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, 2 May 2008
k, question for clarification.
Assigning Blame. Text - Text Political Reaction: After one of your Personalities is destroyed, if you control a Courtier: Dishonor a target Personality. His controller loses 3 Honor; this loss can be negated but not reduced.
If this card is played, and the opponent has no personalities in play, can the honor loss still occur? "His controller loses 3 Honor", and the only targetable personalities to dishonor belong to the player who plays the card.
My apologies for wasting time with my newb questions~
Martin Lund (rules official), 2 May 2008
k, question for clarification.
Assigning Blame. Text - Text Political Reaction: After one of your Personalities is destroyed, if you control a Courtier: Dishonor a target Personality. His controller loses 3 Honor; this loss can be negated but not reduced.
If this card is played, and the opponent has no personalities in play, can the honor loss still occur? "His controller loses 3 Honor", and the only targetable personalities to dishonor belong to the player who plays the card.
My apologies for wasting time with my newb questions~
If you don't have anyone to target, you can't play the card.
Of course, you have to have a Courtier to play the card in the first place.
So, if push cames to shove, you'd wind up targeting your Courtier, dishonoring him, and losing the 3 honor yourself.
Generally, it isn't a good idea to play Assigning Blame against your own Personalities, though.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 2 May 2008
My apologies for wasting time with my newb questions
Just like to add that's what we're here for. We are happy to help. Particularly if you've searched the rules forum and checked out the comprehensive rules already.