NEWS

[SR5] Need help building Drone defense force

  • 18 Replies
  • 7841 Views

Razhul

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 268
« on: <10-08-14/1243:31> »
I have a wealthy Hacker in my campaign who just bought himself an Ares Roadmaster that he uses as a mobile <1km home base during runs. I am planning to use the back space in the van for drone racks. My hacker is pretty paranoid (as you should be!) and thus my plan was to have some ground drones to protect me (Doberman?) and some flying ones to protect and snipe people that I need dead (Rotodrone?).

I am terrible at putting together that stuff because it just seems to complex in this system. I think I need a drone, the mount, the weapon, the license for the weapon, the ammo, some auto-soft... the list is so long!

Does anyone have some pre-built drones or enjoys putting them together?

This is what I was looking to buy:
  • 1-2x high quality sniper drone for people that absolutely need to die (money not an issue)
  • ~3 mobile ground drones to suppress and be my "oh shit, get me out of this" button (maybe one with a suppression weapon and 2 with grenade launchers (smoke and frag?) (cheap, throw-away drones?)
  • 1-2 more flying, mobile suppression and killer drones (cheap, throw-away drones?

Thanks! <3

8-bit

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #1 on: <10-08-14/1312:23> »
These all assume money and availability are not an issue.

Suppression Drone: MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone w/ Standard Weapon Mount - Ares Alpha w/ Gas Vent 3 System + Improved Range Finder + Grenade Launcher + 200 APDS Rounds + 200 Stick n' Shock Rounds + 50 Flashbangs + 50 Smoke Grenades + 50 High Explosive Grenades + 50 Fragmentation Grenades - 33,750 nuyen per drone. Ammo is variable based on money available. Gel Rounds can replace Stick n' Shock if preferred. Highly suggest sticking with all flyers. Less skills needed and Roto-drones are really nice. Chameleon Coating is optional for an extra 8,000 nuyen.

Sniper Drone: MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone w/ Heavy Weapon Mount + Chameleon Coating - Barret Model 122 w/ Silencer + Improved Range Finder + 500 APDS Rounds - 65,000 nuyen per drone.

Cheap throwaway ground drones are pretty damn difficult to come by. I guess I could give you an Aztechknowledgy Crawler build.

Throwaway Ground Drone: Aztechknowledgy Crawler w/ Standard Weapon Mount - Colt M23 w/ Gas Vent 3 System + Improved Range Finder + Laser Sight + 200 Regular Rounds + 200 Gel Rounds + Rating 6 Colt M23 Targeting Autosoft - 13,675 nuyen per drone. It's unlikely you can get a "throwaway" drone with a grenade launcher. This drone isn't going to be needing any programs on the RCC, so just give it separate autosofts for it's weapon.

Rating 6 Clearsight Autosoft, Rating 6 Electronic Warfare Autosoft, Rating 6 Ares Alpha Targeting Autosoft, and Rating 6 Barret Model 122 Autosoft can all run on an RCC. 12,000 nuyen right there.

For RCCs I obviously recommend the Triox Ubermensch if you can afford it (140,000 nuyen) and get it because of it's availability. Otherwise, the Proteus Poseidon at 68,000 nuyen or the Lone Star Remote Commander at 75,000 nuyen would be my recommendations.

You don't need licenses for mounts or anything, because most of this stuff is 100% illegal anyways.
« Last Edit: <10-08-14/1329:42> by 8-bit »

Vandarl

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 83
« Reply #2 on: <10-08-14/1725:01> »
Wouldn't the rating of the autosofts be limited by the drone pilot rating?

Michael Chandra

  • *
  • Catalyst Demo Team
  • Prime Runner
  • ***
  • Posts: 9920
  • Question-slicing ninja
« Reply #3 on: <10-08-14/1732:39> »
No, there is no limit on Autosoft rating in SR5, all Drones and RCCs can easily run whatever Autosoft is available, so up to rating 6. Since defense pools are now double-attribute pools this kind of is a necessity.
How am I not part of the forum?? O_O I am both active and angry!

Razhul

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 268
« Reply #4 on: <10-08-14/1914:06> »
Wow thanks!

Here is question: Do I really get an RCC, despite spending all my time as a Persona on my cyberdeck? I don't think I can use the RCC while hotsimming VR through the Cyberdeck, no?

