I could be way off here so please let me know.

Watcher spirits have Search power and a dice pool of two to use it.

(Using SR4A extended test -1 per roll rule.)
Action 1 1: Spirit Rolls Two Dice
Action 2: Spirit Rolls One Die.
Action 3: Spirit Has No Die.

Test is 5/10 minutes.

Theres lots of modifiers to lower dice pool too, so am I way off or is Search power unusable?

The -1 dice pool modifier only applies if the gamemaster decides to limit the number of rolls. Generally, a watcher can roll it's 2 dice over and over until it runs out of existence.

But even if you don't substract that, they are too bad at searching. I mean: It is their specialty... one of three reasons one would use one, and their only power. In my group they get more dice. (I think the GM said +2), like for a specialty in a skill.

Say, why were they reduced to maximum Force 1 anyway? Having a force 3 Watcher... what would be the problem?

Looking at change document and that change isn't listed as optional. ( I understand my call. )

It was my under standing if you didn't achieve enough successes in the first 10 minute interval you started out form scratch in the next 10.

If it was the case were we could keep our success through multiple intervals there never really would be a failure just time elapsed. (Barring the rare glitches.)

What's the problem with summoning a real spirit? Probably less drain for a reasonable duration and better attributes. Not to mention they can be used for other things as well.

Spirits are quite overestimated. The last time i ordered one of my fire-elementals to kill a guy on the other side of the street. Unfortunately the spirit used his search power and after the 10 minutes the spirit needed for his first roll, the guy escaped.^^ Ok, the GM was a nerd in this run, but never trust spirits.^^

More like, never trust an arsehole GM.

I'm staring at the SR4A pdf and it's the GM's decision on whether or not to impose that limitation.0


This is to a degree the entire point of extended tests - you're going to succeed, it's only a matter of time, so your major limiting factor is how much time you want (or can) to spend on those tests. Certain extended tests are of the nature of diminishing returns, hence why the GM can impose the -1 modifier.

Anyway, a watcher is a nearly mindless servitor - the simple and single-minded task of looking for something is well within its job description.

There are attuned watchers in Digital Grimoire.

Which are not really useful unless you can assense the target in the first place or have some link to it.

Extended tests keep successes...
EDIT: Did not read all posts... AH beat me to it...