post for 19 July 2002

Crane Tattoo Loop (Was: RE: [L5R-CCG] post for 17 July 2002)

Greetings!

The easiest way to resolve this (although I'm sure Mr. Alexander can do better than I, knowing the game better than I as he does) is to state that all ongoing effects that a Personality has received end immediately upon death.

Why would I do that? The rules have worked the exact opposite way since the very beginning. Destruction does absolutely nothing to the durations of any effects currently applying to a card.

Crane Tattoo Loop (Was: RE: [L5R-CCG] post for 17 July 2002)

The Tattoo says "Immediately after this Personality is destroyed in a duel or a battle." The initial trigger is gone once the Personality dies in your fief; now death is under different circumstances.

If I'm missing something, do let me know.

The actual card text says, "DURING a battle or duel," not IN. During. BIG difference (a difference which, I predict, will be negated as soon as the next expansion is released, in which the Dragon gets a new Stronghold ... and quickly likely an MRPd Crane Tattoo (and Dragon Tattoo) in the starter).

The Crane Tattoo pre-dates Gold. Its wording is relatively sloppy. The ruling that the Personality has to die in the battle or duel is based of its intended function.

Fixes for the rulebook?

We've already had a couple of rounds of discussion about the cards that should or should not be in the next base set. But how about some steps to rationalize the rulebook and playtest process so that playing the game is less dependent on rulings and assumptions?

Here are a few issues:

* The current targeting rules say when something is targeted but not what is targeted, leading to some confusion.

The previous targeting rules said when something was targeted but not what was targeted, leading to some confusion.

There is an implicit idea of targeting by which Jeff makes rulings, but this is not shared with the rest of us.

I have shared it. The general rule I go by is that a targeted action targets everything it affects.

* Some terms are not defined in the rules, and their game meaning is not clearly deducible from the word: prime suspects being "unconditional" (this causes a lot of confusion with newbies playing Shadowlands) and "non-variable".

Alright. You have a point here.

* Go through the rulings document some time and see how many principles are not deducible from the rulebook, the English (not to mention French) language, and common sense.

"There's stuff in the game that doesn't make sense. Proof of this is left as an exercise to the reader. The game will be bad until it's all fixed."

This is NOT helpful. How about some examples?

* In recent sets, there has been a trend towards increasing the amount of clarification text, which is a good idea. However, some cards as printed still could use more clarity (Kaneka's Blockade, for one.)

Well, we try. Kaneka's Blockade is actually both a hit and a miss...it does take into account the fact you might not have a Wind yourself.

Shadow Dragon

What I see is a missed opportunity. The Shadow Dragon is the Tainted Air Dragon from the last GenCon tourney. Rather than a nonunique, I would have loved to see the Shadow Dragon as an Experienced 2 Air Dragon, mostly from a story point of view.

There's a limit to how many Unique cards we can make in a set, particularly Personalities. It affects sheet layout and rarities. The Story Team was okay with the suggesting of making this creature a reflection of the actual tainted Air Dragon, much like how major Oni Lords spawn lesser versions of themselves.

Fixes for the rulebook?

Here are a few issues:

* The current targeting rules say when something is targeted but not what is targeted, leading to some confusion. There is an implicit idea of targeting by which Jeff makes rulings, but this is not shared with the rest of us.

This is one of my big issues with the rules since the coming of Gold. In the old days it was always clear what targetting meant, and when a card is targetted, and what it targetted.

No. It. Was. Not. Not from where I sit. There were cards that even the Rules Team disagreed on, like Feign Death during battle resolution. If I didn't think a change was necessary, I wouldn't have made one.

I think the most obvious recent use of bad card templating was Isawa Izumi. How is it that whoever proofreads cards didn't realise that that would cause confusion?

Oh, that one's easy. Proofreaders primarily check for spelling, grammatical errors, and consistant use of capitalization and reserved game terms.

Essence of Air Question

Are the effects of the spell Essence of Air cumulative with other copies?

Example: If I have two 3 Chi shugenja cast Essence of Air, do I replace only three dynasty cards face up, or do I replace six?

Only 3.

Another question.

Regions may only enter play at the end of the Events Phase, correct?

That's the only point in the turn that they normally enter play, yes.

If so, as the rulebook entry on Regions seems to state, Regions that are revealed via EoA or Kaneka will not enter play until the following turn, right?

Right.

Ambush Strategist

Question about Ambush Strategist force bonus to attached cards: Mantis personality has attached Hiruma Archers and Ambush Strategist. Hiruma Archers have 2 RA's, a ranged 2 and a ranged 4 when attached to a crab personality. does the Ambush Strategist give a 2, or a 4 force bonus?

4. Whether the Hiruma Archers can use that Ranged 4 Attack doesn't matter. Ambush Strategist only cares that they have it.

Question about Kosaten Shiro

Card says that honor producing holding cos 1 less

Fantastic gardens cost 7 but 5 for a Crane player

do I need to pay 4 gold or 6 gold.

I the cost of 5 for a crane player considered a change ?

If you check the MRP of Fantastic Gardens, it reads "Costs 2 less Gold for a Crane Clan player" instead of the older "Costs 5 Gold". It's clearly a change now. A Kosaten Shiro player can't benefit from this reduction.