Key Stats
| Stat | Description |
|---|---|
| Slots | Total programs and hardware modules the deck can run simultaneously. Slots are shared between software (quickhacks, passive programs) and hardware (physical upgrades, co-processors, signal boosters). Each quickhack occupies one slot regardless of tier — all unlocked tiers are available once loaded. You cannot use a quickhack that isn't loaded. |
| Base RAM | Your total RAM pool. Quickhacks cost RAM when activated. If you can't afford the cost, you can't use the hack. |
| RAM Recovery | RAM recovered at the start of each of your turns during combat, or fully between encounters. |
| NET Actions | All decks grant up to 3 NET Actions per round (traded from your 1 standard Action). This does not vary by deck tier. |
Swapping Loadouts
Programs can be swapped out between encounters with 10 minutes of access to your deck. Swapping during combat or in the field requires a DV 14 Interface + Electronics/Security Tech check and takes your full Action for the round. Failure means the deck resets entirely — all currently loaded programs are wiped.
Tiers
Basic
The starter deck. Off-the-shelf hardware, consumer grade. Widely available, easily modified, and frequently cracked. Most runners start here.
| Slots | 3 |
| Base RAM | 6 |
| RAM Recovery | 2 / turn |
| Cost | 500eb |
| Availability | Common — any Netrunner supply shop or back-alley vendor |
Balance: Three slots sounds generous until hardware competes for them. A new runner will typically load two or three quickhacks with little room for extras. Six RAM covers two or three activations — forces meaningful choices about when to act and what to prioritize.
Standard
The working runner's deck. Reliable, mid-range hardware used by freelance Netrunners and corporate security contractors alike. The baseline for a professional.
| Slots | 5 |
| Base RAM | 10 |
| RAM Recovery | 3 / turn |
| Cost | 2,000eb |
| Availability | Uncommon — specialty tech shops, licensed vendors |
| Feature | Passive Slot: One of the five slots can hold a passive program that runs continuously without RAM cost (GM discretion on what qualifies). |
Balance: Five slots cover a solid quickhack selection with a couple left for hardware, but not both. Ten RAM means four to five activations — enough to contribute meaningfully across most encounters without feeling unlimited.
Hardened
Corporate-grade hardware. Shielded internals, optimized RAM cycling, and architecture designed to survive hostile ICE encounters. Not cheap, not subtle.
| Slots | 7 |
| Base RAM | 14 |
| RAM Recovery | 4 / turn |
| Cost | 8,000eb |
| Availability | Rare — corporate vendors (with credentials), black market |
| Feature | RAM Surge: Once per encounter, as a free action, you may accept +2 Heat to instantly recover 4 RAM. Represents pushing the deck past safe thermal limits. |
Balance: Seven slots let a runner carry a broad quickhack selection and still have room for meaningful hardware. The RAM Surge feature rewards risk-taking but escalates detection — fits the Heat system well.
Black Site
Military and black-ops hardware. Illegal to own without authorization. Encrypted at the hardware level. If you have one, someone important either sold it to you or you took it from them.
| Slots | 9 |
| Base RAM | 20 |
| RAM Recovery | 6 / turn |
| Cost | 25,000eb+ |
| Availability | Very Rare — black market, military caches, high-stakes rewards |
| Feature | Hardened Trace: The first time per encounter that your Heat would reach Traced (7+), the deck suppresses it. Heat still increases, but the Trace Countdown doesn't begin until the second time you cross that threshold. |
Balance: Nine slots and 20 RAM make this deck oppressively capable. The Hardened Trace feature doesn't reduce Heat — it buys one more beat before the walls close in.
Legendary
One-of-a-kind artifacts. Prototypes that never reached production. Jury-rigged masterworks built by runners who spent a career learning what hardware should actually do. No two are the same.
| Slots | 12 |
| Base RAM | 28 |
| RAM Recovery | 8 / turn |
| Cost | Priceless / not for sale |
| Availability | Unique — found, built, or stolen, never bought |
| Feature | Custom — work with your GM. Examples: full RAM restore on a critical success, a 13th ghost slot invisible to enemy scans, a built-in AI co-processor that can spend 1 RAM per round autonomously. |
Balance: Legendary decks are campaign rewards, not starting gear. At this level, the Netrunner should feel genuinely elite. The custom feature is deliberately vague because the right feature depends on the character, the campaign, and what the table finds interesting.
Quick Comparison
| Tier | Slots | Base RAM | Recovery | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 3 | 6 | 2/turn | — |
| Standard | 5 | 10 | 3/turn | Passive Slot |
| Hardened | 7 | 14 | 4/turn | RAM Surge (+2 Heat → 4 RAM) |
| Black Site | 9 | 20 | 6/turn | Hardened Trace (delays Countdown once) |
| Legendary | 12 | 28 | 8/turn | Custom |
Running Out of RAM
When your RAM hits 0, you cannot activate quickhacks until you recover some. You can still use NET Actions for non-RAM actions (jacking into cameras, attempting Hardline connections, etc.). This is intentional — a depleted runner is vulnerable, not useless.