Super mechanical and very inelegant if not just plain ugly design. I have a hard time seeing an environment in which this would see print. Time Spiral 2 block?
Maybe just go with something like (wording tips from Chain of Plasma):
Sorcery?
~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player, then you may pay . If you do, that player or that creature's controller discards a card.
or
Instant
~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If was spent to cast ~, that player or that creature's controller discards a card.
That's a weird wording. The first clause seems completely subsumed into the second one, unless there's ever some reason to damage someone but not force them to discard. A madness set maybe?
Maybe "~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If it dealt damage to a player and
was spent to cast it, that player also discards a card"?
But still a little fiddly.
Super mechanical and very inelegant if not just plain ugly design. I have a hard time seeing an environment in which this would see print. Time Spiral 2 block?
Maybe just go with something like (wording tips from Chain of Plasma):
or
Kicker obviously also works.
I think V missed that the first mode hits only creatures and the second mode hits only players.
I can definitely see the appeal in a split card of Blightning / Lightning Strike. It's a little fiddly to word, though.
That's a weird wording. The first clause seems completely subsumed into the second one, unless there's ever some reason to damage someone but not force them to discard. A madness set maybe?
But even then, a 'may' is probably simpler.
Just to be certain: If the first mode is chosen, then no one discards any cards, even if black mana was paid?