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 November 2014
From page 19 of the Comprehensive Rules:
"Discard," when referring to cards, has several meanings, all involving the discard pile: By itself, referring to a Fate card: To put a card from one’s own hand into the discard pile. By itself, referring to a Dynasty card: To put a card from one's own Province into the discard pile. A card may also be discarded from other areas than one’s own hand or Provinces, going to the discard pile, but this must be stated explicitly. By default, the phrase "discard a card” refers to discarding a Fate card from hand. The phrase "discard a [card type or keyword]" also refers to discarding from the hand, unless otherwise stated.
Show: To display the face of a face–down card to all other players, then return it to its face–down state.
From Seppun Tasuke
Open, w: Name a number and target another player. After each time his (non-Focused) card with that Focus Value is discarded, gain an Affection token.
From Voice of Experience
Interrupt: After each time the action discards or shows any cards, you may give them +1FV. (Focused cards cannot gain this bonus.)
To TNO now being released, can we get some clarity on the new interpretation of "discard" and how it interacts with cards such as Voice of Experience and Seppun Tasuke? I have tried to lay out specific examples below.
1. Can Voice of Experience be used to increase the focus value of a card my opponent discards for the Favor Limited Action?
2. Can Voice of Experience be used to increase the focus value of a card I force my opponent to discard from Unwelcome Supervision?
3. If Battle of Wits and is interrupted with Voice of Experience to increase their focus value, are the increases in focus values lost before they are totaled (from being face down) or does the cards remain "shown" until all the actions effects resolve?
4. Assume Strike First is interrupted with Voice of Experience. The focus values of each card are increase when they are shown. Do these cards remain "shown" for the next effect where one of them may be discarded? Can Voice of Experience be triggered again on this discarding to increase the focus value of the card again by +1?
5. Assume Kaiu Akemi action is interrupted with Voice of Experience. Is there only 1 opportunity for increasing focus values (when I discard a card), 2 (when I discard a card and my opponent shows a card), or 3 (when I discard a card, my opponent shows a card, and my opponent discards a card). Is there any point in between where the card is shown and discard where the card goes "face-down"?
From the Comprehensive Rules, p 41
Possessive case The possessive case terms such as “your,” “his” or “a player’s” is used in a number of different ways. When referring to the relationship between a player and a card or cards, possessive terms refer to a card in play controlled by the player, or a card out of play owned by the player.
6. Does the "his" in Seppun Tasuke restrict the acquisition of affection tokens to only discarded cards that targeted player owns?
7. Is the reference to "discard" on Seppun Tasuke the same as Voice of Experience and the same in the CR?
8. Is the only valid I can gain affection tokens is if I discard a card my opponent owns from MY hand?
[EDITED: 12/17 for typos, still unanswered]
Jon Palmer (rules official), 20 April 2015
From page 19 of the Comprehensive Rules:
From Seppun Tasuke
From Voice of Experience
To TNO now being released, can we get some clarity on the new interpretation of "discard" and how it interacts with cards such as Voice of Experience and Seppun Tasuke? I have tried to lay out specific examples below.
1. Can Voice of Experience be used to increase the focus value of a card my opponent discards for the Favor Limited Action?
2. Can Voice of Experience be used to increase the focus value of a card I force my opponent to discard from Unwelcome Supervision?
3. If Battle of Wits and is interrupted with Voice of Experience to increase their focus value, are the increases in focus values lost before they are totaled (from being face down) or does the cards remain "shown" until all the actions effects resolve?
4. Assume Strike First is interrupted with Voice of Experience. The focus values of each card are increase when they are shown. Do these cards remain "shown" for the next effect where one of them may be discarded? Can Voice of Experience be triggered again on this discarding to increase the focus value of the card again by +1?
5. Assume Kaiu Akemi action is interrupted with Voice of Experience. Is there only 1 opportunity for increasing focus values (when I discard a card), 2 (when I discard a card and my opponent shows a card), or 3 (when I discard a card, my opponent shows a card, and my opponent discards a card). Is there any point in between where the card is shown and discard where the card goes "face-down"?
From the Comprehensive Rules, p 41
6. Does the "his" in Seppun Tasuke restrict the acquisition of affection tokens to only discarded cards that targeted player owns?
7. Is the reference to "discard" on Seppun Tasuke the same as Voice of Experience and the same in the CR?
8. Is the only valid I can gain affection tokens is if I discard a card my opponent owns from MY hand?
[EDITED: 12/17 for typos, still unanswered]
1. Yes, as this is a discard from hand. 2. Yes, as this is a discard from hand. 3. The cards do not go back to being facedown before the winner is determined. The bonus stays. 4. The cards remain "shown" while the action is resolving ("show" doesn't go away before the next effect). The bonus stays when one is discarded. 5. All 3 of these are triggers for Voice's delayed effect. 6. "His" refers to cards he owns. If he discards a card you own from his hand, it will not trigger Tasuke. 7. Yes, it means the same. 8. You may only gain affection tokens when cards he owns are discarded, but they can be discarded from either player's hand, per the Oracle wording on Tasuke (UPDATED)
A player, 20 April 2015
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=110853
8. You may only gain affection tokens when he discards cards he owns from his hand, per the wording on Tasuke.
Current Oracle text for Seppun Tasuke is: "Name a number and target another player. After each time his (non-Focused) card with that Focus Value is discarded from hand, gain an Affection token."
Does it matter which player's hand the card was discarded from?
For example, I use Doji Takato and end up with my opponent's card in my hand. I discard it later (say, for the Favor ability). His (my opponent) card is being discarded "from hand". Would I get a token?
Alex Jones (rules official), 21 April 2015
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=110853
Current Oracle text for Seppun Tasuke is: "Name a number and target another player. After each time his (non-Focused) card with that Focus Value is discarded from hand, gain an Affection token."
Does it matter which player's hand the card was discarded from?
For example, I use Doji Takato and end up with my opponent's card in my hand. I discard it later (say, for the Favor ability). His (my opponent) card is being discarded "from hand". Would I get a token?
You would get a token - it doesn't matter whose hand the card is discarded from, as long as it's a card your opponent owns.
A player, 21 April 2015
To be perfectly clear, today's latest statement is an official reversal of this prior statement ?
Jon Palmer (rules official), 21 April 2015
To be perfectly clear, today's latest statement is an official reversal of this prior statement ?
Yes, my original ruling for #8 was incorrect, and to quote RGS in Alex's signature, "Alex is exactly right".