Why not a 0/0 that loses counters every turn and takes its wording from Hoarding Dragon?

A large part of this card is that you don't get the card you searched for if you or your opponent kill it before the last counter is removed. Having the Hoarding Dragon wording means that any black deck with an early sac outlet gets a 3 mana tutor, which isn't what I was going for -- the idea is that you get the card the turn after you would be casting Diabolic Tutor, except you you don't use up your turn 4 for it and have a creature in the meantime (And you cast the card the same turn you'd be casting a card from Diabolic anyway). That means it needs to only activate when the last counter is removed, which means a sac effect -- and at that point, why not give it bigger stats?

Fair enough.

I like this idea, it's a tutor that's not quite as expensive without being (hopefully) broken. And having to plan ahead two turns rewards you for thinking about what card you actually want. (Unfortunately, that does maybe reward tutoring for combos rather than answers, but that's hard to avoid.)

I agree with that comment, but I do think it's a little clunky to have the P/T and the counters. Would it work to say something like "~ ETBs with two +1/+1 counters on it. When it ETBs, search [etc]. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a +1/+1 counter from it. Then, if it has no counters on, put the exiled card in your hand"?

Then it just dies due to zero P/T. But if 2/2 is too little, you could give it a keyword as well, say menace? Or maybe that doesn't work and you were right the first time.

No, you're probably right, Jack. Edited.