This one is a 3 parter...

1. So the way I play indirect damage actions is that you assign the damage when the action gets onto the stack (since that is when you choose targets) and then apply the damage during action resolution. Is this correct or do you assign and apply damage during action resolution?

2. Does toughness prevent indirect damage occuring from actions?

3. Does toughness prevent indirect damage occuring from forced effects?

1. is interesting, and I could see it argued either way. I'd send it in.

2. toughness is a continuous effect, so yes it will affect actions.

3. toughness is a continuous effect, so yes it will affect forced effects too.

For 1- it's no

Anyway as indirect damage are non combat damage there is no action window between assignation and application of the damage and in your case you can.

For each action that deal damage (indirect or not) damage are applied and assigned during resolution of the action with no action window between.

Shindulus said:

Please give your reasoning (I'm happy to be wrong but I would like to know why I'm wrong).

1 - The more I think about it, the more I believe that indirect damage is assigned during the triggering of an action (meaning when the action gets placed on the stack). Looking at page 15 pf the rulebook:

"All costs must be played (payed?) and any targets must be chosen when the action is triggered , reguardless of whether or not the effect resolves immediately."

The timing from this rule says targets are chosen at the time the action is triggered (ie.: put on the stack), then applied when the LIFO stack is resolved.

2 - Since it says "any targets must be chosen when the action is triggered", this would mean there is a window between assigning indirect damage and applying it (in the case of stacking actions in a LIFO manner). So I think that actions causing indirect damage CAN be canceled by toughness.

3 - Using the same reasoning as 2, since there is no window in forced effects, the damage CANNOT be canceled by toughness.

There is no target for indirected damage (definition)

Target are explicit with the word target in action's description. For exemple blood offering does not target anything but deal damage damage to each target on the battle field.

Thougness applies always on damage (unless damage are uncancellable) no matter if there is an action window or not. Thougness is not an action.

If you prefer the answer to your initial post is :

1- No

2- Yes

3- Yes

Edit : But please at least if you are still not ok read the FAQ about damage.

In your last post you part 3- is writen with too much amalgam between action / forced effect / Thougness

Action are action

Forced are forced and are not action

Thougness is thougness and is not forced or action.

They are all three different things