[Wilhelm R.]

So, I've got a pal who is planning a Rigger for the upcoming switch to 5E game I will be running.

He plans on buying a series of cheap flying drones and fitting them with grenades, and using them as suicide bombers, pointing them to the target (In mass, if need be), disconnecting from them, and letting it blow.

Posting here to see it there are any hitches in his plan, things he should consider, etc...   Don't want to ruin his day after he finalizes or anything... 

[Crunch]

Well...

1) Flying drones big enough to carry a grenade aren't cheap. Assuming an after market mod of the Horizon Flying Eye that didn't cost any more than the smoke bomb version you're still talking 2,500 a pop. An Aztechnology Striker missile launcher with a Fragmentation Rocket is only 3,200 and does 23p damage rather than 16p.

2) Flying wireless things that explode are sort of begging to be hacked and turned against him and his team (especially the SECOND time he tries this trick.)

3) Typically using high explosives is one of those things that tends to raise the stakes very quickly. Runners are allowed to exist because they're convenient for the corps. Blowing stuff up tends to bring in the big guns pretty quickly. (This can vary table to table and GM to GM though).

[Wilhelm R.]

My understanding was it was going to be a contingency plan more than anything,  so we aren't looking at a modus operandi as far as people catching on.   I did have the thought of them nastily being hacked into though, but wasn't sure how that would be if he switched em to wireless and had the pilot program direct em.

I really should just get the guy over here and get rid of the middle-man. 

[Crunch]

Presumably he would need to send them some sort of command at some point. If so they can conceivably be hacked.

[All4BigGuns]

1) Flying drones big enough to carry a grenade aren't cheap. Assuming an after market mod of the Horizon Flying Eye that didn't cost any more than the smoke bomb version you're still talking 2,500 a pop. An Aztechnology Striker missile launcher with a Fragmentation Rocket is only 3,200 and does 23p damage rather than 16p.

Considering that he'll have to replace them pretty quick anyway with how fragile drones are now, he might as well do it. That way they'll at least cause some damage when they go down.

[calaen]

My plan was set it up so that when they're given the 'go kamikaze' they'd immediately shut down their wireless and go do as told - the idea being they no longer need to take any commands, since you're not getting them back.  They're going to be destroyed in the process.  Its intended to be a 'surprise!' work once trick sorta deal.

Heck, in an ideal world, they're not even powered on until the contingency hits - which is basically a heavy pursuit he just can't shake.

[Ryo]

My plan was set it up so that when they're given the 'go kamikaze' they'd immediately shut down their wireless and go do as told - the idea being they no longer need to take any commands, since you're not getting them back.  They're going to be destroyed in the process.  Its intended to be a 'surprise!' work once trick sorta deal.

Heck, in an ideal world, they're not even powered on until the contingency hits - which is basically a heavy pursuit he just can't shake.

Why not just arm a drone with a grenade launcher, if you're just using them as projectiles? You have to consider that the process of making the thing hit what you want is effectively a ramming test, and honestly, you'd have better success just shooting at them.

[calaen]

You make a point, for that matter, given what he drives, its not inconceivable to just outfit his vehicle with a couple extra weapon mounts, since they can still be concealed.  He has a fairly solid gunnery skill, and he'd be hardwired into his vehicle at that point, so someone hacking it is unlikely at that point.  thankyou for your input.

[CanRay]

Wait until Bust-A-Moves are introduced again. 

[Crunch]

I think on reflection I'd say that it's viable if not particularly efficient.

[Wilhelm R.]

Wait until Bust-A-Moves are introduced again. 

Gah...!   Why did my mind imagine dozens of them, all hugging at the legs of the target,  a creepy Teddy Ruxpin-esque "I loove you, lets be frieends..!"  Repeating from each until  *BOOM!*

...Nightmare fuel.

[calaen]

...ya know, now I want to invest in bust-a-moves for that very purpose, wilhelm.

[CanRay]

Actually, I was going to reprogram the voices to this...

[Maddoux1]

That is what Bust-A-Moves were traditionally used for.

Back to the Original Post, the Horizon Flying Eye was basically designed for that purpose, but 2500 nuyen is quite expensive for a well placed grenade.

Hmmm... thinking about it, I wonder if the HFE are the camera drones in LA... probably not...

[calaen]

Well, the evil plan was actually to get about four of them, and rig them with HE grenades.  If my vehicle is being pursued at high speeds, flip the switch to turn all four of them on, give them their target (that command kills their wireless) and have them all just go full on at the thing chasing me, coming out the rear of my vehicle.  Result is that the guy behind us gets a surprise - specifically 4 HE grenades on a ramming test, where he is, ideally, an unaware driver, thus dealing with those penalties, and he'd have to deal with four seperate ramming tests.

It really is however, one of those tricks that only ever works once.