Parallel lives

[Trunksthemighty]

If I have  {Parallel Lives} in play and attack with  {Geist of Saint Traft} does the 2nd angel stay? A few people at my lgs said it does.

[Keyeto]

The extra token will be exiled. {Parallel Lives} modifies Geist's ability to make it produce two tokens. Both are produced by the effect, and both will be exiled by the delayed trigger.

[Paraluke]

Hmmm. I do have an opinion of this. The copied token takes the exact properties of the first token which is a 4/4 flying white angel without other properties. If Geist says "that token" it should refer to one particular token isn't it? Unless it say "exile all tokens produced by this effect"?

In fact, I won't even think the second token comes in tapped and attacking. It is just a duplicate of the first token. The tapped and attacking effect should only apply to the very token that Geist brought in play.

[Keyeto]

The Geist's effect:

"put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Exile that token at end of combat."
is changed to
"put two 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Exile that token at end of combat."

Since it cannot differentiate between the two tokens, as they came from the same source, both will be exiled.

This is addressed in the rulings for {Parallel Lives}:

9/22/2011 If the effect creating the tokens instructs you to do something with those tokens at a later time, like exiling them at the end of combat, you'll do that for all the tokens.

[Paraluke]

Ah. It changes the effective text of the source, not duplicating the tokens.

Ok this I would agree

[MuggyWuggy]

So  {Séance} is no good with trosti etc?

[Keyeto]

So  {Séance} is no good with trosti etc?

Populate works, because the token it creates is completely independent of {Seance}'s effect. With {Parallel Lives}, it modifies the effect of the token generator, so any delayed triggers still apply.

[Kaleo42]

Then by that logic both tokens are attacking since that is an "instruction on what to do with those tokens."

[Keyeto]

Then by that logic both tokens are attacking since that is an "instruction on what to do with those tokens."

They do. All {Parallel Lives} does is modify the number, they still follow the instructions set by the Geist. Tapped and attacking, and then exiled.

[Kaleo42]

All because it's an innistrad effect instead of a ravnican effect. Similar to the different flicker wording in avacyn restored ({cloudshift}) vs. others ({venser the sojourner}).

I havent decided if these little nuances add to the overall experience or undermine the stability and continuity of the game.

[Keyeto]

I think it's just another thing that confuses newer players all the more. Makes you really pay attention to wording though, which I suppose is a good thing.

[Mentonin]

But venser and cloudshift are not just worded differently, they are functionally very different...