Keyword action: Difference between revisions

A keyword action is a word or words, usually a verb, that substitutes for a piece of rules text.^[1] Many keywords are summarized in reminder text, especially in core sets.

Keyword actions are somewhat different from keyword abilities, and both are distinct from ability words. Collectively, they are described as mechanics.

Monstrosity is notable because it is the only keyword action that is not a verb.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

Keyword Action: A verb, such as “destroy” or “cast,” used as a game term rather than as its normal English meaning. See rule 701, “Keyword Actions.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

701. Keyword Actions
- 701.1. Most actions described in a card’s rules text use the standard English definitions of the verbs within, but some specialized verbs are used whose meanings may not be clear. These “keywords” are game terms; sometimes reminder text summarizes their meanings.
- 701.2. Activate
- 701.3. Attach
- 701.4. Cast
- 701.5. Counter
- 701.6. Create
- 701.7. Destroy
- 701.8. Discard
- 701.9. Double
- 701.10. Exchange
- 701.11. Exile
- 701.12. Fight
- 701.13. Mill
- 701.14. Play
- 701.15. Regenerate
- 701.16. Reveal
- 701.17. Sacrifice
- 701.18. Scry
- 701.19. Search
- 701.20. Shuffle
- 701.21. Tap and Untap
- 701.22. Fateseal
- 701.23. Clash
- 701.24. Planeswalk
- 701.25. Set in Motion
- 701.26. Abandon
- 701.27. Proliferate
- 701.28. Transform
- 701.29. Detain
- 701.30. Populate
- 701.31. Monstrosity
- 701.32. Vote
- 701.33. Bolster
- 701.34. Manifest
- 701.35. Support
- 701.36. Investigate
- 701.37. Meld
- 701.38. Goad
- 701.39. Exert
- 701.40. Explore
- 701.41. Assemble
- 701.42. Surveil
- 701.43. Adapt
- 701.44. Amass
- 701.45. Learn
- 701.46. Venture into the Dungeon
- 701.47. Connive
- 701.48. Open an Attraction
- 701.49. Roll to Visit Your Attractions
- 701.50. Convert
- 701.51. Incubate
- 701.52. The Ring Tempts You
- 701.53. Face a Villainous Choice
- 701.54. Time Travel
- 701.55. Discover
- 701.56. Cloak
- 701.57. Collect Evidence
- 701.58. Suspect

References

↑ Aaron Forsythe (May 18, 2007). "Scry and Keyword Actions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

Mechanics

Keyword Abilities

Evergreen	Deathtouch Defender Double Strike Enchant Equip Equip [quality] Equip planeswalker First Strike Flash Flying Haste Hexproof Hexproof from [quality] Indestructible Lifelink Menace Protection Reach Trample Trample over Planeswalkers Vigilance Ward

Other	Absorb Affinity Afflict Afterlife Aftermath Amplify Annihilator Ascend Assist Aura Swap Awaken Backup Banding Bands with other [quality] Bargain Battle Cry Bestow Blitz Bloodthirst Boast Bushido Buyback Cascade Casualty Champion Changeling Cipher Cleave Companion Compleated Conspire Convoke Craft Crew Cumulative Upkeep Cycling [Type]cycling Dash Daybound Nightbound Decayed Delve Demonstrate Dethrone Devoid Devour Devour [type] Disguise Disturb Dredge Echo Embalm Emerge Encore Enlist Entwine Epic Escalate Escape Eternalize Evoke Evolve Exalted Exploit Extort Fabricate Fading Fear Flanking Flashback Forecast Foretell Fortify For Mirrodin! Frenzy Fuse Graft Gravestorm Haunt Hidden Agenda Double Agenda Hideaway Horsemanship Improvise Infect Ingest Intimidate Jump-Start Kicker Multikicker Landwalk Level Up Living Metal Living Weapon Madness Melee Mentor Miracle Modular More Than Meets the Eye Morph Megamorph Mutate Myriad Ninjutsu Commander Ninjutsu Offering Outlast Overload Partner Choose a Background Doctor's Companion Friends Forever Partner with [name] Persist Phasing Plot Poisonous Prototype Provoke Prowess Prowl Rampage Ravenous Read ahead Rebound Reconfigure Recover Reinforce Renown Replicate Retrace Riot Ripple Scavenge Shadow Shroud Skulk Solved Soulbond Soulshift Space Sculptor Spectacle Splice Split Second Spree Squad Storm Sunburst Surge Suspend Toxic Training Transfigure Transmute Tribute Umbra Armor Undaunted Undying Unearth Unleash Vanishing Visit Wither

Keyword Actions

Evergreen	Activate Attach Cast Counter Create Double Destroy Discard Exchange Exile Fight Goad Mill Play Reveal Sacrifice Scry Search Shuffle Tap Untap

Other	Abandon Adapt Amass Assemble Bolster Clash Cloak Collect evidence Connive Convert Detain Discover Exert Explore Face a Villainous Choice Fateseal Incubate Initiative Investigate Learn Manifest Meld Monstrosity Open an attraction Planeswalk Populate Proliferate Regenerate The Ring Tempts You Roll to Visit Your Attractions Saddle Set in Motion Support Surveil Suspect Time Travel Transform Venture into the Dungeon Venture into [Quality] Vote

Ability Words

Other

Digital only	Backbone Boon Conjure Draft Double team Incorporate Intensity Not the starting player Perpetually Seek Spellbook Specialize Unstoppable

