The Deck of Many Wonders is a variant of a normal two-player or multi-player game, designed to enliven it, by adding a bit of a twist to the game. The game is played as a normal game, with the following exception. Before the game is played, a deck is constructed by the players, which neither actually plays, but is played by a "ghost" player (which we named Jerry after a veteran player in our group, which noone ever seems to beat). Jerry's deck should be constructed of lots of cards that both help and hinder players. Depending on the cards the players add, he can be either benevolent or malevolent or, as if usually the case, a bit of both.

The Deck of Many Wonders, is played as follows. Each turn, before his untap phase, a player turns over one card from the Deck of Many Wonders, and its effects are enacted immediately. Jerry needs no mana to play these spells or effects.

• Benevolence - Cards that help a player are always assumed to use the player drawing a card as its target. A card such as Healing Salve will immediately bestow three points of life on the player drawing the card. Cards such as Blessed Wine, which allow a player to draw an extra card during his or her next upkeep, will allow the player recieving the point of life to draw an extra card this turn (as they have not an upkeep yet from the time the card was drawn.) As a rule of thumb, cards that are "positive" in nature should always be played in such a way to help out the player drawing it. Enchantments remain in play until removed or the game ends.
  
  
• Malevolence - Just as Jerry's deck can be helpful, it is also harmful. Many of the cards in Jerry's deck when drawn will create chaos or disorder. As a pocket rule of thumb, if the card is "negative" in nature, it will be played out that way against the player who drew it, and his opponent may make any targeting selections called for (Example: If Disenchant were drawn, the opposing player may destroy a target enchantment or artifact of the player drawing it. Only if that player did not have either of those in play, could the player drawing it use it against his opponent.) If a player draws a "negative" card that allows a card to be drawn on the next upkeep (such as Flare), that player must drawn a second card immediately from Jerry's Deck of Many Wonders. Enchantments remain in play until removed or the game ends.
  
  
• Artifacts & Other Things With Activation Costs or Tap Symbols - If a card, such as an artifact, is drawn that requires an activation cost, the player drawing it has the option of using it or not using it. If for example, a player drew a Jandor's ring, he may, if he chooses, pay 2 Colorless Mana after drawing his card to discard it and draw a new one. If he chooses not to activate the artifact, it has no effect. If an artifact is not used by the end of the turn, the players opponent has the option of using it before he draws his card. Once he draws a card, it may no longer be used. Artifacts, such as a Basalt Monolith, with a tap symbol, if drawn may be used at any time during the turn. If a player chooses not to use it, there is no penalty.
  
  
• Creatures - Creatures may be added to the Deck of Wonders as well, and if drawn it is immediately put into play as if just summoned under the control of a random player, determined by the drawing player flipping a coin, or using another method of random selection, to determine ownership.
  
  
• Cards with "X" - If a card is put into play with a "X" in its casting cost, the player drawing it, or his opponent may pay mana as to increase its effect, depending upon who it is effecting. A player drawing a Stream of Life would pay the "X" cost himself, while a card like Fireball's "X" cost would be played by the opponent. A Creature card, such as Rock Hydra, may be payed for by either player, but this must be done before control is determined. Keep in mind when paying for this that Jerry's cards are played before untap phase, so players may only use what is available to them at that time.
  
  
• Land - Lastly, Jerry needs land. Not for his spells of course, for his is the Deck of Many Wonders, but for yours. A player drawing a land is able to tap it for mana at anytime during his turn he desires, as if it was a normal land.
  
  

Black Spells - 17 Cards

• 1 Ashes to Ashes, 2 Blights, 1 Chains of Mephistopheles, 1 Dark Banishing, 1 Gate to Phyrexia, 1 Greed, 1 Haunting Wind, 2 Hymn to Tourachs, 1 Icequake, 1 Inquisition, 1 Marsh Gas, 1 Mind Ravel, 1 Paralyze, 1 Spoils of Evil, 1 Worms of the Earth.

Red Spells - 17 Cards

• 1 Active Volcano, 1 Battle Frenzy, 1 Blood Moon, 1 Earthbind, 1 Evaporate, 1 Fissure, 1 Game of Chaos, 1 Incinerate, 1 Land's Edge, 1 Magnetic Mountain, 1 Mana Clash, 1 Manabarbs, 1 Mana Flare, 1 Power Surge, 1 Storm World, 1 Wheel of Fortune, 1 Winds of Change

Green Spells - 17 Cards

• 1 An-Havva Inn, 1 Deadfall, 1 Crumble, 1 Desert Twister, 1 Fastbond, 1 Fog, 1 Forgotten Lore, 1 Hidden Path, 1 Kudzu, 1 Ley Druid, 1 Primal Order, 1 Revelation, 1 Storm Seeker, 1 Stream of Life, 1 Touch of Vitae, 1 Tranquility, 1 Untamed Wilds

White Spells - 22 Cards

• 1 Akron Legionnaire, 1 Alabaster Potion, 1 Animate Wall, 1 Armaggedon, 1 Balance, 1 Blessed Wine, 1 Blood of the Martyr, 1 Cleansing, 1 Damping Field, 1 Festival, 3 Healing Salves, 1 Holy Day, 1 Karma, 1 Kismet, 1 Prophecy, 1 Spirit Link, 1 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Truce, 1 Visions, 1 Wrath of God

Blue Spells - 20 Cards

• 1 Aether Storm, 1 Amnesia, 1 Boomerang, 1 Braingeyser, 1 Counterspell, 1 Deep Water, 1 Field of Dreams, 1 Force Spike, 1 Drafna's Restoration, 1 Drain Power, 1 Hurkyl's Recall, 1 Infuse, 1 Jinx, 1 Juxtapose, 1 Portent, 1 Ray of Command, 1 Recall, 1 Siren's Call, 1 Soul Barrier, 1 Stasis, 1 Venerian Gold

Artifacts - 22 Cards

• 1 Aeolipile, 1 Aladdin's Lamp, 1 Aladdin's Ring, 1 Ankh of Mishra, 1 Ashnod's Alter, 1 Ashnod's Transmogrant, 1 Barbed Sextant, 1 Basalt Monolith, 1 Black Vise, 1 Book of Rass, 1 Celestrial Prism, 1 Conch Horn, 1 Gauntlets of Chaos, 1 Howling Mine (this will also let Jerry draw two cards this turn), 1 Implements of Sacrifice, 1 Jandor's Ring, 1 Life Chisel, 1 Meekstone, 1 Millstone, 1 The Rack, 1 Winter Orb, 1 Zuran Orb

Lands - 25 Cards

• 5 Forests, 5 Islands, 5 Mountains, 5 Plains, 5 Swamps

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