When a new player joins or an existing player needs a new character, rolling up a "starting character" might be very unbalanced, especially if the campaign has been running for a while. However, as this is not a level-based system, it is difficult to know how to create an appropriate one.
To do this effectively, figure an estimate for the amount of karma points used for the lowest member of the group (or whatever amount is appropriate). Don't tell the player the exact amount that will be granted; instead state that it will be equivalent to existing characters. Then grant karma in batches of 300 to 500, making the player use up the points for new skills before allotting more. This will force a normal progression as if the character had been played through those steps.
