Rules for 17 July 2002
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.
Greetings,
Variable vs Non-Variable[RULES Q]
What I'd like is a hard-and-fast definition of "variable" versus "non-variable."
"Variable" is used almost exclusively concerning costs. The only exception to date seems to be Soshi Eiji, who refers to "non-variable Honor losses," probably to cover rare instances where Honor loss is a cost. Basically, if you can do a calculation and come up with a definite answer to how big something is, it's not variable (though it may fluctuate).
It was my understanding, based on past rulings (and this is found nowhere in the Archive, BTW), that a variable value was one which was not known until the action it was associated with was attempted.
Pretty much. And it's not in the Archive because nobody's ever asked before. By and large, we in the Rules Junta try not to give perfectly ordinary English words funny meanings specific only to L5R (yes, I know there are exceptions -- don't pester me with them, please :) ).
Crane Tattoo Q [Rules Q]
When someone who has a Crane Tattoo dies, and the Crane Tattoo is legally activated, do entering-play effects happen again?
Yes.
Rules Question (JEFF)
If I'm using Honor's Lesson Dojo and the action I take is canceled do I get to take another action?
Yes.
snowy fields
would reactions taken while this terrain is in play count toward your number of actions
Yes.
Be Prepared To Dig Two Graves
we weren´t sure about situation when you only have one personality in a battle and he is destroyed. [...] Can i still play the BPTDTG, even though i basically have no presense anymore?
It's legal. Reactions are not subject to the Rule of Presence. See Dark Allies rulebook, page 53.
Ordering A Thousand Years of Darkness from the UK
does anyone know how UK (or non-US) people are supposed to place pre-orders for 1 thousand years of darkness?
There is an order form in the Herald. 1,000 Years of Darkness isn't going to come out until September, so you've still got probably two months to post it.
Timing Questions
"Declare which player you are attacking. That player is the Defender. You are the Attacker." How long is this true? Does this effect end: 1) After the resolution segment of the last attack. 2) After the Attack Phase. 3) Before the Dynasty phase begins. 4) Some other increment in here.
1 and 2 are synonymous; I'd accept either answer.
Are there any other smaller increments of a turn then those I have listed below? [list snipped]
Why? (Sorry, I don't like answering hypothetical questions. Especially long, multi-part ones with many details to trip me up.) At least one correction:
l. The Leftmost province resolves
The Attacker chooses the order.
A whole ton of stuff
When units are in a battle, do they count as being in the Defender's Home?
No. Otherwise, there would be no point in designating "home," because everything would be there all the time.
since Winds and Senseis are considered cards, do they exist in your Home, as you never bring them into play?
The Dark Allies glossary entry (pg. 73) puts the Stronghold in the home, so the attached Sensei would also be there. The Wind is there as well (pg. 23).
Where do non-Battle duels occur?
Both involved Personalities remain in their controllers' homes.
Are non-follower, non-"card" tokens considered to be a part of a Unit? I know they are discarded if the personality they are attached to is destroyed, butthe rule book says: (p.25) "A Personality and all attached cards, if any, is called a Unit."
Yes. They're "on" the Personality. See Archive, General Rules, Tokens.
Company You Keep
if someone plays The Company you keep and you bring in someone with more personal honor then the person that it was played on for the full, do they become honorable again?
No, because the card effect says the Personality coming in is dishonored, and therefore, 0 Personal Honor. There's no honor to be gained, therefore no way to be rehonored.
Alliance
[...] all dragon clan monks will join you for 2 cheaper at honour or 4 cheaper without honour after the event alliance resolves and you ally with the monk faction." Is this true?
See Archive, Specific Cards, Events, Alliance. Yes.
Timing Questions
Does the attacker say "I wish to resolve the battles in order A,B,D,C", or does he say "I wish to resolve battle A first."
The latter. See Dark Allies rules, pg. 58.