[忍]

Magicians have traditions. This tradition determines which spirits you can summon. Now the types of spirits are tied to Combat, Detection, Health, Illusion, and Manipulation "schools" (what else should I call it?)

Is there any mechanical reason to have that relation? If we were to completely ignore those relations and just say "you can summon spirits of A, B, X, Y, and Z" does anything really change?

For example, Spirit Foci are tied to type (Man, Beast, Fire, etc) and not a "school" (Combat). Outside of fluff I don't see any meaningful reason to have this relation. Is it a hold-over from previous editions or am I missing something?

[Reaver]

mechanically, only a spirit from the proper type can help you with spells from a select school. A fire spirit can help you with combat spells

CRB page 302
Aid Alchemy, Sorcery, and Study: As a service, the
spirit can add its Force as a dice pool bonus to your Alchemy,
Spellcasting, Ritual Spellcasting (for spell rituals), and
Learning Tests if its type matches the spell’s category, as
listed under your tradition (p. 279).

Other then that, its a limitor on the power of mages by literally telling them what spirits they can have in certain situations, otherwise players have a tendency to just pick the "best" spirit. (which generally gets argued to Spirits of man due to their spellcasting ability)

[忍]

Neat Thank you

[Senko]

Which a lot of traditions have anyway, I admit I would like a way to get all of them maybe a metamagic or the like to let you learn how to summon anohter/all other spirit types (depending on balance) but Shinto does fairly well for me with spirits of man, beast and plant. Still like I said I would like to have all element types rather than just too and fluff wise being able to summon spirits of guidance/task appeals as well.

[Rosa]

Which a lot of traditions have anyway, I admit I would like a way to get all of them maybe a metamagic or the like to let you learn how to summon anohter/all other spirit types (depending on balance) but Shinto does fairly well for me with spirits of man, beast and plant. Still like I said I would like to have all element types rather than just too and fluff wise being able to summon spirits of guidance/task appeals as well.

We added just such a metamagic, since there are plenty of hints in SR about people who can summon all the different spirits. Essentially we added a metamagic that let's you learn how to summon one additional type of spirit  ( can be taken multiple times ), however the metagic has as a prerequisite the calling ritual for the type of spirit you want to learn how to summon.  Furthermore while you can summon and bind the type of spirit, you cannot use the aid services that you can normally use since the new spirit isn't associated with any of the spell categories for you since you already have those covered by your original 5 types.

[firebug]

Which a lot of traditions have anyway, I admit I would like a way to get all of them maybe a metamagic or the like to let you learn how to summon anohter/all other spirit types (depending on balance) but Shinto does fairly well for me with spirits of man, beast and plant. Still like I said I would like to have all element types rather than just too and fluff wise being able to summon spirits of guidance/task appeals as well.

There's always custom traditions.  You can pick your attribute and spirits (with GM approval) but it's harder to get ritual magic done, learning spells is harder, you might have difficulty finding foci...  There's some stuff that makes it more difficult to balance the innate min-maxing of picking your own spirit types.

By the way 忍, the term used in game for those are "Category".  Though it's not like it's an official title or anything, but I can imagine some in-world schools using it.  "Who can tell me which category of spells the Influence spell belongs to?"

[Senko]

Which a lot of traditions have anyway, I admit I would like a way to get all of them maybe a metamagic or the like to let you learn how to summon anohter/all other spirit types (depending on balance) but Shinto does fairly well for me with spirits of man, beast and plant. Still like I said I would like to have all element types rather than just too and fluff wise being able to summon spirits of guidance/task appeals as well.

We added just such a metamagic, since there are plenty of hints in SR about people who can summon all the different spirits. Essentially we added a metamagic that let's you learn how to summon one additional type of spirit  ( can be taken multiple times ), however the metagic has as a prerequisite the calling ritual for the type of spirit you want to learn how to summon.  Furthermore while you can summon and bind the type of spirit, you cannot use the aid services that you can normally use since the new spirit isn't associated with any of the spell categories for you since you already have those covered by your original 5 types.

That seems a little much to me, I'd be inclined to drop the need for a special ritual as your already spending the karma to initiate for the metamagic.

[忍]

you might have difficulty finding foci...

Are Foci tradition specific?

[Kiirnodel]

you might have difficulty finding foci...

Are Foci tradition specific?

Yes, all magical gear is. Lodge materials and even reagents.
Reagents are the only magical goods that can be used cross-tradition and it takes double the amount to work.

[忍]

What about Qi Foci? Do adepts have a tradition?

[Dinendae]

What about Qi Foci? Do adepts have a tradition?

I'm at work and away from my books right now, but I don't believe adepts have a tradition. In fact, in Hero Lab there's an optional rule you can turn on to allow adepts to have a tradition (being optional it's not Missions legal unless ruled as such), so the default would be that adepts don't come with traditions standard. I also can't recall any tradition requirement regarding Qi foci, so I believe that would be a no as well.

[Blue Rose]

Adept is kinda/sorta a tradition unto itself, if you're not using the optional rule that lets them have another tradition.

[Reaver]

Blue Rose is kinda right.....  this all stems from the history and earlier editions of SR.

Originally there was just 3 traditions. Mage, shaman, and adept. And they were VERY different.
Mages cast spells through a science/math formulae, could summon any elemental spirit. And generally used or included fetishes and items from 'Western' magic (you know, stage show items, crystal balls, etc)

Shamans followed a more Naturist path, had a Totem Spirit they followed, could summon Spirits (different then elementals.) And generated a Spirit Mask when casting (an overlay of mana of their totem over their face).
Adepts internalized magic, using it to enhance their ohysical selves at the cost of casting spells, or summoning.

Then as the editions changed, and rules where simplified, things changed. But because of the living history of SR...... it gets really murky now.

Now:
Spirits and elementals are the same thing.

The question of Shaman or Mage is no longer one of outlook, but of ability. (Mages use intelligence based stats. Shaman use more intuitive states -cha-int).
-they are basically identical.
Totems, once only available to shamans, are now Mentor Spirits and open to anyone...
And Traditions are more of an 'add-on'...... as you still call yourself a <insert name of tradition here> mage/shaman....
And Adepts.... are still adepts. Execpt when they can cast spells. Then they are mystic adepts (And don't get me started on these cluster fu*ks) Or when they follow a tradition, which is then called a 'Way'....

[Dinendae]

And Adepts.... are still adepts. Execpt when they can cast spells. Then they are mystic adepts (And don't get me started on these cluster fu*ks) Or when they follow a tradition, which is then called a 'Way'....

Or they take that adept power that lets them cast a single spell (from Hard Targets)?

[Reaver]

And Adepts.... are still adepts. Execpt when they can cast spells. Then they are mystic adepts (And don't get me started on these cluster fu*ks) Or when they follow a tradition, which is then called a 'Way'....

Or they take that adept power that lets them cast a single spell (from Hard Targets)?

(Not read Hard Targets fully yet)

Great.... more Mud in the soup.