Ok, I'm looking in Street Magic, p57 and trying to figure out how the Invoking test works. I know how to initiate, have a Force 6 Spirit bound already, and am willing to pay 50% more for re-binding drain. How though does the invoking test work?

I have: Binding 4, Mentor Spirit - Gryphon (+2 Binding, SM p182), Power Focus 2, Specialized in Guardian Spirits, Magic rating 6, and a Force 6 already-bound spirit. Thats 4+2+2+2+6+6=22 dice which averages 7.33 hits and 14.66 failures. I spend an edge to reroll the 14.66 failures and get 4.66 more hits added to my previous 7.33 hits. I now have 12 hits after my edge.

My spirit is great form, and gains +7 to each of its physical stats. As a force 6 Guardian Spirit that means it has an Agility of 8+7=15 and a Body/Str/Reaction of 13.

Good stuff. Buuuut... no optional power. I rolled too high. By my good roll do I skip the lower level powers like +1 Reach and the optional (great form) power? Are they included? {which makes it too powerful with the banishing resistance!!!}

Is there some mechanism to forego the extra physical attribute dice to get the colorful widgets? How should I be readin that table?

Every level of the table is cumulative. So you'd have the banishing resistance and the extra powers.

Really nasty of course, but are you really prepared to reisist an average of 12 Drain? What if it rolls high?

Also note that while it is virtually immune to banishment and it is going to be nigh unstoppable in close combat, that it can still get punked by a high force manabolt or a high powered rifle fired without its knowledge.

-Frank

Since an initial invoking test has no 50% drain penalty like re-binding why not always use a unique spirit and just invoke them all with a good Binding test?

EDIT: Altered language to state re-binding

There is a drain to the invoking test. It's the binding drain, with 50% more damage added to it.

That's how you get the 12 DV for the force 6 spirit in the first place (Force 6x2=12 dice for binding resistance, average 4 hits, gets doubled again, making it 8 DV, and if invoking causes 1/2 more damage, resulting in 12 DV). Every additional hit that the spirit would do would result in 3 point more DV, which just gets too nasty.

No, it also says binding.

The exact line is:

How the heck did I miss THAT?!
Ok, so its all +50%. Gotcha.

I blame sleep dep, myself.

EDIT: created new thread instead