Best Rigger Command Vehicle No Longer Roadmaster?, Is it now the semi-truck? Options

[Tarantula]

Just looking through the vehicles in arsenal, and I noticed that not only does the semi have better acceleration than the roadmaster, but no availability cost, and its not standardly armored. Plus, they're common, all over the place. Yes, they're more expensive, but they have more room for modifications, and are less likely to draw all sorts of attention.

Not to mention you can use a trailer as well and add to the idea that you are a legitimate cargo carrier, while providing a convienient staging place for the team to leave/meet up both before and after the run. Not to mention plenty of room for loot/bodies/etc.

Feel free to make your own recommendations to which vehicles would suit the rigger command base style of use and why. I'll be posting later with my fully modified Zugmaschine.

[Tarantula]

As promised, my Zugmaschine that I'd use if I was playing a command post style rigger. Legal for chargen of course.

Zugmashine + Trailer Total Cost: 235,200

[ Spoiler ]

Handling Accel Speed Pilot Body Armor Sensor Avail Cost
-3 5/20 90 2 24 8 1 - 110,000

Modifications [Capacity] Cost¥
Anti-Theft System [2] 4,800
Chameleon Coating [2] 24,000
Large Landing Drone Rack [6] 20,000
+GTS Tower 25,000
++10x Dragonflies 25,000
Extra Entry/Exit Points [1] 5,000
Improved Sensor Array [1] 1,000
Full Mechanical Arm [2] 4,000
Oil Slick Sparyer [1] 500
Rigger Adaptation [1] 2,500
Basic Rigger Cocoon [1] 1,500
Satellite Comm [1] 500
Searchlight [1] 1,200
Smoke Projector [1] 700
Normal Smuggling Compartment [1] 1,500
Valkyrie Module [2] 2,000
Vehicle Tag Eraser [1] 6,000

To drop the cost by 50k, you can drop the tower and the dragonflies, but thats your defense against drones. The arm should suffice (str 24) for dealing with other vehicles through punching. (Though, I guess technically, punches do Stun, so it wouldn't do anything at all). Hrm. Maybe I"ll give it 2 bows and a rating 24 bow instead! /sarcasm

[DireRadiant]

KITT!

[CanRay]

Looks more like Goliath.

[Chibu]

Oh, I definitely agree. It's not new though. I've preferred the Semi over a Roadmaster for a long time. I like to add patches (because covering the whole thing is ridiculously expensive) of Ruthenium Polymers to the trailer so that I can change the logo depending on the situation. It's easier to park outside of an Ares facility with a trailer marked Ares.

Also, since there's room, i usually add living amenities.

And as for the mechanical arm? Well, obviously you need an absurdly large katana to go with it. it's just cooler to have your Semi cut a car in half IMO ^-^

I just actually looked at the spoiler... "Chameleon Coating" is only 25K? it's like 2 million for Ruthenium in SR2 >_<

[nezumi]

KITT!

My thoughts exactly. I can't say how long I've wanted to play a character who parks his car inside a moving semi.

[Tarantula]

Its actually Body X 1,000Â¥

[Method]

Lots of high end tech from previous editions are surprisingly cheep and available in SR4.

[Chibu]

Well, actually I thought that the price was fair, i just can never afford it. Also, my semi only has a body of 5 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

The reason it's expensive in 2nd edition is for game balance. It really shouldn't be very easy to make a Semi invisible (except for magic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) ) Anyway, I'm fine with the cost of it, like i said. I should look through the rules for 4th edition sometime and make a character so i can find out whether or not the rules are broken more or less than before.

Hmm... Maybe i'll do that this weekend (probably not though)

[Tarantula]

It actually doesn't make it invisible. Just puts a -4 perception modifier on it. Less likely to be noticed would probably be more correct.

[NativeRigger]

The thing about a semi is that it's literally a criminal magnet in the bad parts of town, because of that they don't usually go there. Thus it's going to be a large conspicous target. The roadmaster on the other hand is the default heavy delivery truck and should therefore be fairly ubiquitous, and since it's got a reputation for toughness, most Go gangers will spare it casual harrassment.

-NR.

