OTOH, the Movement critter power language in SR5 uses "domain/terrain" rather than simply domain. What sort of guidelines are there for terrain? Can one summon a Spirit of Man and say the whole sprawl (in effect, the entire shadowrun 9 times out of 10) is his terrain if not domain?
Well, if you want to go back and look at the evolution of Spirits in SR, then a Spirit of Man is just a hearth spirit from the early editions. That would make a Spirit of Man's Domain to be the interior spaces of buildings...
But yea, there is a host of issues with the movement power, that much is clear.
But i think we have touched on a more serious issue that either isn't covered enough, or has just been glossed over for what ever reason.
And that issue is:
IN THE UCAS AND THE CAS, MAGIC IS REGULATED, LICENSED, AND CONTROLLED! Seriously, they really haven't done a good job of stressing just how badly all this is regulated in Shadowrun...
I think in all of 5e I may have seen a single paragraph on this topic in SG..
In all of 4e you got about 1/2 page on the topic (SM, page 13/14)
In 3e, you got a full page in MitS (page 11) and several other blurbs in other books.
In 2e, you had legal write ups for magic in several books (Neo A, and others.. Awakenings was surprisingly empty on the topic however)
The Basic gist was:
Walking while Awakened, while technically not a crime, gets you eyebrows if noticed and NOT registered.
EVERY mage who wants to cast any spell, (ANY. SPELL. FULL STOP) summon any spirit (ANY. SPIRIT. FULL STOP, again), or use a spirit ability, MUST be a registered, and licensed mage, with a permit to cast or summon said spirit.
Mages who use a spell in the commission of a crime is considered a "Premeditated Act" Meaning usually extra long, extra harsh sentences.
Mages are fully responsible for all actions a summoned spirit commits, EVEN IF ITS NOT UNDER HIS CONTROL! So a spirit breaks free from you, and burns down that apartment block... Premeditated Arson, And Multiple Premeditated Homicide charges.
When a mage is encountered on the street, even for random questioning, they are treated as threatening, Armed, and Dangerous. (so expect a gun pointed at you even while just handing over your ID).
So your mage, using a spirit with the movement power could be up a seriously powerful creek without a paddle...
Does he have an Awakened SIN (legal or fake?)? Does he have permits for that summons? And that power usage? How far is he really moving when he is getting Astrally buzzed by KE patrols demanding he stop and wait for a physical unit to come by and check his ID.
(The 2e security and world books did a much better job of describing just how prevalent magic security was, where is was most encountered, how the police handled magic, and magic threats..)
We could
really use and updated Laws, Lifestyle, and Lay of the Land book. (Hint hint writers
)