This is a question I brought up because of a campaign I'm running in on Welcome to the Shadows in which my character gets attacked by an elemental attack. Ophis has kindly allowed me to counterspell it, but does it work that way? It's worked that way in SR3, so I don't see why not, but still, it troubles me.

It should say in the critter power section, but I don't think you can counterspell powers because they're not the same influence as magic by metahumans.

Now if they're a bonified mage and they cast a spell, that's different, but as I recall it's a no.

I'm gonna look up stuff though, so if I find out otherwise, I'll tell you.

Well, Awkward as it is, I didn't find a section that said they didn't directly (though I haven't looked through it all) but innate spell is the only power thus far that specifically states that you can counterspell it, since it is a spirits natural ability to cast a spell if they have spellcasting. This is a fluke in powers, but it is one definite example.

So... Shen should be dead... is this a game balance issue? Because the way spells are balanced out is that counterspelling can even out the dice pools. This does not happen for spirits, though.

If you really are bothered by it, use Banishing to help resist spirit powers, although extending this to others would be going too far, I think.

It's only a game balance issue if the PCs are abusing it.

And it doesn't mean spell effects can't deter powers to an extent - mana barriers (physical or otherwise) can and would affect several of them when you think about it.

Dunno about ones like accident, but you could certainly treat barriers as something to reduce the effect if you want. Otherwise mages would always go poof when they're hiding in their lodges after upsetting some greater spirit after a game of gin.