Hoseki

Legend of the Five Rings card from Pearl Edition, Anvil of Despair, Jade Edition

Card Type

Personality

Force

0

Chi

3

Honor Requirement

-

Gold Cost

5

Personal Honor

1

Clan

Ninja

Keywords

Mystic, Ninja

Card Text

After Hoseki enters play, lose 2 Honor.
Hoseki may attach and cast Spells as if she were a Shugenja, but she will not have more than one Spell attached, and when she casts a Spell, it is considered a Ninja action instead of Spell action (creating "Ninja effects" and not "Spell effects").

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Hidden Emperor (Jade)

Deck

Dynasty

Printings

Rulings

• Only other shugenja may assist in casting a Ritual. [FAQ] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 102
• Disharmony will cancel a Ritual cast by her, because it refers to a "ritual." [Card text] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 102
• Her spell card is always a spell card. It is only the act of using it that is considered performing a ninja action instead of casting a spell. [Netnews, 28 July 1999] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 102
• May have one spell attached at a time. If she loses it, she may attach another. [27 September 1999] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 102
• Benefits from effects involving attaching spells to shugenja (e.g., Minor Oni Servant). [Card text, 29 September 1999] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 102
• Disharmony will still cancel a Ritual cast by her, as it only refers to a "ritual" and not a "spell". [card text] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 31
• Q: When is Hoseki, the Ninja Mystic, treated as a ninja, and when is she treated as a shugenja? A: When she "casts" her spell, she performs a ninja action instead, but the spell is always a spell, and anything it does to "this shugenja" will affect her. Doom of the Phoenix destroys the spell, Black Scrolls corrupt her, spells that destroy their caster destroy her, and so on. She also needs to use actual shugenja, not other Mystics, if she wants help casting Rituals. "Those darn ninjas. They're wacky." - The Tick, issue #3 Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 24
• Changed in v3.4: Q: When is Hoseki, the Ninja Mystic, treated as a ninja, and when is she treated as a shugenja? A: When she "casts" her spell, she performs a ninja action instead, but the spell is always a spell, and anything it does to "this shugenja" will affect her. Doom of the Phoenix destroys the spell, Black Scrolls corrupt her, spells that destroy their caster destroy her, and so on. The Imperial Herald, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Issue 6), p. 12

Rules Q&A

• Q: Marty, is this a rules change?
  Because, from the AR :
  An Experienced card can be overlaid on a less-experienced card even if the title of the less experienced card does not match the trait on the Experienced card, as long as there is an **** unbroken **** chain along the experience levels. E.g., the Experienced 2 Ninja Mystic can be overlaid on either the Ninja Mystic (whose trait reads, "Experienced Hoskei") or Hoseki. [ZF, 10 April 2003]
  Emphasis mine, The chain is not unbroken from 1 to 7. Unless I've misunderstood, I was under the impression that unbroken meant EXP1, then 2, then 3 without a gap.
  A: It's not a change. "Unbroken" is a redundant word in that sentence (if the chain is broken, it isn't a chain). It means nothing. Martin Lund, "Rules for 7 September 2004", 10 Sep 2004
• Q: if a spell cast by Hoseki or a Kiho by Goju Hitomi, which both are considered ninja effects when used, make a dark path of shadow player lose honor.?
  A: Yes. That a card produces a "keyword" effect does not make it a "keyword" card. E.g., kiho produce spell effects, but are not spell cards.
  Zen Faulkes! * Crab Clan Scholar * Unaligned Member of the Rules Junta Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 27 June 2003, Part 2", 28 Jun 2003
• Q: If I attach a spell to Hoseki, it's no more a spell effect but a ninja Action right?
  A: The actions on a Spell are considered Ninja actions, and its effects are Ninja effects. Jeff Alexander, "post for 3 February 2003", 4 Feb 2003
• Q: Hoseki / Ninja Mystic Hoseki can attach a single spell and use it as a shugenja but it is not an ability but a trait. If she had a spell attached before she was experienced into Ninja Mystic can she still use the spell?
  A: No. Old traits are lost when you overlay. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 18 March 2001", 24 Mar 2001