From:	Marc Renouf renouf@********.com
Subject:	Cyber-Mages (was: A perfectly acceptable...)
Date:	Fri, 12 Feb 1999 10:43:00 -0500 (EST)

On Thu, 11 Feb 1999 NercoLythe@***.com wrote:

> Okay I don't really know how this works so bare with me now.
>
> My essence is 6 an magic att. is also 6. Now if my essence changes does my
> magic change also? Can my magic go higher than my essense rating?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Your Essence *starts out* at 6. Anything
that reduces your Essence (like getting Cyberware implanted) also reduces
your Magic Attribute. Your new Magic Attribute will be your Essence
truncated to the nearest whole number. So if you get 1.5 Essence-worth of
cyberware implanted, your new Essence would be 6 - 1.5 = 4.5, and your new
magic attribute would be a 4 (4.5 rounded down to the nearest whole
number).
How do you raise you Essence? You don't. Once it's gone, it's
gone for good, even if you get the cyberware ripped out later down the
road (although if you have cyberware removed you have an Essence "hole"
that you can fill before you lose any more from your total).
How do you raise your Magic Attribute? Initiation, as explained
in the Grimoire. Also, keep in mind that for every 2 full points of Magic
Attribute you lose, you pick up a "geas," which is an unpleasant
restriction on your magic-use. They tend to be like magical crutches,
like talismans, gestures, speaking, time or place restrictions, or
whatever. You can attempt to shed a geas when you initiate, but it's not
easy.
Also, Bioware (which does not cost any Essence for mundanes)
*also* reduces your magic rating. Due to an unfortunate misprint in
Shadowtech, there have been numerous interpretations of this rule. I have
always taken it to mean that the Body Index is subtracted from your Magic
Attribute directly, rather than causing further Essence loss (in effect
saving mages from the "double whammy" that is implied in the sourcebook).
Your GM may decide differently, however.
I hope this clears it up for you. Good luck getting hold of the
sourcebooks you're looking for.

Marc