In Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle, game 7, we ran into a situation with the Basilisk and the Transfiguration proficiency.
If the Basilisk is out, it says we can't draw any additional cards.
The Transfiguration Proficiency says whoever has this proficiency can discard an Item to search our deck for a card with a value of 5 or less and add it to our hand.
Is this allowed under the rules while the Basilisk is out? Can we use our Transfiguration ability to get a card in our deck to put in our hand?
Yes. In many cases like this the right answer can be found by looking for "keywords". In this case the keyword is "draw": the Basilisk does not allow you to "draw" additional cards. If an ability does not use the word "draw" then it is allowed even if it involves adding a card to your hand. In this case, "searching" your deck or discard pile and "adding" a card to your hand is not "drawing" an additional card as the term "draw" is not used. So the answer to the question should be Yes, you can use Transfiguration when the Basilisk is out.
Yes, you can search for cards when the Basilisk is out.
This is confirmed by game designer Andrew Wolf on BGG (although he is talking about the Charms Proficiency, but the meaning seems clear):
Searching your discard pile for a card to put in your hand is not considered drawing, and as such, not prevented by the Basilisk.
BGG User David Jones used that answer when producing a comprehensive FAQ (page 5):
Q: If the Basilisk is in play, do “search” abilities count as card draw?
A: No. As with a previous example regarding “discard,” the word “draw” is also a keyword. In later years, the players will encounter abilities that allow them to search their discard or player deck for a card and put it into their hand. Because these abilities do not use the keyword “draw” they can be used while Basilisk is in play.
