Custom Spell and mentor help?, character creation Options

[Abbandon]

I've finally got around to making some sr4 characters. Im working on a mage now. I definately wanna toss some spell idea's around with you guys. I would also like some help with choosing or making a Mentor Spirit. All my mages follow the shamanic tradition.

I there some kinda formula for deciding the advantages and disadvantages of a Mentor? it looks like most give bonus's to two things and - to another or some kinda test.

I would like to pick bonus's to combat spells, manipulation spells, summoning or binding. But i also believe that you dnt pick your mentor, your mentor picks you. Does anyone have like a table to roll against for advantages and disadvantages? And then i could just assign those to a specific mentor.

Do you think the same mentor like Dog or Eagle affect their followers the same way ? Or do you think that dog grants different abilities to different people according to that person.

As far as spells. You can make a spell look like whatever you want with as little or as much flare as possble right? Like i could use Mana/power/Stun ball to shoot electricity out my butt (without it haveing an electric affect) right? or i could make it look like a fireballs or i could make it look like a ray of light or something??

Choke
Type:P, Range-LOS, Dmg-P, Duration-I, DV: (F/2) +3
Crush
----- --------LOS(A) ------ -------- DV: (F/2) +5
This is as powerful as elemental type attacks that cause status affects. So what would be appropriate for this kind of thing. Im thinking Choke is just a strangling attack but crush would actually crush all the people affected together into one another. They would for sure take damage like normal but what should the side effects be.

I also want a spell that explicity is used to knock/fling people away. There is a fling spell but it is used to toss things at people, I want to actually toss the people.
What kind of drain value would you give to the solo and group version of that spell? The targets would take like falling damage according to how far they get flung? Which would involve making some base flingage. What would happen if you could fling a target 50 meters but you slam them into a wall only after 10. Maybe make a base meter rate and each hit add's +meters and then the victom takes damage according to the ram damage table for car combat resisted with body + half impact armor??

Whats a kool mana type mana damage spell that could be used for fighting on the astral?? ooo i know some kinda sonic scream attack ?? I like the idea of like some kinda glowy sinuas tendrals flowing out from your fingertips that just hurt the other guy.