General Rulings - 117

• 117.1 - Each player begins the game with a life total of 20. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 117.1a - In a Two-Headed Giant game, each team begins the game with a shared life total of 30 instead; see Rule 806, "Two-Headed Giant Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 117.1b - In a Vanguard game, each player begins the game with a starting life total of 20, as modified by his or her vanguard card's life modifier. See Rule 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 117.1c - In an EDH game, each player begins the game with a starting life total of 40 instead; see Rule 903, "EDH." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 117.2 - Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.3 - If an effect causes a player to gain life or lose life, that player's life total is adjusted accordingly. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.4 - If a cost or effect allows a player to pay an amount of life greater than 0, the player may do so only if his or her life total is greater than or equal to the amount of the payment. If a player pays life, the payment is subtracted from his or her life total. (Players can always pay 0 life.) [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.4a - If a cost or effect allows a player to pay an amount of life greater than 0 in a Two-Headed Giant game, the player may do so only if his or her team's life total is greater than or equal to the total amount of life both team members are paying for that cost or effect. If a player pays life, the payment is subtracted from his or her team's life total. (Players can always pay 0 life.) [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.5 - If an effect sets a player's life total to a specific number, the player gains or loses the necessary amount of life to end up with the new total. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.6 - If a player has 0 or less life, that player loses the game as a state-based action. See Rule 704. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 117.7 - If an effect says that a player can't gain life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player who has a higher life total; in that case, the exchange won't happen. In addition, a cost that involves having that player gain life can't be paid, and a replacement effect that would replace a life gain event affecting that player won't do anything. [CompRules 2009/07/08]