Rulings for 16 March 2001

Jeff Alexander, sent 22 March 2001 to the l5r-useful list, L5RINFO

A rules digest from the L5R CCG rules team, copied from the mailing list archive for Oracle of the Void. The askers' names are left out. Rulings are as they stood on this date; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.

Tsuko and Tsokrates

Anyway, I guess I better say something L5R related, so if you've got Tsuko Sensei I can understand that the bowing cannot be 'prevented' by likes of Rallying Cry. But what if there's an innate ability (such as Hyobe's??) which means the card wouldn't bow?

Tsuko Sensei says they bow, and that it can't be prevented. Hyobe's trait wouldn't matter.

On: Tsuko Sensei, Rallying Cry
Norikazu Question

Okay, so we ran into some problems with Norikazu nonexp.

The first question is, can his ability be used to cancel actions that end the battle without resolution, such as Crushing Attack or Flattery?

Crushing Attack, yes. For Flattery, read on.

On: Crushing Attack, Flattery

Second question is, if the action conditionally ends the battle without resolution, such as Flattery, can Norikazu still use his ability if the condition to end the battle is not met (you do not discard enough cards to send home the opposing army). In this case, the card would never affect the battle.

I'm going to rule that the discarding is a cost, which means Norikazu will know when it's played whether it will affect the battle and can cancel it if it will.

On: Flattery

Third question is, are the following costs or effects of the action:

blowing up your own guy for To Do What We Must

discarding your hand for Flattery

bowing your monk/ shugenja for Kiho

Cost, cost, cost.

On: To Do What We Must, Flattery

dishonoring the guy and losing 2 honor for Frenzy

Effects.

On: Frenzy

Thus, if TDWWM is cancelled, does my guy die? If Flattery is cancelled, do I still lose the cards I discarded from my hand?

What are the keywords to distinguish between cost and effect?

Not formally specified in most of the expansions which have been printed to date.

For Spirit Wars and beyond, X is always a cost in a card worded "Do X to do Y." For about four expansions prior to that, WotC experimented with making X a cost in cards that were worded "Do X. Do Y. Do Z.", but that template has been abandoned. Prior to that, there was no standard.

On: Flattery