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, 22 September 2009
My opponent plays Forging the Gift and tries to attach a weapon to my personality who already has a weapon. Since my personality has no Kensai trait, the weapon cannot be attached. Will my opponent still be able to gain Honor with Forging the Gift?
References:
Forging the Gift:
Political Limited: Target your unbowed Artisan Personality: Create a +2F/+1C Weapon Item and attach it to a target Samurai Personality. Gain 2 Honor, or 4 Honor if the Samurai is controlled by another player.
I am under the impression that legalities should be still observed, and in this case doesn't make sense to me. You pay 2 gold to gain 4 honor just to have the action fail.
A player, 22 September 2009
Will my opponent still be able to gain Honor with Forging the Gift?
No.
In order to play Forging the Gift, there must be at least one Samurai Personality in play that can legally attach the created Weapon, and only such a Personality must be targeted, because of the Good Faith Rule (emphasis added): "If the action involves putting one or more cards into play as a non-optional effect, the player must be able to bring those cards into play legally to meet the Good Faith rule. This includes being able to pay any costs of bringing them into play, and having a Personality who can legally attach any attachments to be brought into play."
A player, 22 September 2009
Greetings! Regarding this: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79272 shouldn't the blind card rule also apply? Forging the gift would not be able to tell whether the personality already has a weapon. As here http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=71499&p=929379&hilit=unwavering+assault#p929379 you can play unwavering assault even though a personality has already been a resolution segment just to straighten him. All possible effects that can happen, will happen. Thank you.
A player, 22 September 2009
shouldn't the blind card rule also apply?
It does. The Blind Cards Rule reads: "When a rule or card text needs to know what an action does or will do, it only takes into account the current text of the action. It does not consider any continuous, ongoing or triggered effects that change the action's effects or cause them to fail." It means that, when a rule or card text needs to know what Forging the Gift's Limited action does or will do, the answer is that it makes its player create +2F/+1C Weapon Item and attach it to a targeted Samurai Personality, then it makes him gain 2 Honor, or 4 Honor if the Samurai is controlled by another player. Indeed it is useful here because the Good Faith Rule needs to know if it will put a card into play.
Forging the gift would not be able to tell whether the personality already has a weapon.
As written in the ruling you quoted, the Good Faith Rule reads: "If the action involves putting one or more cards into play as a non-optional effect, the player must be able to bring those cards into play legally to meet the Good Faith rule. This includes being able to pay any costs of bringing them into play, and having a Personality who can legally attach any attachments to be brought into play." It also reads: "A player cannot announce an action on the basis of a legal card to play, but then choose an illegal attachment or Personality for the actual play choice." At last the Good Faith Rule is not blind: "Aspects of the game state are taken into account in determining legality under the Good Faith Rule".
you can play unwavering assault even though a personality has already been a resolution segment just to straighten him.
Yes, because the Good Faith Rule does not forbid you to do so. The Good Faith Rules does forbid you to play an action that puts a card into play if you know that you will fail or if you intend to make choices that will prevent the card to enter play. You are not allowed to use the Equip ability if you can afford no attachment in your hand, or if all of them are Spells and you control no Shugenja. You are not allowed to play Will if you can afford none of your dead Samurai Personalities. For the same reason, you are not allowed to play Forging the Gift if you intend to target a Personality who cannot attach the created Item.