K.6 - Characteristics


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K.6.1- Every card and token has characteristics which define it. The following count as characteristics: name, color, mana cost, card type and subtype, permanent type and subtype, expansion symbol, abilities, power, and toughness. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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K.6.2- Characteristics do not include other information, such as whether or not a permanent is tapped or who its controller is. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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K.6.3- The initial characteristics of a permanent are the values printed on the card, or the values specified by the spell or ability that created the token or changed the type of the permanent. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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K.6.4- The characteristics of a spell start out set to the characteristics of the card. They are then tracked through the spell's life cycle. Changing the spell (with a Sleight of Mind or Chaoslace or similar effect) can change the spell's characteristics. When it resolves, it will still have those changed values. If the spell becomes a permanent, it enters play with (and keeps) the changed values, however the rules consider the permanent's initial values to be that of the card and for the effect that altered the spell to be altering the permanent much like it would if you had played the Sleight of Mind (or whatever) after it came into play. [bethmo 1998/05/22]

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K.6.5- The characteristics of an ability start out with the characteristics of the permanent that generated the ability, or if it is an ability of a card not in play, then it starts with the characteristics of the card. This information is recorded when ability is announced. The characteristics are then tracked through the ability's life cycle separately from the source of the ability. Changing the source of the ability (with a Sleight of Mind or similar effect) or even destroying the source of the ability will not change the ability. [CompRules 1999/04/23] Note that few abilities refer to their own characteristics. They usually refer to the characteristics of their source, which pulls Rule K.6.6 and Rule K.6.7 into effect. [D'Angelo 1999/04/11]

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K.6.6- If a spell or ability is to check the characteristics of something during its resolution, then the characteristics are looked up on an as-needed basis. They do not get "locked in" at any particular point in time. [bethmo 1998/10/23]

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K.6.7- If a spell or non-static ability is to check the characteristics of something and that something is no longer in play at the start of resolution, use the last value that something had before it left play. [CompRules 1999/04/23] Static abilities never use last known information. [Rules Team 2001/05/01] This same rule applies for any zone change. If the card is not in the zone it was expected to be in, use its last known state in that zone. [CompRules 1999/11/01]

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K.6.Ruling.1- Abilities gained by any means count as part of the characteristics. For example, the text added by Zombie Master, the Mountainwalk and +1/+1 granted by Goblin King. [WotC Rules Team 1997/10/06]

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K.6.Ruling.2- Characteristics do not include the abilities of enchantments that are on a permanent. For example, the "cannot be targeted" ability of Favorable Destiny is not granted to the creature as an ability. [Aahz 1997/08/04] An enchantment ability which says the enchanted permanent "has" or "gains" something grants an ability. Otherwise, it just has an effect. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]

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K.6.Ruling.3- If a spell or ability targets itself or its source and needs to check the characteristics during resolution, it will check during resolution just like it would if targeting something other than itself. [WotC Rules Team 1997/07/03]

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K.6.Ruling.4- If the ability of a permanent says " does ", then the effect is considered to come from the permanent, so if you need to check characteristics, such as color, then check the permanent on resolution. This means that changes to the permanent can possibly affect the result. See Rule K.6.5. [bethmo 1998/11/03]

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K.6.Ruling.5- If the ability of a permanent says "Do " (without saying that the permanent does it, as with Rule K.6.Ruling.4), then the ability is doing the effect, not the permanent. In this case, you use the characteristics of the ability, which by Rule K.6.4 are the same as what the permanent had when the ability was announced. [bethmo 1998/11/03]

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