Notice the use of the word "instead" in the Oracle text for both cards. This is one of the words that designates a replacement effect ("as" and "with" are the other ones). A replacement effect can only apply to an event once, and that includes the event as modified by other replacement effects.
So let's say you activate Personal Incarnation
's ability. If 1 damage would be dealt to you, Pariah
would redirect it to Incarnation, and Incarnation would send it back to you. Pariah doesn't get applied again because you already applied it to this event. Similarly, if 1 damage would be dealt to Incarnation, he redirects it to you, and then Pariah puts it back on the Incarnation.
If you activate Incarnation N times, the next N damage that goes to either you or Incarnation will basically end up staying where it is. Any amount of damage greater than N will end up sticking to the Incarnation (because it was either already going there, or because Pariah redirected it there).
November 14, 2012
3:34 p.m.
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Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
Notice the use of the word "instead" in the Oracle text for both cards. This is one of the words that designates a replacement effect ("as" and "with" are the other ones). A replacement effect can only apply to an event once, and that includes the event as modified by other replacement effects.
So let's say you activate Personal Incarnation 's ability. If 1 damage would be dealt to you, Pariah would redirect it to Incarnation, and Incarnation would send it back to you. Pariah doesn't get applied again because you already applied it to this event. Similarly, if 1 damage would be dealt to Incarnation, he redirects it to you, and then Pariah puts it back on the Incarnation.
If you activate Incarnation N times, the next N damage that goes to either you or Incarnation will basically end up staying where it is. Any amount of damage greater than N will end up sticking to the Incarnation (because it was either already going there, or because Pariah redirected it there).
November 14, 2012 3:34 p.m.