Witchbane orb grants a player hexproof which will prevent Bojuka Bog from targetting them. Bog targets a player rather than a player's GY which is kind of unintuitive.
Ground Seal doesn't interact with Kathril. Only cards that specifically use the word 'target' actually target and since kathril doesn't he is unaffected by hexproof/Ground seal type effects.
Ground Seal says that "[c]ards in graveyards can't be the targets of spells or abilities". Thus, abilities like Bojuka Bog's triggered ability can still target a player despite Ground Seal, and the ability can still exile all cards from that player's graveyard despite Ground Seal, since that ability doesn't target those cards (compare Bojuka Bog with Surgical Extraction) (C.R. 115.1d).
However, Witchbane Orb says "You have hexproof" meaning that "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control" (C.R. 702.11c). Thus, in the same situation, Bojuka Bog's triggered ability can't target you if you control Witchbane Orb and Bojuka Bog entered the battlefield under the control of an opponent of yours (C.R. 109.5).
Note that no spells or abilities can target a graveyard rather than a player.
If a card or it's ability refers to a particular card in the graveyard, the top card for example without using the word 'target', it's activation or effect won't be stopped by ground seal, correct?
For example...If a player activates alms, ground seal still wouldn't prevent that top card from being exiled while still preventing the damage because specifying isn't technically the same as targeting even if seems counter-intuitive, and the intent and result of the instruction is the same? Just double checking
If a card or it's ability refers to a particular card in the graveyard, the top card for example without using the word 'target', it's activation or effect won't be stopped by ground seal, correct?
Correct. Ground Seal affects only spells and abilities that target cards in graveyards (examples include Surgical Extraction and soulshift [C.R. 702.45a]); it doesn't necessarily apply to all spells and abilities that affect or refer to cards in graveyards (e.g., Tormod's Crypt, Anurid Scavenger) (C.R. 115.10, especially C.R. 115.10a).
For example...If a player activates alms, ground seal still wouldn't prevent that top card from being exiled while still preventing the damage because specifying isn't technically the same as targeting even if seems counter-intuitive, and the intent and result of the instruction is the same? Just double checking
Correct. Alms's ability targets only a "creature" (that is, a creature on the battlefield), not a card in a graveyard (C.R. 108.1, 109.2), so it won't be affected by Ground Seal.
If a card or it's ability refers to a particular card in the graveyard, the top card for example without using the word 'target', it's activation or effect won't be stopped by ground seal, correct?
Correct. Ground Seal affects only spells and abilities that target cards in graveyards (examples include Surgical Extraction and soulshift [C.R. 702.45a]); it doesn't necessarily apply to all spells and abilities that affect or refer to cards in graveyards (e.g., Tormod's Crypt, Anurid Scavenger) (C.R. 115.10, especially C.R. 115.10a).
For example...If a player activates alms, ground seal still wouldn't prevent that top card from being exiled while still preventing the damage because specifying isn't technically the same as targeting even if seems counter-intuitive, and the intent and result of the instruction is the same? Just double checking
Correct. Alms's ability targets only a "creature" (that is, a creature on the battlefield), not a card in a graveyard (C.R. 108.1, 109.2), so it won't be affected by Ground Seal.
Cool, thanks. That's what I suspected.
The oracle text of Alms still confuses me slightly.
Why was the word target even added?
As printed, it was able to prevent damage to creatures which have protection from white, but the new wording would seem to prevent that.
Why was "any creature" too ambiguous as printed?
Couldn't the oracle text have been changed to "prevent 1 damage to the next creature which would be dealt damage this turn" instead?
Was it such a flavor fail to give alms to a black knight?
I'm just baffled why the oracle text would be adjusted to create such a functional change differing from how that card was originally intended and designed to function. It's more of a curiosity, but if anyone knows why it would be helpful and appreciated.
Cool, thanks. That's what I suspected.
The oracle text of Alms still confuses me slightly.
Why was the word target even added?
As printed, it was able to prevent damage to creatures which have protection from white, but the new wording would seem to prevent that.
Why was "any creature" too ambiguous as printed?
Couldn't the oracle text have been changed to "prevent 1 damage to the next creature which would be dealt damage this turn" instead?
Was it such a flavor fail to give alms to a black knight?
I'm just baffled why the oracle text would be adjusted to create such a functional change differing from how that card was originally intended and designed to function. It's more of a curiosity, but if anyone knows why it would be helpful and appreciated.
Questions asking why a particular card (Alms in this case) is worded a particular way, when another wording is claimed to be better, are out of scope for this forum. Try asking this in the Magic General forum. In any case, a card's wording is determined by its Oracle text, not what is printed on the card (C.R. 108.1). (See also Shaman en-Kor, by the way, whose Oracle text not only has "target" in both its abilities, but also has the additional creature types Shaman and Kor [C.R. 108.1].)
Ground Seal doesn't interact with Kathril. Only cards that specifically use the word 'target' actually target and since kathril doesn't he is unaffected by hexproof/Ground seal type effects.
However, Witchbane Orb says "You have hexproof" meaning that "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control" (C.R. 702.11c). Thus, in the same situation, Bojuka Bog's triggered ability can't target you if you control Witchbane Orb and Bojuka Bog entered the battlefield under the control of an opponent of yours (C.R. 109.5).
Note that no spells or abilities can target a graveyard rather than a player.
For example...If a player activates alms, ground seal still wouldn't prevent that top card from being exiled while still preventing the damage because specifying isn't technically the same as targeting even if seems counter-intuitive, and the intent and result of the instruction is the same? Just double checking
I used to be a demigod, but now I'm an omnimage
Correct. Ground Seal affects only spells and abilities that target cards in graveyards (examples include Surgical Extraction and soulshift [C.R. 702.45a]); it doesn't necessarily apply to all spells and abilities that affect or refer to cards in graveyards (e.g., Tormod's Crypt, Anurid Scavenger) (C.R. 115.10, especially C.R. 115.10a).
Correct. Alms's ability targets only a "creature" (that is, a creature on the battlefield), not a card in a graveyard (C.R. 108.1, 109.2), so it won't be affected by Ground Seal.
Cool, thanks. That's what I suspected.
The oracle text of Alms still confuses me slightly.
Why was the word target even added?
As printed, it was able to prevent damage to creatures which have protection from white, but the new wording would seem to prevent that.
Why was "any creature" too ambiguous as printed?
Couldn't the oracle text have been changed to "prevent 1 damage to the next creature which would be dealt damage this turn" instead?
Was it such a flavor fail to give alms to a black knight?
I'm just baffled why the oracle text would be adjusted to create such a functional change differing from how that card was originally intended and designed to function. It's more of a curiosity, but if anyone knows why it would be helpful and appreciated.
I used to be a demigod, but now I'm an omnimage