As for skills needed, I don't plan to ever actually remote control the drones as I lack those skills. I'd be relying on their pilots and autosofts to mess my pursuers up while I book it.

Also, 200 grenades? Is that a stock that the GM and player agree will be slowly pulled from or is there a way that a rotodrone actually holds that much?
« Last Edit: <10-08-14/1917:11> by Razhul »

MijRai

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1845
  • Kane's Understudy
« Reply #5 on: <10-08-14/1919:24> »
The RCC is part of what allows you to control multiple drones simultaneously, from what I understand of the chapter.  It also provides better protection for your drones; an RCC can handle up to Device Rating x 3 drones slaved up to it, while I'm not sure how many a commlink or 'deck can have.  In addition, RCCs let you choose the better of your stats or the drones for defense tests; the example used is your Willpower instead of its Device Rating, if the former is higher. 
Would you want to go into a place where the resident had a drum-fed shotgun and can see in the dark?

8-bit

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #6 on: <10-08-14/2036:39> »
Wow thanks!

Here is question: Do I really get an RCC, despite spending all my time as a Persona on my cyberdeck? I don't think I can use the RCC while hotsimming VR through the Cyberdeck, no?

As for skills needed, I don't plan to ever actually remote control the drones as I lack those skills. I'd be relying on their pilots and autosofts to mess my pursuers up while I book it.

Also, 200 grenades? Is that a stock that the GM and player agree will be slowly pulled from or is there a way that a rotodrone actually holds that much?

RCC is just helpful because you can run autosofts for multiple drones without having to pick up multiple copies of the autosoft. Correct though, you cannot use it while using a deck. If you want, just take each Autosoft's cost (3,000 nuyen for a Rating 6) and install it on each drone. If you do that, you can drop the Clearsight and Electronic Warfare Autosofts, in which case you take only the specific targeting autosoft for which weapon it's running. It just means that you have to spend an extra 3,000 nuyen per drone.

200 Grenades is not all loaded in the drone. That's a stock that you have, but I listed it with the drone because that's the drone that will be using it. It's the same with the ammo. Not all of it will always be loaded. Just like with your meat body, you buy excess. If you want, you can drop the number of grenades and ammunition.

The RCC is part of what allows you to control multiple drones simultaneously, from what I understand of the chapter.  It also provides better protection for your drones; an RCC can handle up to Device Rating x 3 drones slaved up to it, while I'm not sure how many a commlink or 'deck can have.  In addition, RCCs let you choose the better of your stats or the drones for defense tests; the example used is your Willpower instead of its Device Rating, if the former is higher.

This is the main function of the RCC. It allows you to load autosofts to run onto multiple drones at once, and it allows you to command multiple drones (if you give them all the same commands) with one Simple action. Also, RCCs can provide additional Noise Reduction, which is useful for obvious reasons.

All devices can slave Device Rating x 3, that's not the different part. The different part is that the highest device rating Deck you can get at Character Creation (although if you're hella rich you can get others after it) is only Device Rating 4. The choosing stats is also not unique to RCCs, as slaving it to a cyberdeck uses your Willpower and the Cyberdeck's Firewall rather than the drone's respective stats.

So, in conclusion, if you have a really good deck, you can just slave all your drones to it. Just remember that it is going to make each individual drone more expensive, although probably not as expensive as an RCC. You also won't be able to command multiple drones with 1 Simple Action, but otherwise it's fine.
« Last Edit: <10-08-14/2041:03> by 8-bit »

Solarious

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 64
« Reply #7 on: <10-08-14/2122:36> »
And remember not using an RCC you are basically flushing that extra 3000 down the drain when that drone inevitably gets filled with holes saving your ass

Another piece of advice I've recently had fun with-
Remember that vehicles are basically drones too
If you are rolling in loot, why not buy another heavy vehicle (or even a fast car or motorcycle) to run shotgun on your command vehicle? This would also give you other options for get away vehicles when parking a massive armored truck in front of a Corp facility would be too conspicuous

8-bit

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #8 on: <10-08-14/2130:13> »
On the topic of vehicles, I highly recommend getting Chameleon Coating, Spoof Chips, and a Morphing License plate. If you have Seattle 2072, the story starting on page 16 is a fantastic read with what all those items can do. Some stuff is not in 5th edition (like EMPs), but you'll get the idea.

