SHADOWRUN 5: QUICK REFERENCE

A character may call a shot (aim for a vulnerable portion of a target) with this Free Action; see Called Shots, p. 178. This action must be combined with a Fire Weapon, Throw Weapon, or Melee Attack Action.

A character may use a Free Action to activate, deactivate, or switch the mode on any device that he is linked to by a direct neural interface through either a wired or wireless link. This includes activating cyberware, changing a smartgun’s firing mode, changing a smartlinked shotgun’s choke, deactivating thermographic vision, switching a commlink to hidden mode, turning a device’s wireless functionality off, and so on. Note that it takes longer to interact with some devices, as noted in individual gear descriptions.

You perform an action through a device you control (or at least control sufficiently), using your commlink or deck like a remote control or video-game controller. The dice pool of any test you make using this action uses the rating of the appropriate skill and attribute you would use if you were performing the action normally. For example, firing a drone-mounted weapon at a target requires a Gunnery + Agility test, and using a remote underwater welder calls for a Nautical Mechanic + Logic test. All actions you take while controlling a device use either the normal limit for that action or your Data Processing rating, whichever is lower. If there is no test associated with the action you want the device to perform (such as unlocking a maglock or ejecting a clip from a pistol), you must succeed in an Electronic Warfare + Intuition [Sleaze] v. Intuition + Firewall test to perform the action.

You can use this action to control multiple devices at once. If you are the owner of all devices being commanded and they are all being commanded to do exactly the same thing, taking this action costs nothing extra. Otherwise, you must split your dice pool into a number of groups equal to the number of devices you want to control with a single action.

The type of action this is (i.e., Free, Simple, Standard, and Complex) is the same as the type of action attempted with the device, and it requires 1 mark for Free Actions, 2 marks for Simple Actions, and 3 marks for Standard or Complex Actions.

This action is a Sleaze action whenever you use your Sleaze as a limit in the test, which incurs the same risk of Overwatch Score and consequences of failure as all Sleaze actions.

A character may drop a held object as a Free Action. If he is holding an object in each hand, he may drop both objects as a single Free Action. At the gamemasters discretion, dropped items may suffer damage from being dropped if they are fragile or dropped in a hostile environment.

A character may kneel or drop prone as a Free Action, as long as he is not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192). A character who is surprised may not drop prone.

A character linked to a ready smartgun may use a mental command to eject the weapon’s clip. It still takes a separate Simple Action to insert a new, fresh clip (see Smartgun System, p. 433).

A character may communicate with a few quick gestures as a Free Action. Characters unfamiliar with the gestures may make an Intuition (2) Test to determine what the gesture means.

A character may use a Free Action to attack multiple targets in a single action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 196) by splitting their dice pool. This action must be combined with a Fire Weapon Action, Throw Weapon Action, Melee Attack Action, Reckless Spellcasting, or Cast Spell Action.

Running uses a Free Action and inflicts Running movement modifiers. Running is any movement that exceeds the character’s Walking Movement Rate in a single Combat Turn (see Movement, p. 161).

One short phrase of verbal communication is a Free Action. If the character wants to speak more, each additional phrase or sentence requires a Free Action. The gamemaster should be careful to control excessive, unrealistic conversations within the span of a single action during a 3-second Combat Turn. If the gamemaster and players prefer more elaborate communications, parameters should be laid out before the mission begins. Characters who are equipped to send text messages through a direct neural interface connection with their commlink may also send short messages as a Free Action.

You can reconfigure your deck whenever you like, rebalancing your software loadout, changing the allocation of Matrix attributes or re-arranging the programs currently available to you. Doing this is a Free Action that you may only perform on your own Action Phase. This is not a Matrix action. When you reconfigure your deck, you can either switch two of your deck’s Matrix attributes, or swap a running program with a program you have stored on your deck that is not running. Additionally, you can load a program you own into a currently unused slot, or unload a program and leave an open slot.
For example, let’s say you’re hanging out in JackPoint and some asshat insults your avatar. You’re feeling surly, so you take a swing at him. You weren’t planning on mixing things up tonight, so at the moment your Attack is 2 and your Data Processing is 5. You’d prefer them to be the other way around, so you take a Free Action to swap the two attributes before you make your attack. With your Attack rating at 5, you’ll be able to land the full force of whatever blow you’ve aimed at the mouthy jerk.

The character chooses to reduce their Initiative Score by 5 in order to be on the lookout for any incoming attacks to Block. This action allows the character to use the Block Defense option (p. 170, SR5) for an entire Combat Turn for the price of the normal Interrupt Action by making their defense active instead of reactive. This action can only be used during a character’s Action Phase.

The character chooses to reduce their Initiative Score by 5 in order to be on the lookout for any incoming attacks to Dodge. This action allows the character to use the Dodge Defense option (p. 170, SR5) for an entire Combat Turn for the price of the normal Interrupt Action by making their defense active instead of reactive. This Free Action can only be used during a character’s Action Phase.

The character chooses to reduce their Initiative Score by 5 in order to be on the lookout for any incoming attacks to Parry. This action allows the character to use the Parry Defense option (p. 170, SR5) for an entire Combat Turn for the price of the normal Interrupt Action by making their defense active instead of reactive. This Free Action can only be used during a character’s Action Phase.

A character may activate a focus they are carrying with a Simple Action.

This action is used to call a spirit that has already been summoned and placed on standby.

A character may use a Simple Action to activate, deactivate, or change the mode on any device with a simple switch, a virtual button, or a command from a commlink or other control device through either a wired or wireless link. This includes changing a gun’s firing mode, changing a shotgun’s choke, changing vision systems, switching a commlink to hidden mode, turning a device’s wireless functionality off, and so on. It takes longer to interact with some devices; check individual gear descriptions.

A character holding a ready firearm can change its firing mode via a Simple Action. If the weapon is a properly linked smartgun, it costs only a Free Action to change the mode (see Firearms, p. 424, and Smartgun Systems, p. 433). This includes changing a shotgun’s choke if the gun does not have a smartgun link (see Shotguns, p. 429).

Issuing a command to a single spirit or group of spirits under a summoner’s control is a Simple Action.

This is the action of freeing a spirit from the summoner’s control. It does not immediately send the spirit back to its home plane but instead frees it to do as it chooses.

Firing a single arrow from a loaded bow is a Simple Action. To nock a single arrow, the character must use the Reload Weapon Simple Action.

