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, 21 January 2014
Ok, I'm having the hardest time on this.
If I have a personality who has a weapon, He is unbowed, the weapon is bowed, does the weapon still contribute to the force of the personality for the sake of battle res, fear, ranged, or melee attacks?
I feel like it shouldn't as I know that it doesn't continue to contribute force in the case of followers but after a friend challenged this I just can't for the life of me find the ruling that answers it. Cause if it still contributes I don't see why they have to bow for their actions then if it still contributes force. Seems like there is no downside for it.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 22 January 2014
Ok, I'm having the hardest time on this.
If I have a personality who has a weapon, He is unbowed, the weapon is bowed, does the weapon still contribute to the force of the personality for the sake of battle res, fear, ranged, or melee attacks?
I feel like it shouldn't as I know that it doesn't continue to contribute force in the case of followers but after a friend challenged this I just can't for the life of me find the ruling that answers it. Cause if it still contributes I don't see why they have to bow for their actions then if it still contributes force. Seems like there is no downside for it.
Yes, this is a difference between weapons and followers. It's why followers have 2 force, but weapons give +2 force. They will still add while bowed.