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Lord of the drones - on a budget

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Jack_Spade

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« on: <11-09-18/1314:14> »
I recently had fun reading Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez (go check it out - it's really cyberpunky towards the end)

Anyway, he uses the concept of weaponized cars and motorcycles as disposable melee combatants.
So I was looking at how to build the most effective i.e. cheapest while also hitting hard combat vehicle.

Behold the Dodger:

Dodge Scoot (3000¥)
Light Weapon Mount (750¥)
Krime Stun Lance (900¥)
Racing Tires (500¥)
Total: 5150¥

On the streets, these little devils are a real pain while remote controlled - especially since I recently noticed the following passage in the control device matrix action:

"You can use this action to control multiple devices
at once. If you are the owner of all devices being com-
manded and they are all being commanded to do exact-
ly the same thing, taking this action costs nothing extra.
Otherwise, you must split your dice pool into a number
of groups equal to the number of devices you want to
control with a single action."

Have six or eight of those on the street and attack in formation other vehicles on the road. Electricity damage turns into physical damage against vehicles and does matrix damage too. Thanks to the lances' reach it's not that easy to evade them - especially since your defenses go down the more attacks you have to avoid. Compared to other drones they are really easy to replace and have also a decent damage track to take a punch or two before going down. It gets funnier if you use the swarm program and a highend RCC...
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #1 on: <11-09-18/1334:55> »
Ram plates are the most devastating weapons in SR5.

To the point where I question not just the "how will you get away with not getting arrested" factor of mounting a weapon on a vehicle, but the "what's the mechanical advantage over the ridiculous DV of a ram plate" munch factor...
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #2 on: <11-09-18/1345:25> »
Ramplates are tricky to use though without destroying your own vehicle in the process.

A BOD 6 vehicle is about the sweetspot: At 11 to 50 m per turn you do 12P AP-6 damage to your target and have to contend with 3P AP-6 for yourself. You'll need 12 Armor so you can buy the needed soak hits.
Below that the damage output isn't too great. Above that, you'll need more and more armor to keep up with buying away the damage.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #3 on: <11-09-18/1349:37> »
I'm thinking bigger I guess.  Nothing survives getting hit by a Roadmaster with a ramplate, and it's got enough stock body/armor to laugh it off.  Sure it's not as cheap as a single scooter with lance, but it is as cheap a swarm of scooters with lances, and a ton more durable...
« Last Edit: <11-09-18/1351:17> by Stainless Steel Devil Rat »
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

fseperent

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« Reply #4 on: <11-09-18/1406:19> »
Have you thought about fielding some Ferrets with increased acceleration to tag faster targets?

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #5 on: <11-09-18/1417:17> »
Hm, let me calculate that

8 scooters cost 41200

Roadmaster 52.000¥ Speed 3, so only gets up to 20m/turn but has a Body of 18
Ramplate costs 250¥*Body, so 4500¥

At ram speed it will do 36P AP-6 + net hits
and receive 9P +1/4 net hits AP-6 in return.

It does have Bod+Armor 36, 30 after AP and can buy 7 soak hits.

Considering that it only takes 9 damage for it's handling to fall to zero, I wouldn't count on this a my default mode of attack (although it certainly is very impressive damage, albeit only in places where the roadmaster can fit in)


@fserpent
Do you refer to the Ferret RPD-1X Wheeled Perimeter Drone? Those are more expensive than the scooters and have worse speed. Also drones would have problems wielding the troll sized lances as they need bigger and more expensive weapon mounts.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #6 on: <11-09-18/1420:23> »
Well we're looking at the rules differently...

Quote from: SR5, pg 203 Ramming
If the driver gets more hits, he rams the target. Make
the Damage Resistance Test as normal. The base Damage
Value of the attack is determined by the ramming vehicle’s
Body and speed, as noted on the Ramming Damage
Table. The ramming vehicle must resist only half that
amount (round up).

Bolded for emphasis.  "Half that damage" is syntactically referring to the base damage described in the earlier sentence.  Ergo, you resist half the base damage, not half the total damage after factoring in net hits.

Quote from: Ramming
Characters resist ramming damage
with Body + Armor – 6 AP.

I always took "Characters" to mean "Targets", although I suppose you can also reasonably read it as "Everything resists" instead.  I've always played it Roadmasters take 9 DV when they ram, which they buy off with 36 soak dice.
« Last Edit: <11-09-18/1428:47> by Stainless Steel Devil Rat »
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

fseperent

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« Reply #7 on: <11-09-18/1424:54> »
I was actually thinking a pair of them to harass targets until the Scoots can get in range with the lances.
The Defiance Shocker they come with does a nice amount of damage and can also be used to ram.

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #8 on: <11-09-18/1459:06> »
@SSDR
Ah, I see. Yeah that would be a valid interpretation too. But then, as you said yourself, ramming would be insanely good  ;)

@fserpent
Ok, now I understand. For that I'd use Noizequitos. They are faster, can distract a target and are still cheaper when modded to carry a taser.
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #9 on: <11-09-18/1610:35> »
Most GMs are unlikely to allow attacks to fall under the 'doing the same action', since each attack comes from a different vector and so on. And Noizies are likely to be houseruled out or forbidden. So yes, you can go cheap like this, but only if the GM lets you get away with it.
How am I not part of the forum?? O_O I am both active and angry!

Jack_Spade

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« Reply #10 on: <11-09-18/1639:33> »
I take issue with that assertion. You can say that you as GM would be unlikely to allow this use and that is fine, but a quick google search on this forum shows a different consent.

You don't have to use Noizequitos. Tazermounting works just as well with Flyspies and Flying eyes. Noizequitos are broken because of their size and the distraction bonus, not because they are also good weapon platforms.

And in that particular case, I'm the GM tormenting my Prime Runner players ;)
talk think matrix

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield
Revenant Kynos Isaint Rex

adzling

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« Reply #11 on: <11-09-18/1709:51> »
do srun motorcycles have gyros that let them run by themselves on two wheels?

does something as cheap as the dodge scoot have such a gyro?

PiXeL01

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« Reply #12 on: <11-09-18/1728:59> »
If they have a pilot rating then they have to have a gyro
If Tom Brady’s a Spike Baby, what does that make Brees and Rodgers?

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #13 on: <11-09-18/1747:22> »
Yeah in SR5 everything is capable of driving itself perfectly fine.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

adzling

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« Reply #14 on: <11-09-18/1837:56> »
i want your avatar as a drone Stainless.

imho that's the best thing we got from notion.