post for 20 February 2003
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.
A Question of Madness...
When a Shugenja has used Playing with Madness: Kiho Maho Limited: Bow one of your Shugenja. That Shugenja permanently gains +2F/+2C and the Shadowlands and Bloodspeaker traits, and permanently loses all current innate abilities. Any Spell or Kiho cast by that Shugenja for the rest of the game gains the Maho trait. Lose 2 Honor.
After said Mad Shugenja sasts say Walk the Way, can that player put the spell back in their hand from the decard pile using Chuda Retainer or is it so long as the Spell is in play it has the Maho trait?
Since the card does not say otherwise, the trait is gained for the default duration: until the end of the turn. A Chuda Retainer would need to be used in the same turn -- after that, the Spell in the discard pile no longer has the Maho trait.
Ryokan's Sword questions
Ryokan's Sword When this personality focuses, you may play your Fate deck's top card as the Focus card. Do not look at the card until someone strikes. If you cannot focus with the card, discard it when you reveal it.
1) ARE there any fate cards that cannot be focussed?
There are none that can never be focused, but there are cards that cannot be focused under certain situations, like The Second Shout, and that cause such situations, like Blade of Truths.
2) Does the Lord Moon's Bones/Blood ruling apply if one of the cards you focus from your deck has a killer special effect you wern't expecting (Burning your Essence, for instance)?
Yes.
The Boogeymen Awaiting Card Removal
Why will anyone play with more limited send home actions like Needed at the Wall and Solitary Engagement when they can play BSL instead?
To send home units that BSL can't be played on.
In addition, the favor already replicates this card's effect.
...if you use Tsudao.
Next expansion
Well, I'd like to know if anybody knows something about the next expansion for L5R. Aproximate date release?
Third week of April.