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
Battle: If the current battlefield's province has been targeted by a Recon action this turn and Gosho is face-up in one of your provinces: Bring him into play at the current battlefield, paying 2 less Gold. If he entered play, Ranged 3 Attack.
Reaction: After another player's Personality enters play, if it not the Dynasty Phase, choose your performing unbowed Duelist or Samurai: He challenges the Personality. Destroy the duel's loser.
I have two personalities at the battlefield who has 3 force and is a Duelist. My opponent brings Gosho into play.
Can I Startling Attack before the Ranged 3 happens?
If so, does the R3 still happen after the duel is concluded, even if Gosho dies?
What if my own personality dies? Does the action fail? Does just the R3 fail? Does he get to re-target the R3 if the personality he had targeted was the personality to issue the challenge, but is now dead due to losing Startling Attack? Basically the question is, "what happens if a mandatory target disappears mid-action".
Thank you, and my apologies for the barrage of questions; one question seemed to turn into many more.
Brook Cunningham (rules official), 1 August 2011
I have two personalities at the battlefield who has 3 force and is a Duelist. My opponent brings Gosho into play.
Can I Startling Attack before the Ranged 3 happens?
Yes, Reacting with Startling Attack occurs immediately after Gosho enters play, before the effect of the Ranged Attack occurs.
If so, does the R3 still happen after the duel is concluded, even if Gosho dies?
Yes. Removing the source of the effect does not cause it to fail or be negated. The action was taken and began resolving; its effects will continue to do so.
What if my own personality dies? Does the action fail? Does just the R3 fail? Does he get to re-target the R3 if the personality he had targeted was the personality to issue the challenge, but is now dead due to losing Startling Attack? Basically the question is, "what happens if a mandatory target disappears mid-action".
The targeting of the Ranged Attack is NOT mandatory/required, because whether the effect happens or not is conditional upon Gosho entering play. The targeting does not even happen in this case until after the Ranged Attack effect checks to see whether he entered play to see if it occurs or fails. At that time, it is targeted, and may hit either of your two Personalities, or just the one remaining. If they're both gone for some reason, there's nothing to target, and it just fails to occur.
Thank you, and my apologies for the barrage of questions; one question seemed to turn into many more.
No problem.