timing

[earcaraxe]

1) can a summoned creature like an astral horror attack the turn it is summoned?
2) can someone who is suffering from the spell pain make any actions on the same turn when the magician fails his willpower test to maintain the pain spell?
3) or use it this way: the sufferer makes initiative every round (with -3 because of being knocked down), and if he has lower init the turn the magician loses control he acts.
4) can a character announce an action at the start of a round which he cannot do at the moment? like in the previous example the warrior under the effect of a pain spell announces he will attack the caster of the spell. In this case (if the magican fails his willpower roll) he can attack the caster without the "changing action" penalty.

[slayride]

1) Depends on concentration. Astral Horror does not require an action to command, therefore yes. Animate skeleton or Bone Walker would be no, because it requires a Standard Action to concentrate to direct the skeletons or bone walker.
2/3) I'd make the target's Initiative the same as the spellcaster for simplicity (makes logical sense since they are under the magician's control technically now). They are immobilized, but if the magician fails his Effect Test, they can act that round at the same Initiative.
4) Cannot declare it as an action, since you cannot act unless the spellcaster fails his effect Test. However, I wouldn't access a change of action penalty to that situation either since you cannot declare an action, you cannot change an action either. Either he won't be able to act that round, or he will attempt to reach the caster and attack them. They are penalized enough by losing their action by pain most of the time.

[earcaraxe]

thanks!