Battle Maidens
I don't have my book with me, but they have a technique that lets them reroll dice in a skirmish less than the trait it's used with. Does this apply to initiative as well?

Dont think so Rippuku. Text says: "...This may be used on any Bugei skill, including attack, damage and Defense rolls." So i think only Bugei skill rolls and damage. Its powerful, but not game breaking. Unless said trait is 7. Then its a mess. Bring a question too... what trait is considered for damage? Strenght is the obvious choice, but damage doesnt work like a standard skill roll.

The confusion is because those might list examples of ways to use the ability, not limitations.

But it implies that damage rolls are bugai rolls, and dosen't that open up a whole new can o worms? So we have a decision to make- are damage rolls bugai rolls, or do we pretend that we saw nothing and let the ladies on My Pretty Ponies re roll damage, based on a trait (I'd agree with Str)

It says "bugei skill rolls" there. A damage roll is not a "skill roll", but the technique stipulates that damage rolls also gain the bonus when the appropriate bugei skill roll is used.

Twice it lists when to use it. The first time implies all rolls, the second lists skills and damage. Is the 2nd listing an example of what you all get (IE, your courtier skill isn't increased just because you declared combat?) or is the 2nd hard limitations insteead of examples?

The Wind Never Stops seems pretty clear to me. It says that you may re-roll any dice that have a result less then the Trait, during a Battle or Skirmish. The second sentence is merely providing clarification. The second sentence does not limit the first, in any way. Basically, if I decided to take a Complex Action and make a Traps roll to set up a trap in the middle of the skirmish, The Wind Never Stops would allow me to roll dice that are less then my Intelligence. EDIT In light of this technique, the Utaku Battle Maiden just picked up some potential as being among the greatest courtiers. Imagine Winter Court at Shiro Utaku. All Winter Court would be held on Skirmish time, all the time. Imagine an Utaku Battlemaiden with Awareness 8, Great Potential: Etiquette 10. Of course, all the Utaku at Winter Court are mounted at all times, so they can keep an additional die from their Rank 1 technique.

You can if you want to be or if you are really paranoid and delaying your action each 6 second to see what they do. Also: We KNOW that using “combat time” is incredibly abusive. We never claimed it was something you SHOULD do, but rather something that you are legally allowed to do by the rules. What you can legally do by the letter of the rules is what this forum is all about.

Well, there are a few limitations: - 'combat time' doesn't start until "it becomes clear that events in the game cannot be resolved without combat". That means you can't start combat time just any time you like. - combat ends when "no combatants remain who wish to continue combat". That at minimum precludes things like going to sleep but still remaining in 'combat time'. A less liberal but very sensible reading simply says that once you stop fighting (and for instance putting up your weapon would mean you stop fighting, even if you claim to stay on guard in case of further hostilities or some other such malarky), combat's over. IOW, combat time can be abused if you interpret the rules very liberally but it's equally true to say that a less liberal interpretation disallows such abuse.

Combat time starts when theme music changes.

No, I'm pretty sure it's the other way around.