Runeterra Card Game (Dungeon Mode)

**Runeterra Dungeon Mode **

I have been watching eagerly everything about Runeterra, reading up on everything I can find, and am greatly excited for the product to launch. While doing research and studying from what I can see, I was wondering if there could be a mode in the future that plays with the idea of classic type dungeons. What I am really talking about is a similar model to other online card games that offer in-depth lore opportunities by offering alternative single-player experiences (or multiplayer). A "story mode" or "lore mode" with a different card game mechanic would be very cool, offering new ways to play with the cards. Also, having something like dungeons, or progressive content in that fashion, I can imagine it being a great way to also introduce new regions or new card mechanics or even new champions as rewards for defeating them. It could be on a weekly reset or just a random play mode that appears/disappears being a timed event.

**But why a dungeon mode/change playstyle?: **

1. There is an emphasis on replayability, loot, and ways to access new types of mechanics
2. Able to dive into the lore, plots, stories, and events of certain characters and/or regions
3. Playing against others is the core, but having single-player activities or random other modes is always nice
4. There are already characters known to be DPS, Tank, and healers
5. Having an "endboss" and defeating them is always fun and could offer the potential to use these types of dungeons to meet new champions

**How could this look/play like: **

The player starts with choosing a team of 3 DPS, one tank and one healer. After choosing from the pool or region of the champions all five are placed on the playing field with only health/defense numbers (not on the bench because there is no bench). The health total is the health of all of the champions as indicated on the players' left crystal. In a way, these champions are five separate 'players' and could have their defense numbers not be in a red health icon, but in a crystal-icon to indicate the difference. Example: Lux having no attack # and having her health on the card be indicated in different colors or icons to represent her unique compared to her normal card. Another difference is that the player only uses spells that allow a champion to attack, defend or heal. From what I imagine, there are a set of bosses showing different mechanics, finally leading towards the 'epic' boss or end boss hoarding the reward (whatever that might be). I would like to think to make this game mode challenging, but not in the sense that nobody is able to defeat them, rather time-consuming in learning how to approach each boss. I understand this wouldn't be for everyone, because this is a turn-based game, within a turn-based card game.

**Core gameplay idea: ** Each champion has their own set of spells, and the player gets to choose one spell from the hand of their champion, doing the same for all five champions. Example: Lux, Fiora, Draven, Malphite and Sona. You start with Lux and get to look at her spells first, choose one, then switch to Fiora's hand, choose one spell for her, etc. At then the ai do their turn of placing spells on their characters. Then lean back and the turn-based of events of damage, tanking and healing seeing who or what survives the round.

**Before the first round: ** The player is given the chance to choose one of two/three cards as their first attack/tank/healer spell. These could be reused spell icons already in the game, only saying "deal two damage", "heal target by 2", "block 3 damage" instead of their standard text. Don't worry, there will be upgrades, more cards and special abilities given to them after defeating waves of bosses.

**Example Round: ** Start game mode. Choose your 5 champions, three DPS, one tank and one healer. (Lux, Fiora, Draven, Malphite and Sona) Place them on the board (any order player decides) Enemy enters. Five small spiderlings are placed across the champions. You get to start with Lux. You see her three standard DPS spells, choose one on Lux. You then get to see the hand of Fiora. Choose. Repeat until you have placed one spell on each champion. Ai does the same for the spiderlings. Round starts. Since it zig-zags from champions, enemy, champion, enemy, etc. here are the possible events: Lux attacks for 2 damage target spiderling #1 (Lux, 2 hp) Spiderling #1 across attacks Fiora for 1 damage (Spiderling #1, 2 hp) Fiora attacks for 2 damage target spiderling #1 (Spiderling #1, 0 hp). 4 spiderlings left Spiderling #2 across attacks Fiora for 1 damage + poison counter (Fiora, 1 hp). [Poison takes affect end of the entire round] Draven attacks for 2 damage target spiderling #2 (Spiderling #2, 2 hp) Spiderling #3 across attacks Lux for 1 damage (Lux, 1 hp) Malphite blocks the next attack reducing his incoming damage by 1. Spiderling #4 across attacks Lux for 2 damage but Malphite intercepts damage (Malphite, 3 hp) Sona heals Lux for 2 hp (Lux, 3 hp) Spiderling #5 across attacks Draven for 2 damage (Draven, 2 hp) Fiora dies due to poison damage.

You get to start with Lux again. You see her standard 3 DPS spells and get to choose one. (OR remove one card forcing the player to choose only from the two that are left and after all, spells have been used all three will be available again. There could be 'epic' spells that could bypass this if this method is chosen) Repeat everything until all spiderlings are dead.

At the end of the round for defeating all minions and/or mini-boss the player gets to upgrade one card for each champion. These upgrades can be champion specific, they could be items, they could be improvements, etc. The idea is to offer choice, but also to offer smaller rewards to improve fights against harder enemies.

**Conclusion: ** While playing other card games, I have always wondered what a dungeon crawlers as a card game could look like, and I think the above could work better than with real physical cards. I have created a mock-up with physical cards and play with them here and there, and think if Riot created something similar that would be really cool!

Well, either way, I am thrilled to try out the new game when it comes to open beta, and I can't wait to see what Riot has to offer in the future :)