So is there any definitive word on whether adepts can use Mentor Spirits? As mentioned in other threads p192 says that Mentor Spirits can be used by any Awakened characters. But in description of the positive quality on p79 it says it can only be taken by magicians and mystic adepts. There doesn't seem to be an errata for either statement as far as I can tell.

I was just wondering is all.

Some of the characters who post on Jackpoint are Adepts with Mentor Spirits. It's completely part of the game world. Adpt is missing from the list of people who can take Mentors on page 79, and that's unfortunate - I'm really not sure why the insertion of "or Adept" hasn't made it into Errata yet.

-Frank

Not SR4, but there are other in game references to adepts w/ mentor spirits, liek the guy in SOTA 64 that follows wolf and is a phys ad.

Ask your GM if you can buy the Mentor Spirit as a contact. Its off-beat, colorful, and since the benefits are largely roleplay not too inappropriate. If the Mentor Spirit is just a voice in your head do it like a L3/C1 since it can't or won't use its powers for you.... has a weak link, however your GM fleshes it out.

Heck, I have yet to have a local GM (non-convention) who objects to having a Mentor Spirit who is ALSO a contact. It makes the Mentor Spirit a very vibrant thing without allowing cheese from a 5 point advantage.

Mentor spirits are useful if adepts can take them, since many of them give dice pool bonuses to non-magical skills. For example, your orkish infiltration adept who knows the sewers and the Ork Underground like the back of his hand takes Rat as a mentor spirit - that's +2 to resist diseases and poisons, and +2 to Infiltration tests. Yes, you also have to make a test to not flee combat, but it's still a pretty good deal for that particular character concept.

Or the Troll Adept with Bear as mentor spirit who gets +2 Dice for Resisting Damage.

I would allow Physad to have a mentor spirit even though it would be of very little help to him/her. If they are a full physical mage though then the mentor spirit comes into effect. It also helps set up a back story to your character (as mentor spirits are more close aligned to different cultures). It makes sense that a NAN Phyad would have a totem that would teach him/her the ways to infuse their body with magical energies through physical vision quests and physical tests of bravery and resistance.