The Egg of P'an Ku

Legend of the Five Rings card from Diamond Edition, Imperial Edition, Emerald Edition, Obsidian Edition, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary, Oracle of the Void, Three Dynasties

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

9

Keywords

Unique

Card Text

Limited, : Target a Personality and put this Strategy into play in your home. After entering play and while it remains in play, it becomes a copy of the target's printed card with all permanent effects that are currently affecting the target applied to it as well (the Personality's costs need not be paid, play restrictions are not checked, and entering-play effects are not produced).

Focus Value

4

Legality

Clan Wars (Imperial), Rain of Blood (Diamond), Three Dynasties

Deck

Fate

Notes

The Imperial Edition version was misprinted as an Item.

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "The Egg of P'an Ku 9G 4FV Unique. Limited: Target a Personality, including a Unique Personality or one who will not join you. This card enters play in your home. It becomes a copy of that Personality’s printed card plus all permanent changes in effect on it. None of the Personality’s costs need to be paid and no entering-play effects are produced." [Erratum, JA, web, 8 July 2005] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• Once played, it: Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• Is a Personality permanently [DW, netnews, 4/5/96]. Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• Loses its status as a Unique action. [JA, email, 18 November 2003] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• If sent back to your Dynasty Deck, it actually goes in, despite being a Fate card. [DW, 14 November 1997] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• May copy a Singular card. [ML, 5 August 2004] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• If it copies Sentei no Oni, the removal of permanent effects occurs only to those that happened after the Egg of P'an Ku became Sentei no Oni. [ZF, web, April 2005] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 14
• Though an Action card, it has an Item border in the Imperial Edition. This is a misprint. The Unique trait on the Egg always refers to just the Egg itself. It does not create a Unique copy of the Personality it copies. In fact, an Egg-copy of a Unique Personality will not prevent another of that Personality from being played if the original dies. [netnews] Is considered a Personality card once in play. [DW, netnews, 4/5/96] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 24
• Is also considered a Personality after it dies. [RD, l5rinfo, 4/8/96] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 24
• It can be brought back during Rise of the Phoenix, for example. Understandibly, it goes into your Honorable (or Dishonorable) Dead pile when killed, not your Fate card pile. [RD, l5rinfo, 8/27/96] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 24
• When it shows up in a Province, it follows all the normal bring-into-play restrictions such as minimum honor and clan restrictions. Does not copy any temporary changes affecting the card it's copying, or the effects of any attached tokens or cards. However, it does copy any permanent, non-token changes. [DW, l5rinfo, 11/4/96] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 24
• If it copies a bonus-producing trait, such as the Crab Clan Oni's, it copies only the trait itself, not the trait plus the existing bonus. Though a Personality once in play, it still counts as the Egg as well. You cannot play a second Egg and claim that the first "isn't an Egg anymore". [DW, l5rinfo, 11/4/96] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 24
• Does not cause an honor loss or require the payment of non-gold costs, even when used to copy a Personality which does. [DW, l5rinfo, 5/6/97] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 25
• If used to copy a Personality and later overlayed with an Experienced version, that version retains its identity and sole Uniqueness as the Egg. [DW, email, 9/29/97] Accumulated Rulings, February 8, 2000, p. 25
• Clarified: may copy a Unique Personality. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 2
• Clarified: now has an Action card border. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 2
• Clarified: copy retains permanent changes made to the original. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 2
• Clarified: Unique trait only applies to the Egg itself. Text Change & Errata List, February 15, 2000, p. 2
• Q: Can I copy him with the Egg of P'an Ku, then? Or can I put him in my Dynasty Deck anyway and hope for a lucky Unexpected Allies to bring him out? What about Return of the Fallen Lord? A: The Egg will work, as you're not asking the real person to join you, you're creating a copy which enters play already in your service. Unexpected Allies won't, since the Personality would still be joining your clan (he's just not asking for compensation). Return of the Fallen Lord won't work either, for the same reason. Legend of the Five Rings FAQ, Version 3.6.2, May 1998, p. 18
• Erratum: Is an action, not an item. The Imperial Herald, Vol. 1, Issue 1, p. 11

