Goldberry, River-Daughter + Tom Bombadil

AI draft — not yet human-reviewed. Check citations and flag anything that looks wrong. How pages are reviewed.

Overview

If you control Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, River-Daughter, Goldberry’s activated abilities can move lore counters on and off Sagas you control, and those moves immediately change the number of lore counters among Sagas you control — which can cause Tom Bombadil to gain or lose hexproof and indestructible as that total crosses the four-counter threshold [2023-06-16] and [112.10]. Goldberry moving counters doesn’t itself cause a Saga’s final chapter ability to resolve (Tom’s tutor triggers only when a final chapter ability actually resolves) [2023-06-16]. Resolution and target legality follow the normal rules for activated abilities [608.2b], and the physical act of “moving” a counter is removal from one permanent then putting it onto another (so any abilities watching counters being removed or put on will see those events) [2023-06-16].

The StackRules & CitationsDetails & Edge Cases

Step 1

Activate Goldberry’s first ability by tapping it and targeting another permanent you control that has counters; choose the target when activating.

Step 2

When that ability resolves, one counter of each kind on the target that Goldberry doesn’t already have is removed from the target and then put onto Goldberry [2023-06-16]; those are separate "remove" then "put" events and may cause triggered abilities that watch counters to see removal and/or placement.

Step 3

If any of the counters moved were lore counters on Sagas you control, the total number of lore counters among Sagas you control changes immediately; Tom’s static ability granting hexproof and indestructible will begin or end applying as that total crosses the four-counter threshold [2023-06-16] and [112.10].

Step 4

Activate Goldberry’s second ability by paying and tapping (target another permanent you control) if you want to move counters from Goldberry onto that target; you choose which one or more counters to move as the ability resolves (you can’t choose to move counters that aren’t there).

Step 5

When the second ability resolves, remove the chosen counters from Goldberry and put them onto the target permanent; if you moved one or more counters, you draw a card. If no counters could be moved, you don’t draw a card [608.2c], [608.2d], [2023-06-16].

Step 6

If a target is illegal on resolution (for example, it left the battlefield or is no longer a permanent you control), the activated ability is countered under the normal target legality rule [608.2b].

Resolution

Goldberry can move lore counters between itself and your Saga(s). When lore counters are moved off Sagas, the count of "lore counters among Sagas you control" decreases; when lore counters are moved onto Sagas, that count increases. Tom Bombadil’s static ability that grants hexproof and indestructible applies or stops applying immediately as that count becomes four or drops below four (continuous-effect/ability interaction) [2023-06-16] and [112.10]. Moving counters with Goldberry will not trigger Tom’s Saga-tutor triggered ability unless an actual final chapter ability of a Saga you control resolves — moving counters is not the same event as a Saga’s final chapter ability resolving [2023-06-16]. If Goldberry’s activated ability’s target is illegal on resolution, the ability is countered under the normal target legality rules [608.2b].