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, 11 August 2013
Hi folks,
I'm a returning player. Started with Imperial. Left during Spirit Wars, but never completely disconnected. Would occasionally buy clan decks, but didn't have anybody to play with. Now I've finally got a dedicated group together! Hooray! I found the new players a box of nearly 3,000 old cards (old five ring backs) to get the flavor of the game. But to stay modern, we purchased Gempukku clan boxes to play with. Wow! Those suckers are stacked
At any rate, we came away with some questions:
1. Can a bowed personality still equip a spell or item?
2. Can an unbowed attachment on on a bowed personality still use its abilities?
3. Can a bowed personality still be the target of Forging Destiny - text reads "Battle: Choose your performing Personality: Move him home. Straighten his unit if he moved."
4. Temple Fortress - Text - After the first time each turn you bow this card: Gain 1 Honor. Bow this card: Produce 2 Gold. The phrasing on the text caused us some confusion. Is it just that you bow the Temple to receive 1 honor and two gold, but if it gets straightened that same turn, then the player only receives the gold? The word "after" really got everybody mystified.
5. Law of Darkness Dojo stronghold - Text After another player loses Honor from your Battle action: He loses 1 Honor. Okay, so this is a trait, not an ability, right? So it can happen more than once per turn?
Thanks for any help. We really enjoyed playing out of the Gempukku boxes.
Togashi Spukimizu
A player, 11 August 2013
1. Can a bowed personality still equip a spell or item?
Yes, the (traditional) Limited Equip Ability is usable by bowed Personalities. (You may note that the new Equip Battle ability requires an unbowed Shugenja, though)
2. Can an unbowed attachment on on a bowed personality still use its abilities?
Yes, no rule prevents it.
3. Can a bowed personality still be the target of Forging Destiny - text reads "Battle: Choose your performing Personality: Move him home. Straighten his unit if he moved."
Sure. That's also the point of the straightening effect
The rule you're referencing indirectly here (bowed people not performing things) was abandoned long ago, and it doesn't seem like it's going to come back. If the card doesn't specifically require the performer to be unbowed, it can be performed by a bowed card.
4. Temple Fortress - Text - After the first time each turn you bow this card: Gain 1 Honor. Bow this card: Produce 2 Gold. The phrasing on the text caused us some confusion. Is it just that you bow the Temple to receive 1 honor and two gold, but if it gets straightened that same turn, then the player only receives the gold? The word "after" really got everybody mystified.
Yes, what you correctly guessed. The first time you bow the Temple Fortress (either to produce Gold, or to pay for a cost that requires you to bow a holding, Castle, Temple, etc.) you also get 1 Honor. If you somehow straighten it later that turn, you can still get again the gold it produces, but the honor it gives occurs only once per turn.
The "after" is just a trigger, that tells you exactly when is the trait activated (right after bowing the card) and therefore when do you gain the 1 Honor.
5. Law of Darkness Dojo stronghold - Text After another player loses Honor from your Battle action: He loses 1 Honor. Okay, so this is a trait, not an ability, right? So it can happen more than once per turn?
Yes. Say you like it, baby.