Rules Q&A

• Q: If I play the Egg of P'an Ku and I'm targeting a Shadowlands card, I'm bringing a card into play (the Egg of P'an Ku action card) and I'm giving that card the Shadowlands trait at some point in the card's effect. According to the Archive, "Any single card or action that brings a card into play and gives it the Shadowlands trait is considered to be "bringing a Shadowlands card into play" regardless of the exact relative timing of the two effects."
  A: [MARTY] That entry is - also - outdated. Jeff has already ruled that bring an Egg into play and then making it Shadowlands by copying will not count as "bringing a Shadowlands Card into play," for such purposes.
  In fact, I made the same argument then that you're making now based on the same rulings, which is what lead to the change. Martin Lund, "Rules for 9 December 2004", 12 Dec 2004
• Q: Also, I remeber ready somewhere that using the Egg of Pan Ku on Shosuro will will allow you to use the After entering play Reaction. I the Rule Archive I found a Ruling 'Under Entering Play Section" saying that Egging someone is not considered bringing them into play. Which one is it?
  A: You bring Egg of P'an Ku into play when you play it. After that is changes form into a Personality. This is the same timing window as the Reaction on Shosuro. Ergo, you have not brought a Personality into play (it wasn't a Personality when you played it), but you have brought "this card" into play, which is the only requirement for Shosuro's Reaction.
  The ruling under "Entering play" refers to the Transformation Effect of the Egg, which DOES NOT count as "entering play" - but putting the Egg itself into play from you hand is most certainly involves the Egg "entering play."
  In short:
  1.) A card that is already in play changing card-types doesn't count as bringing a card of the new type into play.
  2.) Bringing a card into play that will later change its card-type DOES count as bringing a card of the old type into play, as well as bringing "this card" into play. Martin Lund, "Rules for 28 November 2004", 30 Nov 2004
• Q: If my opponents stronghold is The Towers of the Yogo, if I used the Egg of P'an Ku on one of his Samurai, would the Egg get the ability granted by the Stronghold? (I would assume it would, since the ability is considered to be on the samurai).
  A: No. Egg of P'an Ku specifically states, "this card becomes a copy of that Personality's printed card plus all permanent changes in effect on it."
  The printed card doesn't haev the ability and the ability granted by Yogo Towers is not a permanent card change. The Personality only has the ability as long as he is a Scorpion Clan Samurai under that player's control, as per the card text. Martin Lund, "Rules for 16 November 2004", 19 Nov 2004
• Q: 1. Shoju Sensei and the Egg of Pan Ku: When you copy somebody with the egg who has been targeted by the shoju sensei, does that same state/condition copy as well?
  A: No. That isn't a change or property of the Personality, but rather the Sensei. Both effects are on-going effects of the Sensei's ability, not changes to the target. Martin Lund, "Rules for 12 November 2004", 14 Nov 2004
• Q: When a card is overlaid, the experienced version has the abilities of the card under it. Does this count as a permanent change to the card for things like the Egg of P'an Ku? Or is it a property of being an overlaid card?
  A: "The later version keep the earlier one's attached cards, tokens, bowed and dishonored status, and all changes currently in effect, and permanently gains all its abilities." (Diamond Edition Rulebook, page 66).
  "Permanently gains all its abilities," seems like a permanent change to me.
  Heck, even if you kill the Personality later and all the under-cards are removed from the game, page 67 still tells you to, "Keep them handy for reference, though, since the top card still has the bottom cards' abilities." Martin Lund, "Rules for 6 November 2004", 10 Nov 2004
• Q: Another question, this came up in play testing last night. I have the new Crane Hero with A New Path on Her making her a monk, then cast Fall Before the Master. After a duel or two and some Pull of Destiny i draw the Egg of Pan Ku. I then Egg the Hero. I know the Egg copies the Force bonus from the Fall Before the Master but does the Egg get the effects of Fall Before the Master "Draw a card for each duel i win.
