Page 22 of the Core Rulebook tells us that you don't always get to make a check, just because you do something that could be a check.

With that in mind, passions.

A player of mine is playing a Shiotome with the Animal Bond passion for her warsteed. Last session she told me that she wanted to go tend to her horse in the stable before going to bed and, as a point of her being slightly drunk and having recently seen someone perform an animal trick, wanted to try to make the horse do a similar trick.

Just looking at that situation, there's no need to make a check. It's a nice moment, but it's something I'd talk through without ever even looking at the dice.

That prompted a conversation in the group about invoking passions to clear strife.

Obviously there are situations in which characters undertake actions that would need checks, that also involve a passion of theirs, but those situations could be notably fewer and further between than just every old time a samurai wants to do a flower-arrangement.

I'm aware that there are other ways of clearing strife, but this question is specific to passions.

Let's say someone does something that is their passion, like tending to their animal, do some calligraphy, gossip with their peers, all to wind down. Do they clear some strife? Even if what they're doing isn't worth a check?

Thanks in advance for your rules citations and your opinions alike.

I believe that is the case.

As far as i am aware, spending a downtime scene indulging your passion can clear strife, no test involved.

EDIT - I stand corrected by @nameless ronin below.

By the rules, you need to make a check. The text of the specific passions (p. 111 and following) says so: "After performing a check to ... you remove 3 strife". Note, you only need to make a check, you don't need to succeed.

Now, what the rules say aside there's a bit of an issue with advantages and disadvantages in general in that they don't always come up equally often. Certainly as far as advantages are concerned this incentivizes players to pick things that are easy to do and commonly applicable (with disadvantages it depends on how they want to balance not being hindered by them while still getting to recover void points every now and then). I think it's important for players and GM to agree on how often their specific advantages and disadvantages should come up in practice and what exactly they apply to. With regards to passions, I do require a check is made in order to remove strife with them - however, I will allow for a check if the player makes the scene interesting and just a bit more meaningful than "I sit down for 5 minutes and do X, which is my passion so I should get to remove strife". If it's their passion, they should actually indulge it in order to have an effect. It doesn't have to be much, just enough that it shows they put some though into it and a little roleplay occurs.

Trying to get your horse to do a trick doesn't have to require a check, since failure isn't all that meaningful, but it can allow it - check to see if the horse picks up on the trick or not. Just petting your horse on the other hand should never need a check, so that's out for removing strife. Sampling some sake doesn't really require a check, but it might - try to discern the subtle aromas, enjoy the small ritual of pouring the sake and warming it to just the right temperature, things like that. Quaffing down a few gulps in the middle of an action scene on the other hand, that should not allow someone to remove strife under the pretense that sake tasting is their passion. And so on.

I like what Nameless said.

I would not dogmatically require a check to invoke a passion to remove strife. I think invoking your passion once a day during a down time activity should be pretty easy to pull off if it makes sense in the circumstances (you can't easily appreciate brushwork in an art piece if you are lost in the mountains...). But I agree strongly that you need to do more than just pet your horse. Or invoke your passion by saying, "I trace calligraphy for 5 minutes to invoke my passion and remove strife." The idea that what you are doing is meaningful enough that it *could* warrant a check seems like a good guideline. "After a hard day of unwanted labor helping the village peasants fix damage from the fire, I pull out my old pillow book of the Tao written by "Master Calligrapher X" and after taking my time to properly mix ink I work on copying a passage that deals with the importance of compassion in Bushido" probably passes.

It's a simple thing, but in "Wedding at Kyotei Castle," they included opportunities for downtime activities after a day's events. You could use that opportunity to indulge your Passion, removing Strive, or you could go try to get something else done, like meeting with a lord for some unofficial negotiations. I would probably model off of that, with a little room for something in between. If the Battle Maiden with Animal Bond has suffered a lot of Strife, she may want to head to the stables and spend some time brushing and tending her horse. I would say she can remove three Strife, no check. After all the politics and backhanded compliments, she's ready to slap someone and really just needs to do something calming.

However, the Shosuro Infiltrator may want to sneak in to the daimyo's office to have a look at his plans. He's going to need to make a check or two, and will not have a chance to indulge his Passion.

Meanwhile, the Akodo Commander with a Games Passion might challenge a rival to a friendly game of Go, trying to learn a bit about him. He will make a check and recover Strife, but if he wants to win or learn something important, he may need to suffer some Strife on his Games roll.