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, 27 August 2014
Could you please clarify the definition of numerals as used by the Alchemy Lab card? In English, numeral has a few different definitions. I typically understand it to refer to the Arabic numerals. And this seems to be the case from the italicized text. However, the card specifies "positive numeral," but there are no such things as negative Arabic numerals.
With that in mind:
Can I increase the numeral 1 to 2 in the number 10 resulting in the card reading 20?
Can I increase the numeral 1 to 2 in the number -1 resulting in the Spell reading as -2?
Jon Palmer (rules official), 24 September 2014
Could you please clarify the definition of numerals as used by the Alchemy Lab card? In English, numeral has a few different definitions. I typically understand it to refer to the Arabic numerals. And this seems to be the case from the italicized text. However, the card specifies "positive numeral," but there are no such things as negative Arabic numerals.
With that in mind:
Can I increase the numeral 1 to 2 in the number 10 resulting in the card reading 20?
Can I increase the numeral 1 to 2 in the number -1 resulting in the Spell reading as -2?
No, and no.
In L5R, "numeral" refers to a number written as a number, rather than as a word. "One" is not a numeral, "1" is a numeral. "Three Fifty Seven" is not a numeral, "357" is a numeral.
If you use Alchemy Lab on the numeral 10, it will increase to 11.
You may not use Alchemy Lab on the numeral -1, as it is a negative numeral, not a positive numeral.