A character may fire a readied firearm in Semi-Automatic, Single-Shot, Burst-Fire, or Fully-Auto mode via a Simple Action (see Firearms, p. 424) but may not take any other attack actions in the same Action Phase. If a character has one weapon in each hand, he may fire once with each weapon by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 96); the off-hand modifier applies (see Attacking Using Off-Hand Weapon, p. 178). When taken as Simple Actions, Burst Fire fires 3 bullets, while Full-Auto fires 6 bullets.

A character may insert a fresh clip into a ready firearm by taking a Simple Action, but only if he has first removed the previous clip (see Remove Clip, p. 166, and Reloading Weapons, p. 163).

A character may make a detailed observation by taking a Simple Action. This allows a Perception Test (see Using Perception, p. 135).

Note that characters should always be able to observe what is immediately obvious (gamemaster’s discretion, keeping in mind any perception enhancements the character may have) without having to spend a Simple Action and make a Perception Test. For example, a character might automatically be aware that someone is running toward him with something in hand; however, the gamemaster may decide that the character cannot tell if it is a friend or foe or what is in their hand without taking an Observe in Detail action.

A character may pick up an object within reach or put down one that he was holding as a Simple Action. This action means care is taken to put the object down or pick it up. Just dropping an object is a Free Action, but items that get dropped are more likely to be damaged than items that are set down.

A character may attempt to quick-draw a pistol, pistol-sized weapon, or small throwing weapon and immediately fire it by using a Quick Draw Simple Action. For the character to successfully draw the weapon, the player must make a (Weapon Skill) + Reaction [Physical] (3) Test. If the weapon is held in a quick-draw holster (see p. 432), reduce the threshold to 2. If the test is successful, the character draws the weapon and fires as a single Simple Action. If the test fails, he clears the gun but cannot fire with the same action. If he glitches, the gun is stuck in the holster or dropped, and no more actions are allowed. On a critical glitch, a drawn blade may be fumbled out of the character’s reach or a pistol accidentally fired while still in the holster; the gamemaster decides the exact nature of the screw-up.

Only properly holstered weapons can be quick- drawn. They do not have to be in a quick-draw holster, but they do need to be in a holster or sheath or on a proper sling to be quick-drawn. Two weapons may be quick-drawn and fired simultaneously, but the (Weapon Skill) + Reaction dice pool is split, and off-hand penalties apply.

A character may ready a weapon by spending a Simple Action. The weapon may be a firearm, melee weapon, throwing weapon, ranged weapon, or mounted or vehicular weapon. Readying entails drawing a firearm from a holster, drawing a throwing or melee weapon from a sheath, picking up any kind of weapon, or generally preparing any kind of weapon for use. A weapon must be ready before it can be used. Weapons not held in a traditional holster may require a Complex Action to ready at the gamemaster’s discretion.

A character can ready a number of small throwing weapons, such as throwing knives or shuriken, equal to one-half his Agility (round up) per Ready Weapon action.

A spellcaster may use a Simple Action to cast a spell more quickly, but at the cost of higher Drain. See Step 4: Cast Spell, p. 281.

A character may remove a clip from a ready firearm by taking a Simple Action (see Insert Clip, p. 165, and also Reload Weapons, p. 163). It takes another Simple Action to grab a fresh clip and slam it into the weapon.

A character capable of Astral Perception may shift perception to or from Astral Space as a Simple Action.

Using a Simple Action, a character who is lying down or prone may stand up. If the character is wounded and attempting to stand, he must succeed in a Body + Willpower (2) Test to do so (wound modifiers apply to this test).

A character may take aim with a ready firearm, bow, or throwing weapon as a Simple Action. Take Aim actions are cumulative, but the benefits are lost if the character takes any other kind of action—including a Free Action — at any time before attacking. Take Aim actions may be extended over multiple Action Phases and Combat Turns. The maximum bonus a character may gain from sequential Take Aim actions, either to her limit or her dice pool, is equal to one-half the character’s Willpower, rounded up.

Each Take Aim action applies a +1 dice pool modifier or +1 Accuracy increase to the Attack Test.

If the character is using image magnification or a targeting scope, Take Aim must be used to line up the shot in order to receive the bonus from the item. In this case the first action of Take Aim does not provide any additional bonus beyond enabling the function of the modification.

A character may use this Simple Action to gain a cover bonus to their defense test, as long as she is not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192). A character who is surprised may not take cover.

A character may throw a ready throwing weapon (see Ready Weapon, p. 165) by taking a Simple Action. The character may not take any other attack actions in the same Action Phase. Multiple readied throwing weapons can be thrown at a target within Short or Medium range by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 196).

A character can use any simple device with a Simple Action. Simple devices are those that are activated with a simple movement like a thumb trigger, pressing a single key, or tapping a single icon.

You call a registered sprite you have waiting in the Resonance, which appears at the beginning of the next Combat Turn. You can also use this action to send a sprite back to the Resonance, releasing it from any tasks it still owes you, which it does on its next action.

You change the target’s icon to one that you have a copy of or have designed yourself. Changing an icon doesn’t change the results of a Matrix Perception action, but might fool personas who don’t take the time to inspect your new look. You can target your own icon, if you like.

You find out how close the grid is to converging on you. Checking the OS is a Sleaze action, so the defense against it will add to your OS. If you succeed, the gamemaster tells you what your OS was when you started the action, then adds the hits from the defending dice pool.

You command a sprite to do something for you, using up one of its tasks.

This jacks you out of the Matrix and reboots the device you are using. You suffer dumpshock if you were in VR. The defense pool only applies if you’ve been link-locked (p. 229) by someone; the test is against the icon that locked your link. If more than one persona has you link-locked, you need to beat each of them individually: use a single roll and compare your hits to rolls from each opponent who had established a link-lock.

You can only jack out yourself. You can’t dump other people except by beating them into submission through Matrix damage.

If you’re the owner of a device, file, persona, host, or IC program, you can offer other icons the opportunity to put a mark on your device, file, etc. When you make the offer, you choose the number of marks allowed, their duration, and how long the offer stands. The invitee can then mark your icon with a Free Action. You may revoke your offer at any time before the mark is placed, but once another icon has a mark, you need to either use the Erase Mark action or reboot your device to remove it before the duration you chose expires.

You send a text or audio message the length of a short sentence, an image, or a file via the Matrix to a user whose commcode you have. If you’re using the Matrix through a DNI, even if you’re in AR, you can send longer and more complicated messages, about a paragraph worth of text. You can also use this action to open a live feed to one or more recipients, using any digital recording devices you have.

You switch your perception from AR to VR or vice versa. Switching to VR causes your body to go limp, so don’t do it somewhere dangerous. If you switch from VR to AR, you lose the bonus Initiative Dice from VR (Changing Initiative, p. 160). If you’re link-locked (p. 229), you cannot switch interface modes.

