Since sacrificing is part of the cost of Spore Frog's ability, without other "helper" cards such as Grand Abolisher or Rest In Peace on the battlefield, there's no easy way to exile Spore Frog with something like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile (unless the card has Split Second) regardless of whether you attempt to exile Spore Frog before or after it activates its ability, correct?
In general, if you control Spore Frog and a spell is cast or an ability activated that would remove Spore Frog from the battlefield (such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile), you can activate Spore Frog's ability (and sacrifice Spore Frog to pay for that ability) in response to that spell or ability, so that Spore Frog will be an illegal target of that spell or ability (if it targeted Spore Frog) and otherwise won't be affected by it (C.R. 117.7, 608.2b). Note that you can activate Spore Frog's ability even after the combat phase of a given turn.
Also, while you're activating an ability (such as Spore Frog's), no player has priority, so no other player can cast spells or activate abilities (including those that would keep you from paying the ability's costs) (C.R. 601.2a-i and 602.2a-b have no priority window until the ability is activated; C.R. 117.1a-b). It follows that if you sacrifice a creature as you pay the cost of an ability, that creature will leave the battlefield before any player gets priority again (e.g., to cast spells such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile) (C.R. 701.16a, 117.1a). See also this thread.
If I had Grand Abolisher in play on my side, that WOULD prevent my opponent from activating Spore Frog's ability on my turn, correct? And playing Disallow in response to the Spore Frog activating its ability would NOT work because the sacrifice is part of the cost, correct?
If I had Grand Abolisher in play on my side, that WOULD prevent my opponent from activating Spore Frog's ability on my turn, correct?
Yes.
And playing Disallow in response to the Spore Frog activating its ability would NOT work because the sacrifice is part of the cost, correct?
No. Disallow targets the ability on the stack, and that ability does not vanish just because its source is gone, it exists independently of its source. You do not target the ability on the source, but an object on the stack created from it. So you can in fact disallow the Frog's ability after activation so long as it hasn't resolved yet.
And playing Disallow in response to the Spore Frog activating its ability would NOT work because the sacrifice is part of the cost, correct?
Rezzahan is correct, though given the nature of your initial question I think it's worth pointing out that Disallow would only cancel the 'prevent combat damage' effect that comes after the colon. Spore Frog would already be in the graveyard.
Essentially playing a spell works like this...
1. You have priority
2. You cast the spell, selecting targets and paying costs (which may include tapping lands)
3. The spell goes on the stack, you have priority again. Nobody has had any chance to react to your spell yet.
4. You pass priority and each player is given priority in turn order, until someone uses priority to cast a spell or activate an ability, or everyone has passed priority in sequence. This is the point at which someone would actually be able to 'respond' to the ability, and this is what is meant when someone says "in response I (action)".
Using abilities works the same way as casting a spell, and everything in an ability before the colon (i.e. "sacrifice spore frog:") is a cost to activate the ability. As a cost it is 'paid', and the frog placed into your graveyard, as part of step 2 before anyone has had the chance to respond.
Also, while you're activating an ability (such as Spore Frog's), no player has priority, so no other player can cast spells or activate abilities (including those that would keep you from paying the ability's costs) (C.R. 601.2a-i and 602.2a-b have no priority window until the ability is activated; C.R. 117.1a-b). It follows that if you sacrifice a creature as you pay the cost of an ability, that creature will leave the battlefield before any player gets priority again (e.g., to cast spells such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile) (C.R. 701.16a, 117.1a). See also this thread.
Yes.
No. Disallow targets the ability on the stack, and that ability does not vanish just because its source is gone, it exists independently of its source. You do not target the ability on the source, but an object on the stack created from it. So you can in fact disallow the Frog's ability after activation so long as it hasn't resolved yet.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Essentially playing a spell works like this...
1. You have priority
2. You cast the spell, selecting targets and paying costs (which may include tapping lands)
3. The spell goes on the stack, you have priority again. Nobody has had any chance to react to your spell yet.
4. You pass priority and each player is given priority in turn order, until someone uses priority to cast a spell or activate an ability, or everyone has passed priority in sequence. This is the point at which someone would actually be able to 'respond' to the ability, and this is what is meant when someone says "in response I (action)".
Using abilities works the same way as casting a spell, and everything in an ability before the colon (i.e. "sacrifice spore frog:") is a cost to activate the ability. As a cost it is 'paid', and the frog placed into your graveyard, as part of step 2 before anyone has had the chance to respond.
- Rabid Wombat