In a 3 players game, against Player A and Player B, if you "goad" a creature controlled by Player A.
- If Player B controls a card like: Ghostly Prison, am I correct to assume that Player A's goaded creature can attack you instead of B, as he doesn't have to pay Ghostly Prison's attack tax, but still have to attack (if able)?
- This time, let's assume that Player A cannot attack Player B, however, both Player B and you control a planeswalker, can Player A decides to who to attack: either planeswalker or you, or must he attack a planeswalker if able?
A spell or ability that goads a creature makes the creature goaded by that spell's or ability's controller until that player's next turn (C.R. 701.38a). While the creature is goaded by that player—
it attacks each combat if able, and
it must attack a player other than that player if able
(C.R. 701.38b). For example, in a game with the Attack Multiple Players option (C.R. 802.3) and three players (Player A, Player B, and you), if Goblin Racketeer's ability you control resolves and goads a creature controlled by Player A, that creature must attack if able, and must attack Player B if able, until your next turn (C.R. 802.2, 802.3). Assuming that no other attacking requirements apply:
If Player B controls Ghostly Prison and Player A declines to pay the Ghostly Prison cost for that creature (upon declaring attackers), that creature is not able to attack Player B (so the "must attack a player other than you" requirement can't be fulfilled), but is still required to attack if able, which means it must either attack you or attack a planeswalker controlled by either you or Player B if possible (C.R. 508.1a, 508.1d, 109.5).
If creatures are affected by War Tax's ability and Player A declines to pay the War Tax cost for the goaded creature (upon declaring attackers), that creature is not able to attack at all, so it doesn't attack any player or planeswalker (C.R. 508.1d).
EDIT (Dec. 17, 2019): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jul. 23, 2021): Edited to conform to rule update with Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
EDIT (Jul. 24, 2021): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Aug. 26, 2021): Correctness edit.
- If Player B controls a card like: Ghostly Prison, am I correct to assume that Player A's goaded creature can attack you instead of B, as he doesn't have to pay Ghostly Prison's attack tax, but still have to attack (if able)?
- This time, let's assume that Player A cannot attack Player B, however, both Player B and you control a planeswalker, can Player A decides to who to attack: either planeswalker or you, or must he attack a planeswalker if able?
EDIT (Dec. 17, 2019): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jul. 23, 2021): Edited to conform to rule update with Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
EDIT (Jul. 24, 2021): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Aug. 26, 2021): Correctness edit.