[FST_Gemstar]

Crazy Riggers.... I always wanted to see if a ritual spellcaster could be optimized to reasonably make homonculi out of drones... I liked your idea of the cropdusting drone for the mage-poser. I bet a gnome technomancer could fit inside a Neonet Juggernaught for a mech-like experience... Less practical but maybe possible builds can be built around owning some of the new aircraft like the FEDERATED-BOEING  PBY-70 “CATALINA II" or AIRBUS “LIFT-TICKET” ALS-699, though perhaps these are better saved for NPC smugglers/coyotes... The UNIVERSAL HOVERCRAFT MINNESOTA is perhaps a more practical new vehicle to build a rigger around. It offers a ton of mod potential, safe enough to jump into, and can drive on land/water (for 130k).



Thinking more about "Tin Can" Fran, I am trying to think of reasons why she (I will use feminine pronouns for now) would want to be piloting the drone from inside the drone. My initial musings were more about how pixies just have a hard time in most locale in the 6th world and it is easier to fly by as someone else's drone than a pixie. However, she could probably conceal herself pretty well if she didn't want to deal with people. As I am not sure whether her rotodrone is now a vehicle or a drone (I guess it doesn't have manual controls and I don't know how you put them in), but she pilots with a commlink, she could do that piloting from anywhere. I tried to simulate a vehicle, with the ability to direct connect to the drone with trodes and giving her Vehicle empathy for some direct connect non-jumped in bonuses, but I'm not even sure that is legal, or matters, if she is piloting with a commlink. She can already fly too, so she doesn't need the drone to fly. I guess she can shoot from the drone (as she can't hold a sniper rifle), but she doesn't have to be in the drone to do that either.  Even with Body 1 and an armor jacket, she is more durable than the drone (not counting the rigger cocoon). I guess she could fly even in a background count, but he magic is high enough to probably deal with it. So I already knew this build was silly, but seriously, both mechanically and narratively, why would she want to pilot from within a drone than from the safety of car or even a street sam's thigh smuggling compartment? 

[FST_Gemstar]

I also realized I used the regular vehicle rules to mod the rotodrone, not the optional drone modding rules...  It may make a difference in feasibility....

[FST_Gemstar]

Ok.... I got spooked by the fragility of the drone...

I'm going to adjust priority/stats as follows:

Switching Meta and Attribute priority so that Meta is A (6 special points) and Attributes is B (20).
This will bring Magic up to 6 and Edge to 4. This feels safer considering Fran might need some extra edge rolls. As Fran isn't a rigger, doesn't pilot in VR, doesn't use Electronics Warfare linked with Logic for tests, and is going to have a tough time learning mechanical skills anyway, Fran is going to dump Logic to 2. This precludes Fran from doing her own repairs, but she has the charisma for a decent mechanic contact.

Adept Powers will reconfigure as follows (with the added Magic Rating):
Improved Reflexes 3
Combat Sense 3
Improved Gunnery 2
Agility Boost 2 (Free)

As I am now paranoid about Fran getting easily  blown up, doubling down on speed/defense seems prudent. With IR 3 and Combat Sense 3, Fran's standard defense roll is 19, and can make a vehicle full defense (+Intuition) roll of 25. As her AR/meat Initiative jumps to 16+4D6, she had a fair shot of getting 4 passes per turn and is almost almost always going to get 3. She will hopefully be able to afford a a full defense if needed, and the one less die to gunnery can be made up by perhaps having an extra shot to take per turn. 

EW vs. Perception. The sensor section of core is confusing me again. If Mental Limit can be used instead of sensor rating for sensor perception tests, and EW or Perception could be used for the skill, I'm not sure whether it is worth it for Fran to max EW or Perception. EW can give a boost to the test with sensor ops, but if she really is committing to piloting, she doesn't need noise reduction perks of EW. She also doesn't rig so I don't think she could use it to hide her drone icon when spotted running silent.  She also can't use it for much when she is out of the drone. So I think I'm going to switch to Perception instead of Electronic Warfare and see how it feels. If anyone has a solid argument one way or another I'd love to hear it!