You can only do this to yourself; you can’t switch other people’s interface mode.

A Clinch is a grappling position in a stand-up fight, where the opponent’s effective Reach has been neu- tralized. A Clinch is included in several martial arts and can be used as a medium to move from a stand-up fight to a ground fight through throws and knock down actions. With a successful opposed Gymnastics + Agility [Physical] vs. Reaction + Intuition Test, the character has clinched their opponent. This means that the character has a hold of the opponent (and possibly visa versa), so they can’t move away from each other. The difference between a Clinch and a Grapple action is that a Grapple involves a lock or choke hold on the opponent to immobilize him, while a Clinch doesn’t immobilize an opponent and allows both the character and opponent to make actions other than those involving the Clinch.
The character who initiated the Clinch gets the Superior Position bonus modifier to actions while maintaining control of the Clinch. Both the character and opponent’s Reach bonus are negated, and attacks with melee weapons receive a penalty equal to their Reach bonus. Firearm use by both the character and opponent are penalized by the net successes of the Clinch. Unless the opponent escapes from the Clinch, neither opponent nor character can move away from each other. They can, however, move up to 2 meters on each of their actions together. A character in the inferior position can attempt to use an Escape Action (see below) to break the Clinch. A character in the Superior Position can let go of the Clinch as a Free Action; at this point the character in an inferior position can choose to use an Interrupt Action (–5 Initiative Score) to attempt to maintain the Clinch and gain Superior Position. This requires a new Gymnastics + Agility [Physical] by the player in the inferior position, and they receive a +1 dice pool bonus thanks to the fact that they are already in contact with the other character; the character in the Superior Position does not get the Superior Position bonus in this instance.
A successful Clinch Action can lead to a Subdual, Called Shot: Knockdown, or Throw. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Iaijutsu is the art of sword drawing, though this technique goes beyond just using a sword. With this action, the character may perform Quick Draw Simple Action (p. 165, SR5) with any melee weapon. As with the quick draw rules, the weapon must be properly sheathed or holstered in order to use the Quick Draw Action. If successful, the character can then attack with the weapon as a Simple Action instead of a Complex Action for that Action Phase. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

From a Prone position, the character can kick himself back into a standing position and perform an immediate Close Combat Attack Action against a nearby target. The character must make an Agility + Gymnastics [Phys- ical] (3) Test. If successful, the character can then make a Close Combat Attack as a Simple Action. The character can’t move from a Kip-up to attack an opponent if they are not in Reach. Failure on a Kip-up Action means that the character is still Prone. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

The character can make an Unarmed Combat Attack Test against an opponent within the character’s Reach. If successful, the opponent is pushed outside the Reach of the character, a minimum of 1 meter. No damage is done with the attack. The character can move up to their Walk rate, and the location of where the opponent is pushed is determined by the person giving the push. This can be done as an Intercept Action (–5 Initiative Score) if an opponent attempts to move into the character’s Reach space. The pushing character cannot be in a Grapple or Clinch.

While the character is running, the character can make an Unarmed Combat Attack Test against an opponent with the intent of moving him from his location. Like a Charge, the character has to Run at the opponent and make an Unarmed Combat Attack Test. The attack deals no damage. If successful and the character’s Strength + net hits exceeds the opponent’s Physical Limit, the opponent is pushed back a distance in meters equal to the net hits of the Attack Test in the direction of the attacking character’s movement. If successful and the character’s Strength + net hits does not exceed the opponent’s Physical Limit, the character has met Mr. Wall and thus does not move the opponent; they cannot move any further past the opponent in this phase. If unsuccessful, the character falls Prone, tripping up before the attempt or knocked back from the impact against the opponent. The gamemaster determines the exact location where the character ends up.

If the character has successfully engaged in a Clinch or Subduing action against an opponent, he may then attempt to throw their opponent. Throw person can also be done as an Interrupt Action (–10 from Initiative Score) after successfully blocking an opponent’s attack. A throw is done using the leverage of the opponent’s body and/or force of action into projecting the opponent to the ground. The character rolls an Unarmed Combat Attack Test, opposed as normal. If the charac-ter succeeds and character’s Strength + net hits exceed the opponent’s Physical Limit, the opponent can then be thrown up to a number of meters equal to the net hits scored on the test. The maximum distance that a character can throw an opponent is the difference in the char- acter’s Strength minus the opponent’s Body in meters. If this distance value is less than 0, then the maximum distance is 0, meaning less than one meter away from the character. The opponent suffers damage equal to the net successes of the test, not the distance thrown. At the end of the throw, the opponent is Prone. The opponent could suffer additional damage at the location where he is thrown, such as a fire pit or into the mouth of a sarlacc. If the character is successful in the attack but does not exceed the opponent’s Physical Limit, the opponent is not thrown and is still standing but remains in a Clinch or Subduing grip. Failure means the target is not thrown and also escapes the character’s grip. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

A character capable of Astral Projection may shift their consciousness to the astral plane as a Complex Action (see p. 313).

A character may enter into a Banishing contest with a spirit as a Complex Action (see p. 301).

A character may cast a spell as a Complex Action.

A character may fire a readied firearm in Full-Auto fire mode via a Complex Action (see Firearms, p. 424). If a character has one weapon in each hand, he may fire once with each weapon by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 196). Off-hand modifier applies (see Attacker Using Off-Hand Weapon, p. 178). When fired as a Complex Action, Full-Auto uses 10 bullets. Remember the effects of cumulative recoil when using these fire modes. And good fragging luck!

A character may fire a readied firearm in Long Burst or Semi-Auto Burst via a Complex Action (see Firearms, p. 424). A character may attack multiple targets within Short or Medium range by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 196). If a character has one weapon in each hand, he may fire once with each weapon by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 167). Off-hand modifier applies (see Attacker Using Off-Hand Weapon, p. 178). Remember the effects of cumulative recoil when using these fire modes.

Fire a previously readied mounted or vehicle weapon by taking a Complex Action (see Vehicle Combat, p. 198).

With this action a character can load and fire a bow with a single Complex Action. The two activities can be reversed, Fire and Load Bow, if the bow had been readied using a Simple Action already.

Suppressive fire takes a Complex Action, uses twenty rounds of ammo, and ignores recoil. Though it may appear as a “spray and pray” technique it is in fact a combination of controlled and fully automatic bursts focused over a narrow area and directed at anything that moves. A character can suppress a triangular area projecting from the shooting character outward up to a distance of his choosing, up to the maximum range of the weapon, with a width of 10 meters at its end and a height of 2 meters. Make a (Weapon Skill) + Agility [Accuracy] Test, including bonuses for smartlink, laser sight, tracer rounds, and other gamemaster-approved modifiers, and record the hits. The suppressive fire zone lasts until the end of the Combat Turn as long as the firer does not move or commit to any other action.

