Initiative!
the Quick and the Dead

BOO-YA! This is _the_ sheet, choomba! Hardwired like it wuz s'posed to be in all that Cyber-Fiction. Don' jest hit'em first, Hit em twice before they can react, an' light their Nick-Stick for em first!

This version of the Initiative rules allows for a larger span of initiatives, as well as giving solos a slightly stronger advantage in combat instead of just in awareness. It also allows for multiple actions, something that some Game Masters may want to avoid to bring down munchikinizing. Luckily I have a mature playing group and these rules just add to the flavour of the game. The New Initiative Base Reflex + (½ Intelligence) + Combat Sense The Initiative Roll The normal character, barring any exceptional Cyberware, rolls 1d10 and adds it to his initiative base and calls out the total. Characters get to act in order of their initiatives from highest to lowest, although characters with exceptionally high initiatives will be able to act at several points in the turn, as shown below. Initiative Actions 0-25 1 26-35 1 at normal, 1 at -15 init 36-45 as above, plus 1 at -30 init 46+ as above, plus 1 at -45 init Cybernetic Augmentation So, what does this mean for the up-and-cybered? Old (2020 rulebook) Reflex Boosting boosts a character's Reflexes as indicated (+1 or +2 permanent or +3 temporary), but in addition they grant a bonus to initiative rolls depending on the cyberware (+1 or +2 for the permanent boosting, only +1 on the temporary boosting). This means the character effectively can get a +4 boost to his initiative base (+2REF, +2Init). "But that is paltry! How do I crank my character up to 46+ initiative then?" you ask... Hardwiring 50% Boost $5,000 3d6HL +1d10 initiative Hardwiring 100% Boost $10,000 6d6HL +2d10 initiative Hardwiring 200% Boost $20,000 9d6HL +3d10 initiative   Owari 50% Boost $2,500 4d6HL +1d10 initiative Owari 100% Boost $5,000 7d6HL +2d10 initiative Owari 200% Boost $10,000 10d6HL +3d10 initiative   Stage I Synaptic Accel $2,500 1d6HL +1d6 initiative Stage II Synaptic Accel $5,000 2d6HL +2d6 initiative Characters can only have one item implanted from the above list. Hardwiring triggers on demand, Owari boosting requires a dose of a custom drug (HardFire) designed by the military but now relatively commonly available, often mixed with Speed. Synaptic Acceleration is a permanent boost.

It's kinda embarrassing to admit this, but a lot of this concept came from a game of ShadowRun, that most evil of RPGs... But I love their SPEEDWARE!