[FastJack]

I've always wondered why the gene therapy doesn't also increase your Magic/Resonance, or at least let you buy up to that score again. It makes no sense to me that those stats are permanently stunted. The gene therapy has a ridiculous cost and time requirement to gain back even one essence, and you have to remove the ware before you can do it. So if you're a mage with a cyberlimb, who then gets it replaced with cloned arm and gets gene therapy to get back up to Essence 6, you're officially a completely unmodified, essence 6 metahuman again. What's the harm in allowing that mage to buy himself back up to Magic 6?

Actually, he can buy it back up, but he needs to spend Karma to do so. Gene Therapy can't make you a better Mage/Technomancer, only experience can.

[Ryo]

I've always wondered why the gene therapy doesn't also increase your Magic/Resonance, or at least let you buy up to that score again. It makes no sense to me that those stats are permanently stunted. The gene therapy has a ridiculous cost and time requirement to gain back even one essence, and you have to remove the ware before you can do it. So if you're a mage with a cyberlimb, who then gets it replaced with cloned arm and gets gene therapy to get back up to Essence 6, you're officially a completely unmodified, essence 6 metahuman again. What's the harm in allowing that mage to buy himself back up to Magic 6?

Actually, he can buy it back up, but he needs to spend Karma to do so. Gene Therapy can't make you a better Mage/Technomancer, only experience can.

Not according to the gene therapy in question. "Magic/Resonance points lost are never returned and reductions to the maximum Magic/Resonance attribute remain in effect." (Augmentation, page 89)

So even though you spent 10 months and 275,000 nuyen, no longer have any ware and have Essence 6, your Magic attribute would still be 6(5).

[Chaemera]

Actually, he can buy it back up, but he needs to spend Karma to do so. Gene Therapy can't make you a better Mage/Technomancer, only experience can.

Only if he wasn't at maximum magic, or he initiates then buys up his magic. Example:

Magic 6, Initiation 0, Essence 6
Gets a 0.2 essence implant, Essence now 5.8,
Magic drops to 5, Maximum Magic drops to 5.
Gets implant removed, Essence still 5.8 with a 0.2 hole.
Undergoes Revitalization gene therapy for 115,000 yen over 2 months, Essence goes to 6.0. Maximum Magic is still 5.

Why?

Though Essence points lost to implantation, Energy Drain, and addiction may be restored through gene therapy, Magic/Resonance points lost are never returned and reductions to the maximum Magic/Resonance attribute remain in effect.

Note: Augmented Healing, Cellular Repair (which works on Energy Drain and Essence Drain related Essence damage only) doesn't have a line like that, so it's GM interpretation whether that restores your Maximum Magic or not.

I have to assume this is what Ryo was talking about, since if he wasn't at maximum magic/resonance there's nothing stopping him from going up to his maximum. It's just that the maximum doesn't get restored to 6+Initiation Grade.

[Ultra Violet]

An interesting thing are also the qualities Latent Awakening (see p. 25, Street Magic) and Latent Technomancer (see p. 37, Unwired), both qualities do not have a problem as long as the Essence is greater than 1. Or in other words their Magic or Resonance Attribute is not reduced by lost Essence.
Yes I know, it has some really pricey side effects, but still it raises the issues about that whole reduction of Magic/Resonance through Essence lost. Especially in cases of genetics, like Genetic Heritage or Genecrafted, because the character is born with it and the awakening is usually after the aura is stabilized (in age of puberty).
I hope you get my drift?

[FastJack]

Magic 6, Initiation 0, Essence 6
Gets a 0.2 essence implant, Essence now 5.8,
Magic drops to 5, Maximum Magic drops to 5.
Gets implant removed, Essence still 5.8 with a 0.2 hole.
Undergoes Revitalization gene therapy for 115,000 yen over 2 months, Essence goes to 6.0. Maximum Magic is still 5.

This is actually what I meant, he can then initiate and raise his Magic back up.

[Dahrken]

Note that while the Latent (x) qualities grant you 1 point of Magic/Essence when they trigger, the maximum attribute *is* reduced if the character lost Essence prior to the event - a 1 Essence character awakening would be stuck at (1+Initiation grade) Magic.

Genetic alterations have a similar effect, even if done "pre-Awakening". While the character can still Awaken (or Emerge), his potential is hampered by the genetic alteration he has.

Why ? Well, it's magic ! More seriously, if we look at Earthdawn patterns, I'd say that those changes moves you away from what a metahuman "should be", no matter when they are done - as an adult or as a gamete prior to fecundation - and that's what negatively alter you interaction with mana.

[Bradd]

Yes, it works exactly as you described. Removed 'ware leaves an Essence Hole, which you can basically use as Credit towards new ware. So if you remove your Cyberarm, you've got 1 essence of free cyberware to install before you start losing it again.

However, it has to be the same type of ware. When you remove cyberware, you cannot fill that hole with bioware, and vice versa.

I don't recall seeing a rule that it has to be the same kind; can you point me to it?

[Ryo]

Yes, it works exactly as you described. Removed 'ware leaves an Essence Hole, which you can basically use as Credit towards new ware. So if you remove your Cyberarm, you've got 1 essence of free cyberware to install before you start losing it again.

However, it has to be the same type of ware. When you remove cyberware, you cannot fill that hole with bioware, and vice versa.

I don't recall seeing a rule that it has to be the same kind; can you point me to it?

Augmentation - page 128

"When a character has an implant removed to be replaced or upgraded, this leaves what is known as an “Essence hole”—a disparity between the total Essence Cost of her implants (see Cyberware and Bioware, p. 84, SR4) and her current Essence. This Essence hole never “heals” naturally. It may, however, be used as a “credit” for any new implants of the same type (cyber- or bioware)—simply deduct the Essence hole from the new implant’s Essence cost before applying it to your total. In other words, if you remove one cyberware item that had an Essence Cost of 1, you may install up to Essence Cost 1 of new cyberware without lowering your Essence total. Any cost over 1 would be deducted as normal. Note that a bioware implant would not be able to fill that same hole, however—cyberware only."