The Fortunes Smile

Legend of the Five Rings card from Samurai Edition, Web of Lies, Three Dynasties

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

As a Focus Effect: Gain 2 Honor and draw a card.
Battle: Target your Personality and an enemy Personality: Give your Personality a Force bonus equal to his or the other target's Personal Honor, whichever is greater. Give the other target a Force penalty of the same amount.

Focus Value

3

Legality

Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Race for the Throne (Samurai), Rain of Blood (Diamond), Three Dynasties

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "The Fortunes Smile 0G 3FV Focus Effect: Gain 2 Honor and draw a card. Battle: Target one of your Personalities and a Personality opposing him. Give your Personality a Force bonus equal to his or the other target’s Personal Honor, whichever is greater. Give the other target a Force penalty of the same amount." [MRP, Samurai Edition, 25 July 2007] Comprehensive Rules, Samurai Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, May 2009, p. 161

Rules Q&A

• Q: Is my dishonored personality rehonored if they are involved in duel resolution in which they focused a "The Fortunes Smile"?
  A: Yes. That Honor Gain will cause the personality to be restored to Honorable status. Martin Lund, "Rules for 2 February 2005", 7 Feb 2005
• Q: Does the 2 honor gain from The Fortune’s Smile “involve” the dueling personally? If The Fortune’s Smile is revealed in a duel with a dishonored personally, will The Fortune’s Smile rehonor the personally? Does the 2 honor come before, during or after the results of the duel?
  A: An effect of a card that Personality used as a Focus in a duel is good enough to be "involved."
  It comes before the results of the duel. It says to gain the honor when it is revealed, which is before you compare totals. Martin Lund, "Rules for 18 January 2005", 21 Jan 2005
• Q: Looking at The Fortunes Smile in particular.
  A: Short answer: No.
  Long answer comes from checking http://rules.l5r.com/Physically_marked_ ... shonorable:
  "There are a number of ways to rehonor a dishonorable Personality.
  "Before a player gains Honor from an action or trait that targeted..." Does not apply, as The Fortunes Smile does not target.
  "came from..." Does not apply, as The Fortunes Smile does not come from a Personality.
  "or was performed by one or more of his or her dishonorable Personalities, the Personality is rehonored and the Honor is not gained." Does not apply, as The Fortunes Smile is not performed by anything.
  "Before a player gains Honor from attaching a card to one of his or her dishonorable Personalities, the Personality is rehonored and the Honor is not gained." Does not apply, as The Fortunes Smile does not attach.
  "Before a player with one or more dishonorable Personalities in his or her army gains Honor from allying with that army (see Invite Allies) or from destroying opposing cards in battle resolution, all such dishonorable Personalities are rehonored and the Honor is not gained. In a tied battle, all dishonorable Personalities in an army are rehonored before being destroyed, and their army’s leader gains no Honor." Does not apply. Zen Faulkes, "Do focus effect honor gains rehonor?", 1 Aug 2008
• Q: Can you draw a card with Doji Takeji from the honour gain from focusing a 'the Fortunes's Smile?
  A: Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Doji Takeji and The Fortune's Smile", 25 Mar 2005
• Q: Will the honor gain from The Fortunes Smile restore a dishonored personality to honorable status if revealed in a duel?
  A: See here. Zen Faulkes, "The Fortunes Smile and Dishonored Personalities", 14 Mar 2005