[Tarantula]

Roadmasters are not heavy delivery trucks. Period. They also aren't all that ubiquitous. They have more of a reputation of being the car that SWAT teams and the like drive, and as such are not a common sight.

As far as the barrens go, of course you wouldn't take it in there. You wouldn't take any 30k¥+ vehicle into the barrens unless you were definitely not alone.

[CanRay]

As far as the barrens go, of course you wouldn't take it in there. You wouldn't take any 30k�+ vehicle into the barrens unless you were definitely not alone.

I wouldn't take anything that cost more than a Burnt BTL Chip to the Barrens without worrying someone jackin' me for it!

[Wakshaani]

Teh Rigger's Best Friend has always been, and will continue to be, teh Bulldog Step-Van. COmmon as *dirt*, silly rugged, and roomy enough for a whole team.

We Heart Bulldogs.

[Cthulhudreams]

235k is not pratical for a starting character, especially a rigger. 15k is not going to cover his drone and cyber needs.

[Tarantula]

He has enough drone to support the command base. Riggers don't really need cyber so much anymore. And you could always make him a techno. Again, this is not a drone style rigger, it is a command bunker/getaway drive style.

[Chibu]

Well, my riggers (SR2) always start with a frosty mil yen. As such, I usually have a pretty sweet Base of Operations.

350,000Â¥ give or take, for my last Semi. And as for gangs? Take them as contacts. It's the way to go for a rigger. You can hide anywhere.

[DTFarstar]

I don't mind taking my absurdly tricked out Roadmaster into the Barrens. An Ingram White Knight in a concealed mount, a grenade launcher, and a shotgun- Anti-Theft 2, a Rating 6 Agent, with Firewall 6, Analyze 6, and Black Hammer 6 with the autosofts to use all of them and some pretty good sensors. It will take more than most gangs are willing to deal with to steal it. Also, I typically

[NativeRigger]

Roadmasters are not heavy delivery trucks. Period. They also aren't all that ubiquitous. They have more of a reputation of being the car that SWAT teams and the like drive, and as such are not a common sight.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the Citymaster? Th Roadmaster is just a armored delivery truck, which given the dystopian future of cyberpunk would just be the norm.

As far as the barrens go, of course you wouldn't take it in there. You wouldn't take any 30k�+ vehicle into the barrens unless you were definitely not alone.

Hmm, different strokes I guess. Everyone around here runs their games w/ the barrens as the default PC home area.

-NR

[CanRay]

Hmm, different strokes I guess. Everyone around here runs their games w/ the barrens as the default PC home area.

-NR

Why not? Rent is cheap, the neighbours are friendly (When they realize just how heavily armed you are), few issues with playing your music too loud...

[Larme]

In SR3, the better the cargo space, the better the vehicle, because it could stack more and more armor to the point of being invincible, as well as carry more additional mods.

But in SR4, there is a hard cap on armor, right? The description for armor is really confusing. But it sounds like you can only have 10 concealed armor, and then add 20 regular armor and 10 smart armor. And I think any vehicle with a body of at least 10 can accommodate that. So there is no longer a reason to go for the highest possible cargo capacity, it makes more sense to get something a little faster and more maneuverable as I see it. You still can't hardly get any concealed armor worth mentioning, and obvious armor, though you can have a lot of it, has the downside of being obvious...

[Chibu]

I try to keep the armour at a reasonable level anyway. I think the highest I ever went was 11. That was actually on a sports car for an Adept with too much money to spend. The Semi had 10. Sure, for barely any extra money, I could get 40 armour, but it just seems silly to me.

[Tarantula]

Are you sure you're not thinking of the Citymaster? Th Roadmaster is just a armored delivery truck, which given the dystopian future of cyberpunk would just be the norm.

Considering that the roadmaster now comes with gun ports, life support, and heavy armor, no, I think that the roadmaster has adopted the role of the now missing citymaster.

[Fortune]

Considering that the roadmaster now comes with gun ports, life support, and heavy armor, no, I think that the roadmaster has adopted the role of the now missing citymaster.

You mean the missing Citymaster which is detailed on page 341 of the SR4 core rulerook (aka BBB), right? That missing Citymaster?

[Tarantula]

Yeah, that one!