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, 25 September 2008
Ok, I'm aware that you don't lose the game if you fail to find a Legacy.
The Legacy rule reads:
Reaction: After your dynasty Phase ends, if you have brought no Holdings into play this turn, bow your Stronghold: Search your Dynasty deck, then any face-down cards in your provinces,for a Legacy Holding, and put it into play waiving Gold Cost.
Assuming I do this, but do not get a Legacy from my deck. Is there anything that stops me using this each turn simply to see what's in my provinces, therefore knowing where is best to defend/how to play out their turn?
I am aware many would see this as not in the spirit of the game, I am not checking for that reason, I am just looking for how to interpret this rule in these circumstances.
Alex Jones (rules official), 25 September 2008
Is there anything that stops me using this each turn simply to see what's in my provinces, therefore knowing where is best to defend/how to play out their turn?
Yes, this paragraph under Search: If a player searches for a particular description of card and does not select any, the search effect is considered unsuccessful. He or she can not search for that description of card for the rest of the game, even if a card matching that description re-enters the deck or other searched area.
You may search unsuccessfully for a Legacy holding just once.