Alternate Intiative Ideas
messing with speed in SR2 + 3

These are some ideas for Shadowrun intitive rules alternatives. We don't play with any of these rules, but they have proved useful to others.

Initiative In Shadowrun

Intiative rolls as written in SR 2 can be the determining factor of who wins a combat, due to the games lethality. That's a fact of life, and little can or should be done to change this, aside from both sides using intelligent tactics like delaying actions and not starting fire fights while on open terrain. SR 3 changes this somewhat, but some of these ideas would still work well.

Compounding this fact is that certain character often have much, much higher initiatives than others, resulting in them taking multiple actions before less mercurial characters can act. This makes presenting a combat challenge to such characters without likely eliminating their slower companions very difficult. Again, tactics can alter this, but it ignores the fact that anyone can make a difference through dumb luck.

Here are some ideas on how to change the Initiative system, primarily in ways that reduce the advantages conferred by massive speed augmentations, while not negating them, and give even the slowest punk (or decker) a chance to get wind of the situation and clear his holster first. They emphasize luck and unpredictability's effect on who acts when and how often, while granting a definite, but less predictable, edge to speed enhanced characters.

Each idea can be used separately with the normal rules to just tweak speed down a little bit. Together, these ideas are designed to work as an alternative to SR2's initiative determination system. They also may work with some of the other house rules systems. Some of those systems and alternate rules can be found at:

1. Wordman's ShadowFAQ
2. Michael L. Rasmussen's and Finn R. Hviid's idea on Carsten Ghelings page

No change is made to a character's Initiative dice or reaction attribute. Reaction tests and delayed actions are likewise unaffected.

A: Make the initiative roll an Open Test

Simply roll all the initiative dice as for a normal test. Re-roll sixes as per rule of six, with any or all dice that get sixes. Use the HIGHEST single result as your Initiative roll result.

This roll is a test. Subtract injury modifiers from the result. No other modifier not specifically listed as affecting to the initiative results applies. This includes the tactical computer and tactics skill use- they do add to initiative. You may use dice from your karma pool, but you may not purchase re-rolls or extra successes, as there is no target number for the test.

Threat should NOT normally be added to this test, although the GM may expend threat on initiative instead of other action. It is recommended that such threat be subsequently unavailable for the rest of the scene, or at least that turn. For NPC's, generally the amount used in one fight should not exceed the NPC's professional rating. Critters, Spirits, and matrix programs would use similar amounts depending on the circumstances.

As normal, if you have a delayed action, you may act immediately before the highest rolled initiative result, or any time later. When you do use a delayed action, determine when your next action would be available- if this is higher than your initiative, you act on your initiative instead.

The idea is that your initiative result is largely dependent on the luck of your situation. Magic or cyberware can increase you chance of taking advantage of that situation significantly, but will not ever remove the element of chance. Such things as a tactical computer or tactics skill use give you better information to act on, and a plan of action. They remove hesitation and doubt, to some extent: the tactical computer by tracking events for you, tactics skill use by feeding you information and orders.

B: Do not add reaction to initiative rolls. Use individual "final action phases" that limit each character's actions.

Characters get their first action on their initiative result, and another action every 10 phases there after. Instead of the turn ending at phase 0, count down into negative numbers. Characters have a final action phase equal to their reaction attribute, only negative. They are not allowed further normal actions, including free actions and movement, in any phases after their final action phase. They may still use a previously delayed action, but that is all.

Spirits in manifest and astral form normally move very fast. If using this option, it is recomended to add +5 to thier intiative when manifest, and make thier final action phase five phases later. This should be +5 / -15 for spirits in astral space.


The idea here is that, while a good reaction ensures that you don't get caught off balance or by surprise, it doesn't help as much once combat is begun. Good reaction primarily ensures that you will have an effective response to the chance developments that do occur.

Integrating events that occur based on time can be tricky. Generally, handle them as SR2, remembering that the end of the turn is not phase 0. Don't worry overly much about it- it is not required that all phases be of equal length. Use dramatic license in such cases, allowing time based events to have maximum cinematic impact..

C: Add Injury modifiers to the time taken between actions.

