I’m probably going to get something wrong here, because it’s complicated. Feel free to chime in with corrections if I overlook something.
There are four ways to control a vehicle (see “Complete Control,” SR5 p.265): manually, by remote control, by jumping in with a Control Rig implant, or by giving instructions to the autopilot (a.k.a. “dog-brain”).
MANUAL CONTROL (see “Vehicles,” SR5 p.198)
You sit in the driver seat and guide the vehicle by hand, using either physical controls or Augmented Reality (AR) controls.
- Drive: Pilot skill + Reaction [Handling or Speed, as appropriate (+1 if using AR controls, see “Piloting Using AR/VR,” SR5 p.201)]
- Initiative: Reaction + Intuition + 1D6 (adjusted for any reflex augmentations)
- Attack: Gunnery + Agility [Accuracy] (see “Gunnery,” SR5 p.183) or Gunnery + Logic [Sensor] (see “Sensor Targeting,” SR5 p.184)
- Defense: Reaction + Intuition
- Perception: Perception + Intuition [Mental], or Perception or Electronic Warfare + Intuition [Sensor] (see “Sensors,” SR5 p.445)
- Sneak: Sneaking + Reaction [Handling] (see “Sensor Attacks,” SR5 p.184)
REMOTE CONTROL (see “Control Device,” SR5 p.238)
You operate the vehicle by remote control, using a physical console or one generated in AR or VR by a commlink, cyberdeck, or rigger command console (RCC). If you use hotsim VR, you get +2 dice to Matrix actions including Control Device (see “Hot-Sim Virtual Reality,” SR5 p.230).
- Drive: Pilot skill + Reaction (+2 if using hotsim) [Handling or Speed (as appropriate) or Data Processing (if it’s lower) (+1 AR, +2 VR)]
- Initiative (physical or AR): Reaction + Intuition + 1D6 (adjusted for reflex augmentations)
- Initiative (coldsim VR): Data Processing + Intuition + 3D6
- Initiative (hotsim VR): Data Processing + Intuition + 4D6
- Attack: Gunnery + Logic (+2 hotsim) [Accuracy or Sensor (whichever is higher) or Data Processing (if it’s lower)]
- Defense: Reaction + Intuition (+2 hotsim)
- Perception: Perception or Electronic Warfare + Intuition (+2 hotsim) [Sensor or Data Processing, whichever is lower]
- Sneak: Sneaking + Reaction (+2 hotsim) [Handling or Data Processing, whichever is lower]
RIGGER CONTROL (see “Being the Machine,” SR5 p.265)
You jack directly into the vehicle while sitting in the driver’s seat, or jump in remotely using an RCC. Either way, you need a Control Rig (SR5 p.452), which adds its rating to your vehicle skill dice pools (Gunnery and Pilot skills) and most limits (see “Rigging and Limits,” SR5 p.266), and subtracts its rating from Vehicle Test Thresholds (SR5 p.199). Remember that you have to be in VR before jumping into a vehicle or drone, and using hotsim while rigging gives you a +1 dice pool bonus to Matrix and Vehicle actions (see “VR and Rigging,” SR5 p.266).
- Drive: Pilot skill + Reaction + Control Rig (+1 if using hotsim) [Handling or Speed + Control Rig + 2 for VR]
- Initiative (coldsim VR): Data Processing + Intuition + 3D6
- Initiative (hotsim VR): Data Processing + Intuition + 4D6
- Attack: Gunnery + Logic + Control Rig (+1 hotsim) [Accuracy or Sensor + Control Rig]
- Defense: Reaction + Intuition (+1 hotsim)
- Perception: Perception or Electronic Warfare + Intuition (+1 hotsim) [Sensor + Control Rig]
- Sneak: Sneaking + Reaction (+1 hotsim) [Handling + Control Rig]
AUTOPILOT (see “Drones,” SR5 p.269)
You give commands with a Simple Action, verbally or wirelessly, and the vehicle’s Pilot program carries them out. It uses its Pilot rating instead of an attribute, and an Autosoft program rating (if it has one loaded) instead of a skill.
- Drive: Pilot + Maneuvering autosoft [Handling or Speed]
- Initiative: Pilot + Pilot + 4D6
- Attack: Pilot + Targeting autosoft [Accuracy or Sensor]
- Defense: Pilot + Maneuvering autosoft (see “Attacks Against Vehicles,” SR5 p.205)
- Perception: Pilot + Clearsight autosoft [Sensor]
- Sneak: Pilot + Stealth autosoft [Handling]
A vehicle’s condition monitor equals 12 plus half its Body (round up), a drone’s condition monitor is 6 plus half its Body (see “Vehicle Stats,” SR5 p.199). The modified DV of an attack must exceed the vehicle’s Armor or it takes no damage. All vehicles resist damage with Body + Armor. Riggers who are jumped into a vehicle or drone resist biofeedback damage equal to half the damage taken by the machine (round up) using Willpower + Firewall. Biofeedback damage is Stun in cold sim, Physical in hot sim. If a vehicle or drone is destroyed while a rigger is jumped in, they have to resist 6 boxes of biofeedback from dumpshock (see “Rigging and You,” SR5 p.266).
[EDIT: Updated with corrections based on feedback from Xenon and Michael Chandra. Thanks, guys.]