do combat drugs work with cybernetic enhancements and the like to increase initiative even further? i always thought no no no but i dont see it in writing. anyone know for sure?

There's nothing stopping it by the rules except for the insane Addiction rules.

I think some have a chance of giving wound effects to your cyber. Don't remember where I read that, though.

Combat drugs are not designed to be a long-term solution.

So yes, in the short term you can whip so seriously armored ass.

However, when you turn around and your heart explodes...

-Siege

Combat drugs lke kamikaze suppose to give that edge to a street goon vs a cybered street sammy.

And isn't there a rule that you can't get above a +4-5d6 in initiative anyway, or is that just cyber+magic?

There's a limit for decking Initiative, but that's the only place I've seen one.

There's nothing preventing someone from combining drugs and cyber. Kamikaze, specifically, does incur wound effects; but otherwise, the only limits are sanity and safety. (Which should be enough-- a player with reaction-enhancing ware who abuses his Super-Speedy-Death-Cocktail can be dealt with using the existing addiction, wound-effect, and damage rules.)

The 'multiple speed-enhancing drugs + 'ware' thing pops up whenever someone does one of those 'How fast can you get a night one speed sammie?' threads, but that's all it's good for - an abstract exercise in munchkinism. The addiction, crash, and other drawbacks make it impractical for PCs. The same goes for NPCs, with a few rare exceptions (suicidal fanatics, or a corporation that has brainwashed an enemy and sent him back to kill his former employers).

or someone that is realy desperate. normal people in desperate situations can do crasy things...

allso, look at the cost vs effect. you can basicly match a person useing low level wired and mid level boosted with one dose of kamakazie, and for someone on the street it will be mutch easyer to get hold of then hell. when the down and adddiction comes well lets deal with it. it may even be interesting from a roleplay situation to play a addict

and it uses a inhaler even. no messing with needles or anything like that. and with a instant effect it will be something for the gangers by the numbers.

and its a classic cyberpunk theme, drugs are everywhere, its replaceing alcohol as the party starter of choice. rember that in the 70-80 people where snorting and smokeing all kinds of stuff and vietnam vets where morphine addicts many times as it was the most common anastetic in use in that warzone (1 or more while getting trasported to the chopper, 1 or more on the flight, god knows how many while in surgery and while recovering)...

as for speed in the matrix, no drug or magic can help as its a purely mental system. drugs, cyber and magic all enhance your physical reaction time. the matrix is all about how quick your on the uptake, kinda like a drektossing contest among friends...