I remember there being an optional rules that allowed players to turn in excess karma for cash. Primarily for non-awakened characters. I think it was third edtion but wanted to track it down to give some of my players the option. If any one can tell me the book this was in that would be great!
Thanks

Hm.... SR3 Companion page 79, Karma for Cash

Hell I want to go the other way. My techno needs no money for his daily life, can I just donate to poor starving brats or something to gain Karma?

And that would be Page 80, Cash for Karma *g*.

In my group we handled it that way: If you are a magician (Or some other guy who needs tons of Karma) you could have a "magical/spiritual Lifestyle" You pay for having the best of the best. Have some acolytes chanting, spirits influencing your life, some teachers visiting, ritualistic materials placed in your home and much more (Yeah using time and money to help people out worked too). For this you could influence your well-being, spiritual power and clear mind (gain Karma)

On the other side, people who needed more cash could use their karma to have more "luck" in the financial world. By betting, gambling, investing (or conning) not only smart but with "feeling" you could make astounding profits. That was our karma for cash.

The formula we used depended always on the normal income and gained karma. For example if in the last month the runners netted 5000 Nuyen and 4 Karma, i would allow somebody to buy one karma per 1500 nuyen, or change 2000 Nuyen into one point Karma. If they earned more money, they had to pay more. If they got more karma, the would get less money for it.

Yeah, that's what we did, but on a session by session basis. Some sessions it was worth more to change karma for cash, some it was better to go the other way

You do realize that by changing the ratio between karma and cash (and in a relatively easy to predict way, to boot) you allow your players to speculate on the changes and are basically handing out free cash and karma for the players that understand economics?
Cash for Karma and vice versa are useful rules I'd advise everyone to play with, but you should never ever change the ratios (just use 2500:nuyen: per point of karma, which is the mathematically 'correct' ratio).

Dude, changing the ratios is awesome! I feel like having a stock-market minigame that everyone can participate in (if they choose/understand economics) in is totally better than having a computer-hacking minigame that only some players can participate in.

Basically, the effort requires to speculate on the changes and the luck required to be correct would totally deserve the minor bonus money/karma.

I've been known to allow changing nuyen into karma and visa-versa. When I do it, 1 karma will net you 1,250 nuyen, and it takes 5,000 nuyen to get a point of karma. The idea is that the exchange rate is really horrible(only at 50%). That mage can rush to their next initiation, but it will cost them.

I've been known to allow changing nuyen into karma and visa-versa. When I do it, 1 karma will net you 1,250 nuyen, and it takes 5,000 nuyen to get a point of karma. The idea is that the exchange rate is really horrible(only at 50%). That mage can rush to their next initiation, but it will cost them.

Thanks for the book and page. I am going to use this in my game to offset the double whammy Mages get when they initiate and then have to raise their magical attribute. Its the one thing I really don't like about 4th edition.