Connive

Connive is a keyword action introduced in Streets of New Capenna as the signature Obscura mechanic. 
==Description==
Connive is the mechanic for the Obscura, the family on New Capenna. The Obscura use magic to manipulate and distract, always looking for a more advantageous position. Connive can put you in a more advantageous position, both in terms of creature strength and hand quality.
If a creature you control is instructed to connive, you draw a card and discard a card. This might help you find the land you need, or later in the game might let you trade away an unneeded land while getting to your game-ending threats a little quicker. If you discard a nonland card, you put a +1/+1 counter on the creature that connived.
A creature can connive even if it's not still on the battlefield. So, if e.g. <c>Psychic Pickpocket</c> dies in response to its own triggered ability, you'll still get to draw and discard. Its ability to bounce a nonland permanent also happens, as it is one ability with a reflexive trigger on the connive. 
Connive functions similarly to Explore, with the player making the decisions for the action, while the creature performing the ability is the recipient of its counters. It exchanges the chance of raw card advantage for a much greater degree of agency in the outcome.
===Connive N===
Connive N is a variant of connive. If a creature connives N, its controller will draw N cards, discard N cards, then put a number of +1/+1 counters on the conniving permanent equal to the number of nonland cards discarded this way.
===History===
Connive was reused in Transformers, Lost Caverns Commander and Modern Horizons 3.
==Rules==
==Rulings==
* Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
*If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
*If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.
==Examples==
==Trivia==
*<c>Raffine, Scheming Seer</c>, <c>Mask of the Schemer</c> and <c>Spymaster's Vault</c> are the only cards that use Connive N.
*, , and are the only cards that let non-attacking creatures connive.
==References==