[imthedci]

Here's some questions fresh from our most recent session...

1. Do you actually have to do anything mechanically to Astrally Project (I've read that section multiple times and I can't see where you have to do anything other than say that you're projecting)?
2. How do you determine what a Foci does? Do you have to Assense it from the Astral Plane or is there some other way?
3. Will an opposing spirit actually talk to you and tell you what it's doing if you ask it? Can you ask if questions and actually have it answer (if you're someplace safe like behind a mana barrier)? Can anyone understand what it's saying or do you have to be a Spirit Shaman?

[Michael Chandra]

#1: p42 Major Actions: "Astral Projection"
#2: You'd have to assense it, yes. Doesn't have to be from the Astral, you could just be astrally perceiving. If you look at the Assensing table on p159, you see 2 hits is enough to detect the type of focus, while with 4 hits you can even pinpoint its exact Force
#3: Spirits have Sapience, so they can do things on their own. However, language it probably depends on the GM. Though it is quite reasonable to assume a Spirit can at least somewhat communicate in our language. (In fact in previous editions Free Spirits did not explicitly receive language skills, so apparently something's implied there.) But if it's opposing you, chances are it won't talk to you but try to fulfill its services instead. If it's a Free spirit or a Wild spirit, it's more likely to cooperate/communicate. As for whether a spirit is willing to answer your questions, that's entirely up to them.

[Hobbes]

#3 Spirits have Sapience and a telepathic link to their conjurer.  So whatever you're asking is likely being passed along.  Go ahead and chat 'em up, but you can expect company if you're in a secured area in the middle of the night.   

[Xenon]

#2: You'd have to assense it, yes. Doesn't have to be from the Astral, you could just be astrally perceiving.

If you are using astral projection then you are observing it from the astral plane.
If you are using astral perception then you are also observing it from the astral plane (but your body is in the physical plane).
If you are using analyze magic then you may observe it from the physical plane without being present on the astral plane at all.