A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 12 March 2013
Seppuku Rulebook
"An act of ritual suicide. If an effect directs a Personality to commit seppuku, apply the following effects: “Rehonor the Personality, then destroy him; these effects will not be negated.”
Additionally, all players have an Open ability ordering their dishonorable Courtier, Samurai and Shugenja Personalities to seppuku (see Player Abilities).
Seppuku counts as destruction and rehonoring, from the action or trait that created the seppuku, for purposes of things that check whether these effects have happened."
Kitsuki Judgment
"Choose your performing unbowed Magistrate, target a Human Personality, and pay Gold equal to his unit's total Gold Cost, +8 unless he is dishonorable, Kolat, Ninja, or Shadowlands: He commits seppuku."
Now my question is ordinarily berserkers, monks, oni's, etc. can't use the open action per the rule book to commit seppuku. If berserker's can't normally commit seppuku normally how does Kitsuki Judgment get around that? Is it since the action on Kitsuki Judgment is an effect as prescribed in sentence one that the open action in sentence two applying who may commit seppuku doesn't apply?
Jon Palmer (rules official), 12 March 2013
Seppuku Rulebook
"An act of ritual suicide. If an effect directs a Personality to commit seppuku, apply the following effects: “Rehonor the Personality, then destroy him; these effects will not be negated.”
Additionally, all players have an Open ability ordering their dishonorable Courtier, Samurai and Shugenja Personalities to seppuku (see Player Abilities).
Seppuku counts as destruction and rehonoring, from the action or trait that created the seppuku, for purposes of things that check whether these effects have happened."
Kitsuki Judgment
"Choose your performing unbowed Magistrate, target a Human Personality, and pay Gold equal to his unit's total Gold Cost, +8 unless he is dishonorable, Kolat, Ninja, or Shadowlands: He commits seppuku."
Now my question is ordinarily berserkers, monks, oni's, etc. can't use the open action per the rule book to commit seppuku. If berserker's can't normally commit seppuku normally how does Kitsuki Judgment get around that? Is it since the action on Kitsuki Judgment is an effect as prescribed in sentence one that the open action in sentence two applying who may commit seppuku doesn't apply?
Because of the word "additionally".
Order Seppuku is a player ability that can only be used with samurai, shugenja and courtiers.
However, Order Seppuku is not the only way a Personality can commit seppuku. Card effects, such as Kitsuki Judgment and Remorseful Seppuku, can also apply the effects of seppuku, as stated on line 1. And those effects are not limited to certain keywords, as the Order Seppuku player ability is.