Rules for 5 April 2004

Did you ever notice that if you have your big toe numbed with Novocain, you constantly feel like you're going to tip over on that foot?

Anyway, on to the Rules for Tuesday, April 5, 2003.

Re-asked question about "Opportunity to take an action"

When is considered you have taken your opportunity to take an action?

I'm not quite sure I understand what you are getting at here.

From the rulings regarding Naval Invasion, I think I can safely say that after announcing an action, but before selecting targets is considered "before" the opportunity to take an Action. Once you start picking targets, paying costs, etc., you are now in the process of taking the Action.

(RULES) Permanent bonuses

My opponent who is playing Spawning Ground playes Egg of Pan-Ku and copies Bawaru-no-Oni, he then claims that due to the fact that Spawning Ground gives a bonus to all his personalities at all times, in his opinion a permanent bonus, that the Egg will duplicate the bonus and end up with the new personality effectively getting +2 +2.

Your opponent is wrong. Jeff Alexander posted on this on March 29th, in "Rules for 26 March 2004" as follows:

'The Spawning Grounds bonus is not permanent. Its duration is, effectively, "while the card is owned by you and has the Oni, Ogre, or Troll trait".'

I'll also note that hitting the Stronghold with Amnesia will end the effect as well, whereas not even removing Matsu Takenao from the game will end the effect of his entering-into-play trait.

Despite my explaination of the difference between permanent bonuses and ongoing effects he still is unconvinced. He says that it is merely semantics and that there is no mechanical difference in the mechanics between Spawning Grounds bonus and any other card card which specifically states that the bonus is 'permanent'.

Permanent(ly) is defined in the Diamond Edition Rulebook in the glossary for easy reference. The semantic difference is important since the definition of "permanent" has a specific definition in-game.

effects from duels

how long does the chi bonus stay from kakita dojo, private dojo, and the new craneclan shugy couriter?

It tells your how long the effect lasts on the card in question. If it has no stated duration, then it lasts until the end of the turn.

Kakita Dojo: No Duration = End of Turn (rulebook)

Private Dojo: "until the duel ends." (card text)

Asahina Nizomi: No Duration = End of Turn (rulebook)

Also can Keen eye cancel The Time is Not Right, Dismissed, or any other canceling actions.

Keen Eye says, "Reaction: Negate the effects of a Reaction taken by another player duing a challenge or duel involving one of your Personalities. Draw a Fate card."

The Time is Not Right says, "Reaction: Bow one of your Courtiers when one of your Personalities is targeted with a Limited action to cancel the action."

This interaction depends on when the targeting happens. Iaijutsu Art targets well before the Challenge begins. You can't play Keen Eye against the Time is Not Right there.

Temple of the Ninth Kami's Action does not target its controller's personality until the Challenge is issued, ergo Keen Eye could be played in Reaction to "The Time is Not Right" - just don't ask me why the Tot9K player felt a need to cancel their own stronghold ability with "The Time is Not Right."

Dismissed says, "Political Reaction: Bow one of your Courtiers to cancel a Political Limited action. Political Reaction: Bow one of your Courtiers to negate a Challenge during the Action Phase."

The first Reaction is played at the targeting step of the Political Limited action, before Keen Eye can be played (no challenge or duel yet).

The second Reaction is played after the Challenge is issued, so it is during the time that Keen Eye can be played (during a challenge or duel).

Rules Question (JEFF)

Questions that came up in games over the weekend (I wanted the official word so that I don't make any miscalls during Kotei season):

1. Togashi Jusai vs. Overconfidence This is an ancient ruling that I don't remember the final word on. If I give Jusai 5 fire tokens as 1 action does it count as a 5 point bonus or 5 one point bonuses?

That will be 5 separate bonuses on 1 force each. Each individual token grants its own bonus effect, and none of the bonuses are considered to be from the Action that created the tokens.

"An action creating a "+X " token is not an action providing a bonus to a given stat. [VRD, 26 July 2001]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Bonuses and Penalties")

2. Ring of Earth vs. Encircled Terrain When my opponent plays Encircled Terrain, we each choose one personality to stay, but who sends everyone home?

Encircled Terrain sends everyone but those target personalities home. That's its card effect, and it is a blanket effect. You said it was played by your opponent, so Ring of Earth will keep your Personality in place.

Overwhelmed is different because it charges the other player with enacting their choice of effects. Whichever effect happens is from Overwhelmed (and thusly "another player's card effect"), but count as the "victim" of Overwhelmed doing the targeting and the sending-home or destroying (and thus does not count as "another player" doing the destroying or send-home).

"Prevents effects requiring other players to target and move your Personality. Does not prevent effects generated by other player's cards that require you to target and move your own card (e.g., Overwhelmed). [JA, 18 November 2003]" (Accumulate Rulings, "Ring of Earth")

3. Ring of Earth vs. Send Home Is a personality who has been Ring of Earthed a legal target for send-home actions?

Legal target for an Action that generates a send-home effect? Sure. It won't do anything to him, though. Waste of a perfectly good Block Supply Lines if you ask me.

Legal choice if an effect instructs your opponent to choose and send home people? No.

Stretegic Ground

If my army (1 samurai and 1 shugenja) protect 1 of my provinces. My oponent attack another one and resolves that battle. I do nothing in that province, so there´s 3 others provinces to resolve the battle, right? when I resolve the province that I already block with my army, i play Strategic Ground, what happen? do I have won this battle?

"If, during the Battle Resolution Segment, one side has no units left in the battle, the battle is not a "victory" over an opposing army. This is even true is the defending army is the one absent and the Attacker has sufficient Force to destroy the Province. There is no winner or loser, and the player with units gains no victory bonuses." (Diamond Edition Rulebook, pg 84)

OK, looks like Tactician questions (gaining, losing, targeting other people) were taken care of in-thread. Any Hidden City questions are going to have to go through Jeff until the set is released. If I missed any of your other questions, please resubmit them with the tagline [RULES] in the subject field and I'll get to it at the first opportunity.

Best wishes to all list members celebrating their various Paschal holidays this week.