Seems like surprise is rolled just about everytime prior to starting combat..

obviously its not necessarywhen already in combat.

Is this correct?

Actually there are cirumstances in combat when suprise can be applied.

Example Runner Team A is in a Firefight With SecGuard Team B in the lobby of a Corporate Office. Runner Team is pinned down on one side of the room near a bank of elevators, that they think their hacker is controlling but unbeknownst to them their hacker has been hit by IC nasty enough to knock him out. The elevator doors open which they think is their escape, but instead there are more security guards which now necessitates another, mid-combat suprise test.

Conversely there are combats that will not begin with a suprise.

Example the runners and a local gang confront each other on the street, after a long staredown and some trash talk the fighting starts. In this case there isn't really much chance anyone is suprised.

I agree, on both cases.

does the combat sense ability have a cap then or it is used in a ddition to reaction?

obviously starting is 6

I've been thinking lately that surprise seems to be rolled to seldom in most games, mine included. If you follow the rule of thumb that surprise should be rolled every time a character is unaware of an attack, you could with with great result extend this to every time a character is unaware from were an attack is coming. That way, every time someone takes cover in combat and moves around from out of sight—they have a chance to surprise someone. This would mean added use of infiltration and perception skills in combat, more careful tactics and it would also further increase the significance of good recon from hackers, riggers or mages.

At least in my experience, all that usually pretty much goes out the window as soon as initiative is rolled, because when the first surprise test is finnished with the stage is set and from then on everyone has perfect orientation of all the opponents. Either you're marking them on a scrap of paper or using miniatures. Well I think it may be fun to try and push for more taking cover and sneaking around to get the upper hand in the framework of the combat round.

great so its not limited by reasction?

As with anything your GM has the final say. I would limit the bonus added to any test based on the attribute for that test. So in the case of combat sense I would limit to your reaction. As a house rule I let my PCs have skill rating up to their attribute rating (but they can't exceed their attribute ratings). This I find is better then the 6 max for all skills.

But to answer your question; no, Combat Sense is not among the abilities that result in a modified attribute value. It only gives a bonus to certain tests in specific situations, and so is not limited by the x1.5 cap.

That is right. Though it does specify certain tests that the bonus is aplacable for, it also specifies reaction. If it was just a bonus to the dice pool, that specification would not be necessary. However, I try to tell bonus and modified rating apart by how you would write it down on your character sheet, if it's a bonus you would write it as (+2) for example, and if it was a modified rating you would write it as 6 (8 ). In this case you would write it as an addition to certain tests, but because it is targeted at a specific attribute, you can't exceed the modified maximum. Good call there Robart.

I use surprise all the damn time, because of the way my runners fight. They're more likely to storm into the next room then they are to try and figure out what's in it, first. So, surprise tests happen pretty often... that half-second after you rounded the doorway and go "Oh hell, there's a guy over near the window..."

We had one guy take fire from 8 different guards last game after rushing into the next room to geek a mage. Amazingly impressive that he only got hit once.