[JackVII]

I think I know the answer to this question, but figured I would check to see if there are any alternate opinions.

Can social skills, particularly the Leadership skill, be used to bolster drone allies?

I ask as I am building a drone rigger who has Leadership as a flavor skill and was wondering if I could get any mileage out of it.

[Namikaze]

I would say no.  Pilot software isn't capable of being motivated.  The rigger controlling the drone while jumped in would get a bonus from Leadership though.

[JackVII]

Wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something for SR5:

Are autosoft ratings limited by anything other than the 1-6 specified in the book? In other words, does the pilot rating of the drone or RCC device rating limit the rating of an autosoft running on it? I know an RCCs device rating limits the number of autosoft that can be run/shared, but I didn't see anything about capping autosoft ratings. TIA!

[Michael Chandra]

I dug through and found nothing indicating a Rating restriction. It fits with the technology simplification of SR5, as well with how skill levels now go higher and defense rolls use two attributes now.

[JackVII]

Thanks Michael. With Skillsoft having restrictions, I just wasn't sure if there was a corrolary I missed.

[Kanly]

If you use Multiple Attacks with a Long Burst, do both of your targets get the -5 defense modifier or is it -2/-2 (as if it was one Burst Fire / target)?

[Michael Chandra]

No answer. Multiple Targets section completely ignores Burst Fire, so there's no obvious interpretation, especially given the balance differences between the editions. (In SR4 you split the burst but not the dice, in SR5 you'd split the dice, but do you split the burst or...) You'll have to await errata, I fear.

[Kanly]

In matrix defense tests, can you use your Device Rating (Commlink's, RCC's, Deck's) instead of Willpower / Logic whatever?

[Namikaze]

In matrix defense tests, can you use your Device Rating (Commlink's, RCC's, Deck's) instead of Willpower / Logic whatever?

Like if the test calls for Willpower + Firewall, can you use the Device Rating in lieu of Willpower (thus making the test Device Rating + Firewall)?  Good question if I understand it correctly.

[JackVII]

The only thing I can find remotely relevant to your question is in the PANs and WANs section about slaved devices:

Whenever a slaved device is called on to make a defense test, it uses either its own or its master’s rating for each rating in the test. For example, if your slaved smartgun is the target of a hacker’s Brute Force action, it would use your Willpower or its Device Rating, and its Firewall or your commlink’s, whichever is higher in each instance. If a slaved device is under attack via a direct connection (as through a universal data connector), however, it cannot use its master’s ratings to defend itself.

But I am not sure if that is what you are asking about. If you're suggesting whether you can use a top-shelf cyberdeck to nullfy the penalty of making a Decker with low Willpower and Intuition, I don't think that is the case.

[Namikaze]

But I am not sure if that is what you are asking about. If you're suggesting whether you can use a top-shelf cyberdeck to nullfy the penalty of making a Decker with low Willpower and Intuition, I don't think that is the case.

My question is more about a node that doesn't have a persona associated with it.  So I see what you mean about decks...  I suppose it would have to apply universally, but I'm not 100% sure.

[JackVII]

In that case, I think the rules are pretty explicit:

When a defense test calls for a Mental attribute, use the owner’s rating. Even if she isn’t currently defending or even interacting with the device, her previous interactions and settings affect the defense test. If a device is completely unattended, the Device Rating stands in for any Mental attributes an icon needs but doesn’t have. For example, a device that an owner sets and forgets, like a door lock, uses its Device Rating in place of Intuition as part of the defense pool against a Control Device action.

It seems weird, but I guess its about balance.

[Kanly]

Thanks. Yeah this is exactly what I was asking about. So my commlink and RCC have better matrix defense on their own than with me. Sadz.

[RHat]

Thanks. Yeah this is exactly what I was asking about. So my commlink and RCC have better matrix defense on their own than with me. Sadz.

But they have to be completely unattended - factory defaults and sitting on the ground.  Otherwise, due to your low Intuition and Willpower, you've screwedup the configuration and created vulnerabilities.

[Michael Chandra]

Which is pretty dumb, really. I mean, it just begs for "I let the Mage configure it for me and it runs stuff automatically for me, so I don't ever interact with it". I can imagine someone with high stats boosting it, but someone with poor stats automatically screwing it up when all they do is make phone calls with it? What?