From:	Chris Siebenmann <cks@********.UTCS.TORONTO.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Essence
Date:	Sun, 4 Oct 92 18:26:13 -0400

I do not like sanity systems for low essence people, at all. People
who run on cyberware are already hosed compared to the mages in terms
of advancement (that 6 essence is a hard barrier on what you can do);
adding sanity rules is merely hosing them even more.

Besides, who needs rules? Do two things:
- talk to your players about your views on what a low essence person
is like. I suspect that many will play along (all my low essence SR
characters are already somewhat strange).
- have your NPCs react appropriately to them, especially the magically
active ones. Even without looking, they can get the cold shivers
from that .1 essence guy.

In my personal set of rules, I am fairly liberal about regaining
essence if you *remove* cyberware (although it takes time and
roleplaying, and requires the character to have an attitude shift for
major amounts), and completely liberal about 'trading up' cyberware to
alpha or beta levels (in terms of essence). But I still keep the
essence barrier; it's an important limit on how buff starting
cyber-toting characters can be. Consider a tech 4 street samurai
without essence rules...

- cks