Rulings for 18 March 2001
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.
Rulings for 6 March 2001 (RANT!)
writes:
I'm going to amend the rulebook right here, right now: those traits (Monk, Naga, Ninja, Spirit) have to be PRINTED to be permanent through swearing fealty. This is ERRATA.
AARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!! Forgive my emotion... but has this really been thought through? This is really a kick between the legs to entire deck archetypes. And honestly this really makes me angry.
Now the Kolat in my Dark Path Deck get the Ninja trait from the Kage sensei but then lose it immediately. DOH!!!
And my beloved Fire Oni no longer gets to keep the Ninja trait when I oath him, so now he'll make me lose honor when I use him? Not to mention the protection from honor loss by oathing a Pekkle. Double DOH!!!
@$!&#$!!!
Sorry, but these out of the blue rulings that make major shifts in gameplay and receive little or no player input really torque me off.
Thanks Jeff... you've given me yet more incentive to give up on this game.
Woah! Hold your horses. You're familiar with what the rulebook says about swearing fealty, right? "Monks, Naga, Ninja, and Spirits who swear fealty to other Clans keep their Monk, Naga, Ninja, and Spirit traits, even if the card that has them swear fealty specifies they lose all former alignments." Spirit Wars rulebook p. 34.
THAT's the rule I'm emending. They only keep it if it's printed. It goes right along with the rule that only printed Naga cards are automatically Nonhuman -- it's because these Clan alignments are also a type of being. (Well, Monk isn't, and if I were redoing things from scratch I'd take it out, but that would be one of those disruptive changes. And, technically, Ninja only is about half the time, since the CCG doesn't distinguish between Goju ninja and shinobi ninja.)
It also only applies to swearing fealty, which is not equivalent to just any old change in alignment. In particular, it doesn't apply to Ronin Dojo (which is already not a permanent change, for that very reason) or to Sensei such as Kage Sensei.
Rulings for 6 March 2001
Scenario 2
Player A attacks Player B. A sends Bujun and Daini. B Defends with Toshimoko. B uses Iai Duel on Bujun. A uses Daini's Arrowroot Tattoo. Is Daini saved?
Same answer. No.
Jeff- Since Daini was in battle when he was destroyed, wouldn't Daini be saved? I imagine since it was ruled no matter what card effect kills a personality with a Crane tattoo in battle (e.g. duel, ranged attack, resolution, Wasting Disease) that personality is "saved", as long as you use the Arrowroot during a battle, wouldn't the Crane tattoo still kick in?
You know, I read and re-read the question and the card to make sure I didn't screw up like this. Really. Cross my heart.
*sigh*
Yes, Daini can come back via the tattoo since he was in the current battle when he died.
Some Questions About Ninja
I am a Ninja Player and in my time have come across some problems when playing in our group. We have checked the Rulings and have not come up with any clear answers, we have agreed on some things to keep the games flowing but would like definite Clarification. If you are answering to these questions can you please include references to Rules and/or Rulings.
Those Dastardly Ninja's
Mamoru exp What does it take to set off this guys ability? Can I use it against someone who is being assign to attack in the Infantry/Cavalry Phase?
Nope. That's not an action. Mamoru also can't be used against Reactions that give a player an entire additional assignment or maneuvers segment, like the Dark Oracle of Water.
What about someone who is moved by Superior Tactics but is already assign to attack a province?
That works. It's an action, and it's moving him to attack your Province.
Hoseki / Ninja Mystic Hoseki can attach a single spell and use it as a shugenja but it is not an ability but a trait. If she had a spell attached before she was experienced into Ninja Mystic can she still use the spell?
No. Old traits are lost when you overlay.
Ninja Shapeshifter Inexp / Ninja Shapeshifter Can I use Shapeshifter to copy the Inexperienced ability of Shapeshifter when they are the same person?
No. General ruling: cards cannot copy off themselves.
If I copy the Inexp Shapeshifter ability and use it over and over again on consecutive turns will he retain all the permanent captured effects, because permanent effects last on and he forgets that he has used it before?
Since he says "The Shapeshifter loses this change if it performs this action again.", I think it's pretty clear that it *doesn't* forget it's used it before, which is a case of a card overriding rulings.
Matsu Hirou When Hirou uses his bow to duel a bowed personality ability his opponent is bowed. Can the Targets controller play "He's mine" to escape the duel even though bowed?
He's Mine! can be played to save a bowed Personality, yes. It doesn't target the one being replaced.
Goju Adorai If Adorai's Controller uses Ambush, Iaujutsu Challenge, Hidden Blade or Something similar, is he considered to have targeted the player or his cards in that turn? What about cards Like Face of the Nameless?
