post for 2 May 2003

post for 1 May 2003

I should put this in the rulebook for Winds of Change: Delayed Terrains are exceptions to the rule that you cannot take a targeted action without a target. You can play one regardless of whether you have something in the battle for it to affect and regardless of whether the cards that it CAN affect will still be there when it resolves.

Jeff this brings to mind a ciouple of questions.

When do Dealyed Terrains Target?

When they resolve.

for example Encircled Terrain vs A Test of Courage, Flee the Darkness and Asako Towers

When are Delayed Terrains perfroming an Action?

Example Encircled Terrain vs Kyuden Ikoma Does the KI player need to use the SH reaction immediately or can they wait for the Terrain to resolve?

Reactions to the playing of an action, such as Kyuden Ikoma, are used when the terrain is played. Reactions to targeting, such as the Towers of the Asako, or the effects of the terrain, such as A Test of Courage, must wait for the terrain resolve.

post for 1 May 2003

<< "If a Personality's Chi drops to 0, destroy the Personality." [GE p. 29] There is no "stack" in L5R. Each action resolves fully before the next one begins. [GE p. 47] The only exception is Reactions, and even those will only interrupt an effect if they are Reactions TO that effect. In other words, if some trigger occurs (such as Personalities entering a duel), and two different Reactions are played that both respond to that trigger rather than to each other (Face Me! & Private Dojo), then the Reactions are played and fully resolved one at a time.

Wow. That doesn't answer the question. :>

Yes it does. Private Dojo does not interrupt Face Me! in any way. Face Me! reduces the Shadowlands Personality's Chi to 0 before Private Dojo's Reaction can even start. This kills the Personality. There is no chance to use Private Dojo.

A) Private Dojo goes off, then Face Me, so the guy dies. B) Face me goes off, then Private Dojo, giving him a Chi equal to his fear. C) Active player gets to decide (and therefore B)

B) is not possible according to what I wrote above. Also, C) is not one of the ways Reaction timing is determined in L5R. The correct way to determine first Reaction is on page 48:

1. Exact wording of the Reactions ("before" beats "after", etc.)

2. If identical wording, did one particular player cause the Reactions' trigger?

Yes -> first Reaction goes to that player's left No -> first Reaction goes to active player

Whistling Bulb Arrow

If a personality that has a Ranged Attack that does not require bowing (Tsuruchi Sho, for example) uses a Whistling Bulb Arrow with that attack, does the additional Ranged Attack require the personality to bow?

No. There is no cost to the second attack other than bowing and destroying Whistling Bulb Arrow.

post for 1 May 2003

I use Soul Sword to give someone a weapon token. Zen ruled that it was an item. Do my Arms Merchants now produce 4 gold?

No. See above. It is not an Item CARD.

Well, some ewapon token generators count as cards right? because it says so in the card... if it states that it creates a weapon token CARD can you use arms merchants to produce 4?

The original question was about Soul Sword, not weapon tokens in general. If whatever creates the weapon says it's a card, then Arms Merchants can be used to produce the higher amount.

I'm answering in the general sense. You're right, there is no possible way to play a Reaction out of your hand to something that occurs before you draw your first five cards, but it is *technically* legal. There is always the possibility of usable Reactions on Strongholds, Winds, and Sensei.

Jeff, you rulled that the rings are considered to be entering play as the 1st turn begins, or so I remember from the house of tao/dark rings issue...

The only thing I can find record of saying is this, on Oct 21:

Dark Rings Q

How do the dark rings interact with the House of Tao?

It's immediately discarded.

I highly doubt I'd have said it enters play when the first turn begins -- that isn't when it's selected.

Maho cards considered Shadowlands?

Are maho spells considered Shadowlands for the sake of determining if a deck is Tainted or Corrupt? For example, three Onis in a deck make it tainted; how about three Onis and three Maho spells such as I Give You My Name? Is it still Tainted or is it already considered corrupt?

It depends on the tournament and the story ramifications. One of the more recent guidelines is that Shadowlands and Maho cards both count towards corrupting a deck.

