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, 13 May 2008
Seppuku
An act of ritual suicide. If an effect directs a Personality to commit seppuku, apply the following effects: “Rehonor the Personality, then destroy him; these effects can not be negated.”
Additionally, all players have the following ability.
Reaction: Any number of times per turn, before you lose Honor from an action that targeted or was performed by one of your Courtier or Samurai Personalities: He commits seppuku. If the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss to one.
I have a question. If Seppuku cannot be negated, then why does it have "If the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss to one." Wouldnt it be :he commits Seppuku, reduce the honor loss to one" Or is there a specific reason why it is written how it is?
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 13 May 2008
If Seppuku cannot be negated, then why does it have "If the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss to one." Wouldnt it be :he commits Seppuku, reduce the honor loss to one" Or is there a specific reason why it is written how it is?
We rules guys try to avoid delving into design processes in this forum.
Is there a situation that you have found where there is a functional difference?
Roger Giner-Sorolla (rules official), 14 May 2008
There are some times where a Personality dies between the time he is targeted by the action and the Honor loss occurs. We figured you can't Seppuku while an Oni is eating your head.