Deathtouch

Preacher of the Schism Color Suitability

Could Preacher of the Schism also work in White? (Without death touch)

The first ability, after the deathtouch, is fine in white. The second is not.

Colors Deathtouch Preacher Preacher of the Schism White

Concept Behind Mari's Text

Was the text on Mari, the Killing Quill an early attempt/concept of the Outlaw batching?

Assassians, Mercenaries, and Rogues you control have deathtouch...

It was a design hitting at the same flavor.

Batches Deathtouch Flavor Mari, the Killing Quill Mercenaries Rogue

All Creatures Fight/Bite Spell

A theoretical “all creatures fight/bite” spell seems like it’s going to be Day of Judgment (or at least Duneblast) in 99% of situations. Seems like it goes squarely into the “deathtouch + ETB fight” category to me, even if a functional template could be figured out.

It would probably be multicolored, if we did it.

Creatures Day of Judgment Deathtouch Duneblast Enter The Battlefield Fight / Bite Judgment Templating

Optimal Damage Assignment

“ The answer is 2. Each creature has to be dealt lethal damage which is 1 point of deathtouch damage, the rest tramples over to the player.” Isn’t the answer to all blocking creatures with both deathtouch and trample scenarios ‘It depends how the attacking player decides to assign damage’? Can’t you assign more damage than lethal to a creature?

Yes, but we can assume the players are making optimal choices to win the game.

Attacking Blocking Creatures Deathtouch Trample

Deathtouch and Trample Interaction

Re: deathtouch and trample. Do you feel like the interaction between the two is working as intended, or would you like to see it changed someday?

The rules know how they interact. Many players don’t know what that is. A 4/4 creature blocks a 4/4 creature with deathtouch and trample. How much damage does the player take?The answer is 3. The first point is considered lethal because of deathtouch, so the rest can trample over.Two 4/4 creatures block a 4/4 creature with deathtouch and trample. How much damage does the player take?The answer is 2. Each creature has to be dealt lethal damage which is 1 point of deathtouch damage, the rest tramples over to the player.EDIT: Mistyped the question. Fixing.

Creatures Deathtouch Rules Trample

Deathtouch and Trample Interaction

If/when: A creature that simultaneously and unconditionally has deathtouch and trample.

If. We’ve chosen not to combine them as their interaction is confusing, powerful, and not particularly fun.

Creatures Deathtouch If/When Trample

Black Fight Spells

Could Black have fight spells if it gave your creature Deathtouch?

Black doesn’t get fight. It can just kill the creature directly.

Black Creatures Deathtouch Fight / Bite Spells

Color Pie Question

Could a Green-Red-Black creature get a fight/deathtouch card?

The combination of colors can do it colorpiewise.

Color Pie Colors Creatures Deathtouch Fight / Bite

Spell Modifiers Limitation

As a previous asker talked about trample not being able to be templated onto Instants and Sorceries, are the legal spell modifiers the ones that augment the damage itself in some way (ie Deathtouch, Lifelink, Wither) and not augment the damage step (ie Trample, Double Strike, Fear)?

I believe so.

Deathtouch Double Strike Fear Instants Lifelink Lifelink Question Marks Sorceries Trample Wither

Trample on Spells

Hi Mark. If instants and sorceries can gain deathtouch and lifelink (e.g. Judith), can it also gain Trample? As in, the actual keyword. I am aware that cards such as Flame Spill are able to define excess damage. I am just curious if it's allowed to have it as the keyword instead.

I don’t believe it can. That’s why I did it in an Un-set.

Deathtouch Flame Spill Instants Keywords Lifelink Lifelink Sorceries Spells Trample Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Trample Deathtouch Combo

Is the interaction of trample and deathtouch something that generally shouldn't appear on a single card?

Correct.

Deathtouch Trample

Evergreen Abilities Expansion

Loved the podcasts about evergreen abilities. Do you think there’s evergreen/deciduous design space for other qualities that are connected directly to damage, the way that lifelink and deathtouch are?

Things become evergreen/deciduous because they’re useful and have ample design space. We’ll keep exploring that space, but I have no idea if we’ll find a new thing that useful. Maybe. : )

Deathtouch Deciduous Design Space Evergreen Humor Lifelink Lifelink

Blue Strategy Limitation

So blue can steal creatures and give +x/-x to its own creatures, but I assume it can't do both on the same card like how green doesn't get deathtouch and bite on the same card?

Correct.

Blue Creatures Deathtouch Fight / Bite Green

Morph into Disguise

When tweaking Morph into disguise, did you try out making them 2/3s but with an effect that still let them trade with other facedown creatures (such as "deathtouch for colorless" or "this gets +1/+0 in combat with another facedown creature")? Thanks for answering our questions sir.

We wanted face down creatures to be pretty simple, so no.

Colorless Creatures Deathtouch Disguise Morph

Noncreature Keyword Usage

Why don't we see more noncreatures with keyword abilities. Like lifelink or deathtouch on a sorcery or hexproof on enchantments? You do it so rarely and I would like more.

The utility is low and the confusion is high.

Deathtouch Enchantments Hexproof Keyword Abilities Keywords Lifelink Lifelink Non-creatures Sorceries

Love for Deathtouch Creatures

Just want to share my love of the creature archetype of the cheap deathtoucher. In my very first game, my opponent played a typhoid rats, and the idea that this 1 mana tiny creature could kill my legendary giant ape really expanded my idea of what creatures could be. Such an interesting part of the game, keep making them.

1/1 deathtouch creatures are pretty much a staple.

Ape Creatures Deathtouch Giant Mana Rat Rat Typhoid Rats

Keyword for Deathtouch Protection

If/when a keyword that protects from deathtouch but not other sources of destruction

If. That’s too narrow to be worth a keyword.

Deathtouch If/When Keywords Protection

Color Pie and Mechanics

Could "surprise snake" (flash/deathtouch/fight ETB) exist without breaking the color pie if it was both green and black?

Sure. Black gets Murder effects.

Black Color Pie Deathtouch Enter The Battlefield Fight / Bite Flash Green Mechanics Snake

Color Combination Rules

Why is a combination of colors doing something they couldn't do individually a break?For example, white can counterspell to the top of the owner's library, and black can make a player mill a card. But a white/black card that does both would be like a hard counterspell, and a break, despite only using things in each color's color pie. These abilities on two separate cards would be fine, but combined into one it's a break. Why is that?

You don’t even need to go to two colors. Green can have a 1/1 creature with flash, and deathtouch, and fight when it enters the battlefield, yet put them all together and you get a creature kill card green can’t have.There are just a lot of abilities, and lots of combinations, and you can do things in conjunction that isn’t allowed on a singular card.

Bend / Break Black Color Pie Colors Creatures Deathtouch Enter The Battlefield Fight / Bite Flash Green Mill Mechanic Orzhov (W/B) Rules The Library White

Keyword Combos Request

I've been really enjoying the "keyword mix-and-match" that's been possible in Limited several times recently (examples being mutate in IKO, disturb auras in VOW, and backup in MOM). It's been fun trying to give deathtouch to a first strike creature, or flying to a big creature, and many more. I'm unsure if that's more Vision or Set Design, but could I request more and/or ask you to give a high-five to the appropriate designers? Thanks so much!

Mechanical choice and execution is both team’s responsibility. I’ll try to make more.

Auras Backup Creatures Deathtouch Disturb First Strike Flying Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Keywords Limited Mutate Set Design