[gunther]

My Trogg Mage wants himself a drone. Thought of a normal rotodrone, perhaps even fully legal.
The guy is a squatter and i would just like him to have this drone, looking like its made from scrap metal.

The question is what would i need to make it possible? and at least borderline effective?
He has logic 2, computer 1, no other drone-related skills. But i might invest some karma if absolutly necesarry.

So, can Autosoft and a good comlink make me a decent enough combat-drone?

[Kincaid]

He would have to rely on the drone's Pilot Rating (plus whatever autosofts) to actually control the drone.  There's really no way to build a drone (if that's what you're getting at) with those stats.  As a squatter, he has no default Matrix subscription, so he'd have to purchase one using the rules in Run Faster.  You could try getting your GM to give you a throwback RC drone, but I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as effective as a rotodrone.

[gunther]

Perhaps i just talked a little too much fluff. I dont know jack about drones and wanted to know if its possible to have one and use it in fights without any skills. also how such a drone would have to be outfitted. And if it would be of any use whatsoever, apart from beeing just cool.

[Top Dog]

Almost every drone has Pilot 3. Controlling (well, giving orders to) that drone isn't hard - they're ment to be used, and your character has some (granted very basic) skills at computers. It's not even a skill check normally if I recall correctly, and not many GM's will ask for a roll if you have the relevant skill.

Like Kincaid said, you'd probably be better off letting the pilot handle the drone itself. It'll have 3 to 9 dice - 3 from pilot, and 1-6 from the Autosoft running on it. Obviously you're going to want some. Comtrolling it directly is an option, but it'll use your skills and abilities. Shooting with it will use Logic, so that's not going to be a thing, but flying and perception uses reaction and intuition as normal so that should work fine - if you have the skill. (This does use your commlink's rating as a limit, so you'll need a decent one - but you want that anyway for the firewall).

Autosofts are expensive, at 3k each. For a combat drone you'll probably want gunnery and piloting and/or clearsight. Buying a decent drone and weapon, plus a smartlink, will set you back quite a bit of nuyen, and you'll end up with a dice pool of 10. It'll also get shot up fairly easily. All in all it's not exactly the most cost-effective firing platform, especially since you don't really have any options to improve it or utilize it more efficiently, but if you have nuyen to burn an extra gun on your sight isn't a bad thing.

Making it look old and scrappy shouldn't be too hard (although it introduces it's own problems if you're flying around with it), but it's still going to be an expensive combat drone. And people are going to recognise it as such. Even with a decent commlink, protecting it from matrix attacks will be difficult, and there'll be plenty of people wanting to physically 'inspect' your non-shiny toy.

All in all I don't think it's the best idea. But possible? Sure.

[prionic6]

Drones are massively useful for reconnaissance and surveillance, even if you are no rigger or decker. You give commands with the Send Message action (no test required) and they act them out to the best of their ability. A Fly-Spy is perfect for that and more or less disposable. All drones in the book can run two Autosofts on their own.

[Top Dog]

Since you asked about how it would have to be outfitted (while I posted). A basic setup would be:

• Drone, obviously. A Rotodrone or Dobermann are typical choices.
• Weapon mount. I should note that this is forbidden so it kind of nixes the 'legal' idea. However, Dobermann's come with one and are, oddly enough, legal (well, restricted, so you'd need a license, but still).
• A weapon. Preferably automatic, to make up for the lower dice pool, and with at least a smartlink, for the same reason. Accessorize as you wish.
• A camera with a smartlink, and optionally with other vision enhancements. Other sensors as you wish (cameras come with crappy microphones, but you can buy better ones).
• Autosofts for what you want. There's a list of those in... I believe the Rigger chapter, but they're basically equivalent to skills for the drone. Cost 500 nuyen per rating. You can use 2 at the same time in most drones (but you can have more than that loaded, just not in use, for a multi-mission drone).

That is for a combat drone, obviously. Prionic6 is right that observation drones are much more practical for a non-rigger. Drones can easily get to 12 perception dice (3 pilot + 6 autosoft + 3 from camera/mic enhancement), which is quite good (compared to 10 shooting dice, which is not that good).

[prionic6]

Also note that drones get their body rating as recoil compensation. Which is very nice with an FA weapon

[Sendaz]

Since you are a mage wanting to use a drone, you may want to consider learning up these two spells:

REINFORCE
(PHYSICAL)
Type: P Range: LOS
Duration: S Drain: F – 1
Reinforce allows the spellcaster to increase the structural
integrity of an object no larger than caster’s Magic
in square meters. Each hit scored by the caster increases
both the Armor and Structure rating by 1 as long as the
spell is sustained.

  Like the name says, reinforces an object like say a drone and it doesn't even have the neon glow like the Armor spell does so a bit more suble.
Grab yourself a sustaining focus to keep this going.

FIX
(PHYSICAL)
Type: P Range: T
Duration: P Drain: F
Most spellcasters have devoted their efforts towards
learning spells rather than mechanics. This can leave
a magician in a bad situation when there is a need for
an emergency repair during a run. Fix allows the spellcaster
to repair damage to non-living materials, including
drones and vehicles. The caster must first touch the
object and then achieve enough hits to beat the item’s
Object Resistance threshold (p. 295, SR5).
Fix can repair any item with a weight equal to the
Force x the spellcaster’s hits in kilograms or less. This
spell can only repair broken items when all the pieces
are present. The weight limit applies to the damaged
part, not necessarily the entire vehicle. For example, if
you have a busted wheel, you would count that weight
not the weight of the entire vehicle. Each hit scored repairs
1 point of Structure rating or 1 box of damage. An
object may only be affected by Fix once and thereafter
may not be repaired again by this spell.

Helps on the repair bills a bit. 
Obviously you have to have all the bits gathered up, but for fixing a few bullet holes it works well.

For some added mojo firepower at moderate range along with the mounted weapon, why not attach one end of  a myomeric rope to the drone while you connect the other end to a set of Mage Sight Goggles.  Granted the longest reaches just 30 meters, but a lot of fights happen at a lot closer, so considering you can then cast Direct mage spells through it at a target gives it some potential while you hang back a bit or if you are on the street level and send the drone up to look over the top of a low building.

[Xenon]

getting a single drone is an excellent idea and something that everyone no matter primary role should consider

i actually think you can instruct the auto pilot on your drone by talking to it if you want.... but most people would probably communicate with it over the matrix (otherwise it might be quite difficult to get it down from the sky after you send it up to spot for you) using the send message matrix action. to do this you need a commlink and.... nope. just a commlink really. everyone have access to the public grid. its free. no logic or computer skills needed.

weapon mounts are forbiden unless the drone come fitted with one from the factory.
if you get one you also need an auto soft so the pilot can shoot targets on its own.



If you want to control your drone yourself you need to invest into some skills. To actually drive the thing during stressful situations you take a Pilot Aircraft + Reaction test and firing a drone-mounted weapon at a target requires a Gunnery + Agility test (at least according to p. 238). But you can get by far by just instructing the auto pilot on the drone to use it's own rating and initiative.

[KarmaInferno]

Nothing says intimidation like a whirring noise, followed by a Vindicator minigun atop a Steel Lynx rippling into view from stealth.

Also. Get fly spys. Several, outfitted for scouting. Use Nonstandard Wireless or Beam links to make em harder to hack.


-k