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, 18 July 2010
Proper Deference Political Reaction: Before a turn ends, if the active player has gained 8 or more Honor this turn, excluding gains from battle resolution: Set his Family Honor equal to its value when the turn began. Draw a card.
Hidden Scandal Open: From now until the turn ends, after a player gains 5 total Honor from his own card effects, negate his further gains from such effects, and after he looses 5 total Honor from other players' card effects, negate his further losses from such effects.
Let's say I gain 10 honor during my action phase, then I drop a Hidden Scandal. I can no longer gain honor from my own cards.
If my opponent drops a Proper Deference, is my loss capped at 5, so I end the turn with 5 more honor than I started?
(I'm assuming this ruling applies: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=83515&p=1097583&hilit=hidden+scandal#p1097573)
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 18 July 2010
I gain 10 honor during my action phase, then I drop a Hidden Scandal. If my opponent drops a Proper Deference, is my loss capped at 5, so I end the turn with 5 more honor than I started?
Looks correct.
A player, 20 July 2010
http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=85090&p=1122030&hilit=proper+deference+hidden+scandal#p1122030
With reference to this ruling. Just to expand a bit to be clear, using the same example, lets say I start the turn at 20 honor. Then I gain 10 honor from various actions, i use Hidden Scandal to myself, and during dynasty phase, I bring a personality into play, gaining 4 honor, making my honor 34.
If my opponent uses Proper Deference, my new honor will be at 29 correct?
A player, 22 July 2010
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=85090#p1122819
The Thriving Light Reaction: Before an action's resolution: Until that resolution ends, reduce the next Honor gain or loss by 5 (minimum zero).
With reference to the same question/scenario. My honor at 20, gained 10, played hidden scandal, gain 4 honor from peep, opponent play proper deference, then if i were to play Thriving light to negate the loss? Because Proper deference creates -14 honor loss. So:
a) I negate the first 5 honor loss, but doesn't trigger hidden scandal, so i still lose another 5 (due to -9 honor loss balance), making my honor 29. b) I negate the first 5 honor loss, hidden scandal considers as triggered, so i do not lose honor. making my honor 34.
I'm more inclined to say it's scenario (a), but I'm checking with you guys to be sure.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 22 July 2010
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=85090#p1122819
The Thriving Light Reaction: Before an action's resolution: Until that resolution ends, reduce the next Honor gain or loss by 5 (minimum zero).
With reference to the same question/scenario. My honor at 20, gained 10, played hidden scandal, gain 4 honor from peep, opponent play proper deference, then if i were to play Thriving light to negate the loss? Because Proper deference creates -14 honor loss. So:
a) I negate the first 5 honor loss, but doesn't trigger hidden scandal, so i still lose another 5 (due to -9 honor loss balance), making my honor 29. b) I negate the first 5 honor loss, hidden scandal considers as triggered, so i do not lose honor. making my honor 34.
I'm more inclined to say it's scenario (a), but I'm checking with you guys to be sure.
It's SORT OF your scenario "a)".
The mild catch is that The Thriving Light isn't negation, it's a reduction. But otherwise, you're correct. Before you lose the 14 Honor, it'll reduce your -14 from Proper Deference to -9, then you'll lose 5 of that nine, which will then trigger Hidden Scandal and the remaining -4 will be negated.