0025: Special actions

Status: Accepted. Revealing a companion before the game is defined by decision 0029.

Context

Playing a land was the only special action the format could record. Companion, suspend, and plot are common in constructed play, and their costs had nothing to be attributed to: by cost:ID had to name a spell or ability, and a special action is neither.

Decision

1. OBJREF special ACTION records a special action taken with a card, for companion, suspend, and plot.
2. Its costs are by cost:ID of that card, and its effects by ID.
3. Other special actions (turning a face-down creature face up, foretell, and the rest) stay in "Not yet covered" until face-down objects are designed.

Rules basis

Checked against the Comprehensive Rules effective 2026-09-25.

• 116.2f: "A player who has a card with suspend in their hand may exile that card. This is a special action."
• 116.2g: "A player who has chosen a companion may pay {3} to put that card from outside the game into their hand. This is a special action."
• 116.2k: "A player who has a card with plot in their hand may exile that card. This is a special action."

Alternatives rejected

• A separate statement per special action. Rejected: they share one shape, a card plus an action name.

Consequences

• See examples/more-situations.md (companion, suspend).