Anyone in the suppressive fire zone or immediately adjacent to it takes a dice pool penalty to all actions equal to the shooter’s hits, unless they are completely unaware of it (a magician using astral projection, for example).

Any character who is in the suppressed area (but not behind cover or prone), or who moves into or out of the area before the end of the suppressive fire, risks catching some flying lead. That character must make a Reaction + Edge Test (+ any dice they may get as a result of choosing to use Full Defense) with a threshold equal to the hits scored by the suppressing attacker. Note that in the test, you use your full Edge rating, regardless of whether you have spent points during the session (though you do not, of course, use burned Edge points). If the test fails, the character is hit, suffering damage equal to the weapon’s base Damage Value modified by any special ammunition being fired. Characters in the suppressed area who remain behind full cover or drop prone are not at risk (though they suffer the normal modifiers for being prone; see Melee Modifiers, p. 187, and Ranged Modifiers, p. 173). Characters may choose to avoid rolling and use their Free Action to go prone and avoid getting hit. If a character does not have a Free Action remaining she may use the Hit the Dirt Interrupt Action and go prone instead of getting hit. Any character who stands up or moves again before the suppressive fire stops must make a test to see if she is hit.

If multiple suppressive fire actions occur covering the same area, only the highest dice pool penalty counts against targets in or near the suppressed area, but targets must make a Reaction + Edge test against all overlapping zones, taking damage from the ones missed. Reaction + Edge Tests in this situation are subject to the diminishing pool effect of being shot by multiple attackers in a single Action Phase. After each roll apply a –1 die penalty to the defender’s dice pool.

A character may make a melee attack by taking a Complex Action (see Melee Combat, p. 184). A character may also attack multiple targets within melee range by adding a Multiple Attacks Free Action (see Multiple Attacks, p. 196).

Weapons that are belt fed (belt), break action (b), cylinder (cy), drum (d), internal magazine (m), muzzle loaders, or use a speed loader are reloaded using a Complex Action (see Reloading Weapons, p. 163).

A character with a VCR and rigger adapted vehicle may jump in to control the vehicle with a Complex Action.

Sprinting allows a character to increase his Running rate by using a Complex Action and making a Running Test (see Movement, p. 161).

A character may summon a spirit to assist them with a Complex Action.

A character may use an appropriate skill by taking a Complex Action (see Using Skills, p. 128).

You can use this action to mark a target without obtaining the normal permissions you need. This is the action for hackers emphasizing their Attack over their Sleaze, making it related to Hack on the Fly.

If you succeed in this action, you place one mark on it. You can have up to a maximum of three marks per icon. If you wish, you may also inflict 1 DV of Matrix damage to the target for every two full net hits, if the target can take Matrix damage, which is resisted with the target’s Device Rating + Firewall.

Before rolling, you can declare that you are trying to place more than one mark. If you try for two marks in one shot, you take a –4 dice pool penalty on the attempt. If you try for three marks in a single swipe, you take a –10 dice pool penalty.

You can also use this action to hop to a grid for which you don’t have legitimate access. The defense dice pool in this case is 4 dice for a local grid or 6 dice for a global grid. If you succeed, instead of putting a mark on the grid, you hop to that grid immediately. Using Brute Force to hop grids successfully doesn’t alert the grid or its demiGOD the way most successful Attack actions do.

You remove the protection from a file, making it readable. This action doesn’t need to be performed on a file that isn’t protected, of course.

You overload part of your target’s memory and scramble one of its running programs. You need to specify which program you’re trying to crash; you can learn what your target is running either with a Matrix Perception action or by observing the program in action. If you succeed, the program is scrambled: it ends and cannot be restarted until the device it was running on is rebooted.

You send harmful instructions to a persona or device, causing Matrix damage to the target. Your attack has a Damage Value equal to your Attack rating, with one additional box of damage per net hit, and two additional boxes of damage for each mark you have on the target. This damage is Matrix damage (p. 228), resisted with the target’s Device Rating + Firewall.

You attempt to disarm a Data Bomb that you have detected (usually as the result of a Matrix Perception action). If you score any net hits, the Data Bomb is removed and deleted. If not, the Data Bomb activates, causing its damage and possibly destroying any file to which it was attached (assuming it was set to destroy the file).

Edit File allows you to create, change, copy, delete, or protect any kind of file. The defender against this test is either the host holding the file or the owner of the file (if it’s not on a host). Each action is enough to alter one detail of a file—a short paragraph of text, a single detail of an image, or two or three seconds of video or audio (you and your gamemaster can work out what exactly “one detail” means). Your gamemaster may impose penalties on the test if your edit is particularly intricate or tricky. If you want to perform a continuous edit, such as removing your teammates from a video feed, you need to perform this action once per Combat Turn for as long as you want to keep the edit going.

If you use this action to copy a file, you are the new file’s owner. If the file you want to copy has protection on it, this action automatically fails. If the file has a Data Bomb, the Data Bomb goes off on you (so try to remember to scan files before you open them).

You can also use this action to set protection on a file if you’re its owner. To protect a file, make a Simple Computer + Logic [Data Processing] test. The number of hits you get becomes the rating of the protected file. A protected file cannot be read, changed, deleted, or copied until its protection is broken.

You enter a host that you have a mark on and your icon appears there, or you leave a host you’re already in. There is no test for this action: a host allows anyone to enter if they’ve got a mark, and anyone inside can exit. The host might not be so welcoming once you’re inside, of course, and some IC has the ability to keep you trapped in a host until you can break out.

When you leave a host, you return to the grid from which you entered.

You eradicate a mark that has been placed on your persona or on another icon. To perform this action, you need three marks on the icon from which you are erasing a mark. You do not, however, need a mark on the icon that placed the mark in the first place. You can try to erase two marks in the same action at a –4 dice pool penalty, and three marks in one go at a –10 dice pool penalty; if you go for more than one mark, all of the marks must be on the same icon and from the same icon. You can’t use this action to change the target’s owner.

For example, an IC program has marked both you and your buddy. You roll your Computer + Logic (with your Attack program rating as the limit), opposed by the IC’s rating (standing in for Willpower) + Firewall to erase its mark on your icon. You need three marks on your buddy’s icon to erase the IC’s marks on him, but he isn’t the sharing type, so he’s on his own for now.

