[Leevizer]

So, I bought the core rulebook for shadowrun a few days ago, and read through it, before deciding to build a character for myself, just to see how it'd work out.

Now, I have two questions regarding this.

1) Is it a bad idea for my character to have approximately 0.05 essence at the end of her creation?

and

2) This kind of confuses me. Since when you start the creation, you can only have normal ware or alphaware. None of the better stuff for starting heroes. But what if later on I want to have more gear on my character? If I replace my standard cyberlimb with a more essence-friendly version, do I get my essence back? Or if my character would for instance, get her cyberarm blown off in a campaign, would she have to pay the essence cost again to install a new cyberarm?

[UmaroVI]

1) That is a good idea. If you so choose, you can take Negative Qualities reflecting cyberpsychosis or something like that, but it isn't a requirement.

2) You don't get the essence back, what happens is you get a "hole" that you can later fill. EX, if you rip out a Cyberarm and put in a Deltaware Cyberarm, you would still have .05 essence, but 5.45 essence of ware (rather than 5.95). If you then put in, say, a second Deltaware Cyberarm, you now have 5.95 essence of ware and .05 essence, so you don't lose more essence.

Basically, your essence is 6 minus the most 'ware you've ever had at one time.

There's one expensive treatment thing that boosts it up to 6 minus your current ware.

[Leevizer]

Thank you! That was helpful to know. I am assuming that Cyberpsychosis is in one of the additional rulebooks? Augmented, right? Is it worth buying? Or are the additional rulebooks almost mandatory for a good roleplay experience in your opinion?

[Demerzel]

A good roleplay experience can be had with just the core rulebook. The extended ruleboks will give you a more diverse roleplay experience.

[All4BigGuns]

Thank you! That was helpful to know. I am assuming that Cyberpsychosis is in one of the additional rulebooks? Augmented, right? Is it worth buying? Or are the additional rulebooks almost mandatory for a good roleplay experience in your opinion?

I do consider Arsenal, Augmentation, Unwired and Runner's Companion to be pretty much required. Attitude, War! and the pdf line are nice and I think should be picked up, but not quite to the 'required' stage.

[Mirikon]

Thank you! That was helpful to know. I am assuming that Cyberpsychosis is in one of the additional rulebooks? Augmented, right? Is it worth buying? Or are the additional rulebooks almost mandatory for a good roleplay experience in your opinion?

I do consider Arsenal, Augmentation, Unwired and Runner's Companion to be pretty much required. Attitude, War! and the pdf line are nice and I think should be picked up, but not quite to the 'required' stage.

Arsenal, Augmentation, Unwired, Street Magic, and Runner's Companion are all pretty much required, once you get past the 'learning the game' stage. Attitude and Sixth World Almanac are absolutely essential from a world-building standpoint. Pure fluff, but that is the difference between 'yet another dungeon run' and a living, breathing world that D&D never quite seems to manage. Seriously, reading through these books is the difference between flat-screen and simsense.

Spy Games, War!, and Conspiracy Theories provide excellent setting information on a few sprawls outside Seattle, and give you some information for atypical campaigns (mercs, spies, dealing with things that go bump in the night, etc.).

The PDF line and other books are wonderful, and if you have the time and money, well worth getting, but you don't absolutely need them.