Do Pariah or Pariah's Shield stack?

Asked by SNIBRS297 8 years ago

I've seen convincing arguments that the cards in question do stack as damage triggers each card's natural ability, but each card is redistributing existing damage, not creating more damage, meaning if I deal 20 damage to myself and have 3x Pariah on a Stuffy Doll the total damage output is 20 x 1 = 20 not 20 x 3 for sixty because the original total was only 20.

Gidgetimer says... #1

Pariah and Pariah's Shield do not have triggered abilities. They have replacement effects. This is important because multiple triggers off of the same event do stack, but an event can only be replaced by one thing. If you have three Angelheart Vial out and take 4 damage, you will put four counters on each. If you have Stuffy Doll out enchanted with three Pariah and would be dealt 4 damage, the Stuffy Doll takes 4 damage instead. Once the first replacement effect applies you are no longer being dealt damage, so the other two replacement effects have nothing to pply to.

May 29, 2016 5:46 a.m.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2

To be clear: a triggered ability always starts with "when", "whenever", or "at"; a replacement effect uses the words "as", "with", "instead", "prevent", or some other rarer constructions somewhere in the rules text to describe itself.

If multiple replacement effects could change how an event affects a player or object, then the affected player or controller of the affected object decides which one to apply. Other replacement effects beyond that first one are only applied if the modified event is also something they could apply to. In your example, Pariah and Pariah's Shield can only apply to an event that deals damage to you. After applying one of them, the other doesn't apply anymore.

May 29, 2016 9:59 a.m.