When the action picks up and the game moves into taking turns in initiative order, it’s good to know how much time is passing and what you can do in that time.

When you get to take a turn and describe what your character is doing, your actions are contained in a combat round. A combat round lasts for about three seconds of in-universe time. Everyone, player characters and non-player characters alike, take a single player turn within that round.

Each combat round, you gain an action allotment that you use on your player turn. Actions come in two categories: Minor and Major. The basic action allotment for each character is 1 Minor Action and 1 Major Action per combat round. Players get 1 additional Minor Action for every additional Initiative Die they have beyond the first. Players can trade Minor and Major Actions, using a Major Action to perform a Minor Action or using 4 Minor Actions to perform a Major Action (possibly providing an extra attack in a single player turn). 

Each action has a note next to it indicating when it can be performed; this is either Initiative (I) or Anytime (A). Initiative Actions can only be performed on the character’s player turn during an initiative round, while Anytime Actions can be used at any time. Note, though, that in order to perform an Anytime Action, you must have an Action left. If you spent them all on your turn, you can’t use one later. So sometimes it pays to save an action for later in the round if you act early. Note that actions cannot be carried from one round to another unless that is specifically allowed in a rule.

Along with these actions, enough words can be spoken or conversation can be shared to fill three seconds; if there is any doubt about the amount of words that can be said, time it!

Buying Hits

Sometimes a player does not want to trust the vagaries of the dice, and they feel that they have a large enough dice pool and an easy enough task that they can buy hits instead of rolling dice. To buy hits, you form your dice pool and calculate 1 hit for every 4 dice, rounded down. This is an all-or-nothing move - you either buy hits with all your dice or with none. Edge cannot be used in any way when buying hits, and you need gamemaster approval to buy hits. It should not happen in a circumstance where a Glitch or Critical Glitch would have a significant impact on the test’s outcome.

A character may attempt to use their armor to deflect an attack rather than trying to avoid it outright. 

When defending against a physical or a damage-dealing magical attack, spend this action to roll a number of dice equal to the Defense Rating of a single piece of Armor in place of the usual dice pool and convert one die to a Wild Die.

On a Glitch, or if the Wild Die comes up as a 1, the wearer’s armor, an Armor-enhancing augmentation, or a piece of gear the GM choses becomes broken and will need repair before functioning again. 

While broken, the item contributes no Armor nor does it function in any other capacity.

A character can activate or deactivate a bonded focus that they are carrying on their person with a Minor Action.

A character can add their Close Combat skill to a single Defense test in melee combat. The roll must happen in the same player turn in which the action is used.

If you can't disarm your opponent, or you just want to show off, you can direct your attack to your opponent's weapon to disable it at the cost of a -5 Dice Pool Penalty. If the attack of the weapon made exceeds half the Structure Rating for the weapon, the weapon's DV is permanently reduced by 1 and has a -1 Dice Pool Penalty at all operational range bands. 

If the attack's Damage Value exceeds the Structure Rating of the weapon, reduce the weapon's DV by the Net Hits over the weapon's Structure Rating. If this reduces the weapon's DV to 0, then the weapon cannot be used. This must be combined with the Attack Major Action.

This attack goes for the vitals, adding 4 extra damage if it hits by taking a -4 Dice Pool Penalty. This must be combined with the Attack Major Action.

Attacking with the intent of disarming, the attack itself does no damage but instead it knocks the weapon from the target's hand at the cost of a -4 Dice Pool Penalty. This must be combined with the Attack Major Action.

A character may use a Minor Action to activate, deactivate, or switch the mode on any device that they are linked to by a direct neural interface, be it a wired or wireless link. This includes activating or deactivating cyberware, changing a smartgun’s firing settings, switching a commlink to hidden mode, turning a device’s wireless functionality off, and so on.

A character may issue a command to a drone they control. If multiple drones are controlled through a rigger command console (RCC), the same command can be issued to every drone. If a different command is desired for each drone, it requires multiple Minor Actions.

