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, 24 February 2012
Poor good Yoritomo Singh XP2 has been targeted by Firm Censure, meaning the next action he performs will have its effects negated. Then player announces an action with a gold cost, for example Yoritomo Tarao (any other action with a gold cost would do here)
1) Can the Mantis player announce Yoritomo Singh XP2's reaction so the Firm Censure is "used", then try to pay the cost with something else? I'm assuming this is a yes, since he could always overpay it any way. 2) Can the Mantis player use Yoritomo Singh XP2's reaction, have it fail, then pay no gold cost at all and have Tarao's action fail even though he has other means of paying the 2 gold? (Ie calling that the payment has been interferred with and choosing not to pay it as a result; essentially as a free way of getting rid of the Firm Censure ongoing effect) 3)Can the Mantis player announce Tarao's action if he has no other way of paying the gold cost, or would the Rule of Good Faith make it illegal since he knew in advance he couldn't pay it?
Thank you in advance.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 26 February 2012
Poor good Yoritomo Singh XP2 has been targeted by Firm Censure, meaning the next action he performs will have its effects negated. Then player announces an action with a gold cost, for example Yoritomo Tarao (any other action with a gold cost would do here)
1) Can the Mantis player announce Yoritomo Singh XP2's reaction so the Firm Censure is "used", then try to pay the cost with something else? I'm assuming this is a yes, since he could always overpay it any way. 2) Can the Mantis player use Yoritomo Singh XP2's reaction, have it fail, then pay no gold cost at all and have Tarao's action fail even though he has other means of paying the 2 gold? (Ie calling that the payment has been interferred with and choosing not to pay it as a result; essentially as a free way of getting rid of the Firm Censure ongoing effect) 3)Can the Mantis player announce Tarao's action if he has no other way of paying the gold cost, or would the Rule of Good Faith make it illegal since he knew in advance he couldn't pay it?
Thank you in advance.
1. Yes, for the reason you cited. 2. Yes, for the reason you cited. 3. The Good Faith Rule does take into account game state, and therefore Terao's action could not be taken if the player has no other means of producing the cost.
A player, 26 February 2012
Saw this: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=96397
Can Yoritomo Singh react to an action with no gold cost?
Examples: 1. Can Yoritomo Singh react to someone taking the once-per-game action on Border Keep to use up? 2. Can he react to announcing the naval reaction to use up Firm Censure before taking the naval action?
Alex Jones (rules official), 27 February 2012
Saw this: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=96397
Can Yoritomo Singh react to an action with no gold cost?
Examples: 1. Can Yoritomo Singh react to someone taking the once-per-game action on Border Keep to use up? 2. Can he react to announcing the naval reaction to use up Firm Censure before taking the naval action?
You cannot pay a cost that doesn't exist, and actions on cards other than Strategies do not generally have a gold cost. The Gold Cost of a Strategy card is a base cost of each ability on it; an ability on another card type only has a gold cost if its text includes "pay XXX gold".