jim1701

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1070
« Reply #9 on: <10-09-14/1317:52> »
And remember not using an RCC you are basically flushing that extra 3000 down the drain when that drone inevitably gets filled with holes saving your ass

Another piece of advice I've recently had fun with-
Remember that vehicles are basically drones too
If you are rolling in loot, why not buy another heavy vehicle (or even a fast car or motorcycle) to run shotgun on your command vehicle? This would also give you other options for get away vehicles when parking a massive armored truck in front of a Corp facility would be too conspicuous

Why?  There is no indication that the autosoft is permanently transferred to the drone.  If the drone dies you should still have the master file you got when you bought the thing in the first place.  AFAIK the point is addressed either way explicitly in the rules but drones are expensive enough without also making riggers replace the autosofts too.

8-bit

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #10 on: <10-09-14/1322:51> »
If a cyberdeck gets bricked with programs on it, you don't get to keep the programs. I would think drones work in a similar way. After all, you basically installed the software into the drone, rather than the RCC. So, unless you made a backup of the software (which is not really covered in the Core Rule Book), I would assume the only copy of the software would be loaded on the drone, which would be lost if the drone is destroyed.

Namikaze

  • *
  • Freelancer Ltd
  • Prime Runner
  • **
  • Posts: 4068
  • I'm a Ma'fan of Shadowrun!
« Reply #11 on: <10-09-14/1346:08> »
If a cyberdeck gets bricked with programs on it, you don't get to keep the programs.

There's nothing I know of in the rules to support this assertion.
Feel free to keep any karma you earned illicitly, it's on us.

Quote from: Stephen Covey
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

8-bit

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #12 on: <10-09-14/1354:01> »
If a cyberdeck gets bricked with programs on it, you don't get to keep the programs.

There's nothing I know of in the rules to support this assertion.

I guess there isn't, but where would you store them? Are they files? Can they be stored on a commlink? An RFID chip? A datajack? I mean, I thought they were loaded into a cyberdeck's physical memory, so if the memory is destroyed/wiped, I was under the impression you lose the data and programs. I might be making an assumption, but I don't know why you would be able to keep something that is stored in one location after it has been wiped from that location without copying the program. Assuming it's only stored on a cyberdeck that is.

Namikaze

  • *
  • Freelancer Ltd
  • Prime Runner
  • **
  • Posts: 4068
  • I'm a Ma'fan of Shadowrun!
« Reply #13 on: <10-09-14/1403:53> »
It's a good question - I've always just treated a program as an "object."  Like any other object, it can only exist once at any given time.  So if you have a Clearsight autosoft for your Roto-drone, you have to have a separate autosoft for each drone, or for the RCC.  But I can definitely see how a disc loaded into the actual drone would be the program, meaning if the drone is destroyed then the program would be destroyed as well (or if the RCC is destroyed).  I hadn't considered the question too much, but I can definitely see how a little extra detail in the section on programs would make a big difference.
Feel free to keep any karma you earned illicitly, it's on us.

Quote from: Stephen Covey
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

jim1701

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1070
« Reply #14 on: <10-09-14/1422:28> »
If a cyberdeck gets bricked with programs on it, you don't get to keep the programs.

There's nothing I know of in the rules to support this assertion.

I guess there isn't, but where would you store them? Are they files? Can they be stored on a commlink? An RFID chip? A datajack? I mean, I thought they were loaded into a cyberdeck's physical memory, so if the memory is destroyed/wiped, I was under the impression you lose the data and programs. I might be making an assumption, but I don't know why you would be able to keep something that is stored in one location after it has been wiped from that location without copying the program. Assuming it's only stored on a cyberdeck that is.

These kinds of things you just have to make judgement calls on.  The source files for the programs could be stored on all kinds of mediums.  Maybe master copies are stored somewhere on the Matrix under your account that lets you download software you own to new devices, maybe its a datachip you get when you buy the software, the details are somewhat irrelevant.  The important thing is, as Namikaze says, that the software is an object you should be able to reuse within the limits of the rules. 

One should be able to assume that in 60 years copy protection should be considerably more sophisticated that it is now.  I also figure it's a good bet that once we get a hacker book we'll have rules to make bootleg copies of software considering no copy protection will ever be perfect.

In this instance the guiding principle to my mind is that drones cost enough to replace as it is without adding another 10k in autosofts every time you need to replace one.  I include decker programs just to be consistent as you could replace every decker program there is for about the same cost as a single autosoft.