Action cost

Most actions you take in the game have an action cost. This determines how long it takes you to perform the action.

The standard action cost representing a "one-turn" action is 1,000. All action costs are randomly varied by up to ±10% in order to make the initiative order of the game less deterministic.

The most common action cost besides 1,000 is 100, "one tenth of a turn". Commanding companions has this action cost, as do various cases of flipping power switches.

Energy cost affecting factors

Mechanism	Amount	Scope
Empty the Clips	-50%	Firing pistols
Fastest Gun in the Rust	-25%	Firing pistols
medassist module	-80%	Applying tonics
micromanipulator array	-40%	Tinkering
plastifer chem vest	-100%	Applying tonics
rapid release finger flexors	-25%	Firing pistols
Short Blade Expertise	-25%	Attacking with a short blade in the primary hand Using Hobble with a short blade equipped Using Shank with a short blade in the primary hand
Sprint	-50%	Movement
Springing with Sprint	-67%	Movement
steel butcher knife	-50% (first)	Butchery
Telepathy	-90%	Commanding companions
Two-headed	-20% to -56%	Mental actions

Modding note: at an internal technical level, this concept is referred to as "energy". "Action cost" is used in public facing materials to avoid confusion with things one thinks of first when thinking "energy".