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, 17 December 2014
I am defining "marked" gold as gold designated for a specific use. Of the Strict Ivory cards with marked gold production we have the following:
Colonial Market
Once per turn, produce 1 Gold that can only pay for a single action from your card in play.
Kumite Grounds
Produce 2 Gold that can only pay for a single Kharmic action. Straighten this Holding after your next Dynasty Phase begins.
The Toil of Zokujin
Produce 2 Gold, which can only pay for a single Armor, Mine, or Weapon.
Yasuki Nakura
Produce Gold equal to Nakura's Chi that can only pay for a single Economic action.
Yogo Chijin
Produce Gold equal to Chijin's Chi which can only pay for a single Air or Maho Spell.
Yoritomo Nishigori
Once per turn, if Nishigori is unbowed, produce 3 Gold which can only pay for a single Strategy's action.
Profiteer
Produce 2 Gold, which may only pay for one Economic action's cost.
Ide Aragaki
Produce Gold equal to Aragaki's Personal Honor, which may only pay for one Invest cost.
Here are my questions pertaining to "marked gold":
Question 1: Does marked gold have to be used before "unmarked" gold or do I have a choice?
Example 1: I have 2 unmarked gold in my pool, and bow The Toil of Zokujin to produce 2 marked gold for a single Armor, Mine, or Weapon. I am attempting to purchase a 2 gold cost weapon. Do I have to use the 2 marked gold first or can I use the 2 unmarked gold and save the 2 gold from Zokujin for a later use? If the weapon cost 3 gold instead, can I choose to use 2 unmarked gold and 1 marked gold instead of 1 unmarked gold and 2 marked gold?
Question 2: Can traits that produce marked gold be triggered even with the specific use is currently not being met?
Example 2: I am paying for a follower. Can I use Yoritomo Nishigori trait?
Question 3: When producing "marked" when paying a gold cost, does the unused portion of that gold go into the gold pool as "marked" or is "taxed by the empire"?
Example 3: I have a Yugo Chijin (4 Printed chi) with -2C from Uncertainty. Can I announce the Equip action, bow for Yogo Chijin's trait, equip a follower instead and have 2 gold in the pool that is marked for a single Air Spell?
Question 4: Is the "can only pay for a single" a restriction on the number of uses of the trait per turn?
Example 4: If have used the trait on The Toil of Zokujin once to produce 2 gold, and straighten it again with The Abbot, can I use it's trait again to produce 2 gold?
Question 5: Assuming I have all the above cards in play and trigger all their traits when I announce a equip action and attach a follower (or fail to equip anything), am I correct in that I would have the following marked gold in my gold pool?
1 Gold that can only pay for a single action from your card in play 2 Gold that can only pay for a single Kharmic action 2 Gold which can only pay for a single Armor, Mine, or Weapon 2 Gold that can only pay for a single Economic action 4 Gold which can only pay for a single Air or Maho Spell 3 Gold which can only pay for a single Strategy's action 2 Gold which may only pay for one Economic action's cost (this is especially troubling since "may" - permission - is not the same as "can" - restriction) 2 Gold which may only pay for one Invest cost.
Question 6 (Game Play): How should we track "marked" gold in the gold pool?
Alex Jones (rules official), 26 December 2014
I am defining "marked" gold as gold designated for a specific use. Of the Strict Ivory cards with marked gold production we have the following:
Colonial Market
Kumite Grounds
The Toil of Zokujin
Yasuki Nakura
Yogo Chijin
Yoritomo Nishigori
Profiteer
Ide Aragaki
Here are my questions pertaining to "marked gold":
Question 1: Does marked gold have to be used before "unmarked" gold or do I have a choice?
Example 1: I have 2 unmarked gold in my pool, and bow The Toil of Zokujin to produce 2 marked gold for a single Armor, Mine, or Weapon. I am attempting to purchase a 2 gold cost weapon. Do I have to use the 2 marked gold first or can I use the 2 unmarked gold and save the 2 gold from Zokujin for a later use? If the weapon cost 3 gold instead, can I choose to use 2 unmarked gold and 1 marked gold instead of 1 unmarked gold and 2 marked gold?
Question 2: Can traits that produce marked gold be triggered even with the specific use is currently not being met?
Example 2: I am paying for a follower. Can I use Yoritomo Nishigori trait?
Question 3: When producing "marked" when paying a gold cost, does the unused portion of that gold go into the gold pool as "marked" or is "taxed by the empire"?
Example 3: I have a Yugo Chijin (4 Printed chi) with -2C from Uncertainty. Can I announce the Equip action, bow for Yogo Chijin's trait, equip a follower instead and have 2 gold in the pool that is marked for a single Air Spell?
Question 4: Is the "can only pay for a single" a restriction on the number of uses of the trait per turn?
Example 4: If have used the trait on The Toil of Zokujin once to produce 2 gold, and straighten it again with The Abbot, can I use it's trait again to produce 2 gold?
Question 5: Assuming I have all the above cards in play and trigger all their traits when I announce a equip action and attach a follower (or fail to equip anything), am I correct in that I would have the following marked gold in my gold pool?
1 Gold that can only pay for a single action from your card in play 2 Gold that can only pay for a single Kharmic action 2 Gold which can only pay for a single Armor, Mine, or Weapon 2 Gold that can only pay for a single Economic action 4 Gold which can only pay for a single Air or Maho Spell 3 Gold which can only pay for a single Strategy's action 2 Gold which may only pay for one Economic action's cost (this is especially troubling since "may" - permission - is not the same as "can" - restriction) 2 Gold which may only pay for one Invest cost.
Question 6 (Game Play): How should we track "marked" gold in the gold pool?
Gold which may only be spent on one particular type of payment may only be produced at the time that payment is being made. If it is not immediately spent it is lost.
To this gold produced for that payment you may add any amount of gold from your pool; you may add unspent gold produced at the same time but which has no limitations to your pool.
See Paying Gold Costs.
Question 1: Does marked gold have to be used before "unmarked" gold or do I have a choice? You may use either, but if you don't use the "marked" gold it will be lost.
Question 2: Can traits that produce marked gold be triggered even with the specific use is currently not being met? Yes, but if you don't immediately spend the marked gold on its specific use, it will be lost.
Question 3: When producing "marked" when paying a gold cost, does the unused portion of that gold go into the gold pool as "marked" or is "taxed by the empire"? It is taxed, I mean, lost.
Question 4: Is the "can only pay for a single" a restriction on the number of uses of the trait per turn? No. It is a restriction on what the gold produced at that time can be spent on.
Question 5: Assuming I have all the above cards in play and trigger all their traits when I announce a equip action and attach a follower (or fail to equip anything), am I correct in that I would have the following marked gold in my gold pool? No - none of those types of gold enter your pool.
Question 6 (Game Play): How should we track "marked" gold in the gold pool? It does not enter the pool, and does not need tracking.