I've always assumed that part of the high monitary and essence cost of cyberlimbs includes some basic structural enhancements to the rest of the body in order to prevent the whole self-induced-amputation from lifting riddiculously heavy loads. I know it's not canon, but it saves the players from having to go all-out on cyberware in order to balance out the rest of thier body, and prevents some rather nasty scenarios that the team's sammy could accidently put himself in.

Yeah, that's generally our explanation for how to account for why there is an essence cost for attribute enhancements beyond the first few points.

no longer a essence cost (which made no sense) just need a cyber torso now

... for structural reinforcement. I still don't get why a Strength 8 Troll needs a cybertorso to raise his/her cyberarm's strength above 6 (base + 3), but I've already ranted on that elsewhere.

I thought that the reason for the Essence cost was similiar to the reason Wired Reflexes cost so much Essence; power. The enhancements draw more power than the basic power supply for the limb can handle, so additional work needs shunting power from the nervous system in other areas of the body.

I meant SR3, which is the edition we're discussing on this side of the SR4 forum. And as that goes, the torso halves the essence cost for enhancements (M&M, 28) between (Base +3) and the maximum enhancement cap of (Body * 2). (M&M, 33).

jerv, what are you talking about? Troll cyberarms have a base strength of 8 in M&M. Ibid. Likewise, it explains the essence cost as accounting specifically for the reinforcement to the body necessary to have a more powerful limb (hence the essence reduction from the cybertorso). Ibid.

Quickness is where you can get screwed because all limbs have base Quickness 4. M&M, 34. The cap for cyberlimb Quickness is the lesser of natural (Quickness * 2) or (Quickness + 4). M&M, 35.

So we've seen tons on exactly how they suck - but why do they suck so much? Why have limbs not reached the parallel awesomeness of magic or guns or vehicles? It should be just as scary for a sammy to be stalking somebody with a limb or two as a physical adept or gunbunny and yet it's not.

What is it about the setting or the writers that have left limbs in the backwater of 'concept characters'?

Well, having one cyber arm that's way stronger than your meat arm is kindof cool. It's all in how you present it.

An NPC in my game has a cybereye (with an eyepatch over the other socket), and a single obvious cyberarm that's unbalanced like I described above. He's a bartender and has a story for each piece of cyber. A nice guy, but when he grabs that billy-club from under the bar with that cyberarm, you know you better watch out.

Other feats of cyberarm badassery are:

- Crushing beer steins (full or not) without having to worry about cutting his hand.

- Choking out a troll.

- Getting pissed and punching through stuff without fear of injury.

- Getting piss-drunk and punching through stuff without fear of injury.

- Scratching sexist phrases grafitti-style on the metal.

- and much more!

Not getting hurt is not the same as not having an expensive repair bill.

True, but at least that way rather than crying when you hurt yourself in front of all your buddies, you can cry in privacy when you write the check.