  A: Egg copies permanent changes to the Personality it copies. The only Permanent change caused to the duelist by Fall Before the Master is the +2/+2. Martin Lund, "Rules for 15 October 2004", 20 Oct 2004
• Q: Your Rules for Friday, July 30, 2004
  * * * * * * * * * *
  Is it legal to Egg a Singular person you already control, and/or what happens when you control two copies of a Singular card? Same question with Dragon Pearl and a Singular Item, if there are any, though I hope it's the same answer.
  You can copy Singular personalities you already control with the Egg of P'an Ku.
  Singular prohibits you from gaining control of another copy of a singular card, either by bringing one into play under your control or gaining control of one already in play. However, you already have control of the Egg card before it becomes a copy of the Singular card in question. Ergo, you are not "gaining control" of anything - you already had it - so the Singular trait does not impact you.
  Page 104, DE Rulebook: Singular - Limited to one in play by each player.
  No mention of "gaining control". Just "one in play by each player". So either we need a rewrite of Singular's definition for LE (and a change on a rulesheet would be nice too), or we need a reversal, correct?
  A: Page 56 refers to bringing cards into play for both Unique and Singular. Marty's ruling is correct. Martin Lund, "Rules for 6 August 2004", 9 Aug 2004
• Q: If a personality card is singular card can I copy it with the EGG OF PAN KU?
  A: I don't see why not. You bring the Egg of P'an Ku into play first. THEN it becomes a copy of the card in question. The Rulebook doesn't say anything about Singular other than the fact that you can't a second of the same card with the Singular trait into play when you already control one. You aren't breaking that rule. You've side-stepped the issue entirely. Martin Lund, "Rules for 10 July 2004", 13 Jul 2004
• Q: When the Egg of Pan Ku comes into play, it copies someone. If it copies an Oni, can Shokansuru pay for the Egg? If it copies a Shadowlands personality, can Shadowlands-only gold pay for it?
  A: No. At the time you are paying for it, it is an Action Card.
  Playing that Action Card is considered to be "bringing a Shadowlands Card into play," but that does not make the Card itself Shadowlands until it hits play and creates its own effects to become so. Martin Lund, "Rules for 26 April 2004", 29 Apr 2004
• Q: 1. If you kill a Hida Daizu, and he uses his trait to return to play, does that "Once per game" usage count as a permanent change for the purposes of "The Egg of P'an Ku"? (Would the Egg-copy reflect the fact that he has "used up" one of his lives?)
  A: No. That's not a permanent change to his card. His card still says and does the same exact thing. It is simply public knowledge that this copy of Daizu has already been killed once this game. Egg of Daizu has not been killed yet, so he'll be fine. Martin Lund, "Rules for 23 April 2004", 25 Apr 2004
• Q: Let's say that some clever non-Horde player uses "The Egg of P'an Ku" on his opponent's Yajinden and bows him to steal back his own previously-stolen personality from the Shadowlands.
  If the Egg unbows, who retains control of the personality?
  A: Stupid Yajinden. We hates him. :P
  Both effects last until the expire. The last "take control of" still in effect wins.
  In the situation addressed above, non-Horde player ends the effect of his Egg of Yajinden. The original Yajinden's effect is still in play if he still hasn't unbowed. That effect would apply, and with no Egg-Yajinden effect to trump it, the Horde player would control the poor go-between.
  This isn't like Feign Death is that the Personality hasn't left play, so the "take control of" effects on him never lapsed. You can't control cards in the Discard Pile, so "take control of" effects go kaput when the Personality hits the Discard Pile. When the Personality is reintroduced to play, it goes to the home of its previous controler (card text).
