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
Ok, I understand (for whatever jaded reasons), that if I were to give Sozen negative Chi tokens (eg. via Muketsu), he would not die, as the penalty is caused by another player's action and therefore is negated.
If, however, Muketsu were to give Sozen a total of 2 -2C tokens (therefore putting him on 0 Chi), and was then removed from the game, the game state "forgets" the card. At this point, would the continuous reapplication of -4C on Sozen kill him, as the game cannot see the other player's action that killed him?
I apologise for how poorly worded this question is. I barely understand why Determination + Chi Death doesn't kill Sozen, which is why my wording and self-explanation here is so poor.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 16 March 2009
If, however, Muketsu were to give Sozen a total of 2 -2C tokens (therefore putting him on 0 Chi), and was then removed from the game, the game state "forgets" the card.
On what basis on you saying this? This is not a rhetorical question, I'd really like to know. Because my quick search couldn't find anything saying the source of effects is "wiped" after a card leaves play. Which would mean Hida Sozen (Experienced 2) would not be destroyed if the source of tokens leaves play or the game.
A player, 16 March 2009
With regards to viewtopic.php?f=59&t=74668
If you play a card, and for some reason that card returns to your hand or leaves visible play during that turn, abilities on it actually work again, as the game doesn't remember which card/action was played.
Maybe a better example than Removed from the game could be if Muketsu was shuffled back into my deck. Basically, if the action itself was no longer visible, would the negation on Sozen remember that the Chi tokens are FROM an action, or would the fact that there was no apparent action cause them to then take effect.
I know it's a weird stupid question, and I'm sure I'm thinking too deep into this, or have misunderstood a ruling somewhere. Feel free to shoot me down, since apparently I can understand card interactions, but things that happen based on comprehensive rules I'm terrible at.
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 16 March 2009
If you play a card, and for some reason that card returns to your hand or leaves visible play during that turn, abilities on it actually work again, as the game doesn't remember which card/action was played.
Yes, but the rule (http://rules.l5r.com/Effects#Tracking_rule) doesn't talk about sources of effects being forgotten.
The question, "Did this ability generate tokens?" may not give the same answer as, "How did this token get generated?"