How fast is that, exactly?, Discussion of initiative statistics, etc Options

[TinkerGnome]

Okay, I got bored and decided to see what the probabilties of getting a certain number of actions is for various types of initiative boost. Here is what I came up with. I considered reactions from 4 to 12, which would account for most bioware and racial maximums (a human maxes out at 11 reaction without cyberware, an elf at 12). Reaction enhancers weren't considered in this, but you'll probably be using them if you're at 12 reaction, anyway. Reaction boosts from the "Boost" cyber aren't counted under the R column. That's pure bioware+natural reaction (and reaction enhancers if you're trying to see how they fit in).

Using reaction enhancers, the fastest possible initiative boost is +24 reaction +4d6 initiative (16 points of deltaware reaction enhancers and deltaware MBW IV), or 36+5d6 (min 41 max 66 or 7 to 9 sets of actions per turn). That's a little beyond the scope of what I'm going for.

First, un-boosted initiative.

[Luke Hardison]

[BitBasher]

one thing:

[TinkerGnome]

Damn. That's what happens when someone decides it's a good idea to write "six" instead of "6". I looked right at it half a dozen times without realizing it was the limitation.

That makes max initiative instead +14 +4d6 or 26+5d6. Still big, but only a max of 6 passes (8 actions).

[BitBasher]

Oh, than also:

[TinkerGnome]

Edges and flaws are optional rules so they don't count ;)

Your odds of 3 actions are still pretty low, even with them. If your reaction is 9, you're still only at approximately a 30% chance of three actions.

[Arethusa]

Corollary to Adrenaline Surge: if you roll up to a 30 on a single die, enjoy your complementary heart attack.

[BitBasher]

I've had a player roll a 39 on a single die before, without karma, in front of me, and his target number was 29 IIRC. =P

[TinkerGnome]

Playing Brave New World one time, I hit the high 20s on a single d6. Intimidated an entire room full of gangers like no one's business ;)

You know... I really hate Adrenaline Surge as an edge. The wording is such that a mage can start the game with it and then cast increased reflexes +3 to get +3d6 initiative which all use the rule of 6... Same goes for adding cyber.

[Eyeless Blond]

Alpha Boosted I and SA 2 is a good route to go for an essence-friendly initiative boost: .4 Essence and 1.00 Bio for +3d6 to initiative.

[The White Dwarf]

Ive already done a more comprehensive run of numbers for my own use, lost in a folder somewhere.

But the results were boosted1 as the most effecient initative for the cost and essence.

Boosted3 + SA + Reaction enchancer 6 was the highest initiative increase.

Move by Wire 4 is the most number of actions due to the bonus actions, but not the highest (ie first) number.

Wired reflexes 2 is the other effecient one, in terms of cost and essence.

Wired 1 and 3 are ineffecient but significant increases in terms of statistical chance to act more or sooner.

[Arethusa]

Uh, Dwarf, fastest average speed comes from Boosted 3 and Wired 3, not Boosted 3, SA 2, and RE 6.

Character with all attribute stats at 4:
Unaugmented initiative is 4+1d6: average 7.5
Wired 2 and Reaction Enhancer 6 is 14+3d6: average 24.5
Synaptic Accelerator 2, Reaction Enhancer 6, and Boosted Reflexes 3 is 12+5d6: average 29.5
Wired 3 and Reaction Enhancer 6 is 16 + 4d6: average 30

Yes, at its absolute max, SA2 + RE6 + BR3 can give you 42 initiative while Wired 3 and RE 6 'only' max out at 40. Really, the difference is miniscule, and average matters more. In either case, they're really quite close, and Wired 3 has the benefit of being less reliant on dice (not to mention giving you a somewhat substantially better Reaction scote). And I don't know why you think Wired 2 is inefficient. That shit is really cheap. There's a reason its de rigeur for mid range combat and bodyguard types.

[Kagetenshi]

Is there anything a Rigger can do beyond VCR improvements and Structural Agility?

~J

[Arethusa]

He can get in a JIM suit.

[Austere Emancipa...]

Boosted Reflexes doesn't stack with Wired Reflexes, Arethusa.

[Arethusa]

But Reaction Enhancer does.

[Austere Emancipa...]

Yes, absolutely. However, you said:

[Moonstone Spider]

[Arethusa]

[TinkerGnome]

[The White Dwarf]

The boost may be the same Tinker. But I mean since MBW4 gives you two "free" actions at the bottom of the pass it does indeed give you the most chances to act. If thats what you meant and I read your post right.

And Wired 3 / Reaction Enchance 6 might be slightly higher boost on average. But when you run the same math with a base reaction of 6, and consider the entier range of die rolls, Boosted 3 / SA 2 / Reaction Enchnce 6 is better. Because theres more dice involved theres more variance, and with base of 6 you wind up with more actions more often due to the break points on 10s. Least thats what my math showed.

Also, Boosted3/SA2/RE6 takes up less essece/bio space than does the wired 3 track, allowing you to do more with the rest of your guy.

(cant read tinkers chart, /cry)

[TinkerGnome]

What I read was that you said MBW didn't give numbers as high as the B3+S2+R6 combo which isn't really true. MBW IV is the best initiative booster in the game. Which is only fitting if you can aford the millions of nuyen to get it (and don't mind taking stress every month and having a high risk of serious side effects).

There are advantages to every setup, though, and no one is the "best". I was only talking about pure speed with the charts.

The file is .xls, can you download it at all? Or just not view it? Standard Excel format (you can view it with open office, which is free, too).

[Kagetenshi]

You can also open it with Appleworks if you swing that way.

~J

[Eyeless Blond]

[A Rodent of Unus...]

It's a lame deep sea diving suit in the Cannon Companion, p. 57. I have no idea what crack Arethusa is smoking, though. They don't do anything for Reaction or Initiative (and only penalize you if you're not rigging it), and even if you're rigging it you can't be rigging a vehicle or drone. Whooptido.