I would love for an improved version for Choam. It is the only ability that doesn't make me excited, because it feels more of the same. I like their business identity and versatility. Here are some of my ideas: Force other players to invest in chaom: "Each faction pays 2 spice to choam. If a player can't it shows any remaining spice and pays it to choam." It could also be somthing like: "Choose two factions. They must choose to either pay you 4 spice or give a treachery card from their hand. If this results into having more than five cards, discard any excesive cards immidiatly. Tax other players:"take half (rounded down) from any spice collected during the collection phase." Secure valuable goods or strategic point on Arrakis: "put up to 8 forces from reserves into any non-stronghold territory or your forces count their maximum strength in battle this turn without requiring spice." Exchange goods:"give another player a treachery card from your hand. Then take the top card from the treachery deck." This one requires some politics, because you can sell one of you cards for spice and get another one from the deck or your could use it to give your ally an extra card.
If there was a new edition, I'd personally like to see the Harkonnen special Karama get looked at again, it just seems weird to me that the faction most likely to get a Karama card would also have one of the best (if not the best) special Karama's in the game. I'm also just not a huge fan of how much the ability can kneecap a player. In my home games I've tried this as an alternate Hark Karama; "Play at any time to draw 4 treachery cards from the deck, then you may discard any number of treachery cards from your hand (if your hand total exceeds 8 cards, then you must discard down to 8 cards)", so far it's still been fairly powerful/fun without having to destroy another player at the table.
What about to introduce "SENATE" mechanic, that allows players to vote about about some rules before game start by vote. Like for example: Harkoness s Karama Power. Each player has one vote, has 2 token, one of them use for voting, second is waste in case of draw, any player can waste second for desicion only once per SENATE, then discard second token.
Game already lasts enough hours. But maybe something simplified like silent votes by flipping yes/no cards. May be used for something as a module by itself, i dunno what votes can be interesting as a mechanic
What about add new Additional Karama Power for each faction, players will have option to choose between 2 option, but have option to use Karama Power only once per Game with option to chooce among 2 Karama Power. E.X. ATREIDES: You get random Leader among not used faction for rest of game BG: (Training) Search for Female leaders among unused faction with total power of 5, you can use them for rest of game, you can revive them. You can use VOICE if you BATTLE with this femele leader. HARKNONEEN(Counter-intelligence): Draw secretly 2 new TRAITOR cards, you may distribute them among faction of your will. EMPORER1(Abandon Strongthold / You are Stronghold Keeper): Move up to 10 forces to reserve from one STRONGHOLD(may specify only for original 5 Stronghold) of your choose, that faction get 10 spice. (Maybe another faction can place 1 token from reserve to that STRONGHOLD) EMPORER2(Arrakeen Keep): Move all token from ARRAKEN to its owner reserve, each player get 1 spice for troop, SPICE GUILD get 2 Spice per Faction. CHOAM: You may distribure 12 spice among factions how do you want(You can keep all spice for you). SPACE GUILD(Landing Territory override): One Shipment can ended in any territory of GUILD choice instead origin one, this not work for FREMEN.(SPICE can be refunded or not). FREMEN(Fallen Men Water): Take up to 5 troop token of among any factions from THELAXIU TANK, threat them as FREMEN for next time that return into TANK. Maybe create one special token, taken troop keep in front of shield as remember its power. EZAC: Take 4 normal troop from not used faction, for rest game there thread as your force. IX: Name any Treachery card, then reveal top 10 card for Treachery card from Treachery deck, if you not reveal it, take one among reveal(or first or last one), move revealed card into discard pile. THELAXIU: Choose faction, for one whole turn, LEADERs of choice faction get immunite to POISON weapon, they cannot be killer in all battle. MORTANI: You can take all cards discarded in battles this round. ATREIDES(Marrage of your will): Choose unused faction, you get take one LEADER and up to 6 normal forces, total combined strenght of 6. You can use this for rest of game.