Targeting questions

A few questions about targeting :

* Can my monk cast Chasing Osano-Wo on himself ?

Targets are chosen before costs are paid. Therefore, actions that require bowing a card can typically be played on the card that's going to bow.

* Suppose I used Test Of Courage on my Hida Kosho with Kisada's Fist attached, and Kisada's shrine is in play. My opponent now initiates a duel, and Kosho loses. What am I allowed to do ?

- Use Kisada's Fist reaction ? - Use Kisada's Shrine reaction ? - Use The Mountain Does Not Move ? - Watch Kosho die without being able to do anything to save him ?

Watch Kosho die without being able to do anything to save him.

* A last one, which I was told but seems quite strange to me. I have a shugenja and a samurai in play. My samurai is bowed, and enters in a duel initiated by the opponent. One told me that I can cast Double Chi even though the samurai is bowed, because he's the only personality matching the requirements of Double Chi (target a personality entering a duel).

The person who gave you that advice committed two errors. His first error was basing his judgement on the pre-Gold targeting rules. His second error was either not realizing that Double Chi has been MRPed or forgetting that even before Gold, if a card tells you itself whether or not it's targeted, you obey the card.

Double Chi's most recent text: "When one of your target Personalities enters a duel, ..." [card text]

You cannot cast Double Chi if your dueling Personality is already bowed.

Question about Hoshi Wayan

A strange combo someone played against me, but I'm not sure it works.

Hoshi Wayan : Unaligned Tattooed Monk Experienced 2 Unique Limited: Once per turn, place a Tattoo token on Wayan. Reaction: After Wayan gains a Force bonus, destroy a Tattoo token on him to raise the bonus by his Personal Honor.

My opponent put one token on Hoshi Wayan, then played Stand As Stone on him, choosing a pernanent bonus of +2 force, and then reacted to that bonus to increase it by his personal honor (2).

I think this is ok until there, but I am not sure how long the bonus stays increased.

So, will Wayan have +4 Force forever, or +4 force until end of turn, and then +2 Force only ?

+4 until the end of the turn, then +2 thereafter.

Spells and Retirement

If I have a shugenja with a spell attached, who later Retires, can I still cast the spell?

No.

Follow up question 1: If Asako Yuya has a spell attached and later Retires, can she still bow the spell to cast it?

No. She must be able to cast the Spell in the first place in order to cast it bow bowing it instead of herself.

Follow up question 2: If I have a shugenja with a Ritual spell attached (e.g. Importune Kami) who later Retires, can I bow that ex-shugenja to initiate the spell and have other shugenja contribute to the ritual to create an effect?

No.

reactions-specifically ranged attacks.

I have a 3 chi shugenja with Fury of osano-Wo attached in a battle. My opponent has the ring of Air in play. I cast Fury at his personality's Heavy infantry. He uses the ring of air to redirect it to his 7 force Shiba House guard. Can I now react to my personality creating a ranged attack with Arrows from the Woods to make it large enough to kill the follower? Or, is it too late once it has been reacted to by my opponent?

What is important is the timing on the Reactions. If Reaction X, by its wording, is always played before Reaction Y, and you have the option of playing Reaction X and don't, and someone else plays Reaction Y, you're out of luck.

Fortunately, you're in luck here. The Ring of Air reacts to the targeting. Arrows From the Woods reacts when the ranged attack is "made" -- i.e., when the effect happens. Resolving actions comes well after picking their targets.

dark covenant ruling question

Dark covenant reads:

Bow dark covenent and one of your oracles to straighten all your personalities except this one. Dishonor then destroy this personality.

My question is... Can you dishonor and destroy the personality if he/she is bowed, under the targeting rules you cannot, so will the entire action be illegal or will the personality be saved from destruction? As the dishonor/destruction are printed after the mass straightening effect i'm a little confused about it being a cost, or a secondary effect as on Isawa's last wish.

It's a secondary effect, and it really needs to apply even if the Covenant's Personality is bowed. I'll see how Dave and Ray want to handle this. For now, consider it a clarification: they still happen.