Just as I thought. Today I don't hate it so bad. I have brainstormed and added another page worth of material to my ongoing Google doc for the cult game.
I'm going ahead with the card drafting for now, with players buying from the small piles of available cards (as you do). Each card has a numerical "level" on the face, a gate if you will. I have linked madness to not only the hand size, but also to this gate value. In order to buy a card, a player must meet or exceed this gate value in madness, and discard a number of cards that meets or exceeds the purchase cost. Once bought, the player will draft this card directly into his hand.
Additionally, the last card at the bottom of each draft stack is a Cthulhu card. Once the pile is bought out and this card is revealed, the person who revealed it gains one madness (allowing him to buy more powerful cards and drawing a larger hand) and the Cthulhu card goes immediately to the common discard pile. At the beginning of each players turn, they draw up to their hand limit. If they draw a Cthulhu card it is immediately added to a tableau in the middle of the play area; however, if they player begins his turn with a ritual that is fully powered and ready to be completed on that turn (see below), they can opt to channel this card through that ritual. This will generate a side effect (to be determined), wreck the ritual (all cards put in the discard pile), and the cthulhu card itself is put in the discard instead of into play. This was apparently an inauspicious time to be screwing around in the universe. I am still considering making that part a mandatory action; play-testing should show the best way to handle it.
Regardless, if X-number of these cards are put into play, the game is over. The only way to remove a Cthulhu card that is already in the tableau is through specific card actions that allow it (Seal of R'lyeh and Star of R'lyeh)
There is no personal deck or discard pile - everything is handled through one common deck. Used or spent cards are discarded and will be shuffled into the common draw deck for all players to pull from. Whatever forces one cult puts into play may eventually come around to his opponents, but that player has the advantage of using it first! The minor exception to this flow is Rituals. Rituals are drafted to the hand as usual - a player of sufficient madness discards from his hand and buys it. Each ritual has a total power cost (abstractly, these are the components, sacrifices, and energy that must be put into it.) When he chooses to play it, he must back it with another card for its listed power cost. Each turn that player can add cards to it, increasing the committed cost. Once the ritual is fully powered, it must remain in play until the players next turn. After drawing up his hand, the player will set aside the ritual card for it's listed VP value, and discard all of the other cards committed to it. Optionally, if at any time a Ritual loses all power (through actions of other players or perhaps a Celestial Event) it must be discarded to the common pile as well. Hopefully it will come back to you, but it possible for your opponents to nab a free ritual and play it instead!
Keep in mind that the Celestial Events are continuing to roll over every round, fulfilling the prophesy of the return of great Cthulhu and casting global effects over the entire game. You had better hope you can summon your idol to protect your followers before time runs out for everyone.
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