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, 14 May 2012
Can I announce Rhetoric targeting the honour loss off of Ambush, using a 4 Chi courtier magistrate if I have Magistrate's Stipend in play and use the reaction on the Rhetoric actions, or must I have a 5 chi courtier to even announce rhetoric?
In case Ambush's strange timing on the honour loss is an issue, would this work if an action just caused 5 honour loss?
Magistrate's Stipend Mine Bow this card: Produce 2 Gold, or 3 Gold if paying for a Magistrate. Reaction: After you announce a non-Iaijutsu action, choose your performing Magistrate: Give him +1C until the action ends.
Ambush Limited: Choose your performing unbowed Personality and target another player's Personality: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality to attack there. Assign the target to defend there, even if he is bowed. Other Personalities will not move there. Fight a battle there (after this action's resolution). After the battle ends, lose 5 Honor.
Rhetoric Political Reaction: Before a player gains or loses Honor from an action's effects, bow your performing Courtier: Choose another player. If the Courtier's Chi is higher than or equal to the Honor gain or loss, the chosen player instead of the original player takes the gain or loss.
Thanks, Nick
Jon Palmer (rules official), 15 May 2012
Can I announce Rhetoric targeting the honour loss off of Ambush, using a 4 Chi courtier magistrate if I have Magistrate's Stipend in play and use the reaction on the Rhetoric actions, or must I have a 5 chi courtier to even announce rhetoric?
In case Ambush's strange timing on the honour loss is an issue, would this work if an action just caused 5 honour loss?
Magistrate's Stipend Mine Bow this card: Produce 2 Gold, or 3 Gold if paying for a Magistrate. Reaction: After you announce a non-Iaijutsu action, choose your performing Magistrate: Give him +1C until the action ends.
Ambush Limited: Choose your performing unbowed Personality and target another player's Personality: Create a battlefield (not at any province). Assign your Personality to attack there. Assign the target to defend there, even if he is bowed. Other Personalities will not move there. Fight a battle there (after this action's resolution). After the battle ends, lose 5 Honor.
Rhetoric Political Reaction: Before a player gains or loses Honor from an action's effects, bow your performing Courtier: Choose another player. If the Courtier's Chi is higher than or equal to the Honor gain or loss, the chosen player instead of the original player takes the gain or loss.
Thanks, Nick
Yes, you may. The Good Faith Rule means that since you know you can use Magistrate's Stipend, you may announce the Rhetoric.
The timing of Ambush's honor loss isn't pertinent in this case as Rhetoric reacts to the loss itself, not the resolution of an action like many others do.
Edit: I actually missed the fact that Rhetoric is legal to play regardless of the Chi of the Courtier. It simply doesn't do anything if the Chi isn't high enough.