Rigger 101, Please help Options

[Valentinew]

When I played SR3, no one ever played a decker or a rigger 'cause it was too complicated for a quick game. Well, now that we're playing SR4, & the hacker/rigger/techno rules are, allegedly, simpler & streamlined, I jumped in as a technomancer...smart me.

Anyway, I've been doing fine, figuring my way through stuff pretty well. Only now my team has picked up a couple of drones off a corpse & they want me to take them over. I've read the section on rigging in the SR4 book, but there's not a lot of instruction, only description.

So what I need is some basic tips for running a rigger. What do I roll to take over a drone that used to be someone else's? Once I've taken over the drones, can I run them via AR? Does that take anything away from my dice pool while I'm making the drone go? When I shoot with a drone, what do I roll? Also, what skills do I use to figure out what autosofts the drones may have?

I know these are completely basic & stupid questions, but I have no clue where to start. I think I'm having a brain-freeze of some sort.... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Dashifen]

To try and answer your questions, I'll put explanations in plain text, matrix actions in orange.

1. Taking over someone else's drones

As with most cases in SR4, you have a few options: spoof commands to the drone or hack. The first option means you need to establish two-way communication with the drone and then send that drone commands as if you are the rigger (Detect Wireless Node, Decrypt (if necessary), Intercept Wireless Signals, Spoof Command). Note, that in order to spoof commands, you'll need to perceive the rigger on the matrix to gain his/her access ID for the drones. This would require the following programs: Scan, Decrypt, Sniffer, Spoof. And the following skills: Electronic Warfare and Hacking. Note that this method has two serious drawbacks: if the rigger issues another command after yours, the drone will now have new instructions and you'd need to spoof a new command and if the drone is set up to only listen to information from a specific commlink, then you may not be able to get it to listen to yours. Essentially, if the drone is set up that it won't let you subscribe to it's node, then you can't establish communication with it. For added fun, if you can Intercept the Wireless Signals between the drone and the rigger, you could block any new commands, thus negating one of these drawbacks. You could also jam the rigger's communications but without a careful application of a directional jammer, you might just jam your own ability to communicate with the drone as well.

The second option involves hacking the rigger's commlink. For this you'd need to break into it somehow (Log on) and once you're logged on, you can now send commands to the drone without spoofing since you are sending it commands from the rigger's commlink. This only requires the Exploit and Command programs and the Hacking skill. While this makes it seem more attractive, it's can be at least as problematic (if not more so) than the option above as the rigger's commlink is probably defended in some way and, thus, you may have to contend with IC or even the rigger in cybercombat. But, if you can gain access to the commlink, the drone will think that you're the rigger and you'll be able to control them as if they were your own. Note that you could them have the rigger's commlink unsubscribe from the drones and subscribe to them with your own commlink effectively stealing them. Drop an agent onto the rigger's commlink to crash it's OS and the rigger may have quite a bit of trouble getting them back before you shoot him with his own equipment.

The last option would require hacking not the rigger's commlink but the drone itself. In this case, you would use the Exploit program and your Hacking skill to log onto the drone's node. Then, you would need a Command program to issue it commands once you control it. This could have the same downsides as hacking the rigger's commlink and doesn't really provide you the opportunity to steal more than just the one drone you've hacked.

In my games, drones and commlinks only have admin level access, thus to hack them you need an extended test of Firewall + 6 to get them. Thus, spoofing commands also may avoid a drawn out hacking attempt during combat.

2. Can you run drones via AR?

Yes. You can do anything online in the matrix either in VR or in AR. The difference is really the speed at which you get things done as you (a) have more initiative passes in VR and (b) some extended tests have a longer interval in AR than in VR.

3. Does controlling a drone reduce a dice pool?

I think that's what you're asking, perhaps analogous to the -2 per bound spirit optional rule? Anyway, unless I misunderstand you, controlling a drone does not reduce any dice pools. I does, however, count as a subscribed device and you can only subscribe System x 2 devices (or nodes, agents, etc.) at once.

Edit: Just thought of something: if you are trying to control a drone via VR and perform real world actions, you are at a -4 to all dice pools, if I remember correctly, because your brain is focused on the virtual world and not the physical. I guess this is somewhat analogous to an awakened character trying to work on the physical and the astral at once but worse.

4. What do you roll to shoot with a drone?

Well, this is another complex one. If you're issuing a command to the drone and then letting it shoot, then the drone rolls Pilot + Targeting Autosoft (if available) as a ranged combat test on its initiative pass. If you're jumped into the drone, then you use the rigger's own skills to shoot. Remember, to shoot a vehicle (or drone) mounted weapon, the Gunnery skill is used. The benefit of controlling the drone directly via VR is that you generally have a larger dice pool than the drone does. However, if the drone takes damage, the rigger suffers "dangerous biofeedback." Issuing commands to shoot to the drone keeps the rigger safer, but the drones may be less effective.

5. How do you know what autosofts the drones you stole have?

I'd argue that a successful matrix perception test would work. Matrix perception tests can tell you what programs a node is running, and autosofts are programs. Remember, though, the hits you get on the perception test give you data about a node on a one-for-one basis. Thus, if you get 2 hits, you'll only learn about two autosofts.

[Lagomorph]

In my games, we rule that taking over a drone is just like hacking any other device/commlink. Once you get admin access you can change who owns it, who it listens too.

Once taken over, you can issue commands via AR. However that means the drones will only roll their own pilot+(autosoft or skill).

We rule that drones roll pilotX2 for initiative, and also have 3 IP.

