[UnLimiTeD]

Don't Hellhounds prefer Zebra?

[Patrick Goodman]

Some do, but I don't know that it's universal.

[MijRai]

Obviously the store-bought hellhound chow is sub-par, filled with additives and dog-meat.  It's a conspiracy to give your canine companions prion diseases!

[UnLimiTeD]

Fresh Question:
If a 1.x Essence Char is infected by strain 2 or 3, will he drop to below 1 Essence and still gain 1 Magic?
If the above is a no, what happens instead?
If the above is a yes, how will that interact with later buying an exceptional attribute(Magic)?

[Patrick Goodman]

Let me ponder this over the weekend.

[MijRai]

Fresh Question:
If a 1.x Essence Char is infected by strain 2 or 3, will he drop to below 1 Essence and still gain 1 Magic?
If the above is a no, what happens instead?
If the above is a yes, how will that interact with later buying an exceptional attribute(Magic)?

My initial thought on that (though I'm no writer) would be no; you go down to 0 Magic pretty much immediately.  At that point, your maximum Magic is now at 0, unless you've Initiated or had an unusually high Magic score already.  That sort of precludes gaining a point in Magic, from my perspective. 

On top of that, I'd personally not allow a person who has hit burn-out status to buy Exceptional Attribute (Magic).  If they've burned out their magical capabilities with all that stuff, it's a little late to be making it exceptional (though, I'm generally against acquiring Exceptional Attributes after CC as a whole; that's more of potential you're born with than anything else).  Initiation might be a possibility, I suppose.  A little like trying to rig a pump into the well you fouled up with all that 'ware and such.  Wait, nevermind on that:
Core Rulebook, page 325.
"Your initiate grade can never exceed your Magic attribute. If your Magic is reduced below your initiate grade, you lose an initiate grade right along with it."
Looks like you aren't able to Initiate at that point, if you have no Magic.  Which makes sense, since burning out is (for the most part) a permanent thing. 

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, that's the obvious route, but it might not be as easy.

begins with his pre-Infection Essence – 1, as shown
above. If he was already Awakened, he begins with his
original Magic – 1, to reflect his Essence loss (see Infection,
Magic, Resonance, and Essence, p. 141). If he
wasn’t Awakened, he begins with Magic 1.

At that place, it doesn't say that the Magic you start with is effected by your Essence if you didn't have any. Of course you could rule that as having to acquire "Exceptional Attribute(Magic)" at Infection and pay the Karma for it.
The interesting part is what other implications it has.
What happens if you're at 0 Magic?
Are you still dual-natured as a non-magical being?
Also, what if you were magically active with magic 1 before the infection? In that case by the rules you would start with 0 magic, which doesn't sound RAI in any case.

[MijRai]

Well, that's the obvious route, but it might not be as easy.

All Strain II and Strain III Infected begin play with an Essence of 5 and a Magic of 1, unless they were magically active before their Infection. In this case, they begin with a Magic rating one less than their original Magic; the Essence lost to the disease takes the same toll on Magic as it would at any other time.

At that place, it doesn't say that the Magic you start with is effected by your Essence if you didn't have any. Of course you could rule that as having to acquire "Exceptional Attribute(Magic)" at Infection and pay the Karma for it.
The interesting part is what other implications it has.
What happens if you're at 0 Magic?
Are you still dual-natured as a non-magical being?
Also, what if you were magically active with magic 1 before the infection? In that case by the rules you would start with 0 magic, which doesn't sound RAI in any case.

You missed the bolded portion I added in. 

If you're at 0 Magic, it should just bust down your natural maximum a point, which is a part of what Essence loss already does.  Unless you've chopped off or added a LOT of bits and pieces, it shouldn't be that bad. 

As far as being dual-natured goes, the answer is on the same page, 141 of Run Faster;

The Infected are, by definition, Awakened and have a Magic Rating, though not all are necessarily magicians or adepts. Most of their powers are magical in nature. Should their Magic Rating ever be reduced to 0, either temporarily or permanently, they lose the use of any of their powers except for Armor, any Enhanced Senses, and Natural Weapons.

So, you lose out on being dual-natured.

I'd definitely say that's rules-as-intended, as they specifically mentioned it in your quote from page 141.  If your magic is weak or nascent, the trauma of the disease (in regards to Strain II & III) would reduce your Magic to 0, just as the Essence loss drops your maximum Magic a point as well.  It doesn't mean you can't raise your Magic and get it back, provided your Magic's maximum hasn't been dropped to 0 yet. 

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, that's just weird.
If you're not awakened, you start with magic 1, if you were, just barely, you start with 0?
Naw, I don't think that's intended. Why wouldn't mundane characters start with 0 and have to raise it then?
Sides, not being dual natured has some massive advantages for non-magicians, namely astral beings not being able to pick on you with impunity from a few meters away. I could see people doing that on purpose to create mundane Infected. I know I would. 

As for the first part, I didn't miss that part, the thing is that that line and the one I quoted contradict themselves.
As it is written, you don't gain magic, then lose Essence, you lose Essence, then gain magic. At least that's the order it is written.
Given that other infected can overcap their essence or temporarily raise it, I'm not so sure about the rules that normally apply applying here. I mean, that's why I ask. 
Edit: I want to point out that I agree that it should just be 0 magic. I'm just not so sure.
Edit2: Thinking more about it, I suppose it's like with other maximums; You gain one magic, limit is 0, you have 0. 

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, Patrick?
Is MijRai correct, or is there more to it? (Or alternatively, it's another fringe case that needs debating, in which case, no pressure, I'm not in a hurry. I'm just curious. )

[Patrick Goodman]

This has not been a good few days for me to ponder this sort of thing; sorry for the delay. My gut tells me at the moment that the mundane getting a magic point comes after the disease does its thing, so he'd be at a fraction of a point of Essence with Magic 1; it would seem kind of a dick move on my part to say otherwise. Let me bounce it off a few people. But go ahead and remind me in a few days if I go dark again.

[UnLimiTeD]

Sure thing. And thanks for the tremendous effort you put into these things. Appreciate it.

[UnLimiTeD]

... Let me bounce it off a few people. But go ahead and remind me in a few days if I go dark again.

Hey Patrick, a friendly reminder. 

To Sum up:
You already theorized that a mundane individual dropping below 1 essence still receives one magic point.
What happens if the individual was awakened before?
What happens with a magic 1 character that doesn't drop to below 1 essence?
What will happen if a Magic 1, Essence <1 Character buys the Exceptional Magic Attribute?
What about Initiation?

>.>   <.<  You asked for a reminder.

[Patrick Goodman]

I did, but I don't know when I'm going to be able to get back to you on this. I'm suddenly facing a couple of deadlines on projects, both of interest to this forum and one specifically of interest to this discussion.

I'll do what I can, though, as I'm able, but I might be going, if not dark, then dim for a while.

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, thanks for that quasi-announcement. ^^
No worries, I appreciate your effort. Had you just said you got no time in the foreseeable future, that's already more than not saying anything at all. 
Thanks so far, and best of luck for your work. !