[Devil]

 I've always been opposed to dropping below 1.1 essence, but I'm considering it for my sammy. How bad is it though? I know I would need chemical resistance, but what else?

[falar]

Essence is a resource, like any other. If you're not using all of it, you're not using as much as you can be.

Remind me to show you my 0.11 essence cyber centaur sometime. Eventually, I'm going to get him a sidecar.

[fseperent]

The immediate thought is a psychologist to help with some of the negative qualities that would come from all the essence lost from implants.
Next thing would be meds for possible AIPS and TLE-X.
Implant-Induced Immune Deficiency you did touch on.
Given how much you got in you, it would be a safe bet you got a street doc contact that can work on cyberware.

[Hobbes]

RAW not much happens until 0 Essence, then you usually die.  The only impact is a point or two to your social limit.  There is all kinds of world background and fluff around decreasing essence and there are many optional negative qualities you could take if you wanted.  But you don't have to take them.  RP it however you want. 

[gradivus]

Yeah- what Hobbes said.

[Medicineman]

I've always been opposed to dropping below 1.1 essence, but I'm considering it for my sammy. How bad is it though? I know I would need chemical resistance, but what else?

It totally depends upon how bad You Yourself want it to be.
You can portrait a total mental Wreck with Essence 6.0 or a Healthy Family Man & loving Dad/Husband with Essence 0, x.
I personally add a few minor Quirks to a Char with Essence<3 and a few more with <1
but thats on a totally personal Level ! By RAW there is nearly no difference between Ess 6 and 0,x(in SR5 you get a Social Limit decrease but thats mostly only marginal, maybe a Point or max 2. The difference in wearing certain Clothes is sometimes bigger than the difference between Ess 6 and 0,002) 

with a Dance on a personal Level
Medicineman

[Whiskeyjack]

Fluff it however you want.

Crunch-wise, it is really not a big issue at all. Social Limit is trivially mitigated with gear, especially if you want to be a sam/face.

[Glyph]

Fluff-wise, the penalties for augmentations are subtle - if you want to play someone who is messed up from implants, that is what all of the aforementioned negative qualities are for.  But if that is your approach, go beyond merely taking some negative qualities or playing your character as an automaton, or a sociopath.  Think about how the individual components could affect him.

His cybereyes could give a slightly unreal cast to his vision - his life is like watching a trid show; there is a distancing effect.  His wired reflexes could make him frustrated with all of these slow, plodding people who are always getting in his way.  His mnemonic enhancer could be a mixed blessing as he relives past violent encounters in too-vivid detail.

[Kincaid]

I'm a sucker for the older editions' penalties for low Essence characters, so I generally roleplay my sub 3 Essence characters accordingly.  But in 5e there aren't really any mechanical penalties that are insurmountable (minor hit to Social Limit, health spells, etc.).

[halflingmage]

I believe that if you are going for a cyber enhanced character and you have an entire essence point left you didn't understand what you were up to.  Go big or go home.  I have been goofing around with an ork tank build the last few days and I have him down to .04 essence.   His social limit is still more than he will ever need with his limited social skill set. 

[gradivus]

I believe that if you are going for a cyber enhanced character and you have an entire essence point left you didn't understand what you were up to.  Go big or go home.  I have been goofing around with an ork tank build the last few days and I have him down to .04 essence.   His social limit is still more than he will ever need with his limited social skill set.

3.5   246000   Alpha Move by Wire
0.54   60000    Skilljack[6]
0.75   72000   Used Toner 3
0.2   17000   Platelets
0.75   18000   Orthoskin 3
0.18   4000   Smarlink
0.07   1200   Alpha Datajack
5.99   418200   

Did I go big enough or should i go home?
If you want you can alpha grade the Skilljack to fit in a chipjack.

[halflingmage]

I believe that if you are going for a cyber enhanced character and you have an entire essence point left you didn't understand what you were up to.  Go big or go home.  I have been goofing around with an ork tank build the last few days and I have him down to .04 essence.   His social limit is still more than he will ever need with his limited social skill set.

3.5   246000   Alpha Move by Wire
0.54   60000    Skilljack[6]
0.75   72000   Used Toner 3
0.2   17000   Platelets
0.75   18000   Orthoskin 3
0.18   4000   Smarlink
0.07   1200   Alpha Datajack
5.99   418200   

Did I go big enough or should i go home?
If you want you can alpha grade the Skilljack to fit in a chipjack.

nicely done

[Snake Eyes]

Essence is a resource, like any other. If you're not using all of it, you're not using as much as you can be.

Remind me to show you my 0.11 essence cyber centaur sometime. Eventually, I'm going to get him a sidecar.

Got ya beat there.....i have a character with 0.05 essence

I haven't seen anything in 5th ed. that penalizes you for having extremely low essence. Though having a very low essence does effect your social limit

[Whiskeyjack]

You lose 1 social limit for every 2 full essence lost, so it's really nbd.

Take max tailored pheromones and you're up 1 over your baseline. Certain armored clothing from R&G takes you 2 more above that. So meh.

[Darzil]

You lose 1 social limit for every 2 full essence lost, so it's really nbd

Only every 3 full essence lost, so less of a deal even than that.