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I was going off of a misreading of the ability for Priest earlier, and yes you are correct that if it says "draws" then that does not occur when no cards were actually drawn. I actually remembered it saying "uses a draw ability" for some reason, which would invite a discussion.
Personally to answer the hypothetical, I'd say they did use a draw ability they just didn't draw. If I play search on my prophet while my opponent has nazzy out, I still used a search ability even if it accomplished nothing.
When you activate a special ability on a card you have used that ability, even if another ability changes the result of the effect.In the examples given, if RBD changed the draw to a reveal and play/discard, then you did not draw cards, but you did use a draw ability. You did not use a reveal/play/discard ability because RBD is not an ability you control, it's your opponents, so they used a reveal/play/discard ability.
Gabe, what would happen if my opponent played a draw ability (RBD is not up) and I negate it, and then play Drunkenness; would that negated draw still count as having been "used"?
A negate ability takes a previously completed ability and undoes the effect of that ability.
Makes sense to me! Would a prevented ability also be considered "used" but without effect/benefit, or is that not even used at all since it never had a chance to activate?