You eradicate a Matrix signature that has been left by a Resonance being, such as a technomancer or a sprite. If successful, the signature dissipates. You need to have a Resonance rating to attempt this action; unlike other actions that need Resonance, this one’s a real Matrix Action, and an Attack one to boot, so you risk Matrix damage and Overwatch Score when you use it.

You rewrite the boot code for the device. The next time it would reboot, it instead shuts down for good, or until its software can be replaced (an Extended Software + Logic [Mental] (12, 1 hour) Test). A device that has been shut down in this fashion loses all of its wireless modifiers but can still be used as a normal mechanism (a door with a manual handle can be opened, a gun with a trigger can be fired, etc.) and cannot be accessed from the Matrix

You hop to another grid—for example, you might jump from the public grid to Seattle’s Emerald City local grid. To do this, you must have access to your destination grid. If you do not have access, you can use Brute Force or Hack on the Fly to hop to another grid illegally. If you’re inside a host, you need to leave the host before you can hop to another grid.

You can use this action to mark a target without getting the normal permissions. This is the action for hackers emphasizing their Sleaze over their Attack, making it an analog to Brute Force.

When targeting an icon, you put one mark on it, up to a maximum of three marks per icon. Additionally, every two full net hits counts as one hit on a Matrix Perception Test, so you can get some info along with your mark.

Before rolling, you can declare that you are trying for more than one mark. If you try for two marks in one shot, you take a –4 dice pool penalty on the attempt. If you try for three marks in one go, you take a –10 dice pool penalty.

You can also use this action to hop to a grid for which you don’t have legitimate access. The defense dice pool in this case is 4 dice for a local grid or 6 dice for a global grid. If you succeed, instead of putting a mark on the grid, you hop to that grid immediately. Using Hack on the Fly to hop grids unsuccessfully doesn’t alert the grid or its demiGOD the way most unsuccessful Sleaze actions do.

You’ll probably be spotted by another icon, even if you’re running silent. You can use this action to make a target lose you. If you succeed, the target stops spotting you and needs to perform a new Matrix Perception action against you if it wants to find you again. You can’t hide from an icon that has a mark on you, so you’ll need to clear those before you can try this action.

This action turns the wireless device you are using into a local jammer. As long as you do not use the device for any further Matrix actions, the device adds any hits you get on the test to the noise rating for all Matrix actions conducted by or targeting any devices within 100 meters. If you want selective jamming or directional jamming, buy a jammer—that’s what they’re for.

You jump into a device that has a rigger adaptation, usually a vehicle or a drone. There’s a list of things you need to have in order to jump into a device: you have to have three marks on the device you want to jump into, you have to be in VR, the device you want to jump into has to have a rigger adaptation, and you have to have a control rig. If you are the device’s owner, or the device’s owner has given you permission to jump into the device, you don’t need to make a test. In the Matrix, the icon of the device you jumped into becomes part of your persona.

If someone else is already jumped into the device, you cannot attempt this action until he or she vacates.

This versatile and important action is used both for finding icons in the Matrix and for analyzing Matrix objects. When you use this action to analyze a Matrix object or scan the vicinity for silent-running icons, you make a Simple Test and your hits determine how much info you get. For each net hit scored, you can ask for one piece of information about the object - this could be type, a rating, how many marks it has on it, any files it may be carrying, which grid it is using, whether any silent running icons are in the area, or any other pertinent Matrix information. You learn one fact per net hit. If you get a list of marks, you can only recognize marks you have seen before or marks left by personas that you have marks on yourself. Otherwise you only get a count.

If you're trying to spot an icon that is father than 100 meters away, this is a Simple Test: the first hit lets you spot the target, and any additional hits can be used to get more information about it as mentioned above. If you're looking for an icon that is running silent (after you've determined that it's present), the test becomes an Opposed Test, with the target defending with Logic + Sleaze. Net hits are used just like you would for spotting distant targets, with the first one for spotting the target and the rest for analysis.

Matrix Spotting Table

The device on which this action is performed shuts down and immediately reboots. The device comes back online at the end of the following Combat Turn. The device ceases electronic functions and disappears from the Matrix until its reboot time is over.

When you reboot the device your persona is on, your OS is reset to zero and all of your marks, as well as the ones others may have put on your icon, are erased. If you’re in VR when you reboot, you suffer from dumpshock (see p. 229). When you come back online, your icon can be on any grid to which you have legitimate access, or the public grid if you have no other grid access. When you perform this action, you can choose a delay of any amount of time between the time the device shuts down and the time it comes back online. Anyone with physical access to the device can override this delay by hitting the power button, which starts the boot process and brings the device online at the end of the following Combat Turn.

This action only works on devices. It doesn’t work on hosts, living beings (like technomancers, although they can “reboot” themselves, p. 251), or Resonance constructs (like sprites), and the only persona it works on is your own. If you’re the owner of the device you’re rebooting, you don’t have to make a test. You can’t use this action on a device that is link-locked (p. 229).

You set a Data Bomb in a file. When you do, choose the rating of the Data Bomb, up to the net hits on your test. You also need to choose whether or not the Data Bomb will delete the file to which it is attached when activated, and you need to program the passcode required to deactivate it. A file can only have one Data Bomb on it at a time.

The Data Bomb is triggered when someone attempts to read, edit, copy, protect, delete, or put another Data Bomb on the file without using the already-in-place Data Bomb’s passcode. When a Data Bomb goes off, it causes (Rating)D6 Matrix Damage (resisted normally) to the icon that tripped it, deletes the file (if it was set that way), and then is itself deleted. If the passcode is used, the Data Bomb doesn’t activate. Instead, it remains attached to the file, waiting for the next guy.

A Data Bomb can be detected using Matrix Perception. If it’s detected, it can be defused with the Disarm Data Bomb action; a disarmed Data Bomb is deleted. Damn.

This action lets you intercept Matrix traffic sent to and from your target for as long as you have the target marked. You can listen to, view, or read this data live, or you can save it for later playback/viewing if you have something to store it on (your deck will do).

Uses of Snoop

Snooping is often used for more than just eavesdropping. If your target makes a commcall, you can note the person they called and try to find them online with a Matrix Perception action; if they’re within 100 meters, you spot them right away (if they’re not running silent; if they are, then it’s back to the Matrix Perception Test).

You spoof a device’s owner’s identity, making the device think that your command is a legitimate one from its owner. You need one mark on the icon you are imitating; you do not need a mark on the target. The opposing dice roll is still based on the target, though. This trick only works on devices and agents, not IC, sprites, hosts, personas, or any other icons.

