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, 10 May 2008
Reads:
Focus effect: If your personality in this duel is Unicorn Clan: Lose 2 Honor. When this duel resolves, the other player wins and you lose. Negate any effects for losing this duel.
I've read this card multiple times and according to the way it's worded, I can use this card's focus effect with any personality, not just a unicorn clan person. The constraint is that it causes a unicorn personality 2 honor loss, but the effect is completely independant of the clan. Correct?
Also Strength on Shadow Style is worded the same in the constraint block, allowing it to be played regardless of the personalities clan alignment.
(Other Style cards have a differant wording where their clan alignment is required in the constraint block, so can only be used by the corrisponding clan.)
Judges at the Nebraska Koeti said it's not usable for anyone other than the implied clan, but the actual wording says otherwise and I wanted to get a higher level of clarificication on these cards.
Edit: From the rules regarding traits
Traits
Example of a trait: After a card’s keywords come its traits. These are one or more sentences that tell you, in detail, the card’s additional capabilities or restrictions. Each sentence that ends in a period between the keywords and the card’s abilities or flavor text (if any) is a separate trait.
Doesn't this apply? The first part says if unicorn clan: lose 2 honor [period] When this duel resolves... Because of the period it is two seperate traits, the first effects only a unicorn clan personality, the second effects any personality you have in the duel.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 10 May 2008
Crosswinds Cut: according to the way it's worded, I can use this card's focus effect with any personality, not just a unicorn clan person. The constraint is that it causes a unicorn personality 2 honor loss, but the effect is completely independant of the clan. Correct?
Incorrect.
http://rules.l5r.com/Card_features#Abilities (Yes, I know this is discussing a Focus effect, which is a trait, not an ability, but the traits section doesn't really talk about constraints block very much): "B. Conditions. Some conditions are restrictions, limiting when the action can be taken (such as, “If you control no Courtiers”)." (Emphasis added.)
Nowhere is it implied that constraints only apply to the first effect.
A player, 10 May 2008
krypt_ronin wrote: Crosswinds Cut: according to the way it's worded, I can use this card's focus effect with any personality, not just a unicorn clan person. The constraint is that it causes a unicorn personality 2 honor loss, but the effect is completely independant of the clan. Correct? Incorrect.
http://rules.l5r.com/Card_features#Abilities (Yes, I know this is discussing a Focus effect, which is a trait, not an ability, but the traits section doesn't really talk about constraints block very much): "B. Conditions. Some conditions are restrictions, limiting when the action can be taken (such as, “If you control no Courtiers”)." (Emphasis added.)
Nowhere is it implied that constraints only apply to the first effect.
From the rules regarding traits
Traits
Example of a trait: After a card’s keywords come its traits. These are one or more sentences that tell you, in detail, the card’s additional capabilities or restrictions. Each sentence that ends in a period between the keywords and the card’s abilities or flavor text (if any) is a separate trait.
Doesn't this apply? The first part says if unicorn clan: lose 2 honor [period] When this duel resolves... Because of the period it is two seperate traits, the first trait effects only a unicorn clan personality, the second trait effects any personality you have in the duel.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 10 May 2008
krypt_ronin wrote: Crosswinds Cut: according to the way it's worded, I can use this card's focus effect with any personality, not just a unicorn clan person. The constraint is that it causes a unicorn personality 2 honor loss, but the effect is completely independant of the clan. Correct? Incorrect.
http://rules.l5r.com/Card_features#Abilities (Yes, I know this is discussing a Focus effect, which is a trait, not an ability, but the traits section doesn't really talk about constraints block very much): "B. Conditions. Some conditions are restrictions, limiting when the action can be taken (such as, “If you control no Courtiers”)." (Emphasis added.)
Nowhere is it implied that constraints only apply to the first effect.
From the rules regarding traits
Traits
Example of a trait: After a card’s keywords come its traits. These are one or more sentences that tell you, in detail, the card’s additional capabilities or restrictions. Each sentence that ends in a period between the keywords and the card’s abilities or flavor text (if any) is a separate trait.
Doesn't this apply? The first part says if unicorn clan: lose 2 honor [period] When this duel resolves... Because of the period it is two seperate traits, the first trait effects only a unicorn clan personality, the second trait effects any personality you have in the duel.
I don't think so, but I am sure there will be discussion in the Rules Junta about it.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 11 May 2008
The Rules Junta is in agreement with the rulings above. One reason is that if each sentence was a separate trait, the references to "this duel" would be nonsensical. We are still in discussion about how to clean up the general ruling.