When you shoot with drone, you roll Pilot + Autosoft, if they don't have an autosoft, you only get pilot. You can add in, or it may already include, smartlink for an additional +2 dice. Your GM may not allow drones to use smrt link though.

Once you have control of the drone, the autosofts should be directly available to access without needing any kind of skill roll. (e.g. There's no reason that if you have a computer that it shouldn't be readily apparent that you have Office installed.)

For upgrading sensors, we ruled that it cost the same as upgrading Response, (or signal, which ever is 3k at level 6).

You are not having a brain freeze, the most basic info is just not there for riggers. Most of this is our groups house ruling, inferred from what we think the book would have said based on the descriptions it gives, so YMMV, but we think it works pretty well overall so far.

[Dashifen]

[Lagomorph]

Dashifen,

Initiative:

Thanks for clearing up the initiative rules! Though I think it's still lame that they aren't given specific response ratings, only that they are barely mentioned in the "generic device ratings" list.

Sensors:

Okay, yeah signal was what it was then. I'm at work and don't have my book on me. I was pretty impressed with the solution that my GM found, I think that it's a fair resolution to the question.

Not allowing any upgrade seems to really limit the abilities of drones considering the majority only have sensor 1, and that autosofts max at 4. And with out rules for being able to upgrade the device rating, they are capped at 3 anyway (software runs at the rating of the system, which is rolled into the device rating of 3).

[Rooks]

so which would be the least hassle way of taking over a drone

[Dashifen]

[Dashifen]

[Valentinew]

Thanks guys! This discussion has REALLY cleared some things up for me!!!!

[Dashifen]

That's what we're here for. Keep the questions coming if you have them.

[Jaid]

you know, the funny thing about this thread...

for the original questions, you could have just said "pick up his commlink, spend a couple of complex actions telling the drones to subscribe to you, and unsubscribe from that commlink", and you'd have been done.

course, it is also nice to have the expanded rules, but basically it just follows the hacking rules pretty much. by which i mean, you just turn to the hacking section, and basically hack your opponents drones or commlink (in one way or another).

oh yeah, and without a targetting autosoft of the appropriate type, drones can't fire guns (unless of course you are rigging them).

oh, and upgrading the device rating is ridiculously easy. just horrendously expensive also =P the rules are already there, and are very easy to use.

you buy up each attribute separately.

[Dashifen]

Remember, though, we're looking at upgrading the drone's sensor, not one of the four attributes that are rolled into that device's rating. Sensors are seperate from the normal Response, Signal, System, and Firewall ratings.

[Jaid]

oh, i was answering the question about upgrading the drone's device rating, not about sensor. as far as sensor goes, you're on your own...

although at least with drones, it's decent... not like most of the other vehicles...

[MaxHunter]

Dashifen, Lagomorph, you are both pretty insightful!!!! I am glad I had been lurking around!

Now, I was thinking on another way to steal the drones, maybe a little easier...

1. Detect and Intercept Wireless Signal.
This includes: scan for the rigger and the drone frequencies. After finding them, decrypt their code. Perform an Analyze Action on the rigger's node.
2.Spoof rigger's command.
Using the rigger's spoofed signal, tell drone to switch to different frequency X.
3. While the rigger's busy finding where the drone signal go, jam all frequencies but that one.
4. Steal the drone.
(Spoofing again, unsubscribe the drone and add it to your subscription list.)

Notes: on page 225 of the BBB it says: "Note also that jamming can be either selective (targeting specific frequencies)"

Note 2: No IC or cybercombat involved!

You could repeat step 2 every once in a while to keep the rigger a few steps behind.
Or... you could also just shoot the fragger wih his own drone and get away with it.

So, what do you think?

Cheers,

Max

[Jaid]

that would certainly work fine, AFAICT.

which is why you should be a technomancer with a machine sprite living in the drone, ready to kick the hoop of any fragger that tries to jack your drones ;)

maybe a fault sprite too, to move onto the thief's commlink and play around

[Valentinew]

All of these ideas have been very helpful. In fact, my job's alot easier than what you describe because the owner of these drones my party found is dead...so I pretty much just have to hack the drones (or his commlink, once we get new batteries in it) & make them mine, so no need to fight him for them.

I love Dumpshock!

[Cain]

[The Jopp]

A tiny addon. Unless you have a very well trained rigger when it comes to gunnery I would specialize. Go with Gunnery (Ballistic) since it would probably be the type of weapons that he has the most experience with since it covers most general guns like machineguns, pistols, rifles etc.

[mdynna]

[Dashifen]

-6 now, 'eh. Note to self :)

[Azathfeld]

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Well, installing Pilot is the same as installing System...

[kigmatzomat]

Actually if you have access to the device there's probably a "reset to factory default" mode that purges the subscription lists as a precaution for someone stealing or smashing the registered Comm. It would require some minor disassembly (e.g remove armor panel B12 with standard allen wrench, disconnect battery, press red button while reconnecting battery) with a low threshold Logic+Mechanic or Logic+Hardware test to perform.

[Lagomorph]

[Jaid]

actually, if you have the commlink, then you can just log on as the owner and transfer the drones over. no need to hack it or anything. unless the guy was a technomancer, you can just use his commlink and the drone most likely has no way of knowing it's not him (it is theoretically possible, but i don't believe there are any rules in the game for it yet, that the drone is built to prevent that in some way... but if all the enemy rigger's info is on his commlink, then when you log onto his commlink, it is no different than when he logs onto his commlink)