You find the physical location of a device or persona in the Matrix. After succeeding with this action, you know the target’s location for as long as you have at least one mark on the target. This doesn’t work on hosts because they generally have no physical location, or IC programs because they are confined to their hosts.

You compile a sprite (p. 254).

You attempt to decompile a sprite (p. 254).

You attempt to kill a complex form (p. 251).

You register a sprite (p. 254).

You thread a complex form (p. 251).

This is an attack from a Burst Fire-capable weapon (not Semi-Auto Burst) fired in such a way to increase damage instead of making it harder to avoid. Since it is a Complex Action tracking Progressive Recoil becomes very important. The attack loses the –2 penalty to the defender but gains +1 DV. It costs the firer three rounds of ammunition.

The character lunges forward with a long step toward his opponent, effectively adding +1 to the Reach of the attack. The character over commits himself in the maneuver, leaving himself vulnerable. The character takes a –1 to any Defense Tests and cannot use any Active Defense techniques until after his next Action Phase. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Usually Full-Auto fire is designed to increase the chance to hit, not to put a lot of rounds in one place. This action focuses a Full-Auto Action into a tight little area and causes all sorts of pain and damage. Tracking Progressive Recoil becomes very important with this action. The attack gains +2 DV and costs the firer six rounds of ammunition.

A rapid pair of well-aimed shots from a Semi-Automatic-capable weapon fired in such a way to increase damage instead of making it harder to avoid. Tracking Progressive Recoil becomes very important with this Action. The attack gains +1DV and costs the firer two rounds of ammunition. There is no penalty to defensive rolls from this shot.

To break out of a Subduing or Clinch, the character must succeed in an Unarmed Combat + Strength [Physical] Test with a threshold equal to the net hits scored on the opponent’s original Subduing Test. Otherwise, the character remains locked in a grapple or clinch. Actions are limited by the opponent’s previous action (Subduing or Clinch).

Avoiding flechette suppressive fire is like dodging a tsunami. Suppressive Fire with flechette (f) ammo can make an attack over a wide area virtually unavoidable. These attacks function similar to Enhanced Suppression (see above) and prevents targets from using the Drop Prone action to avoid the attack and suffers no loss of width, quite the opposite. Suppressive Fire with flechette ammunition has a wide range of effects, covered by the Flechette Suppressive Fire Tables. Effects are arranged by Choke Setting. Narrow Spread Choke settings only confer the Enhanced Suppression and their normal effects.

With a little room to move, agile characters can avoid the Interception attempts of their opponents without engaging in combat. Using a Complex Action in tandem with their movement for the Combat Turn, they can make an Agility + Gymnastics [Physical] (1) Test. Each hit above the threshold allows the character to move past one opponent who is within Interception range. Those opponents cannot use Interception against that character, unless they know the martial art maneuver Shadow Block (p. 125).

For use with suppressive fire (p. 179, SR5), this attack narrows the area of suppression horizontally but increases it vertically. The attack narrows the suppression zone to 5 meters at the end (instead of 10) but prevents targets within the affected area from being able to avoid the fire with the Drop Prone action. They can still use the Lucky Cover Edge Action to avoid the roll, but they continue to suffer all the normal penalties of being within a suppressed area.

Covering scissor, butterfly, crescent, hook, and reverse roundhouse kicks, this Action offers both range and power to the unarmed attack. The character must be at least a meter away from the opponent and be able to move toward the opponent to perform this action. A Flying Kick Action gives both +1 Reach and +1 dice pool bonus to the unarmed attack. If the Flying Kick Action is unsuccessful, the character becomes off balance, suffering a –1 dice pool penalty to Defense Tests until the character’s next Action Phase. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

A Full Offense attack occurs when a character accepts that he’s going to get hurt and doesn’t care so long as he hurts his opponent more. This is also the usu- al state of drunken brawlers, though their accuracy tends to be diminished. The attacking character receives a +2 dice pool modifier to their Close Combat skill test, but may not use any Defensive Interrupt Actions for that Action Phase (Block, Dodge, Full Defense, Parry, etc.). They also adjust their Initiative Score by –5. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

This odd technique involves grabbing the center part of the blade for a more forceful thrust against an armored target with the intent of piercing the target’s armor. Back in the days of plate armor, the Half Sword action was like using the sword as a crowbar and peeling back the armor. Today’s armor is more flexible, but the intent is the same. With a successful attack, the character improves their AP by 2 for the weapon. If the character fails, he takes a –2 penalty to his next action (not counting Defense Tests) and cannot use the Parry or Block Defensive Actions until his next Action Phase. Regardless of success or failure, the character has to Ready the Weapon (as he’s holding it in an unusual manner) in order to attack again. This move cannot be combined with Two Weapon fighting as it requires both hands. The weapon must be a blade with at least a Reach of 1. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

While the Pouncing Dragon technique has the character using gravity to his advantage, not every combat allows the character to have superior position. With the Haymaker, the character uses centrifugal force in order gain power in the attack. This action is wild and obvious to an opponent. With this attack, the character gives the opponent +2 to their Defense Test. If successful the character gets +1 DV. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

As if engaging in some sort of masochistic dance, the character can use attacks and feints to maneuver an opponent into a bad position, such as on top of a land mine or against an open elevator shaft. On a successful Close Combat Attack, the character deals no damage to his opponent. Instead, the character can move the opponent 1 meter per net hit in the direction of the character’s choosing, up to the Walking rate of the character or opponent, whichever is less. A character may attempt herding multiple opponents by splitting his dice pool as normal (Multiple Attacks, p. 196, SR5). The distance that the character can herd multiple opponents is determined on an individual opponent basis. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

With a little acting skill, a character can gain themselves a nice advantage by playing up their injuries or pretending they are injured. The character needs to take a Complex Action and perform a Con + Charisma [Social] vs. Con + Charisma [Social] Opposed Test or Performance + Charisma [Social] vs. Charisma + Willpower Test in order to make themselves look seriously injured and out of the fight. This is one of the few places where being injured works in a character’s favor. For every three boxes of damage the character has, he gains a +1 dice pool bonus to his roll (and ignores the injury modifier). The character’s net hits become the threshold for a Perception Test for anyone the character attacks to avoid being caught unaware by the character. Unaware characters do not get a Defense Test when they are attacked.

