Idea:  rather than having "spirit-walking" as a charm for all physads and intuitive mages, make astral manifestation an anima banner effect.  You're only as astral as you banner...2 or 3 stat points (physical stats and perception) per point of anima banner?

Possible "astral form" mapping of virtues to stats:

Willpower:  health levels

Each virtue maps to a stat relevant in astral space:  perception, strength, stamina, and dex.

Valor (strength--power in striking, combat and conflict)

Compassion (perception--measure the wind, divination charms, being in touch with others)

Conviction (dexterity--movement without hesitation, thievery (mind sponge), stealth, and precision striking)

Temperance (stamina--the armor charms, being unswayed, integrity of spirit)

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Flare level = dice pool max, perhaps?  I think this would work pretty well. I'd love to tie in the ToT Dream Combat mechanics; I'll go look them up later.  --bts

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Suggestion:

The first two anima banner effects are "cast symbol" flaring, and I think those work well for duality as well.  1-3 essence gives you a passive astral presence (astral stamina and perception only--you may not make strength or dex-based rolls, so you can soak and see but you can't strike), 4-7 gives you a full dual form?  After that, the banner starts to appear, but your dualness is already established...you still fade at 1 level/scene, so if you're flaring, you'll be dual for a while, and might suffer effects from the sharp scratchy bits in astral space (damage not directly related to how much peripheral you've spent). I think you can "just spend essence motes" to do this, like solars making their cast marks glow with 1 mote.  --zebediah

ExaltedHackingCrests

Given the way the world works, becoming dual as your anima flares up seems to be something that only happens for born mages and windlings...others need charms to battle and percieve spirits (as adepts needed talents to strike spirits, astrally percieve, and I think nethermancers eventually got to astrally project).  So the 5 freebie points you spend on being a windling allow you to go dual in a world where that's restricted to just your race (and make you really small, and gives you some flight & stuff).  --zebediah