A magician summons a fire spirit F5 (in combat) on IP 1 on Initiative count 11. The fire spirit's minimum Initiative score is over that.

So what happens?

1. Does the spirit immediately roll Initiative, but it gets no action for that IP? Or does it immediately have a delayed action for IP 1?

2. If the answer above is no, especially for the no delayed action, the spirit gets its first action on IP 2. It goes before the mage, so it delays action and waits for orders. However, it has 3 IPs. Will the spirit get to go on IPs 2 (after an order), 3 and 4 for three IPs worth of actions?

Second scenario...

3. A previously summoned fire spirit is currently in astral form and has been called previously AND ordered to materialize and destroy whatever. IP 1 comes up and it uses a Complex action to Materialize. So now it has 2 IPs as a materialized spirit. Does it go on IPs 2 and 3?

Reverse scenario of above.

4. A Materialized spirit on IP 1 uses a CA to go astral. Does it get to take actions on IPs 2 and 3? Or just IP 2?

I'd tend to assume the worst in every situation: no 'missed' IPs, and no 'leftover' IPs. Astral, however, does give that extra one.

1. I was under the impression that when you summon a spirit, it appears in its natural astral form. It can certainly move in the first initiative pass, but it generally has to spend it materializing in order to do any good.

3. Not 3. Just 2. It spent its first initiative pass in the physical plane materializing on that plane.

4. I would think so, yeah.