[spoiler]
== Info ==
Name: Unnamed Character           Alias: Tin-Can Fran
Pixie                             Movement: 16/32, Fly: 2
                                  Composure: 13
Street Cred: 0                    Judge Intentions: 12
Notoriety: 0                      Lift/Carry: 2 (15 kg/10 kg)
Public Awareness: 0               Memory: 9
Karma: 0                          Nuyen: 15
Age:                              Skin:
Eyes:                             Hair:

== Priorities ==
Metatype: A(4) - Pixie, 6
Attributes: B(3) - 20 Attributes
Special: D(1) - Adept
Skills: C(2) - 28 Skills/2 Skill Groups
Resources: E(0) - 6,000¥

== Attributes ==
BOD: 1                            CHA: 6
AGI: 8                            INT: 6
REA: 7 (10)                       LOG: 2
STR: 1                            WIL: 7
EDG: 4                            MAG: 6

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6                        Initiative:           13 (16) + 4d6
Physical Damage Track: 9          Rigger Init:          16 + 4d6
Stun Damage Track: 12             Astral Init:          12 + 2d6
Physical: 5                       Matrix AR Init:       16 + 4d6
Mental: 6                         Matrix VR Cold Init:  6 + DP + 3d6
Social: 9                         Matrix VR Hot Init:   6 + DP + 4d6
Astral: 9

== Active Skills ==
Gunnery (Mounted)                 Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 16 (18)
Navigation                        Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8
Perception (Visual)               Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 12 (14)
Pilot Aircraft (Rotary Wing)      Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 17 (19)
Sneaking (Urban)                  Base: 6  + Karma: 0  = 6   Pool: 14 (16)
Survival                          Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 9
Tracking                          Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 10

== Knowledge Skills ==
Engineering (Mechanical)          Base: 4  + Karma: 0  = 4   Pool: 6 (
English                           N                     
French                            Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8
News (Meta- Rights)               Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8 (10)
Shadow Community (Safe Houses)    Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8 (10)
Sports (Racing)                   Base: 2  + Karma: 0  = 2   Pool: 8 (10)

== Contacts ==
(Mechanic) (CON: 3, LOY: 4)
(Coyote) (CON: 3, LOY: 3)
(Urban Anthropologist) (CON: 2, LOY: 3)

== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Zen)
Adept
Astral Perception
Born Rich
Jack of All Trades Master of None
Lightweight
Mentor Spirit (Wolf)
Prejudiced (Specific, Outspoken) (Deckers)
Uneducated
Vehicle Empathy
Weak Immune System

== Powers ==
Attribute Boost (AGI) Rating: 2
Combat Sense Rating: 3
Improved Ability (skill) (Gunnery) Rating: 2
Improved Reflexes 3

== Critter Powers ==
Concealment
Vanishing

== Lifestyles ==
Low (Low)  1 months

== Armor ==
Armor Jacket                        12

== Weapons ==
AK-97
   +Laser Sight
   +Silencer
   Pool: 7        Accuracy: 6     DV: 10P      AP: -2    RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 7        Accuracy: 5     DV: 1S       AP: -     RC: 2

== Commlink ==
Hermes Ikon (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 5, FWL: 5)
   +Fake SIN Rating 4
   +Fake License (Pilot License) Rating 4
   +Fake License (Drone License) Rating 4
   +Fake License (Driver's License) Rating 4
   +Micro-Transceiver
   +Subvocal Mic

== Gear ==
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Assault Rifles) x140
Zen x2

== Vehicles ==
MCT-Nissan Roto-drone (Medium)
   +Mods
   +Sensor Array Rating 3
      +Atmosphere Sensor Rating 3
      +Camera Rating 3
      +Ultrasound Rating 3
      +Omni-directional Microphone Rating 3
      +MAD Scanner Rating 3
      +Olfactory Sensor Rating 3
      +Radio Signal Scanner Rating 3
      +Ultrasound Rating 3
[/spoiler]

[Marcus]

Ok.... I got spooked by the fragility of the drone...

Don't get super concerned, it's a known issue, and for the character there are ways to address the risk.

Things to keep in mind when your running drones to decrease risk.

First and for most is never show up to a fight alone, if one occurs while alone just run, when opposition is given diverse targets keep your drones well back and engage with your team, if nothing else this will minimize risk duration. Keep in mind how short SR fights tend to be, engage with overwhelming force from multiple axis of threat and your drones will be fine.

Second never underestimate the value of the Z axis. You would be amazed at how often folks don't look up, and are not prepared to have something come straight down on them.

Third a city is a 3d landscape by definition, so take cover. There is plenty of fire escapes, signs and other things to put between your drones and their bullets.

Always consider drones as fire support, never, never open a fight with a drone.

[Pinicles]

Hi

Get Adep Spell, Heightened concentration, and Improved invisibility  with fetish, and make your rotodrone  Invisible. Weapon with soundsupresor and caseless ammo y TAchaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn .

[kyoto kid]

...sounds really a really fun and twisted concept. Too bad Missions does not allow Metasapients.

If I were still running my old UK campaign, this would be great for my Urban Shadow Fae.  They were cute, mischievous, but when threatened, were totally ruthless.

One of the "proverbs" on the streets of The Smoke in the campaign was, "if you spot one of these little buggers, you can bet your britches at least couple dozen you don't see viddy you."