Is there any card that adds text to an ability?

I need to demonstrate a point about how Spellskite's ability doesn't "fizzle". It just resolves and does nothing.

@Rainbolt I don't understand what you are asking for.

I have an ability that does "{T}: Effect." I want to find a card that appends one or more affects to that ability.

Like "If an activated ability of enchanted creature would resolve, instead it resolves and you gain 1 life."

Something like that

The closest things I can think of are replacement effects, and Splice. But I don't think either of those are exactly what you are asking for.

Maybe an example would help

Spellskite changes the target of target spell or ability to Spellskite

If Spellskite somehow got Hexproof and it tried to change the target of an opponent's spell or ability to Spellskite, Spellskite's ability would still resolve. It doesn't "fizzle" in the normal sense of the word.

The only problem with this distinction is that most people would say "Who cares? It's the same thing."

I like to teach and also give them a reason to care.

If Spellskite's ability had some kind of bonus effect then it would matter

Oh, I know. Is there a card that says something like "Whenever a spell or ability you control is countered, <effect>"?

That would work for me

Multani's Presence

Thanks diego

@Rainbolt Splice into Arcane.

Oh, diego mentioned that.

[read read]

Aww, Multani's Presence only works for spells

... maybe if there was a Willbreaker-type effect for spells & abilities..?

but that's a "becomes a target" effect and doesn't care about resolution per se...

@Rainbolt Yeah, I can't find anything that care about countering abilities (probably because that is significantly less common than countering spells)

I can think of examples that would work for spells (mostly things with Buyback or Rebound and non-targeted effects), but nothing for abilities.

Crackdown Construct also comes to mind but that one *also* doesn't care if it fizzles or resolves...

@Rainbolt Specifically what actually happens? Spellskite would try to change the target, fail to do so, and nothing else, right?

Right

You ignore instructions that are impossible to follow

And in this case that happens to be all of them

Instead of finding a specific scenario where Spellskite's ability matters whether it fizzles or simply does nothing, it might be better using Splice onto Arcane for a roughly equal scenario where an Arcane spell's original effect ends up doing nothing, but it's important that it doesn't get fizzled because of that.

Use that to suggest "there is a difference in how the mechanics work here, and if you didn't make that distinction you might get lazy and let your spell get fizzled and never draw your Evermind card."

That teaches the general principle that "does nothing" != "fizzled".

Or, you can find a spell that ends up doing nothing, but Cast through Time still gives it rebound because it resolves rather than getting cancelled.

e.g. you cast Battle Hymn while Cast through Time is in play and while you have zero creatures. (Someone used Mindslaver on you and made you waste it, or something.) It will do nothing, but it will be rebounded next turn. Suppose you draw Secure the Wastes before your next turn and cast it; Battle Hymn will later rebound and give you mana.

The only problem with Splice/Buyback/Rebound is the spell is those abilities are still technically part of the spell's effect, so it isn't actually doing nothing. (It probably isn't doing what you cast it for however)

@diego the same would be the case in the scenario Rainbolt's looking for --- adding a bonus effect to Spellskite's ability via adding text.

i agree with that though.

@doppelgreener With adding text you would have the same issue, but he also was looking for things like "Whenever a spell or ability you control is countered, <effect>"

I went way over comment space so I just said "it could matter in other cases"

Would Fatal Push be a good example of a spell resolving but doing nothing? E.g. Opponent 2 life, you have Gut Shot and Fatal Push, opponent has Tasigur out.

Fatal Push

Yup. That would be a good example of a card that can resolve, do nothing, and not trigger Multani's Presence

Some oracle changes: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/…

To summarize: Goblin Test Pilot got the creature type "Pilot", and all of the other changes are non-functional.

Also some CR updates, though it doesn't look like anything major changed.

> This is where the new keywords partner and undaunted live together happily ever after against all odds.

"nothing major", psh, a happy ending is a big deal!