Changing Paths

Legend of the Five Rings card from Glory of the Empire, War of Honor

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Kiho

Card Text

Kiho Battle/Open: Target your performing unbowed Monk or Shugenja to name a Ring. The next time this turn you trigger its printed trait that would put it into play from your hand, search your discard pile, then Fate deck, for that Ring. Show it. Put it into your hand. (Shuffle your Fate deck; you then may play the Ring.)

Focus Value

4

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rules Q&A

• Q: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=88316#p1169796
  WIth referral to the second part of the ruling,
  Twanbon: If I use Changing Paths naming Ring of Water, Then discard Ring of Water for its battle action, and then put Ring of Water into play from my discard pile (due to Changing Paths' effect), can I use the Ring of Water again that turn while it is in play?
  Zen : No, due to the Tracking Rule (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Tracking_rule). The Ring was out of play but not face down.
  I think there is a confusion, changing path actually puts the ring back into hand. Then you can trigger for putting into play by it's own text. So ring of water can be used that turn again isn't it?
  A: Well, shoot. Silly key piece of information at the very end of the card! Thanks for the catch. Zen Faulkes, "One with the World + Re-using Rings", 13 Jan 2011
• Q: If I use Changing Paths naming Ring of Water, Then discard Ring of Water for its battle action, and then put Ring of Water into play from my discard pile (due to Changing Paths' effect), can I use the Ring of Water again that turn while it is in play?
  A: No, due to the Tracking Rule (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Tracking_rule). The Ring was out of play but not face down.
  Correction: That should be a "Yes, due to the Tracking Rule (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Tracking_rule). The Ring was out of play and face down." See below. Zen Faulkes, "One with the World + Re-using Rings", 12 Jan 2011
• Q: If I play 4 strategy cards then I play Changing Paths, can I search for the ring of the void?
  A: No. The "next time" on Changing Paths means the trigger must happen in the future, not the past. May be better to play Changing Paths as action number four and play the Ring of the Void on the spot (extension from Ring of Water and Ring of Air, viewtopic.php?f=59&t=80059). Zen Faulkes, "Changing Paths and Ring of the Void", 8 Dec 2009
• Q: I played two kihos (seeking the path and song of the world) I then played Changing Paths for my 3rd kiho action for the turn with different names. Can I then go fetch my Ring of Air in my discard pile with Paths as it successfully resolved making it trigger ring of air's trait?
  A: Hasn't been answered for Ring of Air, but basically the same question came up for Ring of Water:
  viewtopic.php?f=59&t=74016 viewtopic.php?f=59&t=78425
  So, yes. Zen Faulkes, "Changing Paths + Ring of Air", 10 Nov 2009
• Q: This link: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Glossary_N#Next from the PDF would indicate that if Changing Paths is the fourth battle action that you perform in the current combat segment, and you name Water, you would still have to perform another action afterwards. Zen Faulkes ruled here ( viewtopic.php?f=59&t=74016&p=969331&hilit=water+paths#p969331 ) differently, but that was back in February.
  Changing Paths: Kiho Battle/Open: Target your unbowed Shugenja or Monk: Name a Ring. The next time this turn you trigger its base trait that would put it into play from your hand, search your discard pile, then Fate deck, for that Ring. Show it. Put it into your hand. (You then have a chance to play it by its own text.)
  Is this not what that rule means, or is Zen Faulkes ruling out-of-date? Or am I just missing a point entirely?
  A: The definition of "next" given in the glossary says, "If the "next" period of time is referred to while that period is ongoing, the ongoing period of time is not meant."
  What "ongoing period of time" would conflict here?
  Not the period of time when an action is resolving, since Changing Paths sets a condition for the triggering of a trait, not an action. there is not overlap or conflict between these two things.
  Changing Paths has you name a Ring. Player says Water.
  Changing Paths then activates a delayed effect, the "next time" bit that looks for the trigger happening from the Ring's trait. The Ring of Water is now primed for looking for the next action resolution. Changing Paths resolves after that delayed effect is activated, triggering the Ring of Water's trait condition.
  Perhaps part of the confusion is thinking that the initial activation of the delayed effect and the resolution of the action are simultaneous, but they are not. Activation is before resolution, so the Ring is ready when the resolution occurs. The "next time" delayed effect is not very delayed in this case, but the timing all works. Zen Faulkes, "changing paths", 14 Aug 2009
• Q: Hamstrung: Focus Effect: Lower this card's Focus Value by an amount from 0 to 4: Gain Honor equal to the amount it was lowered by.
  Ring of Fire: Focus Effect: You may give this card -2 Focus Value. If you do, after the duel ends, put this card into play if you won the duel during a battle.
  Changing Paths: Battle/Open: Target your unbowed Shugenja or Monk: Name a Ring. The next time this turn you would trigger its base trait that would put it into play from your hand, search your discard pile, then Fate deck, for that Ring. Show it. Put it into your hand. (You then have a chance to play it by its own text.)
  Q: If you decreased the focus value, on Hamstrung, by 2, would that allow you to use Changing Paths to search and play the Ring of Fire?
  [mod edit - thread title - LH]
  A: The Ring of Fire's requirement (for the purposes of Changing Paths) is that you focus the Ring of Fire.
  Focusing a card with a similar focus effect will not work for Changing Paths. Dan Jacobson, "Ring of Fire and Hamstrung's Focus Effects", 30 Jun 2009
• Q: Is it impossible to grab Ring of Fire with Changing Paths?
  A: This is also more of a strategy question, but as far as I can tell, it is indeed not possible.
  Mod Nudge:Please post such similar questions in the CCG main forum, as opposed to the Rules Forum. Dan Jacobson, "Changing Paths with Ring of Fire", 21 Apr 2009
• Q: If Changing Paths is my fourth battle action this battle (assuming all were from different cards), acn I name Water, immediately go find Water, and put it into play?
  A: That does seem to be the point of the text "You then have a chance to play it by its own text" that you quoted on Changing Paths. Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Ring of Water + Changing Paths", 16 Feb 2009