Pouncing Dragon is a close-combat attack where the character has superior position to the opponent and uses gravity to their advantage. This move can be made from a position standing above the opponent, the opponent being prone or standing below the character, or it can be executed when the character is in a Clinch with the opponent, both of them are on the ground, and the character’s Superior Position advantage is that they are on top of the opponent. Typically learned through mixed martial arts, various wrestling arts, or weapon martial arts as a way to dispatch fallen opponents, Pouncing Dragon requires characters to take advantage of gravity and put their weight behind the attack. Besides the Superior Position modifier, the character gets +2 DV on a successful attack. After the attack, the character is at the same level as the opponent and loses the Superior Position advantage. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Sacrifice Move is like a Shove, but it is a Complex Action. The character is attempting to move an opponent and throws his whole body into the attempt. The test and results are similar to Shove, but the attacking character uses Strength + Body plus net hits instead of just Strength + net hits. On a successful attempt, both the character and opponent are Prone.

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Characters spend a Complex Action and make a (Melee Skill) + Intuition [Mental] (3) Test studying their opponent’s style while engaged in combat, taking the time to read an opponent’s defense. This action can only be performed while a character is engaged in combat with an opponent. After the character has spent their Complex Action they gain a +3 dice pool bonus on their next melee attack against that opponent. If they fail on the test, though, they misread the attacker’s intentions and instead take a –1 penalty on their next melee attack against the opponent. A glitch makes that penalty even worse, while a critical glitch means the character focused so intently on the attack that they dropped their own defense, and must take a –3 dice pool penalty (or greater at the gamemaster’s discretion) on their Defense Test against the next attack from any source.

A Subduing Action is grappling the opponent in either a choke hold or a joint lock that brings asphyxiation to the brain or pain to a joint or body part. The character follows the standard rules for Subduing (p. 195, SR5) and must spend a Complex Action per Action Phase to maintain the Subduing. As part of that action, they can perform any of the allowed options, and the opponent cannot take an action that requires Movement. A character can end the Subduing as a Free Action, but still be in contact with the opponent for that Action Phase. Subduing Actions can be done as an Interrupt Action (–5 Initiative Score) by a character on an opponent who has successfully completed a touch-only attack against him.

The character makes a Close Combat Skill Attack Test (with the +2, touch-only advantage) to make contact with the opponent. If successful, the character does no damage, but is in contact with the opponent for that Action Phase or until the opponent moves, risking an Intercept Action (see Interception, p. 194, SR5). Touch attacks have the disadvantage of being more easily grappled in a Subduing or Clinch Action by an opponent. Characters defending against a Grapple or Clinch after making a touch-only attack against an opponent receive a –2 dice pool penalty against that opponent.
Weapons such as the shock glove or baton can inflict damage during a touch-only attack. These attacks don’t benefit from net hits from the attack to increase Damage Value. Using the weapon to cause damage with a touch-only attack makes it the only attack action the character can make during that Action Phase.

A finishing move is that way-cool trid final attack maneuver the hero makes to defeat the bad guy. The character must declare that he is performing a Finishing Move combination. The character makes an attack. If the character successfully damages an opponent with the melee attack, the character can then make an immediate extra strike against the same opponent with a +2 dice pool modifier. A gratuitous Free Action to taunt the opponent can also be applied, especially if the attacker is holding the target’s spine and skull in his hands at the time. This action can only be performed once per Combat Turn. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

A character may choose to use her own unarmed combat skill to block incoming melee attacks as an Interrupt Action (see Defending in Combat, p. 188). By decreasing her Initiative Score, the defending character can add her Unarmed Combat skill to their defense test. This is a one-time add, unlike going on Full Defense (below) which lasts for an entire Combat Turn.

A character may choose to use her own skill to dodge incoming attacks as an Interrupt Action (see Defending in Combat, p. 188). By decreasing her Initiative Score, the defending character can add her Gymnastics skill to the defense test. This is a one-time add, unlike going on Full Defense (below) which lasts for an entire Combat Turn.

A character who has already used their Free Action may choose to drop prone when caught by suppressive fire using this action (see Suppressive Fire, p. 179). The defending character doesn’t need to make the Reaction + Edge test but is considered prone on their next Action Phase. If the suppressive fire continues, the defending character needs to use a Stand Up Simple Action to get back up, risking getting shot, or fight from the ground. If the suppressive fire has stopped the prone character still needs to use a Stand Up Simple Action to get back up.

A character may take an Interrupt Action to intercept an opponent who attempts to move past him (within 1 + Reach meter(s)) or break out of melee combat (see Interception, p. 194). The Intercept Action allows a character to make a melee attack out of turn. If the character does not have enough Initiative Score left that Action Phase he cannot intercept.

A character may choose to use his own melee weapon skill to deflect incoming melee attacks as an Interrupt Action (see Defending in Combat, p. 188). By decreasing his Initiative Score, the defending character can add his melee weapon skill to their defense test. This is a one-time add, unlike going on Full Defense (below), which lasts for an entire Combat Turn. Bonus die, such as die from a relevant weapon foci, can be added to this test.

A character may choose to focus on deliberately avoiding incoming attacks as an Interrupt Action (see Defending in Combat, p. 188). This action adds the character’s Willpower to their Defense tests for the entire Combat Turn. Full Defense actions may be taken at any time, even before the character’s Action Phase as an Interrupt Action, as long as the character is not surprised. Characters may only go on Full Defense if they have enough Initiative Score left in that Combat Turn. The bonus gained in this manner is kept until the end of the Combat Turn so a character can choose to fight defensively early in the round by decreasing her Initiative Score to increase her defense. This bonus is also cumulative with other Interrupt Actions.

This allows you to defend against Attack actions, and may be taken at any time. Whenever you make a defense test against a Matrix Action, add your Willpower to the dice pool (or add it again if it’s already in there). When you take this action, your Initiative Score is reduced by 10, but the effects last for the rest of the Combat Turn.

You search the Matrix for information about a topic. The time it takes and the threshold of the test depend on the general availability of the information in question and the area being searched, respectively. Any hits above and beyond the threshold can be used to reduce the search time. Divide the base time by net hits to determine the reduction. If you fail this test, you still spend the full base time looking.

Some information is protected and kept secret, stored in a host that is not publicly accessible. Finding this information usually requires you to find and enter the hosts in which the data is hidden. You can then make a Matrix Search within the host, using a base time of 1 minute (regardless of the kind of information you're looking for). This only works if the information is at least occasionally accessed by the legitimate users of the host. If the information is archived, you'll need to dig deeper into the host for that information, a dangerous process that is detailed in the forthcoming Matrix sourcebook.

