Bayushi Nomen and Determination

L5R CCG Rules board, 16 March 2009

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, 16 March 2009

I'd like to get a clarification on this so that I have an answer for my opponents when this happens again.

My opponent attacks with dishonored Moshi Nakata I defend with Bayushi Nomen and Bayushi Paneki - exp 4.

Opponent uses Naval, plays "Determination" and targets Moshi Nakata and Bayushi Paneki - exp 4 with "Knowledge".

My main question has to do with the targeting and Determination. While the rules wiki states that "can not" or "cannot" is a negation of certain types of effects or costs, it also states that it is a restriction on the legality of things like targeting, entering play, etc.. This leads me to the understanding that, while Determination stops me from changing targeting and negating effects, my opponent would be unable to legally target any of my army due to Bayushi Nomen's trait, even with determination, since 1) the targets are never changed, they are just illegal. 2) the effect isn't negated, it never happens, because legal targets are never established.

Is this a correct interpretation?

From the Rules Wiki: Cannot 1. When found in card text, and when referring to a type of cost or effect (e.g., bowing, Force bonuses), “cannot” (or "can not") means that a certain type of effect or cost is negated whenever it occurs. .... EXCEPTION: In card text, when referring to entering play, targeting, attaching, using a trait, or taking an action, "cannot" is a restriction on the legality of that thing in the first place, not negation of its effects. [Targeting added, 21 November 2007]

Bayushi Nomen Scorpion Clan • Samurai • Courtier Actions performed by Personalities who were dishonorable when the action was announced can not target Nomen or Personalities in Nomen's army.

A player, 16 March 2009

Opponent uses Naval, plays "Determination" and targets Moshi Nakata and Bayushi Paneki - exp 4 with "Knowledge".

Not legal. The Good Faith Rule forbids your opponent to play Knowledge, because it compels him to "be able to target all required targets", which he can't do.

Indeed Knowledge would be performed by your opponent's dishonorable Moshi Nakata, thus your Bayushi Nomen's trait would forbid your opponent to target any Personalities in Nomen's army. Since Knowledge has a second required target (a Personality opposing the performer) that your opponent could never choose, the Good Faith Rule forbids him to play Knowledge.

Determination does not matter here: it would be played after Knowledge is announced but Knowledge is never announced since it is not legal to play, so Determination cannot be played.

A player, 16 March 2009

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=74660

I don't believe I understand. For, it has been said that I can use Determination to destroy Sozen, but I cannot use Determination to target a nomen effected card with a dishonored personality. Why is one negation different than another? Determination is played before targets are selected. As far as I am believing, you may play a card with the understanding that any or all of its effects will fail. Therefore, when you determine the card, before you target, then it gets around negation, thus allowing it to target from a dishonored personality. This seems to be the fundamental reason to use Determination.

Brook Cunningham (rules official), 16 March 2009

http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=74660

I don't believe I understand. For, it has been said that I can use Determination to destroy Sozen, but I cannot use Determination to target a nomen effected card with a dishonored personality. Why is one negation different than another?

Because Sozen's instance of "cannot" IS negation, but Nomen's is NOT.

See here, point "1." and the "EXCEPTION" within it.