Designing a Dinosaur-themed TCG

Before anyone asks, yes, I know about Dinosaur King, and I'm not sure how that bodes for this idea.

I've had a fascination with TC Gs for a while now, and I wanted to design a game for a fun summer project, but I'm unwilling to shell out the money to get hooked into things like Pokemon and Yugioh. One of my favorite topics is paleontology, so I've decided that I want to design a TCG where all of the creatures are dinosaurs or other prehistoric creatures. I have a ruleset written out, but it's a little obsolete with new ideas I've had. The game is tentatively called Fossil Wars.

Rules Each player starts with 20 VP (Vitality Points). The first to hit 0 VP loses. You deal damage to your opponent's VP by attacking with Fossil Creatures.

There are 40 cards in a Deck. You may not have more or less than 40 cards in your Deck. You may have up to three copies of any given card in a Deck. There must be at least one Fossil Creature in every Deck (since Fossil Creatures are required to deal damage to the opponent). At the start of a Game, each player draws 5 cards, then either flips a coin or plays Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who goes first. The player who goes second may attack on their first turn.

Each player starts with 3 DNA points, which they use (along with retreated Fossil Creatures) to hatch other Fossil Creatures. During the DNA phase of each turn, the 3 original DNA points (the Base Pool) are regenerated.

Fossil Creatures There are six spaces for Fossil Creatures on your side of the field. As long as a Fossil Creature is on your side of the field, your VP are safe. Some Fossil Creatures are stronger than others, and require using DNA from your Base Pool and from Fossil Creatures on the field to bring onto the field. You may only place as many Fossil Creatures as the amount of DN As you have. This is known as "Hatching" a Fossil Creature.

To hatch a Fossil Creature, you must have the amount of DNA points indicated on the top-left of the card. Without retreating any Fossil Creature, you can hatch any of the following:

• 3 1-DNA Fossil Creatures
• 1 2-DNA Fossil Creature and 1 1-DNA Fossil Creature
• 1 3-DNA Fossil Creature

To hatch higher-level Fossil Creatures, you must retreat (pull into the Retreat Zone) Fossil Creatures on your side of the Field alongside using DNA points from the Base Pool. They must be retreated during the Hatch phase, and retreated Fossil Creatures must at least stay retreated until the End Phase, and may either be returned to the Active Zone, stay in the Retreat Zone, or be sent to the deck to draw a card. Retreated Fossil Creatures may not attack.

• 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-DNA Fossil Creatures count as 1 DNA point when retreated.
• 5-DNA Fossil Creatures count as 2 DNA points when retreated.
• 6-DNA Fossil Creatures count as 3 DNA points when retreated.

If you have multiple unretreated Fossil Creatures on the field, they may all attack. As long as there is an active Fossil Creature on the opponent's side of the field, you may not attack your opponent directly with your Fossil Creature- you must attack an enemy Fossil Creature.

Every Fossil Creature has Strength, Health, an Attribute, and a Power.

• Strength: Strength is the offensive stat of the Fossil Creature. This determines how much damage is done to your opponent and enemy Fossil Creatures.
• Health: Health is the Fossil Creature's vitality. It determines how many attacks it can take before being killed. When a Fossil Creature is killed, it is sent to the Boneyard.
• Attribute: There are five Attributes in Fossil Wars: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Metal. Every Fossil Creature has one Attribute. Attributes determine how Fossil Creatures are affected by Tools, Events, and the Powers of other Fossil Creatures. Also, every Attribute is weak to one other Attribute, and resists another Attribute.
  • If a Fossil Creature attacks a Fossil Creature that it is weak to it, it deals 2 extra damage to that Fossil Creature. If a Fossil Creature attacks another Fossil Creature that resists it, it deals 2 less damage to that Fossil Creature.
    • Fire is weak against Water, and resists Wind. Fire creatures are carnivorous dinosaurs.
    • Water is weak against Earth, and resists Metal. Water creatures are ancient sea reptiles, fish, and amphibians.
    • Earth is weak against Wind, and resists Fire. Earth creatures are herbivorous dinosaurs (like sauropods and hadrosaurs).
    • Wind is weak against Metal, and resists Water. Wind creatures are pterosaurs and prehistoric birds.
    • Metal is weak against Fire, and resists Earth. Metal creatures are armored dinosaurs (like ankylosaurs and ceratopsians).
• Power: These are special abilities that Fossil Creatures have. A Power may be "Active", requiring it to be used to take effect, or "Passive", meaning it is always in effect. Active Powers may have a Cost, such as discarding a card, lowering the Fossil Creature's Strength, or even killing the Fossil Creature after it is used. However, well-used Powers can turn the tide of a Game!
• Tools: Tool cards are cards that you may Equip your Fossil Creature with. To Equip a Tool, place it underneath the Fossil Creatures. When a Fossil Creature is killed, the Tool also goes to the Boneyard. A Fossil Creature may only Equip one Tool at any given time. When a Tool is Equipped to a Fossil Creature who already has a Tool Equipped, the old Tool goes to the Boneyard. However, you may equip as many Tools as you have in your hand at any given time. Tools usually bestow a Power on the equipped Fossil Creature. The Tool's Power is always in effect and does not replace the Fossil Creature's original Power.
• Enhancements: Enhancements may be played at any point where the card states you may, and you may play as many Enhancements as you have in your hand at any given time. Most Enhancement cards can be played at any point, but some have certain requirements (such as being played in response to an opponent's attack). They have beneficial effects, such as "Gain 3 VP" or "All of your Fossil Creature are immune to enemy Splices for 2 turns". Once a Enhancement's effect has been resolved, it is sent to the Boneyard.
• Splices: Splices work like Enhancements, but have harmful effects, such as "The targeted Fossil Creature loses 1 Health every turn" or "Flip a coin. If heads, the enemy player attacks one of his own Fossil Creature instead of the enemy's.". Once a Splice's effect has been resolved, it is sent to the Boneyard.

There are five steps in a turn of Fossil Wars.

• Draw: During this phase, you draw 1 card. Any effects noted on Powers, Tools, Enhancements, or Splices that activate during the Draw Step are activated now.
• Hatch: During this phase, you may hatch as many Fossil Creature as you have DNA points for, as well as retreat for additional DNA points.
• Attack: During this phase, you may attack with any number of Fossil Creatures, either an opponent directly, or an opponent's Fossil Creature.
• Resolve: During this phase, any effects noted on Powers, Tools, Enhancements, or Splices that activate during the Resolve Step are activated now.
• End: When this phase ends, your turn is over and it is your opponent's turn. Any effects noted on Powers, Tools, Enhancements, or Splices that activate during the End Step are activated now.

So what is the opinion of the game so far? I'm sorry if it's really long and boring to read.

edited 19th Jul '15 6:31:17 PM by AllHailThrall

Seems like a excellent. It's a bit like dinosaur king in a way but with a metal element in the mix.

Throw in a card that summons a meteor and we're in business.