Matrix Search Table

Counterstrike allows the character to leverage the opponent’s force into an advantage, allowing the character to make a quick strike back. In place of the standard Defense Test, the character makes an Unarmed Combat + Reaction [Physical] Test against the opponent’s standard Attack Test. If the defender achieves more hits than the attacker, the defender successfully avoided the attacker’s strike while returning and landing a strike of their own. The defender’s counterstrike attack has a Damage Value equal to the defending character’s standard Unarmed DV + net hits. The damage is resisted by a standard Damage Resistance Test. If the defender does not achieve more hits, then he must make a Damage Resistance Test against the damage of the attacker’s strike as normal. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Sometimes you don’t want to just sprawl out face-flat down on the ground to get below the incoming stints of spray-and-pray Suppressive Fire. Being face down behind some cover so you can get to your feet without taking some rounds is a much better option than getting perforated. This action allows a character to go prone behind nearby cover. A character that is within the area of a Suppressive Fire Attack can choose to take an Interrupt Action and reduce their Initiative Score by 5 and Drop Prone behind any cover within 4 meters.

When a character finds himself stuck in a headlock or some other form of Clinch or Grapple Action and does not have the Superior Position melee modifier, he has two options: Escape or Reversal. With a Reversal, the character makes an Unarmed Attack Test with a threshold equal to the opponent’s hits from their Clinch or Subduing Action. If successful, the character and opponent are still engaged in a Clinch or Subduing Action, but the roles become reversed, giving the character the Superior Position advantage and if reversing a Grapple, the character can then attempt a Subduing Action on his next Action Phase. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Crazy is as crazy does, and this is what crazy does. This action allows a character to return an incoming grenade by either intercepting its course in flight or scooping it up off the ground and tossing it back. This action is greatly affected by the type of trigger on the grenade. With a basic attack and built-in timer trigger, the acting character needs enough Movement remaining to reach the grenade or get into its path. If a gamemaster is meticulous about distances in combat and wants to be nasty, she can make the character decide to attempt this before knowing if they have enough Movement. If the character lacks the necessary Movement, they simply move closer to the grenade and get themselves some extra damage when the drek hits the fan. After sufficient Movement is determined, the character needs to make an Agility (2) Test to successfully pick up or intercept the grenade. After that successful test, the character makes a Throwing Weapons Attack Test with a –2 dice penalty due to all the other activity involved in this action to throw the grenade.
A grenade with a wireless trigger acts in essentially the same way; the character just has to hope they can act quickly enough to counter the grenade before it is wirelessly triggered.
When a grenade is armed with a motion sensor trigger, this action turns ugly. The character needs sufficient Movement as before, but instead of being able to send the grenade back, they simply end up at zero distance when the grenade explodes. They can however, choose to intercept the grenade anywhere in its path, though they won’t know the effect until after the big boom.

There are few things as frightening as the distinctive sound of a grenade bouncing into your vicinity or watching a swirling ball of mana headed your way and set to go boom. By the time you realize a whole lot of trouble is on the way, there are very few options available. This action covers two of those options. There is a third, far more dangerous, option for incoming grenades covered by the Right Back At Ya! Action.
Immediately after a Throwing Weapons Attack or Area-Effect Indirect Combat Spell Spellcasting Test, a character can make an immediate Interrupt Action to flee. The character chooses a direction to move and can use any amount of available Movement to move away from the incoming attack. (Note that the gamemaster is not obligated to determine or declare the final location of the attack in the case of a fleeing character. A bad bounce can still get a grenade on the character’s tail.)
In the case of diving on the grenade, the character moves toward the grenade, still limited by available remaining Movement, and can choose to make a Drop Prone Free Action when reaching the grenade. The sacrifice means the character takes all the grenade damage and eliminates the blast. In the case of a gas grenade, this action cuts the effective radius in half.

A throw normally keeps the character standing, using their hip, leg, or shoulder to leverage the opponent into being thrown. The Sacrifice Throw technique uses the whole character’s body as counterweight for the throw. At the end both the character and opponent are Prone. Add the character’s Strength and Body to the net hits of the unarmed attack to determine if it exceeds the opponent’s Physical Limit. If successful, the opponent can then be thrown up to a number of meters equal to 1 plus the net hits scored on the test. The maximum distance that a character can throw an opponent is the difference in the character’s Strength minus the opponent’s Body in meters. If this distance value is less than 0, then the maximum distance is 0, meaning less than one meter away from the character. The opponent suffers damage equal to the net successes of the test, not the distance thrown. If the initial test is successful but the throwing character did not exceed the opponent’s Physical Limit, then both characters are on the ground with no damage done to either. If the attack is unsuccessful, the throwing character is Prone and takes damage equal to the number of net hits scored by the opponent minus the throwing character’s Physical Limit. This may be no damage if the character succeeded in the attack, but did not exceed the opponent’s Physical Limit. Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

Riposte allows shadowrunners to leverage an opponent’s force to their advantage, giving a character the chance to make a quick strike back at an attacker with their readied weapon. In place of the standard Defense Test, the character makes a (Melee Weapon Skill) + Reaction [Accuracy] Test against the opponent’s standard Attack Test. If the defender achieves more net hits than the attacker, the defender successfully avoided the attacker’s strike and managed to return a strike of their own. The defender’s riposte attack has a Damage Value equal to the normal DV of the weapon + net hits and is resisted by a standard Damage Resistance Test. If the defender does not achieve more hits, then he must make a Damage Resistance Test against the damage of the attacker’s strike, with the damage increased by 2 due to the defender being off balance after their failed riposte.Note that use of this action requires Martial Art training.

The character can choose to move up to 2 meters to place themselves between an attacker and a target and take the brunt of an incoming attack. There is no Defense Test (Reaction + Intuition), only Damage Resistance (Body + Armor). This action can only be performed once per Combat Turn.

When one character in a fight tries to use their Gymnastics skill to avoid a blow, or if they are trying to get out of the fight, an opponent close to them can attempt to interfere and make sure they take the damage coming their way. If a character is using the Dodge Interrupt Action, an opponent can use Shadow Block on that opponent. They must make a Gymnastics + Agility [Physical] Test with the threshold being the opponent’s net hits from their Dodge Test. If successful, the character reduces the hits the Dodging character received on their Defense Test by the net hits they achieved on their test.
Shadow Block can also be used to counteract an Evade action. As above, the character with Shadow Block makes a Gymnastics + Agility [Physical] Test with the threshold being the opponent’s net hits from their Evade Test. If successful they reduce this net hits on the test, thereby reducing the number of people the person attempting the Evade automatically passes. The Shadow Blocker can choose which person then can attack, but it has to be someone who was within five meters of the person attempting to Evade at some point in their movement.
Use of this action in either way requires Martial Art training.