Playing or Activating Abilities — Riftbound Rules

Playing or activating Abilities follows the same steps of playing cards. Abilities when added to the Chain become Pending Items until they complete the steps of Playing.

Section 398 — 35 rules

399.: Playing or activating Abilities follows the same steps of playing cards.
400.: Abilities when added to the Chain become Pending Items until they complete the steps of Playing.
400.1.: When an Ability finishes the steps of playing it becomes a Finalized Chain Item just like a Spell.
400.2.: When an Ability with the [Add] action is finalized it resolves immediately, like a Unit or Gear.
401.: 1. Activate or trigger the Ability
401.1.: Add a Pending Item to the chain representing the Ability that is either being Activated or Triggered. Notably, although this Chain Item will not have a card representing it, this will create a Closed State. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information.
401.2.: If there is currently a game effect being resolved, continue resolving the game effect instead of continuing the following steps.
402.: 2. Make relevant choices
402.1.: If the first part of a Triggered Ability’s effect is “you may,” or “they may,” its controller decides whether or not to perform the Triggered Ability now.
402.1.a.: If they choose not to perform the Triggered Ability now, it is removed from the chain.
402.2.: Make all choices required for this ability, such as targets, modes, or other relevant decisions. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information
402.3.: If legal options are not available for an Activated Ability, it is not legal to activate it.
402.4.: If there are not enough options to make legal choices for a Triggered Ability that has been put on the chain, remove it from the Chain now. It ceases to be a Pending Item but never becomes a Finalized Chain Item.
402.4.a.: This is not an Ability being countered.
402.4.b.: If there are legal options to choose, the ability’s controller must choose them. They may not decline this stage of playing a Trigger.
403.: 3. Determine Total Cost
403.1.: Determine the base cost of the Ability.
403.1.a.: Activated Abilities will have a cost listed before the “:” in their text.
403.1.b.: Triggered Abilities will typically not have a base cost associated with them when placed on the chain due to their conditions.
403.1.b.1.: If a Triggered Ability has a cost within instructions (e.g. “[do X] to [do Y]”), the cost is taken as the base cost. See rule 740.2.a. for more information on costs within instructions.
403.2.: Apply cost increases and decreases as a result of choices made in the prior step. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information.
403.3.: Apply any other cost increases or decreases as necessary. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information.
404.: 4. Pay Costs
404.1.: Pay costs as determined in the prior step. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information.
404.2.: At this stage, players may decline to pay for Triggered Abilities that have incurred a cost. If they do, the ability will cease being a Pending Item and be removed from the Chain. It never becomes a Finalized Chain Item.
404.2.a.: This is not an Ability being countered.
405.: 5. Check Legality
405.1.: Ensure that the Ability’s targets are still legal.
405.2.: Ensure that the Ability’s effect would not create an illegal state. If it would, resolve in the same way you would resolve a Card that creates an illegal state. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information.
406.: 6. Proceed with Play
406.1.: This Ability is no longer Pending.
406.2.: This Ability becomes a Finalized Chain Item.
406.3.: If there are other Pending Chain Items on the Chain, their controllers perform the remaining steps of playing now.
406.4.: Other players have an opportunity to play Reactions before the resolution of spells and abilities. See rule 327. Chains for more information.
406.5.: Otherwise, execute the Ability just like a Spell, then clear the Chain Item from the Chain.