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, 23 March 2011
I understand that Unstoppable Power only gains you honor for the amount of force lost. I also understand you can target an item with Unstoppable Power.
Here's my question: If an item is reduced to a negative force modifier by Unstoppable Power, how much honor do I gain?
Specifically: Doji Shikishi (0 force) has a Scout Armor attached (+2 force). I use Unstoppable Power with 5 element keywords at the battle, targeting the Scout Armor. According to the rules section about Items' Modifiers, this changes the modifier on the Scout Armor from a +2 to a -3.
Do I gain 5 honor, because the Scout Armor lost 5 force? Or do I instead gain only 2 honor, because Shikishi lost 2 force?
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 23 March 2011
If an item is reduced to a negative force modifier by Unstoppable Power, how much honor do I gain?
"The amount of Force it lost" (card text).
"It" refers to the targeted card, which in this case is the attachment itself, not the Personality.
+2 to -3 is a loss of 5.
A player, 23 March 2011
In reference to: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=89632
I know any future force bonuses/penalties also take that additional -3 into account. However the ACTUAL force never goes below zero. Since the honour gain is dependent on how much force is lost, and only 2 force is lost, surely only 2 honour would be gained?
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 23 March 2011
In reference to: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=89632
I know any future force bonuses/penalties also take that additional -3 into account. However the ACTUAL force never goes below zero. Since the honour gain is dependent on how much force is lost, and only 2 force is lost, surely only 2 honour would be gained?
Whoops! I missed this:
"http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_types#Items: "If something in the game needs to check an Item’s Force or Chi separately from its Personality’s stats, use the value of its modifier (minimum zero)."
So 2.