How is punctuation interpreted in Oracle text?

Asked by Temporal_Inept 4 years ago

Question regarding the reading of oracle text concerning the punctuation in oracle text i.e. the difference (if any) between commas and periods. Looking at tutors we have two wordings: 1) a period followed by "Then shuffle your library" as in Diabolic Intent and 2) a comma followed by "then shuffle your library" as in Academy Rector . Is there a subtle difference between these two readings?

This arose from a discussion I read on cEDH regarding using Reanimate on the new creature Vilis, Broker of Blood, from Core 2020 which reads "Whenever you lose life, draw that many cards." By using Reanimate on Vilis, you put Vilis into play, lose 8 life and therefore draw 8 cards. Is this because the period "Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. You lose life equal to its converted mana cost." signifies a point where applicable triggers can take place? If instead Reanimate read "... control, you lose life equal to its converted mana cost" would the same interaction occur?

Finally, I've skimmed through the MTG rule book and didn't see anything - is there somewhere in the rule book that explains how punctuation and line breaks etc affect the reading of card text?

Caerwyn says... Accepted answer #1

Diabolic Intent and Academy Rector are grammatically different because of the way they are set up. Academy Rector 's shuffle the library effect is conditioned on a certain other event occurring, and is part of a list containing other conditional events--"if you did A, then do B, C, and D."

Diabolic Intent 's shuffle effect has to happen. You search for a card, you put it in your hand, and then you shuffle your library. The shuffling is not conditional on something else occurring--you play Diabolic Intent , you'll be finding a card and shuffling your library (unless you have no cards in your library).

Period or comma, you still do the items in the order they are printed on the card (608.2c The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written.). The use of a period versus a comma is a grammatical difference, not a rules difference.

June 21, 2019 4:49 p.m.

Temporal_Inept says... #2

Awesome and thanks for the rules reference

June 21, 2019 4:53 p.m.

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