  I don't see a rule that says control of a Personality automatically defaults to the owner. Rather, it seems to default to the player who brought the Personality into play. (Feign Death, Kolat Recruiter, Seppun Jin) Martin Lund, "Rules for 19 April 2004", 21 Apr 2004
• Q: I did some checking in the Rules Archive, and I wanted to be sure I'm clear on a few things. Once played, the Egg of Pan Ku is permanently a personality, even if it leaves play, but it also retains its status as a Fate card. This allows Tch'tch Warrens to retreive it from a Dynasty discard pile, should the Egg be killed as a personality, correct?
  However, the Tch'tch Warrens player would have no way of playing the Egg from his hand, since it is a Personality, correct?
  Also, as a Personality, the Egg would not have a defined focus value, making it effectively a 0, correct?
  A: Leon! Get off my li- er ... wait a minute. You're not Leon, are you?
  Oh, in that case, yes, you are pretty much spot-on. Martin Lund, "Rules for 1 April 2004 (no jokes)", 3 Apr 2004
• Q: Is the ongoing effect of poisoned thread a permanent change which the Egg of P'an Ku copies, or just the -1/-1 tokens that the personality has already received from it?
  A: Both are permanent effects. [card text] (By the way, it doesn't technically use tokens.) Jeff Alexander, "rules for 1 March 2004", 2 Mar 2004
• Q: 1) An opponent has targeted one of my personalities with Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves. I later use The Egg of P'an Ku to make a copy of that personality. Is the Be Prepared effect considered a permanent change to that personality?
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 26 Feb. 2004", 27 Feb 2004
• Q: During a discution with other players, this question came :
  Is dishonor a "permanent" change for the Egg of Pan Ku for example.
  A: Yes. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 16 Feb. 204", 18 Feb 2004
• Q: if i copy a personality with a weapon atached , the copy will have the stat of the personality plus the weapon bonus?
  A: No. Those are not permanent changes. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 9 Feb. 2004", 10 Feb 2004
• Q: Since the bonus from New Emerald Champion is copied by the Egg of Pan Ku, does the bowing to bow the Champ part get copied as well?
  A: Yes. The Egg copy gets anything permanent (card text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 17 December 2003, Part 2", 18 Dec 2003
• Q: Can I use the Egg of P'an Ku to copy a personality who won't join my clan?
  A: Yes. Nobody's joining, you're playing an action. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 3 November 2003", 3 Nov 2003
• Q: [A] Crane player uses the Egg of P'an Ku to copy his own Exp Kurohito. Next, the original Exp Kurohito loses a duel, perhaps to Toku, and dies. Can his Crane opponent: a. play an Egg if P'an Ku b. play Exp Kurohito
  A: No to both. See the Egg of P'an Ku mini-FAQ, here: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/sarah-and-zen/l5r/zcotw~1.html#25 Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 22 October 2003", 22 Oct 2003
• Q: I can use the Egg of P'an Ku to make a copy of a personality that won't join my faction[.] If my opponent takes temporary control of said personality, what happens when they have to return him/her?
  A: They can't (precedent: Otomo Ambassadors; see Rules Archive). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 12 September 2003, Part 2", 13 Sep 2003
• Q: When the Egg of P'an Ku dies, which discard pile does it go to?? Can it be brought back??
  A: From the Rules Archive (http://l5r.alderac.com/rulings/): Dynasty. Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 20 August 2003", 20 Aug 2003
• Q: 6.- My Goju Adorai 4/4 gets a -2 chi penalty for that "The First Scroll is Opened". Later, I copy the ninja with "The Egg of Pan-Ku". Has the Egg 4 or 2 chi?
  A: 2. The First Scroll is Opened creates a permanent change. The Egg copies permanent changes. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 6 March 2001", 18 Mar 2001
• Q: Here, there was a ruling that the "other ruling" was reversed, but the link in the OP's post links to a thread wherein the ruling lists itself as a reversal as well.
