I'm working on my Maptools framework to automate most of the complex but predictable rules in SR4, and this week's button was Banish. Without getting technical, I have a one-click solution to banishing summoned spirits, but I can't find the number of "services" that a free spirit should start with. Any thoughts? I'm also interested in opinions on how to make free spirits interesting as adversaries.

Well, the rules say it has banishing resistance, which means it is treated as having services equal to unspent edge, which would usually be equal to their force.

Except our game Monday night, in which my Free Spirit PC with the Lucky Quality used all but one EDG by the end of the run-gone-wrong. I was waiting for some mage to come around the corner and go "booga-booga-booga".

Sounds like time to metaplanar shortcut home.

That was in the back of my mind, too.

reading SM p106 "Born Free" tells me Free Spirits don't have Edge=Force. furthermore it's not forbidden for free spirits to gain karma and raise edge to whatever they can afford. the maximum = force applys only to PC FSs for balancing reasons. it might still be a reasonable value so.

back to the initial questions, his services are equal to unspent edge, which is somewhere between 0 and Force (or more if you want to)

FS as adversary: let him materialize behind the runners, attack in his surprise round and disappear again. do so until they become nerved and use astral security. Maybe the FS does so as a favor for some enemy of theirs in trade for some precious karma...

As an interesting side note, Banishing an Ally Spirit will result in the normal Test, including the resulting Drain, but Ally Spirits have infinite Services owed. For particular evil-ness, have an NPC mage with an Ally Spirit that he uses, and will only work properly if the mage in your party actually uses Banish and not "Banish" (mana bolt).