Are their any restrictions on the skill that these get: i.e. does the technomancer / shaman need to know the skill? Does a skill soft have to be available for the technomancer to copy...etc

At least on the Sprites, I'm pretty sure the Technomancer isn't required to know the skill. Because sometimes the point of compiling a Tutor sprite is to learn something you don't already know how to do.

The only similar limitation (Innnate Spell must be a spell known by the mage) is explicitely stated, so as far as I can tell looking at the rules, no.

Thanks. Thats the conclusion that I came to

I am going to hijack the thread for a quick question.

Do spirits have other skills except, those explicitly listed?

Say, does a Beast Spirit have the skill survival?

I don't think they do (unless the GM decides "of course they do").

Do hellhounds have Astral Combat? Do ghouls?
How about mundane dogs, do they have unarmed combat? Survival?

They can always default (unless they can't - spellcasting, arcana, ect.), and depending on the Force/Rating of the Spirit/Sprite, they can default well. Well, well-ish.

Mundane dogs do have unarmed combat, but the others you mention are indeed missing.

I'm AFB, but I knew most of what I listed was.

Actually, by RAW they can't:

SR4A, p.292:
"If a critter does not possess a skill it is considered Unaware in that skill."

So no defaulting.

It's bizarre – on the same page it does allow the GM to raise or lower attribute and skill ratings by up to 3 in either direction (0 minimum of course) but not add or remove skills. Because the critter is considered Unaware it doesn't have ratings of 0 to be increased by up to 3, it has no rating at all so by RAW a fully grown dog that's been living stray for most of its life is not able to know how to scavenge for food.

House ruling is a definite must here.

Hellhounfs or Ghouls don't really need Astral Combat. As dual-natured beings with Natural Weapon they can use their physical Attributes and Unarmed skill in astral combat. And the fire attack of the hellhound is dual-natured too, so it is able to hit purely astral entities.

Do hellhounds have exotic weapon (firebreath)?

At least in Anniversary, they have "Ranged Exotic Weapon 4". While not explicitely linked to their fire attack, since it's the only targeted ranged attack form they possess that need an exotic weapon skill I think associating the two is clearly RAI if not strictly (and absurdly literally) RAW.

Alright, at least they have it.

Unlike RC not even mentioning that Drakes might need it for their breath weapon.

Do barghests have immunity to their own attack ability? (You know, the fear causing ability? Was that a single target ability or hearing distance?

Does it not say that Spirits have the Sapience power? This gives them the ability to default.
Dogs, nor wolves have the Survival ability, but they do have Tracking, which allows them to hunt.



The Paralyzing Howl power does affect everyone (friend and foe) who can hear it. And the Barghest does not have explicit immunity to howls, but for the sake of making sense, I would rule that the barghest is immune to it`s own howl (but not the howl`s of other Barghests)

strictly speaking, "unaware" is on the chart, and is one step below 0. increasing it by 3 in the positive direction should actually grant it the skill at 2

It's on the chart as 'Unrated', so it follows that it falls outside the numerical system, surely? After all, being unaware is meant to be different from simply not having the skill.