If personality A has 3 force, and is reduced to 0 with a -4 pen. would a +1 force bump put him to 0 or 1? also, do battle actions that give force bumps and penalties stay for that battle, the entire attack phase, or the whole turn? ie if i retribution would the penalties stick.
Force, pens. and bonuses.
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.
If personality A has 3 force, and is reduced to 0 with a -4 pen. would a +1 force bump put him to 0 or 1?
Zero. See how to calculate bonuses and penalties here: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Card_features#Calculating_stats
In particular, note step A: Apply all current bonuses and penalties.
do battle actions that give force bumps and penalties stay for that battle, the entire attack phase, or the whole turn?
Depends on card text, but if it is not specified, the default is end of turn: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Ongoing_effects