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, 29 October 2009
I know I'm missing something anywhere, but I can't find an answer right now.
In the example:
Falling Leaf Strike Battle: Target your unbowed Monk: Move him to the current battlefield. Give a target enemy Personality or Follower -3F. Bow it if its Force is now
Can the player move the monk even if there are no units in the enemy side? Or all the targets (including effects) must be completed? His argument is "all the costs are paid", but I think you must have the targets in the effects too to legally play an action.
What's the answer?
P.S.: Sorry about my English.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 29 October 2009
Can the player move the monk even if there are no units in the enemy side?
No.
Or all the targets (including effects) must be completed?
Yes, that's right.
His argument is "all the costs are paid", but I think you must have the targets in the effects too to legally play an action.
You are correct.
P.S.: Sorry about my English.
It was not a problem and my pleasure to have helped you with the issue.
A player, 14 November 2009
according to this: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79834#p1045241 You need to have all effects go off in order for a card to be legal but according to the FAQ: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_FAQ#Is_an_action_legal_if_an_effect_can.27t_happen.3F and the ruling to weigh the cost (http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=77794&p=1020102&hilit=weigh+the+cost#p1020102) all effects do not need to go off in order for a card to be legal. So if the cost is to bow your personality and the effect is to move to the current battle field (that does not say you need to be opposed) and to give an enemy -3F shouldn't the card go off?
Thanks
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 14 November 2009
according to this: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79834#p1045241 You need to have all effects go off in order for a card to be legal
Nope, that's not what was said.
In order for the card to be legal to play, you need to target all the required targets, one of which is an enemy Personality. As you gleaned from the FAQ, whether the effect goes off or not doesn't matter. If the targeted enemy Personality, for example, is under the effects of Shameful Injury and the -3F is negated by that, the other effects of Falling Leaf Strike will still happen.