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, 1 August 2011
Hi,
Does Temple of Redemption allow to use the Player Ability of Seppuku with Shugenja or not ? If not, what does it do ?
I would like to understand what happened : - I control a dishonored Shugenja and Temple of Redemption. - My opponent use Pull the String on this shugenja. - I want my to shugenja to commit Seppuku. Can I ? What kind of effect do I have to use ? It is the Seppuku Reaction from Player's Abilities, isn't it ? If not, could you please tell me why.
Card's Text : Temple of Redemption : Before you lose Honor from an action that targeted or was performed by one of your Monk or Shugenja Personalities: You may have him commit seppuku. If you did and the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss to 1.
Pull the String : Limited: The controller of a target dishonorable Personality loses 3 Honor.
From L5R Wikki : Part 1 : Seppuku
An act of ritual suicide. If an effect directs a Personality to commit seppuku, apply the following effects: “Rehonor the Personality, then destroy him; these effects will not be negated.”
Additionally, all players have a Reaction ability relevant to seppuku
Part 2 : Reaction: Any number of times per turn, before you lose Honor from an action that targeted or was performed by one of your Courtier or Samurai Personalities: He commits seppuku. If the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss to one.
Thanks in advance. Regards, Rémi.
A player, 1 August 2011
Does Temple of Redemption allow to use the Player Ability of Seppuku with Shugenja or not ?
No.
If not, what does it do ?
Exactly what its text says it does, the card does not lie.
I would like to understand what happened : I control a dishonored Shugenja and Temple of Redemption. My opponent use Pull the String on this shugenja. I want my to shugenja to commit Seppuku. Can I?
Yes you can. If you did and the seppuku destroyed him, reduce the Honor loss from Pull the String to 1.
What kind of effect do I have to use ?
Your Temple of Redemption: its trait triggers before the loss of 3 Honor from Pull the String and makes you choose whether you suffer the whole loss, or have your Personality commit seppuku and you suffer a reduced loss of Honor.
It is the Seppuku Reaction from Player's Abilities, isn't it ?
No it isn't. It is an effect of the triggered trait on your Temple of Redemption.
If not, could you please tell me why.
Because Temple of Redemption makes no reference to that Reaction. It only refers to the effects described in the glossary that you quoted: If an effect directs a Personality to commit seppuku, apply the following effects: “Rehonor the Personality, then destroy him; these effects will not be negated.”