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, 28 November 2014
Dear all,
Overpaying is technically impossible. (http://alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... 6#p1447241 ) 1/ So, can I bow a gold producing holding/stronghold to recruit a 0 gold cost card? For example, I control Bookkeeper and can I bow it to recruit The Tower of Vigilance during my dynasty phase in order to trigger the gain of wealth token on the Bookkeeper?
2/ I control the Ring of Water. Can I bow the Secluded Outpost while I recruit Tsiang, the Benevolent in order to use the holding's interrupt?
3/ I have 2 or more gold in my gold pool. Could I trigger any effects to produce gold when want to recruit or play any 2 gold cost card/action?
4/ I control 2 bookkeepers without any tokens. I want to recruit a 3rd copy. Can I bow both of my two Bookkeepers or do I have to check the total gold in my pool at anytime? I would understand that checking my gold pool at anytime means that I bow the first Bookkeeper. I cannot bow the second Bookkeeper because I have already enough gold to recruit the 3rd Bookkeeper because I cannot overpay anything and cannot produce gold with no reasons.
Cards' text: Bookkeeper: Bow: Produce 1 Gold. Give this Holding a +1 Gold Production Wealth token if you are bringing a Holding into play. The Tower of Vigilance: Random 0 gold cost holding. Secluded Outpost: bow: Produce 4 Gold. Tireless Interrupt,(*) : If this Holding bowed to produce Gold to Recruit a Personality, Equip an attachment to him from your hand for 4 less Gold after he enters play. Tsiang, the Benevolent Tsiang enters play ignoring Gold Cost if you control the Ring of Water.
Thanks in advance, Best Regards, Rémi.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 5 January 2015
Dear all,
Overpaying is technically impossible. (http://alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... 6#p1447241 ) 1/ So, can I bow a gold producing holding/stronghold to recruit a 0 gold cost card? For example, I control Bookkeeper and can I bow it to recruit The Tower of Vigilance during my dynasty phase in order to trigger the gain of wealth token on the Bookkeeper?
2/ I control the Ring of Water. Can I bow the Secluded Outpost while I recruit Tsiang, the Benevolent in order to use the holding's interrupt?
3/ I have 2 or more gold in my gold pool. Could I trigger any effects to produce gold when want to recruit or play any 2 gold cost card/action?
4/ I control 2 bookkeepers without any tokens. I want to recruit a 3rd copy. Can I bow both of my two Bookkeepers or do I have to check the total gold in my pool at anytime? I would understand that checking my gold pool at anytime means that I bow the first Bookkeeper. I cannot bow the second Bookkeeper because I have already enough gold to recruit the 3rd Bookkeeper because I cannot overpay anything and cannot produce gold with no reasons.
Cards' text: Bookkeeper: Bow: Produce 1 Gold. Give this Holding a +1 Gold Production Wealth token if you are bringing a Holding into play. The Tower of Vigilance: Random 0 gold cost holding. Secluded Outpost: bow: Produce 4 Gold. Tireless Interrupt,(*) : If this Holding bowed to produce Gold to Recruit a Personality, Equip an attachment to him from your hand for 4 less Gold after he enters play. Tsiang, the Benevolent Tsiang enters play ignoring Gold Cost if you control the Ring of Water.
Thanks in advance, Best Regards, Rémi.
The original ruling in that chain refers to "paying" as actually removing gold from the pool. The OP was attempting to remove 1 gold from the pool while Recruiting a 0G follower, which you may not do.
1. Yes, this will work, as you produced gold while bringing a Holding into play.
2. Secluded Outpost doesn't have the best wording, but since the gold is not being used to bring the Personality into play, you may not use its trait.
3. Yes, you may. It will be added to the pool, and then 2G will be subtracted to pay the cost of the action.
4. Yes, you may. See here.
I think the general crux of your questions is coming from the wrong angle. You may still produce more gold than you need; you may not PAY more gold than you need with Recruiting/Equipping.