Good question. Since Adorai has no abilities in and of himself, I don't see how his card in particular can target anything in 99.5% of all games. I'm going to make a Designer's Intent ruling here: it applies to any actions he performs. That covers Hidden Blade and Face of the Nameless.
By that definition, Ambush and Iaijutsu Challenge still won't count, since Adorai doesn't bow in order to play them, but that's because "perform" has got to be the single most poorly-defined term in the entire game and there is NO way to codify it that makes sense across even close to all of the existing card base.
If so, Are they considered Ninja Actions because they came from a Ninja?
An action only picks up the traits of the card it is printed on, never from others involved in playing or performing it.
Ninja Shadow Walker I have a Shadow Walker Exp with level 1 and 2. I use the Exp2's ability and have him shuffled into his deck. What happens to his lower levels?
Any time an overlayed Personality leaves play in any way, all cards except the topmost leave the game entirely. The topmost one keeps all the same changes and abilities it had before, though, so keep them around to refer to.
Sanado Can I use Three Sanados to take three actions before the Defender like a person with three Purusha? If so What are the order of these actions?
Multiple Sanados and/or Daikuas aren't cumulative. Multiple Sneak Attacks aren't cumulative. The reason: you don't take the additional action they give you at the same time as the Reaction.
Nishiko / Shosuro Nishiko Can I Use Exp Nishiko's ability to Jump into a province if no cards remain in that Province?
No.
Ninube Ogoku If Equipped with the Armor of Osono-wo and in my opponents Army attacking me, can I play the Ring of Earth instead of letting him destroy my province?
No. The Attacking player is the only one destroying a Province, and hence the only one who's meeting the Armor's reaction trigger.
Ninja Items? Actions? Holdings? Do Cards which can only be attached to a Ninja have the Ninja Trait? (Eg. Dripping Poison, Climbing Gear, Nagateppo, Han-Kyu)
No.
Can I Choose to Discard an item that is redundant such as an empty DP?
No. Voluntary destroying/discarding of cards is not allowed in L5R.
Why doesn't Way of Shadow, Out of Shadow, Ambush, Poisoned Weapon, Concealed Weapon, Steel and Iron, Through the Waterways have the Ninja Trait? Most of these require you to target a friendly Ninja or are Ninja Effects as pictured or by effect. If Will of the Emperor can have the Ninja Trait, Why not these?
EVERY card CAN have the Ninja trait. Only those which do, do.
Kitsuki Kaagi's Journal aka The Good/Bad Book. (Why isn't Kitsuki a Ninja?) Can actions that must target one of your Ninja's Target another players Personality with the Journal?
No.
Can Steel and Iron bow the books owner to Destroy the Book as it targets a Ninja? Can Hidden Blade be used against a Booked Personality as it has to target a Ninja (Having your Ninja duel the Book bearer) ? Can Han-kyu Target a booked Personality as the Han-kyu could only target a Ninja when it is attached?
No, no, no.
To target the Book or other cards in its unit, THAT target of the action must be one that targets only Ninja cards. It's insufficient for there to be Ninja targeting merely involved somewhere along the way.
Can Shosuro Chian Exp Lock down the Books Owner? Will Know the Evil give Shadowlands to a Booked Personality?
Yes, yes.
Face of the Nameless Can this card capture a Personality that will only join X clan, where X is not your Clan? Can it capture a Personality that Will not join your clan? Is Taking control of a Personality the same as Joining your Clan?
No, no, and it's one example of it.
Speaking of allying...Rules question
I'm in a multi-opponent game. I have Isawa Bob in play with the Hammer of Earth attached. The defender invites me to ally. The attacker assigns with force greater than the province strength. I assign Isawa Bob to defend.
Who plays the Ring of Earth (Hammer's reaction)? Me or the defender?
Barring text otherwise, only a card's controller can use its actions. That would be you in this case.
Rule Question: TWT vs. Shadowlands Horde
My question: Does this mean that I (as a standard clan player) can use The Wind's Truth to redirect one of my honor losses to a Shadowlands Horde player where it is promptly negated?
Yes.
Also, if I can TWT an honor loss to a Hordeling, can another player re-redirect that to some fourth player with their own Wind's Truth? If so, how much honor loss would they be redirecting? Would 0 honor loss be sent to that poor fourth player or would the original honor loss go to them?
It can't be subsequently redirected. It no longer exists.
Also, how would the answers change if it were a Ninja player rather than a Hordeling?
They wouldn't, assuming it's an honor loss that the Ninja player can't suffer.