Rolling in 5th edition
Every 5 or 6 is a hit, up to your limit. Set a limit next to the dice pool and the roller shows both numbers, for example "7 hits rolled, 4 count". If more than half the dice show 1 the roll glitches, and a glitch with no hits is a critical glitch.
Example: 12 dice for a threshold of 5 succeed 36.8% of the time. With a limit of 4 they never can, however well you roll, unless you Push the Limit.
Edge in 5e
| Use | What it does |
|---|---|
| Push the Limit | Add your Edge rating in dice, before or after the roll. 6s explode and the limit is ignored. Before the roll every die explodes; after it, only the Edge dice. |
| Second Chance | After the roll, reroll every die that is not a hit. It cannot negate a glitch: the glitch stays. |
| Close Call | Cancel a glitch, or turn a critical glitch into a glitch. |
| Blitz | Roll 5 Initiative dice for one combat turn. |
| Seize the Initiative | Go to the top of the Initiative order for one combat turn. |
You can spend one point of Edge on a test, so Push the Limit and Second Chance never stack. Your Edge points refresh up to your Edge rating; the Refresh button in the roller sets them back.
For tables of odds by pool, Edge plan and extended test, see the Shadowrun dice probability calculator. For Sixth World, use the Shadowrun 6e dice roller.
Questions
How do limits work in Shadowrun 5e?
A limit caps how many of your hits count. If you roll 6 hits with a limit of 4, you get 4. The limit comes from your Physical, Mental or Social limit, or from the gear you use. Push the Limit ignores it.
Should I Push the Limit before or after the roll?
Before the roll, all your dice explode on a 6; after it, only the added Edge dice do. With 10 dice, a threshold of 4 and Edge 3, pushing first succeeds 76.3% of the time. Pushing only if you fall short gives 70.0% and keeps the point when you succeed anyway; Second Chance when short gives 90.4%.
Can I use Second Chance on a glitch?
Yes, but it cannot negate the glitch: it rerolls every die that did not score a hit, and the glitch stays whatever you roll. Some tables forbid it on a glitch outright. Close Call is the Edge use that cancels a glitch, or turns a critical glitch into a plain glitch.
What counts as a glitch in 5e?
More than half the dice you rolled show 1. On 6 dice that means 4 ones; 3 is not a glitch. A glitch with no hits is a critical glitch. When 6s explode, 1s on the extra dice do not count.
How do extended tests work in 5e?
You roll again each interval and add up the hits until you reach the threshold, losing one die each time. A critical glitch ends the test as a failure, and the GM may take hits away on a glitch. 10 dice for a threshold of 8 finish 99.5% of the time.
How many Initiative Passes do I get?
You act on your Initiative Score, then 10 comes off it for each later pass, as long as the score is above 0. A score of 24 acts at 24, 14 and 4. Blitz spends 1 Edge to roll 5 Initiative dice for one combat turn.
Rules from the Shadowrun 5th edition core rulebook (glitches p. 45, extended tests p. 48, Edge p. 56, initiative p. 159). Odds are worked out exactly, not simulated. Your GM's rulings come first.
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