bonus dice from mentor spirits, usable for drain? Options

[wind_in_the_ston...]

Some totems grant bonus dice for categories of magic. Like Dog grants +2 dice for detection spells. Are these dice usable for anything other than the spellcasting test?

[Wasabi]

I thought I knew but huh... its worded weirdly.

SR4a, p200: "A magician gains bonus dice when acting or using Sorcery or Conjuring skills in accordance to the mentor’s ideals."

I'd guess that since it adds to skills that means skill checks and not damage resistance tests but Bears adds to physical damage resistance tests, so uh... I dunno.

[Screaming Eagle]

I would be quick to point out that overcasting drain is not a damage resistance test, its a drain test so Charisma 8 Elven Bear Shaman is not the spell casting drain win forever...
But its your table.
I generally allow the bonus dice to be allocated as the caster sees fit between casting/summoning or drain though this is not RAW by a good distance unless I missed something. It's mostly to preserve a bit of the 1-3rd ed dice pool allocation rules and for an added bonus in exchange for the "shamanic mask" thing. Its "only" 2 dice, but then again I don't have anyone trying to push the rules envelope for more drain dice and drain resiatance in my game.