A character may issue a service command to a single spirit or group of spirits under their control, or dismiss them. The service must be the same. If multiple services are desired, multiple Minor Actions must be used.

To put it simply, you spray a whole lot of bullets in the direction of your opponent to put them in an inconvenient position that your allies take advantage of as a kind of Cover.

When using Burst-Fire, instead of increasing the DV of the weapon by 1, you give two allies Cover II if the targeted opponents retaliate. With Fully Automatic fire, reduce the Damage Value of the weapon by 2 and in exchange your allies receive Cover IV in relation to the opponents that are targeted.

This must be combined with an Attack Major Action on a weapon capable of Burst-Fire or Fully Automatic fire.

A character may dismiss a summoned or allied spirit under their control.

A character can add their Athletics skill to a single Defense test in combat. The roll must happen in the same player turn in which the action is used.

A character may drop an object they are holding in their hand or hands as a single Minor Action. The objects fall to the ground and may suffer damage or ill effects if the gamemaster so chooses, depending on the distance of the fall and the landing spot.

A character may choose to drop themselves to the ground as a Minor Action. They gain the Prone status until they choose to use the Stand Up Minor Action.

Attack a single opponent with more than one weapon. When making the attack, both weapons must have an attack rating for the target's range band. When the weapons use different Skills, add up both Skill ranks and divide by 2, rounded down.

One weapon must be designated the primary weapon, which sets the unmodified Damage Value and damage type for the dual attack. The other weapon contributes a +1 Damage Value to the primary weapon's damage, or +2 if it's Damage Value is 5 or greater regardless of the secondary weapon's damage type.

Blast weapons may not be used in a dual attack. Finally, remember that no Edge may be expended on a dual attack unless the character benefits from the Ambidextrous quality.

This action must be used in conjunction with an Attack Major Action.

A character can quickly drop to the ground in a defensive manner, gaining a +2 Dice Pool Modifier on the Defense of an incoming attack. They gain the Prone status, but due to the awkwardness of their fall they also suffer a -2 Dice Pool Penalty on any subsequent tests using active skills until the end of their next turn unless they use the Stand Up Minor Action. If used when defending against Blast attacks such as grenades, Hit the Dirt reduces the Damage Value of the blast by 2.

If an opponent comes within Close attack range, you may go out of Initiative order and make an Attack action as long as you have both a Minor and a Major Action still available in this round. This counts as your Attack Major Action for the player turn. If you’re already out of Major Actions this round, you’re drek out of luck. This cannot be used with ranged weapons.

A character can use this Minor Action for 10 meters of movement. Only one Move is allowed per player turn.

A character can attack more than one opponent, assuming that ammunition, reach, and enemy placement allows it. Split your dice pool evenly among all targets - or, if you're using multiple forms of attack, use half the dice pool for each, rounded down. This attack must be used in conjunction with an Attack Major Action.

A character may quick draw a pistol, pistol-sized weapon, or small throwing weapon and immediately attack with this Minor Action. The Attack Major Action must be used in conjunction with this action. The player must have the appropriate gear, augmentation, or quality to be allowed to use this action - if they don't have something that allows a quick draw, they can't quick draw.

Sometimes you want to take a gamble when you roll the dice. Maybe you are heading into a negotiation and you have an ace argument, but it’s based on a bit of an exaggerated risk. Maybe you’re firing your gun from the hip. It might just give you the edge, but it could also fail spectacularly. 

By spending a Minor Action, the runner can add a Wild Die to their next test.

A character linked to a ready smartgun may use a mental command to eject the weapon's magazine while sliding a new one in with a singular, swift motion assuming that the new ammo is readily available.

A character capable of Astral Perception may shift their perception to or from astral space as a Minor Action.

Whether they chose to be prone or they got knocked on their hoop, a character uses this action to get back to their feet and remove the Prone status.

