Does Rhystic Study force you to draw if an opponent does not pay (1)?
Asked by TranquilCove 8 years ago
If I have Rhystic Study out and an opponent casts a spell but chooses not to pay (1), am I forced to draw a card? Or can I choose not to?
PremiumCola says... #2
It's a little bit easy to misinterpret. You can break the ability up like this:
- Whenever an opponent casts a spell, - this is the trigger.
- You may draw a card - when the ability resolves you choose if you want to draw .
- Unless the player pays 1 - After the ability triggers, the player chooses if they are paying or not, they do this while the ability is still on the stack. If they pay, you can't draw the card. If they don't you then choose if you want to draw or not.
You don't have to decide whether or not you are drawing until after the player decides if they are paying. EG- They can't ask you if you are going to draw before they decide to pay.
June 3, 2015 12:57 p.m.
TheRedMage says... Accepted answer #3
@ PremiumCola - note that the opponent also decides whether to pay 
upon resolution of the trigger. You said "after the ability triggers" which is technically correct but may lead people to think that the opponent has to decide when the trigger is put on the stack. Basically what happens is:
- Opponent casts a spell (for the purposes of this example, we will use Plaxcaster Frogling because it has a funny name). Rhystic Study triggers.
- The ability from Rhystic Study is put on the stack on top of Plaxcaster Frogling.
- Players may do things now. Provided no player plays spells or activates abilities at this point, the trigger begins resolving.
- Your opponent decides whether they want to pay .
- If the opponent decides not to, you decide whether to draw a card.
- The triggered ability is now done resolving
- Plaxcaster Frogling resolves and enters the battlefield.
JWiley129 says... #1
Rhystic Study says "you may draw a card" so you don't have to if you don't want to.
June 3, 2015 9:47 a.m.