Zendo, play by forum

[Silken Healer]

FISHSWORD
W

[Proxima]

A koan has the Buddha-nature if the sum of its alphabetic positions (A=1 B=2 etc) is 100.

[kaywhyn]

A koan has the Buddha-nature if the sum of its alphabetic positions (A=1 B=2 etc) is 100.

Correct! Partly inspired by your Scrabble rule, but mostly from a Weekly Challenge class/homework assignment I remember back when I was in 6th grade Honors math class, where the challenge was to come up with words so that if you add the values of the position of each of the letters in the English alphabet of the word the sum is 100. I don't remember the exact number we needed to come up with anymore, but I believe to get an A on the assignment, we needed to come up with at least 5 or 7 words that add to 100.

When I was coming up with a white koan for this rule, it made me wish that I still had my list, because if you only allow English words, it's really difficult. Strings that aren't real words are much easier to come up with so they add up to 100. That being said, no single letter, two-letter string, or three-letter string can ever be white under this rule. Only certain 4-letter strings or longer can be white. Similarly, any permutation of a white koan will be white, and same thing with all permutations of a black koan will be black. I thought the rule would be quite clear from all the permutations WillLem listed, but I'm guessing you wanted to make sure of some guesses first before stating the rule.

Anyway, your turn!

[Silken Healer]

Well done for your first game clever rule

[Proxima]

I thought the rule would be quite clear from all the permutations WillLem listed, but I'm guessing you wanted to make sure of some guesses first before stating the rule.

Will's guess revealed that all anagrams had the same status, but there are lots of rule types that fit that, so I put out some feelers in different directions, including replacing "E" with "DA" to see whether sum of alphabetic values was the key. That struck gold, and I noticed that TELEPHONE and STARFISH both summed to 100, but I had to run more tests to see whether the rule was "it has to be 100" or "it has to be square" or "it has to be a multiple of 10".

I'd rather someone else take a turn as I've had quite a few lately.

[kaywhyn]

Will's guess revealed that all anagrams had the same status, but there are lots of rule types that fit that, so I put out some feelers in different directions, including replacing "E" with "DA" to see whether sum of alphabetic values was the key. That struck gold, and I noticed that TELEPHONE and STARFISH both summed to 100, but I had to run more tests to see whether the rule was "it has to be 100" or "it has to be square" or "it has to be a multiple of 10".

Yea, fair point with WillLems' anagram guesses satisfying a bunch of other rules besides this one. Also, nice observation with replacing E with DA!

I have another rule, but I'll wait for others to have their turn first  

[Ramon]

Let's go for a quick one then!

CASHMERE has the buddha nature.
SILK does not have the buddha nature.

[Proxima]

CASH
MERE
SILKS

[Ramon]

White koans:
  CASHMERE
* MERE
* SILKS

Black koans:
* CASH
  SILK

[WillLem]

AKHTBN iff one of its letters appears at least twice in the full string

[Ramon]

WOOL does not have the buddha nature.

White koans:
  CASHMERE
  MERE
  SILKS

Black koans:
  CASH
  SILK
* WOOL

[WillLem]

SILKA
SILKZ

[Proxima]

CASHME
WOOLS
WOOLW

[Ramon]

White koans:
  CASHMERE
  MERE
  SILKS
* WOOLW

Black koans:
  CASH
* CASHME
  SILK
  WOOL
* WOOLS

[Proxima]

WOLO
WOOLO
WWOOL