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, 19 November 2009
Will a ranged attack of 0 force kill a 0 force personality or follower?
For example, let's say I cause Bayushi Maemi to have 0 force, and then use a Ranged 3 attack on her. Her trait gives it -3 strength, but the Ranged Attack strength is still equal to or greater than Maemi's force?
Related, does a Ranged Attack have a minimum strength (Would a Ranged 2 attack have killed Maemi in the above question, since 2 - 3 = -1, but that's counted as 0?)?
Text: Bayushi Maemi Ranged Attacks targeting Maemi have -3 strength
Ranged Attack Target a Follower or a Personality without Followers in the current enemy army. If its Force is equal to or less than X, destroy it.
A player, 19 November 2009
Will a ranged attack of 0 force kill a 0 force personality or follower?
Yes. Per the Glossary, a Ranged 0 Attack means: Target a Follower or a Personality without Followers in the current enemy army. If its Force is equal to or less than 0, destroy it.
Her trait gives it -3 strength, but the Ranged Attack strength is still equal to or greater than Maemi's force?
Indeed, Maemi is destroyed.
does a Ranged Attack have a minimum strength
The current value of the strength of a Ranged Attack can never fall lower than zero.
Glossary, Ranged Attack: "A Ranged Attack’s strength is treated as a stat with regard to bonuses, penalties, and minimums."
Card features, Calculating stats: "To get a stat's current value at any given time, [...] If the total is below 0, treat it as 0, unless the stat is Family Honor, Honor Requirement, or a modifier with a + or – sign such as an Item’s Force and Chi stats."