Does a triggered ability rely on exact verbage?

Asked by TheOfficialCreator 1 year ago

The ruling in question is regarding the interaction between Kothophed, Soul Hoarder and Drivnod, Carnage Dominus.

Since Kothophed does not specifically say "whenever a creature dies", will Drivnod's replacement effect take onto it when a creature I don't own dies, or are the two technically unrelated?

I would assume Drivnod will take effect since the creature dying is what puts Kothophed's ability on the stack, but I'm not sure.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1

Yes, Drivnod interacts with Kothophed. For effects like Drivnod (or Panharmonicon, or in a similar way Torpor Orb), the exact text of the triggered ability doesn't matter, rather it's the specific details of the event that caused it to trigger. If an opponent's creature dies and Kothophed triggers then Drivnod will check the details and cause it to trigger again. If an opponent activates Misty Rainforest and Kothophed triggers then Drivnod will check the details and do nothing.

February 6, 2023 4:38 p.m.