  Coming back to the thread I linked above, is the ruling confirming that the Egg of P'an Ku can copy Matsu Nimuro xp2's ability or is it a reversal stating that it cannot do so?
  A: The Egg of P'an Ku xp may copy Matsu Nimuro xp2's ability. Jon Palmer, "Clarification on Egg vs. Nimuro Ruling", 23 Jul 2014
• Q: From here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=106980&p=1409031&hilit=egg#p1409031 (First question)
  The card text says "Create a copy of a target Personality". To copy a personality, i guess you check each stat and copy it to the created card, but the text never references "base" stats, and I can't find anything on the CR that say that you should use the base stats when you copy a personality.
  Every other game procedure that checks a personality stat, check the actual one, not the base unless it explicitly says it does. Why does Egg of P'an Ku work differently?
  A: The definition of the word "copy" you're citing is for the verb.
  Egg of P'an Ku Exp creates "a copy" of the card, being a noun, synonymous with the printed "copys" of the card that you put in your deck. Brook Cunningham, "What does the Egg of P'an Ku exactly copy? (cont)", 16 Jun 2014
• Q: The (Egg of P'an Ku)states it comes into play and then becomes an exact copy of the targeted personality. At this point isn't it too late to react with entering play reactions as the card entered play and then became a copy of that peronality?
  A: Here. Note this whether it's legal will depend on the exact wording of the Reaction. ("When" something enters play vs. "after"). Zen Faulkes, "Egg of P'an Ku and Reactions", 11 Apr 2005
• Q: Let's say I have Doji Konishiko in play, and she's "learned" the action on Storm Heart. If I Egg her...
  A: The Egg copy has the action on Storm Heart.
  B: The Egg copy doesn't have the action on Storm Heart, but I can use the reaction to give the Egg copy an ability.
  C: The Egg copy has the action on Storm Heart, AND I can use the reaction to give the Egg copy a second ability.
  A: C.
  Gaining the ability is a permanent change to the card, so Egg copies that change.
  However, the Egg itself has not used that ability this game, and thusly has not reached the max # of uses (once per game) yet. Martin Lund, "Doji Konishiko and The Egg of P'an Ku", 11 Apr 2005
• Q: For Sentei no Oni, what happens if you use the Egg of P'an Ku to copy Sentei no Oni and he dies?
  A: The Egg remains Sentai no Oni; I've already ruled this within the last couple of days but because the forum search is busted, will take some time to find it. Zen Faulkes, "Questions Regarding the new Shadowlands Oni", 11 Apr 2005
• Q: If I copy a Unique Personality with The Egg of P'an Ku, does Call of Thunder trigger - ie does the Egg bring a personality into play? Or does it come into play as an action card, then silently turns into a personality without Call of Thunder noticing? Or does the Call of Thunder's effect fall under the egg's "no entering-play effects are produced" restriction (I don't think so - this restriction should apply to the copied card only, not to other cards watching out for changes in the game's state)?
  Quote:
  The Egg of P'an Ku
  Action
  Unique
  Limited: Target a Personality, including a Unique Personality or one who will not join you. After entering play, this card becomes a copy of that Personality's printed card plus all permanent changes in effect on it. None of the Personality's costs need to be paid and no entering-play effects are produced.
  Quote:
  Call of Thunder
  Event
  The next Unique Personality you bring into play this game permanently gains the traits "May assign even if bowed. After each time this card assigns, you may straighten it."
  A: You don't bring a Personality into play. You bring a card into play that is not a Personality. After it enters play, the card becomes a Personality. That's not the same thing as bringing a Personality into play. Martin Lund, "Egg of P'an Ku & Call of Thunder", 26 Mar 2005
• Q: The Egg of Pan Ku: once it copies someone is it still the Egg?
  A: Archive, Egg of P'an Ku. No. (It used to be, but that changed in Diamond.) Zen Faulkes, "A few questions that have bugged me for a little while", 14 Mar 2005