Miscellaneous	Ante Batching Historic Modified Outlaw Party Biting Crime Divvy Dice rolling Energy Flipping a coin The Monarch Predefined token Radiation Rhystic

Acorn	Art Menace Art Rampage Augment Ban Blurry Combine Coolness Crank‎ Denimwalk Family Gathering Gear Up Gobble Gotcha Hide Install Just a Second Knightlifelink Last Strike Rangeling Reassemble Stare Down Super Haste Switch Triple Strike Typelink Undeathtouch Uninstall Wrap

Playtest	Aggressive Bank Challenge Curse Firstest Strike Four-faced Interplanar Kinfall Landship Legacy Megalegendary Motivate Ransom Reflect Requirement Reverse Miracle Scrycast Spark Spellmorph Tasty Token Card Underdog Upgrade

Unreleased	Double-Tap Forbidden Glorify‎ Hieroglyphics‎ Link Mummify‎ Reckless Unique‎

Former	Bury Landhome Substance

See also	List of Acorn mechanics List of deprecated mechanics List of obsolete terminology List of unreleased mechanics Storm Scale

Comprehensive Rules

100. Game Concepts

The Magic Golden Rules Players Starting the Game Ending the Game Colors Mana Numbers and Symbols Cards Objects Permanents Tokens Spells Abilities Emblems Targets Special Actions Timing and Priority Costs Life Damage Drawing a Card Counters Stickers

200. Parts of a Card

Name Mana Cost and Color Illustration Color Indicator Type Line Expansion Symbol Text Box Power/Toughness Loyalty Defense Hand Modifier Life Modifier Information Below the Text Box

300. Card Types

Artifacts Creatures Enchantments Instants Lands Planeswalkers Sorceries Kindreds Dungeons Battles Planes Phenomena Vanguards Schemes Conspiracies

400. Zones

Library Hand Battlefield Graveyard Stack Exile Ante Command

500. Turn Structure

Beginning Phase Untap Step Upkeep Step Draw Step Main Phase Combat Phase Beginning of Combat Step Declare Attackers Step Declare Blockers Step Combat Damage Step End of Combat Step Ending Phase End Step Cleanup Step

600. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

Casting Spells Activating Activated Abilities Handling Triggered Abilities Handling Static Abilities Mana Abilities Loyalty Abilities Linked Abilities Resolving Spells and Abilities Effects One-Shot Effects Continuous Effects Text-Changing Effects Interaction of Continuous Effects Replacement Effects Prevention Effects Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects

700. Additional Rules

800. Multiplayer Rules

Limited Range of Influence Option Attack Multiple Players Option Attack Left and Attack Right Options Deploy Creatures Option Shared Team Turns Option Free-for-All Variant Grand Melee Variant Team vs. Team Variant Emperor Variant Two-Headed Giant Variant Alternating Teams Variant

900. Casual Variants

Planechase Vanguard Commander Archenemy Conspiracy Draft

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+A '''keyword action''' is a word or words, usually a verb, that substitutes for a piece of rules text.<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/scry-and-keyword-actions-2007-05-18|Scry and Keyword Actions|[[Aaron Forsythe]]|May 18, 2007}}</ref> Many keywords are summarized in [[reminder text]], especially in [[core set]]s.
-{{Navigation CR|700}}
-A '''keyword action''' is a word or words, usually a verb, that substitutes for a piece of rules text.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/af171|Scry and Keyword Actions|[[Aaron Forsythe]]|May 18, 2007}}</ref> Many keywords are summarized in [[reminder text]], especially in [[core sets]].
-Keyword ''actions'' are somewhat different from [[keyword ability|keyword ''abilities'']], and both are distinct from [[ability word]]s.
+Keyword ''actions'' are somewhat different from [[keyword ability|keyword ''abilities'']], and both are distinct from [[ability word]]s. Collectively, they are described as [[mechanic]]s.
+[[Monstrosity]] is notable because it is the only keyword action that is not a verb.
-==Differences between keywords actions, keyword abilities, and ability words==
-Keywords actions and keyword abilities are closely related. Both represent a longer segment of rules text and may allow variable costs and effects. Because they have a specific rules meaning and are listed in the [[Comprehensive Rules]], keywords of either type can be referenced from other cards. They differ in that keyword [[ability|abilities]] are either [[characteristic]]s of objects or are [[object]]s themselves, whereas keyword actions describe game-related actions.
-For example, the keyword ability [[enchant]], as in ''Enchant creature'', states a restriction on the valid [[target]]s for an [[aura]]. The related keyword action [[attach]] describes the process of physically putting such an aura onto its target.
-[[Ability word]]s have no rules meaning, but exist to name and [[flavor|flavorfully]] link otherwise unnamed mechanics. Because they are have no rules meaning, like [[flavor text]] and [[reminder text]], ability words are rendered in italics. Ability words are never referenced on other cards.<ref>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr342|Ability Word To Your Mother|Mark Rosewater|July 28 2008}}</ref>
 == Rules ==
+{{CR|glossary|Keyword Action}}
-{{CRTemp|lookup=701|toc=true}}
+{{KeyTOC|701|2}}
-[[Monstrosity]] seems to be the exception to the rule, because it is not a verb.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 25: / Line 17: @@
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-[[Category:Keyword actions|*]]
+{{Mechanics|action|state=collapsed}}
-{{Keywords and abilities}}
+{{CR Navbox|700}}
+[[Category:Keyword actions| ]]

Changes: Keyword action

Revision as of 16:28, 5 June 2020

Rules

See also

References