Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Triggered Ability

A triggered ability is a type of ongoing ability that is delayed until a specific scenario or game action takes place. When the given situation occurs, a triggered ability activates, and can be tied to either an instant or ongoing effect. Triggered abilities often take the form of “If X happens, then Y,” “When X, you may Y,” or “While X, Y.” In each of these cases, the triggered ability is delayed until the situation or condition “X” either occurs or is true, and then the ability “Y” will activate.

Abilities on characters or enhancements that check for a condition at the moment they are played, and so are not waiting for an event to “happen,” are not triggered abilities. These are not written as in the examples above, but are instead written as “If X, Y.” For example, an ability that reads “If your Hero is blocked, play an enhancement” is a triggered ability, as it is waiting on an event that could happen. However, “If you control a missionary, draw a card” is not a triggered ability, because it is checking the condition at that moment. There is no ongoing “waiting” for that type of wording, it checks at that time and completes or does not, and so it is not a triggered ability. These non-triggered abilities activate when the card is played, as described above for abilities.
Triggered abilities are either optional or mandatory. Optional triggered abilities will be designated with a “may” or similar wording, while mandatory abilities simply describe the outcome without giving a choice. Optional triggered abilities may only be activated while the card it is on is controlled by the holder and is either in play or set aside area. Mandatory triggered abilities that are not negated persist at least until the end of the current phase, even if the card leaves play or set aside, unless the card specifies otherwise.

If two mandatory triggered abilities activate at the same time, the active player resolves all abilities they control in the order they choose, then inactive players resolve all abilities they control in the order they choose in turn order around the table.

If two optional triggered abilities activate at the same time, the active player chooses whether or not to resolve all of their abilities first in the order they choose, then inactive players choose whether or not to resolve all abilities they control in the order they choose in turn order around the table.

While triggered abilities are triggered by a condition or situation happening, they may not insert themselves between other abilities to resolve. Instead, they are pending until all other abilities resolve, and then the triggered event may activate.