Rules for 29 and 30 December 2004
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.
Your Rules for Wednesday, December 29 and Thursday, December 30, 2004
Rules questions.
1. Does Summon the Dead destroy the personality it's attached to when the last token is gone? If not, why?
Summon the Dead says, "Destroy all Personalities this Spell has targeted if it leaves play or has no tokens." The Spell never targeted the Shugenja you attached it to. The Standard Attachment Action targets the Personality when you attach a card by such means. That's the Rulebook, not the Spell, targeting the Personality.
"A card that can be attached to another player's Personalities is not "targeting with a card effect." Attaching a follower to a Personality is a rulebook effect; such cards just extend the number of legal targets. [JA, 5 October 2000]" (Accumulated Rulings, "Attaching")
2. Can a follower not in the current battle where Endless Horde was played be used to pay the cost for the action on Endless Horde? If not, why?
No. In this case, "opposing" references the Follower bowed to pay the cost, just as Steel on Steel references "opposing" in terms of the Challenger you target in your own Army. "Opposing," in these cases means, "opposing that card."
Distant Keep
If I am being attacked, and use the Tactical Battle action on Distant Keep, targeting one of my own units, may I choose not to show myself my hand so that my unit will move to the battlefield?
Yes. They are all "may" conditions, which allows you to make a yes / no decision, even if it seems a little silly since you are always privy to your own hand's information.
Rules Question regarding Doji Saori
I got in a bit of a discussion about this issue on The Kobune Port, and wanted to get an official answer to this. I would like to know whether Doji Saori is able to target herself and issue her own duel. I understand that she can target herself, I have no problems with that. My issue is with being able to issue the challenge herself, and here is why I say this:
Saori can target herself. She can target a bowed duelist other than herself too.
Saori is the one Performing the Action, since it is on her card. The rule prohibiting bowed Personalities from Performing challenge Actions only checks initially when the Personality begins performing the Action, otherwise cards like Akodo Jusho, Judgment, and others that say, "Bow this Personality to issue a challenge" would be completely useless. Same thing goes for Spells that bow the caster.
It is not considered to be a "targeting requirement" or the like, as it applies to non-targeted Actions just as well. It is its own distinct rule.
That should cover everything from Wednesday and Thursday. If I missed your question, please repost it with the flag [RULES] as part of your Clear and Distinct subject line. I'll get back to you at the first opportunity.