A character gains a +1 Dice Pool Modifier with the use of this action. The action can only be taken once per combat round, but if the bonus is not used, it carries over to the next combat round, allowing it to be combined with actions taken over the course of several combat rounds. If the character takes a player turn without taking the Take Aim or Attack actions, any carryover bonuses from previous rounds are lost. The maximum dice pool bonus from the use of this action is equal to the character’s Willpower. A character may take aim with a ready firearm, bow, or exotic ranged weapon.

If the character is using vision magnification or a targeting scope, the Take Aim action must be used to line up the shot in order to receive any 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.

The character uses something in their area to provide protection but they also must operate from the constraints created by the cover. Taking cover gives the player the Cover I, II, III, or IV status.

This action focuses more on bringing the target to the ground than on doing damage. It can only be done with a melee attack and must be combined with an Attack Major Action.

Decrease the base damage of the attack by 2; if it hits, the target rolls Athletics + Agility with a threshold of the adjusted Damage Value of the attack. If the target fails, they gain the Prone status.

You can become a helper on a Teamwork test, working to help one of your teammates on some task.

A character capable of Astral Projection (a full magician or aspected magician) may shift their consciousness to or from the astral plane as a Major Action. The process is complete the moment the action declared and therefore places them on the astral plane immediately, including for the remainder of the current Combat Round.

A character may perform one of a variety of forms of attack with this Major Action.

Any character may attempt a Banishing on a spirit as a Major Action. See Banishing.

A character may cast a spell as a Major Action.

Awakened characters use this action to erase traces of their magic activity.

A character may attempt a Boosted Defense or Dispelling counterspell action. See Counterspelling.

A character can add their Willpower to all Defense tests until the end of the Combat Round.

Characters who are astrally projecting may use this action to appear as a ghostly form.

A character may make a detailed observation by taking a Major Action. This action allows a Perception test or Assensing test. This action is intended for determining details that may be obscured due to the pace and rigors of combat. It is assumed that everyone engaged in a combat is aware of the presence of everyone else, barring the use of Stealth or obscuring magic, but not necessarily details of their gear or equipment, and in some particularly hectic or rushed circumstances, the identity of individuals. In the midst of a hectic gunfight/brawl in the dark, the winner of the brawl, who is now sprinting toward your character, may not be identifiable without an Observe in Detail action.

A character may pick up an object within reach or put down one that they were holding as a Major Action. This action means care is taken to put the object down or pick it up. If the picked-up object is a weapon, this counts as readying the weapon.

A character may ready a weapon by using this action. This includes drawing and readying a firearm; pulling a melee weapon from a sheath or pocket; taking out and readying a grenade or throwing knife; or any other kind of weapon preparation. Almost all weapons require this action before they are ready for use, though many times it occurs before combat even starts. 

Small weapons such as throwing knives and shuriken can be readied in bunches, with a total number equal to the character’s Agility attribute pulled into the character’s off-hand with a single Ready Weapon action.

Weapons without a smartlink, or weapons where the smartlink is currently disengaged, require a Major Action to reload. Reloading a weapon refills the weapon to its maximum capacity as long as the character has sufficient ammunition to do so.

A character with a vehicle control rig (VCR) and rigger-adapted vehicle or drone or a rigger command console (RCC) may jump in to control the vehicle or operate the RCC with a Major Action.

A character may move at a Sprint with this Major Action. Movement starts at 15 meters and is increased by 1 meter per hit on an Athletics + Agility Test. Only one Sprint Action is allowed per player turn, and it cannot be performed in the same turn as a Move action or Avoid Incoming action.

A character capable of summoning may use a Major Action to summon a spirit to assist them. A spirit that is already summoned is controlled using the Command Spirit Minor Action.

A character can use any simple device with a Major 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. 

It takes longer to interact with more complex devices, with required time being up to the gamemaster or listed with the description of specific gear. 

Remember, a device connected via a DNI-enabled system uses the Minor Action.

A character may use an appropriate skill by using a Major Action.