I would love for an improved version for Choam. It is the only ability that doesn't make me excited, because it feels more of the same. I like their business identity and versatility. Here are some of my ideas:
Force other players to invest in chaom: "Each faction pays 2 spice to choam. If a player can't it shows any remaining spice and pays it to choam." It could also be somthing like: "Choose two factions. They must choose to either pay you 4 spice or give a treachery card from their hand. If this results into having more than five cards, discard any excesive cards immidiatly.
Tax other players:"take half (rounded down) from any spice collected during the collection phase."
Secure valuable goods or strategic point on Arrakis: "put up to 8 forces from reserves into any non-stronghold territory or your forces count their maximum strength in battle this turn without requiring spice."
Exchange goods:"give another player a treachery card from your hand. Then take the top card from the treachery deck."
This one requires some politics, because you can sell one of you cards for spice and get another one from the deck or your could use it to give your ally an extra card.
If there was a new edition, I'd personally like to see the Harkonnen special Karama get looked at again, it just seems weird to me that the faction most likely to get a Karama card would also have one of the best (if not the best) special Karama's in the game. I'm also just not a huge fan of how much the ability can kneecap a player.
In my home games I've tried this as an alternate Hark Karama; "Play at any time to draw 4 treachery cards from the deck, then you may discard any number of treachery cards from your hand (if your hand total exceeds 8 cards, then you must discard down to 8 cards)", so far it's still been fairly powerful/fun without having to destroy another player at the table.
What about to introduce "SENATE" mechanic, that allows players to vote about about some rules before game start by vote. Like for example: Harkoness s Karama Power. Each player has one vote, has 2 token, one of them use for voting, second is waste in case of draw, any player can waste second for desicion only once per SENATE, then discard second token.
Game already lasts enough hours. But maybe something simplified like silent votes by flipping yes/no cards. May be used for something as a module by itself, i dunno what votes can be interesting as a mechanic
What about add new Additional Karama Power for each faction, players will have option to choose between 2 option, but have option to use Karama Power only once per Game with option to chooce among 2 Karama Power.
E.X.
ATREIDES: You get random Leader among not used faction for rest of game
BG: (Training) Search for Female leaders among unused faction with total power of 5, you can use them for rest of game, you can revive them. You can use VOICE if you BATTLE with this femele leader.
HARKNONEEN(Counter-intelligence): Draw secretly 2 new TRAITOR cards, you may distribute them among faction of your will.
EMPORER1(Abandon Strongthold / You are Stronghold Keeper): Move up to 10 forces to reserve from one STRONGHOLD(may specify only for original 5 Stronghold) of your choose, that faction get 10 spice. (Maybe another faction can place 1 token from reserve to that STRONGHOLD)
EMPORER2(Arrakeen Keep): Move all token from ARRAKEN to its owner reserve, each player get 1 spice for troop, SPICE GUILD get 2 Spice per Faction.
CHOAM: You may distribure 12 spice among factions how do you want(You can keep all spice for you).
SPACE GUILD(Landing Territory override): One Shipment can ended in any territory of GUILD choice instead origin one, this not work for FREMEN.(SPICE can be refunded or not).
FREMEN(Fallen Men Water): Take up to 5 troop token of among any factions from THELAXIU TANK, threat them as FREMEN for next time that return into TANK. Maybe create one special token, taken troop keep in front of shield as remember its power.
EZAC: Take 4 normal troop from not used faction, for rest game there thread as your force.
IX: Name any Treachery card, then reveal top 10 card for Treachery card from Treachery deck, if you not reveal it, take one among reveal(or first or last one), move revealed card into discard pile.
THELAXIU: Choose faction, for one whole turn, LEADERs of choice faction get immunite to POISON weapon, they cannot be killer in all battle.
MORTANI: You can take all cards discarded in battles this round.
ATREIDES(Marrage of your will): Choose unused faction, you get take one LEADER and up to 6 normal forces, total combined strenght of 6. You can use this for rest of game.