502.20. Fading
502.20a Fading is a keyword that represents two abilities. “Fading N” means “This permanent comes into play with N fade counters on it” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from this permanent. If you can’t, sacrifice the permanent.”
502.21. Kicker
502.21a Kicker is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. “Kicker [cost]” means “You may pay an additional [cost] as you play this spell.” The phrase “Kicker [cost 1] and/or [cost 2]” means the same thing as “Kicker [cost 1], kicker [cost 2].” Paying a spell’s kicker cost(s) follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h.
502.21b Objects with kicker have additional abilities that specify what happens if the kicker cost is paid. Objects with more than one kicker cost have abilities that correspond to each kicker cost.
502.21c If the text that depends on a kicker cost being paid targets one or more permanents and/or players, the spell’s controller chooses those targets only if he or she declared the intention to pay the appropriate kicker cost. Otherwise, the targets aren’t chosen at all.
502.21d A card with kicker may contain the phrases “if the [A] kicker cost was paid” and “if the [B] kicker cost was paid,” where A and B are the first and second kicker costs listed on the card, respectively. This text just refers to one kicker cost or the other, regardless of what the spell’s controller actually spent when paying the cost. In other words, read “if the [A] kicker cost was paid” as “if the first kicker cost listed was paid,” and read “if the [B] kicker cost was paid” as “if the second kicker cost listed was paid.”
502.22. Flashback
502.22a Flashback appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two static abilities: one functions while the card is in a player’s graveyard and the other functions while the card is on the stack. “Flashback [cost]” means “You may play this card from your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, remove this card from the game instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” Playing a spell using its flashback ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h.
502.23. Threshold
502.23a Threshold used to be a keyword ability. It is now an ability word and has no rules meaning. All cards printed with the threshold keyword have received errata. Updated wordings are available in the Oracle card reference.
502.24. Madness
502.24a Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player's hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. “Madness [cost]” means “If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but may remove it from the game instead of putting it into his or her graveyard” and “When this card is removed from the game this way, its owner may play it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn't, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard.”
502.24b Playing a spell using its madness ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h.
502.25. Fear
502.25a Fear is an evasion ability.
502.25b A creature with fear can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures. (See rule 309, “Declare Blockers Step.”)
502.25c Multiple instances of fear on the same creature are redundant.
502.26. Morph
502.26a Morph is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it’s on, and the morph effect works any time the card is face down. “Morph [cost]” means “You may play this card as a 2/2 face-down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and no mana cost by paying {3} rather than its mana cost.” Any time you could play an instant, you may show all players the morph cost for any face-down permanent you control, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. This action does not use the stack. (See rule 504, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”)
502.26b To play a card using its morph ability, turn it face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and no mana cost. These values are the copiable values of that object’s characteristics. (See rule 418.5, “Interaction of Continuous Effects,” and rule 503, “Copying Objects.”) Put it onto the stack (as a face-down spell with the same characteristics), and pay {3} rather than pay its mana cost. This follows the rules for paying alternative costs. You can use morph to play a card from any zone from which you could normally play it. When the spell resolves, it comes into play with the same characteristics the spell had. The morph effect applies to the face-down object wherever it is, and it ends when the permanent is turned face up.
502.26c You can’t play a card face down if it doesn’t have morph.
502.26d Any time you could play an instant, you may turn a face-down permanent you control face up. To do this, show all players what the permanent’s morph cost will be when the effect ends, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. The morph effect on it ends, and it regains its normal characteristics. Any abilities relating to the permanent coming into play don’t trigger when it’s turned face up and don’t have any effect, because the permanent has already come into play.
502.26e If a face-up permanent is turned face down by a spell or ability, it becomes a 2/2 face-down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and no mana cost. These values are the copiable values of that object’s characteristics. (See rule 418.5, “Interaction of Continuous Effects,” and rule 503, “Copying Objects.”) The rules for morph and face-down permanents apply to it normally.
502.26f See rule 504, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents,” for more information on how to play cards with morph.
502.27. Amplify
