post for 25 September 2002

Questions

Hi there I have a couple of questions: 1) When I use the tactician trait am I targeting this personality?

The standard use targets the Personality, as per the Gold Edition rulebook. Any other use should say on the card.

Can I use Tactician after Inner Fire?

Not for the built-in use, no. Probably not for any other use either.

2) Can my opponent play Shinjo Tech. on my ambush and force me to fight with my another unit?

No. The new target chosen by Shinjo Technique must be one of your own Personalities AND a Personality you could have played your action on originally. [card text] Since Ambush targets "another player's unit" as the victim of the attack, you can't play it to attack one of your own units. That means your opponent cannot redirect it there with Shinjo Technique -- or with anything else, for that matter.

3) Can I play To Do What We Must from my bowed Personality ?

No. You can't target your own bowed Personalities with your actions.

Spell effects rules questions

Okay, I know that Monks cannot ever create spell effects by casting Kiho (except under special circumstances - eg they also have/get the shugenja trait, blah blah), and that a Kiho's effects are only ever considered a spell effect when cast by a card with the Shugenja trait.

1) I cannot find this clarification anywhere in the online rulebook or accumulated rulings. Is it still true?

You can't find it because it is not, and never has been, true. Kihos produce spell effects when cast, period.

2) During a Kiho Ritual, can you mix Shugenja and Monks (assuming card text doesn't prohibit/omit either trait)?

There are no Kiho Rituals, and it's unlikely there ever will be since the Ritual keyword is only defined for Spell cards.

If so, is it considered a spell effect if:

A Kiho always produces Spell effects. See above.

3) Is a Shugenja participating in a ritual (but not being the primary caster) considered taking the action? Producing the spell effect? Or does only the primary caster "take" the action?

No and no. Only the primary caster is. [GE p. 63].

Are the answers different if it's a Spell ritual or a Kiho ritual?

There are no Kiho Rituals.

3a) Corrolary: If a card reacts to a Personality producing a spell effect, can the person playing that Reaction choose from among the participants in the ritual at his whim? Or would the card text specify "caster," and indicate ONLY the primary caster?

The answer to this comes directly out of the Gold Edition rulebook: primary shugenja only.

3b) If a Shugenja casts a Spell or a Kiho, is the spell effect being produced by the Shugenja, the Spell card, or the Kiho Action card?

Any of them might be. It depends on the context of the card you're trying to play.

Organized play Qs

At Gen Con I asked if it was legal to be registered as ronin, Joe referred me to Jeff and Ray who said yes since ronin is a valid choice for the herald. Joe entered the ronin entry as "XX" in the computer since there were no designated characters.

I think it was the first time anyone has attempted to register as ronin under the new system, which is why I wanted to know it it's a legal choice for future events. Can I continue to register as ronin at events? or will doing so mean that my ranking points won't be processed?

Organized Play tracks which deck you played in each event. They don't care what faction you are affiliated with in the Imperial Assembly, or even if you're in it at all. Obviously we weren't completely familiar with OP's record-keeping methods at that point.

Flattery follow up post for 23 September 2002

I think his question was does the Flattery he played for the Battle action count as 3FV. Note him saying that there are only 2 cards in his hand, he plays Flattery, is just that enough to send a 2F Army home?

IIRC, no, the Flattery that 'starts' the action dosen't count it's focus.

That would be correct.

L5R-CCG-Digest V2002 #668

I was asking about togashi hoshi non-experienced. Plain old togashi hoshi. Mine's imperial edition, which says that he's dragon clan man beast. But I've been hearing something about him no longer being dragon clan man beast but just plain old man-beast. So I thought I'd ask around for the mrp.

That is correct. He was MRPed for storyline reasons to be Unaligned and cost 2 less Gold for Monk players.

couple of questions

1) Can a defeated personality with YU zero destroy an opposing personality with zero force.

Since 0 is less than or equal to 0, yes.

2) Can you use flattery against an attack force of no units, to end the battle before units move in.

No.

Question on bowed cards

So a Diplomatic Apprentice (don't have the card in front of me to reference, sorry) on a bowed personality could not lobby for the favor in place of the personality?

Correct. It could not.

On a similar note - if Lobbyists are attached to a bowed personality, could they lobby or 'buy the favor' with their ability?

They could not pay the Personality's cost of bowing because the Personality isn't allowed to lobby, but they can use their Limited action to take it.

Stories

Actually, the back-story on this card is very simple. The designers had this card mocked up as a shugenja right up until someone remarked what a wonderful boxable personality this would be for Sacred Temples. Voila! Bloodspeaker-Monk!

Tim (Just a guess)

Try this one: the Story Team wanted a Bloodspeaker Monk.

Spawning Ground/ ISOTF question

Does In Search of the Future kill off the spawning ground bonus? I am not sure, because I don't know if its considered a bonus being as the 'bonus' is ALWAYS in effect.

How long it lasts doesn't change whether it's a bonus. It's a bonus, and it doesn't come from an attached card, so it changes to +0F.

Shadowland question

when a shadowland stronghold says you are not allowed actions that cause unconditional honor loss, does this include events, like Suspicions ?

No. Events are not actions.