within that world, but we need the ability to touch upon things without having to always label them. Landfall, for example, shouldn’t mean triggering off of lands being played shouldn’t happen outside of Zendikar.

Keyword Abilities Keywords Landfall Lands Life Goes On Metalcraft Morbid Rules Zendikar

Morbid over Undying

Morbid or Undying? (I really like Undying).

Morbid.

Morbid Undying

Curses or Morbid Mechanic

More likely: curses or morbid?

Curses.

Morbid

Morbid vs. Revolt Mechanic

Morbid also cared about your opponent's creatures, while Revolt cares about your permanents.

Good point.

Creatures Morbid Permanents Revolt

Revolt vs. Morbid Similarity

I'm not necassarily a fan of revolt. Not because it doesn't look like it'll play well, I'm sure it does. But because I feel it is extremely similar to Morbid. The biggest difference being Permanent vs Creature.

It also cares about “leaving the battlefield” so more things trigger it.The nature of making a game as old as Magic is we’re going to make mechanics that butt up against other mechanics.

Creatures Mechanics Morbid Revolt