Instead of acting every ten phases after their initiative result (or use of a held action), a character does not get another action for 10 phases plus their injury based modifier. All adjustment for pain tolerance and such effects apply to this normally, as do penalties for using damaged vehicles and cyberdecks; anything that would normally be a penalty to initiative applies. These modifiers are NOT applied "on the fly"- when you take an action, figure when your next action will be, and stick to that. However, you can pick up a modifier in the middle of a turn and have it effect subsequent actions.

Acting quickly to accomplish multiple tasks is very hard when wounded. It makes sense, then, that not just your first action, but every action you take, would be delayed compared to somebody not injured.

For example, unwounded characters may act every 10 phases. A character with a moderate wound would act every 12 phases. If he took that wound in phase 15 , and was eligible for an action on 14, he would still act on 14, but then not again until 2. A character with a moderate wound on each track would get to act only every 14 phases... and would have to be very fast indeed to act 3 times in a combat turn.

D: Resolve "Initiative Ties" based first on adjusted reaction, then natural reaction, and lastly the highest roller on the initiative test.

This doesn't affect total speed, but it is more important with option A+B listed above, returning some of the edge lost by those with a high reaction.

E: Refresh all combat pools at the start of combat, and on each phase that ends in a 0 instead of at the start of a characters action.

This is a change to combat order, not intitiative. Still, it would have the effect of both limiting the advantage of speedy offense vs. a slower defense, and would make combat pools more comparable in effect to threat dice, which do not run out regardless of actions and defense.

Notes

Option A is the simplest to implement on its own. It somewhat reduces the advantage of having many initiative dice, but may put undue emphasis on reaction. On the other hand, that's a good thing if you don't like mages with "increase initiave" spells having an egde on Samurai; in general, thier reaction is higher. It also makes anybody a potential speed threat. The risk of a single unreasonably high roll exists, particularly for persons rolling multiple dice, but it is about the same as before. Rolls are lower than before for such persons the great majority of the time.
Option A also makes the Companion edge "Adrenaline Surge" useless. If you want to use that edge under this rule, I suggest it give an extra initiative die.
This is probably the option that could most easily be used in SR3. It would probably reduce the number of passes somewhat and make order within them less predictable.

Option B Also works well on its own, but basically only reduces the advantage of high initiative / reaction on the opening round of combat. It works well to make reaction bonuses more balance with bonus intitative dice when using rule A above. Using both makes it somewhat more likely that everybody will get in one shot before all the bodies fall in "gunfight" situations.
This rule is pointless if used with most"time locked" systems, such as in link 2 above, as order of actions is determined differently in such systems. It would work in SR3, but since it mostly stops one person from taking several actions before another, its not really neaded.

Option C is highly recommended for use with any system, especially those that grant reduced "action intervals" to faster characters, as in link 1 above.
It would generally integrate poorly with "time locked" systems, unless the amount of time needed to complete each action can be increased without disrupting the system. You could use this in SR3, even if you like the isea of adjusting intiative on the fly; just do both. I like the fact that damage should make it much less likely you would act in multiple passes.

Option D is fairly self explanatory. The example below highlights its effect. In SR3, combat pool refreshes once per turn, so this isn't needed.

Option E is mostly included because it limits the effect of one character (an NPC) rolling very high and getting multiple actions that could eliminate the combat pool used for defense by PC's. Its not detailed in the example below, however, and probably is not needed. It would be quite to a fast characters disadvantage in either a time locked system or one with reduced action intervals.
In SR3, combat pool refreshes once per turn, so this isn't needed.

Putting it all together with SR2's rules, we have an example:

Combat has started, and nobody is surprised. Initiative tests are rolled :

Leggy has an initiative of (9 + 2d6) - he rolls 2 dice. He gets a 4 and an 14. His initiative is 14. His "final action phase" is -9.

Mongoose has an initiative of (17 + 4d6)- he uses a point from the karma pool, and rolls 5 dice- a 1, 2, 3, 4, and a 4. His result is 4. His "final action phase" is -17.

Viper has an initiative of (5 + 3d6) and a rating 5 tactical computer. He rolls a 3, 4, and 5. His initiative is 10. His "final action phase" is -5

Brick has (11 + 3d6) but is at a light stun. He rolls a 1, 7, and 13. His initiative is 12. His "final action phase" is - 11.

Billy the boy hostage has (1+ 1d6) an is at a serious wound. He rolls a 1, modified to -2. His "final action phase" is -1.

Written by Sebastian Weirs, aka Mongoose. Send your comments and questions!