Runic Cards (Specific cards buff) | Balatro | Page 1

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 10:46 PM

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In Balatro, there are a lot of different cards, and a lot of different builds, but none of them really focus too hard on the cards.
Sure, maybe we have builds that work well for Royal heart family (AKQJ10 of hearts), but do we have many builds for groups like the hack family of clubs? The midclass of diamonds?

What about special cards that buff a certain class of cards, and can be upgraded through runic cards?

How Runic Cards work

Only 1 runic card for suit and rank can be active at once (2 total)
Each runic card costs between $5 to $8
Cards played more often give their runic counterparts a higher chance to spawn

TL;DR: We should fr have cards that play towards a specific card (cause we love deckfixing)

Specific effect concepts will be mentioned in the message below

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(Note: symbols are used from the hieroglyph/proto-siniatic systems, look it up for more detail)

Ranks

Ace - he symbol (symbol of beginnings), played Aces gain +4 mult
King - res symbol (symbol of being top), played Kings gain +5 mult if only 1 king is scored
Queen - beth symbol (symbol of safety), Queens held in hand gain +3 mult, scores when held in hand
Jack - daleth symbol (symbol of work), Jacks held in hand gain +2 mult
10 - heth symbol (symbol of size), retriggers 10s if played hand scores at least 2 10s
9 - mem symbol (symbol of peace), 9s give $1 on trigger
8 - qoph symbol (symbol of 8), adds Gold to 8s when discarded
7 - teth symbol (symbol of chance), 1 in 7 chance for scored 7s to give x1.5 mult
6 - aleph symbol (symbol of strength or horns), 6s gain +10 chips per scored 6, -5 chips per scored non-6
5 - kaph symbol (symbol of holding and 5 fingers), scored 5s gain +2 mult, played and unscoring 5s gain +3 mult
4 - yodh symbol (symbol of small strength, 4 limbs), every 4th scored 4 gains +8 mult
3 - 'ayin symbol (symbol of psychic), scoring 3s are considered any suit
2 - zayin symbol (symbol of simple, equality), scored 2s score held in hand abilities (includes mime)

Suits

Heart - pe symbol (symbol of half-heart into full heart), scored hearts gain +2 mult per light suit (Heart/Diamond) scored, -2 mult per dark suit (Spade/Club) scored
Diamond - sin symbol (bow and diamond arrow), scored diamonds score 1 chip per $1
Spade - lamedh symbol (goad symbol), spades held in hand gain +10 chips
Club - nun symbol (symbol of secret power), scored clubs have 1 in 4 chance to gain x0.2 mult

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I know I yapped way too much here, but just consider it as a way to buff specific cards or categories of cards

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Runic Cards (Specific cards buff)

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:04 PM

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runes are already used for the boss blinds

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also its not a bad concept but its so far removed from anything in vanilla that i think its best suited for a mod

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:05 PM

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Would potentially be a cool mod tho

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:05 PM

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yeah

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:06 PM

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Hopefully its all at least kinda balanced
I tried to make it balanced, but I'm not sure if I got it or not

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:06 PM

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some are clearly stronger than others

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such as the queens one

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:07 PM

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Yeah
Maybe I make it a little less

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:07 PM

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i meant

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scoring while held in hand

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because atp youre not limited by 5 cards

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:07 PM

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Oh
I meant like the mult that stack triggers when held in hand

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:07 PM

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imagine if shoot the moon was "queens give +13 mult when scored"

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:08 PM

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torn wolf Oh I meant like the mult that stack triggers when held in hand

oh ic

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the mult triggers when held in hand, but not things like trib

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:08 PM

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Yep

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Its just a scaling-style shoot the moon

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:08 PM

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then yeah its probably fine

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:09 PM

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Any others you think are a little op?

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:09 PM

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7s are also kinda weak

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hearts are kinda strong

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though not op

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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Maybe the 7 has like a 1 in 3 to give the mult

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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maybe, but it also feels like a much worse bloodstone in that case

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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Or a 1 in 4 if in 3 is too out-of-place

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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candid carbon maybe, but it also feels like a much worse bloodstone in that case

I guess thats fair
Cause you're also scoring ranks instead of suits

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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im not too great at the balancing stuff

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:10 PM

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torn wolf I guess thats fair Cause you're also scoring ranks instead of suits

exactly

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maybe 2x to differentiate from bloodstone

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:11 PM

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A 1 in 4 for 2x potentially

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:11 PM

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1 in 3 for 2x?

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:11 PM

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torn wolf A 1 in 4 for 2x potentially

consider that 7s dont get any retriggers

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:12 PM

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Isn't that like all the midclass cards?

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:12 PM

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yeah

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also these dont take up joker slots right

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they take up their own slots?

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:13 PM

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I guess thats fair
Although seeing how absolutely horrid spaceman is at actually doing anything despite having better odds than the lucky procs, maybe 1 in 3 or 1 in 2 is good

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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1 in 3 probably

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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candid carbon they take up their own slots?

Yeah like their own little area

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1 for rank and 1 for suit

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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torn wolf Yeah like their own little area

definitely modded

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but not a bad concept

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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Yeah, I dont know if I could really turn these into joker ideas

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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it would bloat the pool too much

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:14 PM

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Yeah...

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:15 PM

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which one shows up in the shop would probably have similar weighting to which card the idol picks

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:15 PM

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Like 18 new cards that wont really interact with each other

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:15 PM

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yea

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:16 PM

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Which is why I kinda wanted to give them their own area

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:16 PM

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wait

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what if they came in packs

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like spectrals

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:16 PM

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I mean
Wouldnt be that bad

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:16 PM

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why is that?

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:16 PM

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Well
Imagine opening up a pack
A spectral pack, mind you

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:17 PM

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huh no i mean their own packs

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:17 PM

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Oh

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:17 PM

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Rune Pack
Jumbo Rune Pack
Mega Rune Pack

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:17 PM

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Then Yeah, thatd be cool

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:17 PM

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other mods that introduce new card types often have packs for them

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and if theres a new pack, perchance a new hidden spectral

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:18 PM

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A potential for another slot for each?

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:19 PM

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hmmm

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actually not a bad idea

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what rune would it be though

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and- again

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the phoenician runes are boss blinds already

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:20 PM

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I was using the hieroglyphs/proto-siniatic symbols

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Which are like what the phonecians are based on

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:20 PM

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yeah but theres too much overlap

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:21 PM

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Some of them, yes
But maybe could make those ones more drawn or carved on the art

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:21 PM

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i was thinking a different runic alphabet altogether

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like futhark or something

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:22 PM

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I mean, I'd assume the art could be like rocks

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:22 PM

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ofc

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:22 PM

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candid carbon like futhark or something

That could work potentially

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:22 PM

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like tablets with the runes carved into them

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:22 PM

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Yeah

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I could maybe go through and find ones for each rank/suit rq

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A - Raidho
K - Thurisaz
Q - Ansuz
J - Mannaz
10 - Wunjo
9 - Fehu
8 - Isa
7 - Gebo
6 - Uruz
5 - Jera
4 - Eiwaz
3 - Sowilo
2 - Laguz

Heart - Ingwaz
Diamond - Kenaz
Spade - Othala
Club - Algiz

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:31 PM

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ugh

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no stickers,

torn wolf Nov 4, 2025, 11:32 PM

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candid carbon no stickers,

?

candid carbon Nov 4, 2025, 11:42 PM

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sticker perms

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in the server

#Runic Cards (Specific cards buff)

How Runic Cards work

Ranks

Suits