Flavor word
Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms introduced a very loose approach to ability words called flavor words, which are used to represent themed actions, character feats or magic, or monster abilities, instead of grouping similarly functioning cards. Flavor words also appeared on cards of the Secret Lair: Street Fighter set, which will later be reskinned to in-multiverse Magic cards. Later, they became a common tool for Universes Beyond.[1]
Description
Flavor words are not used to thematically group cards (like ability words), but to refer to iconic Dungeons & Dragons abilities, actions, or spells.[2] In some cases, these precede triggered or activated abilities on a card.[3] Flavor words contribute to the theme of many individual abilities. In many cases, they identify a particular skill or feat a creature from the Forgotten Realms could have. They were created to capture a sense of being on a D&D campaign.[4] A few modal cards in the set use flavor words to better illustrate your choices.[5] In this, they are similar to anchor words. Flavor words use title case as opposed to regular ability words that use proper case.[6] They aren't traditionally used on multiple cards.[7]
Forgotten Realms
- Acid Breath
- Animate Walking Statue
- Antimagic Cone
- Archery
- Bardic Inspiration
- Beacon of Hope
- Bear Form
- Befriend Them
- Bewitching Whispers
- Binding Contract
- Brave the Stench
- Break Their Chains
- Charge Them
- Clever Conjurer
- Climb Over
- Combat Inspiration
- Cold Breath
- Cone of Cold
- Cunning Action
- Cure Wounds
- Dispel Magic
- Displacement
- Dissolve
- Distract the Guard
- Divine Intervention
- Dominate Monster
- Drag Below
- Engulf
- Fear Ray
- Fend Them Off
- Fight the Current
- Find a Crossing
- Flurry of Blows
- Foil Their Scheme
- Form a Party
- Gentle Repose
- Grant an Advantage
- Hide
- Interrogate Them
- Intimidate Them
- Journey On
- Keen Senses
- Learn Their Secrets
- Life Drain
- Lift the Curse
- Lightning Breath
- Magical Tinkering
- Make a Retreat
- Make Camp
- Poison Breath
- Pry It Open
- Psionic Spells
- Rappel Down
- Rejuvenation
- Rouse the Party
- Search the Body
- Search the Room
- Set Off Traps
- Siege Monster
- Smash It
- Smash the Chest
- Song of Rest
- Split
- Stand and Fight
- Start a Brawl
- Steal Its Eyes
- Stunning Strike
- Tail Spikes
- Teleport
- Tie Up
- Tragic Backstory
- Trapped!
- Two-Weapon Fighting
- Whirlwind
- Whispers of the Grave
- Wild Magic Surge
Forgotten Realms Commander Decks
- Astral Projection
- Berserk
- Breathe Flame
- Create Undead
- Enrage
- Focus Beam
- Mystic Arcanum
- Negative Energy Cone
- Pact Boon
- Perfect Illumination
- Smash Relics
Street Fighter
- Electric Thunder
- Fierce Punch
- Flash Kick
- Hadoken
- Hundred Hand Slap
- Iron Muscle
- Lightning Kick
- Rolling Attack
- Teleport
- Shoryuken
- Sonic Boom
- Spinning Piledriver
- Sumo Spirit
Baldur's Gate
- Animate Chains
- Avoidance
- Bigby’s Hand
- Blood Drain
- Ceremorphosis
- Conjure Elemental
- Death Ray
- Devour Intellect
- Feed
- Friends
- Gathered Swarm
- Gather Your Courage
- Homunculus Servant
- Mantel of Inspiration
- Run and Hide
- Scorching Ray
- Sleight of Hand
- Vicious Mockery
- Weird Insight
- Wind Walk
Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks
- Mark of Chaos Ascendant
- Suppressing Fire
Background
Flavor words have been used before in other Wizards of the Coast TCGs.[8] Their use in future sets is more likely for Universes Beyond than normal Magic.[9][10][1] If necessary, flavor words may be removed if a card is reprinted.[11] Something being a flavor word doesn't prevent R&D from later using it as a card name or mechanic name. There will probably at least a few years where they won't use it, but after that, Mark Rosewater thinks that the flavor text phrases will be fair game as card or mechanic names.[12]
Flavor words involving a modal choice can also be accounted as anchor words.[13][14]
References
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (May 17, 2022). "First Out of Baldur's Gate". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor Words (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (June 29, 2021).
- ↑ Jess Dunks (July 12, 2021). "Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 12, 2021). "D&D-esign, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (June 24, 2021). "Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 3, 2021). "Hey mark would you count pack tactics from afr as...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 10, 2022). "Even More Words From R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 1, 2021). "Where flavorwords influenced by the kaijudo tcg...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 30, 2021). "Are flavor words something we should expect in...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 2, 2021). "Odds & Ends: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 10, 2021). "Flavor text can be changed when a card is...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 9, 2021). "Odds & Ends: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 28, 2022). "Deciduous". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 29, 2022). "You seem to count flavor words as anchor words. Is that correct?". Blogatog. Tumblr.