So we know that the vast majority of activated abilities have one cost associated with them, such as on cards like Terramorphic Expanse and Gelectrode. Some have two possible costs, like with Crystal Shard.
How would an ability with three possible activation costs be formatted? For example, if I wanted a creature's ability to give another creature first strike by paying either R, W, or 3, how would it be written?
"R; W; 3: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
"R; W; or 3: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
"R or W or [mana]3[/mana[: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
What if sacrificing a creature was another requirement to activate the ability?
"R, Sacrifice a creature; W, Sacrifice a creature; 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R, Sacrifice a creature; W, Sacrifice a creature; or 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R, Sacrifice a creature or W, Sacrifice a creature or 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R or W or 3; Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How to use card tags (please use them for everybody's sanity)
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format Minimum deck size: 60 Maximum number of identical cards: 4 Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
Not technically a question about the rules, but anyway: The save way to do it to write out the whole cost, insert an " or " and then write out the next whole cost. As you notice on Crystal Shard already the is repeated despite appearing in both costs.
You can further shorten the cost by using hybrid mana to combine two of the costs.
You still have the option to have two distinct abilities with different (similar) costs and the same effect - this I would recommend for a cost as complex as your second example. The template is not only about the possible, but also about the understandable, easy "grokkable" form.
Since semicolons are possible, but two close to commas and colons to be allow easy reading, I suggest the third variant as general answer, but the stress lies on "most of the time you will avoid them" and in the given examples it's easy to circumvent the three-option version (through the use of hybrid mana).
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
How would an ability with three possible activation costs be formatted? For example, if I wanted a creature's ability to give another creature first strike by paying either R, W, or 3, how would it be written?
"R; W; 3: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
"R; W; or 3: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
"R or W or [mana]3[/mana[: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn"?
What if sacrificing a creature was another requirement to activate the ability?
"R, Sacrifice a creature; W, Sacrifice a creature; 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R, Sacrifice a creature; W, Sacrifice a creature; or 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R, Sacrifice a creature or W, Sacrifice a creature or 3, Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
"R or W or 3; Sacrifice a creature: ..."?
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format
Minimum deck size: 60
Maximum number of identical cards: 4
Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
You can further shorten the cost by using hybrid mana to combine two of the costs.
You still have the option to have two distinct abilities with different (similar) costs and the same effect - this I would recommend for a cost as complex as your second example. The template is not only about the possible, but also about the understandable, easy "grokkable" form.
Since semicolons are possible, but two close to commas and colons to be allow easy reading, I suggest the third variant as general answer, but the stress lies on "most of the time you will avoid them" and in the given examples it's easy to circumvent the three-option version (through the use of hybrid mana).
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO