Here's another for you double-domed mage types.

Recently we had a situation where our astral mage pounced on a Toxic Free Spirit with his two elemental guards. In order to get away, the Toxic manifested into physical space.

Is the Toxic Spirit considered a duel natured?

Can our astral hero and his elementals attack it from astral space because it is duel natured?

If so, what statistics does it use - physical or astral?

My point is that it was far stronger, stat-wise, in physical space with an almighty body and strength.

It struck us as being strange ... any help out there?

Though i am no way near an authority on spirits i do believe it becomes dual natured. but it's, it's Astral attrib's that count.

So you still use it's force when it's attacked from astral space for it's rolls, soaking and damage?

That makes it different from the usual duel natured creatures who don't have a 'force', yeah?

First off, the word you want is "materialized" for becoming physicial in the physical world. Manifesting (SR3 p. 173) just makes an astral form ghostly visible and audible on the physical plane. A manifested astral entity can NOT be attacked by physical forms.

Yes, if it truely materialized, it is considered dual natured at that point, and can be attacked on both the astral and physical planes. A spirit would never consider materializing as a way to "get away" from something, as it opens him up for more attacks and makes him slower on both initiative and movement.

While a materialized spirt does get Immunity to Normal Weapons, that doesn't protect it from astral attacks.

When materialized, his physical attributes do change based on his Spirit type (e.g. Hearth Spirit) according to the spirit type description (SR3 p. 266-268). He uses Reaction instead of Force for combat. A dual natured being uses his physical stats, skills, and Physical Combat Pool in combat with astral forms (SR3 p. 174 "Astral Combat Tests").

Okay, but the Toxic spirit really was better off materialised physically, and i'm assuming that because it's 'free' it can make it's own choices concerning how and in which plane it chooses to fight. I would imagine it would fight in whatever plane would give it the best advantage. Physically, it didn't have to contend with any foes, and it's materialised attributes were better than it's normal force.

Is there a reason why a free spirit would never materialise, even if it's own death was forthcoming? Couldn't a controlling mage order a spirit to fight materialised, anyhow?

Yes, if there were no opponents on the physical plane, then perhaps his Materialized form, though slower, could fight better.

One example of this is the Male Mantid Spirit, whose Reaction (used for combat) is three times his Force when materialized.

On the subject of Spirits and Combat, i'm aware that spirits 'heal' one box of damage every minute they're in astral space. What about stun damage?