Drone Question: Increasing the body of a drone?, Or: The Paraplegic Rigger and the wheelchair of doom. Options

[redwulf25]

Is there a way to increase the body of a drone or the number of slots it has for modifications? I'd like to really pimp out a Transys Steed for a Paraplegic rigger character but 4 slots isn't a lot of room for customizing.

[Summerstorm]

Well, no.

BUT, as i see it body-enhancements should be possible. (Even massive ones, at least in design of new drones). I think it should be likely increasing bulk and decreasing speed and especially acceleration and energy efficiancy though.

EDIT: Oh, and screws up the price MASSIVELY... one of the pointers would be that the high-quality cyborg drones (which have unusual high body scores) are incredible expensive.

[SpellBinder]

Well, there's the Limited Maneuverability mod that gives 4 mod slots, but then you'll have to be pushed everywhere in your Transys Steed instead of having it roll you there.

Besides, it's right in Arsenal (page 129) that anything beyond the set number of slots for an item is up to GM's discretion. It's possible to overmod something, but I'd expect to pay through the nose for it.

[sabs]

Use a Horseman with an advanced cargo module. Bonus points if you put an enhanced rigger cocoon in it. That will give you 6 body. 5 with a cocoon, 4 with an enhanced rigger cocoon, to play with.

[Yerameyahu]

You can just Overmodify, as Spellbinder mentioned.

You can also choose… *any* other vehicle for your guy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

sabs, what's this 'cocoon vs. enhanced cocoon' stuff?

[Irion]

Technically the spell increase attribute [Body] offers a way.
Since it is a physical spell it can effect technological devices.

[Summerstorm]

And would look ridiculous. And also may not be enough body. EDIT: The Cargo Module i mean.

Well, if you are only after modification slots: Yeah, just ask your gm for overmodification. (I myself allow it easily for my players. Depending on what they cram into their drones they of course become slower, or have energy problems, or higher handling, unreliability issues, or software/hardware screwups)

But for body: If a drone is built not for the mass market and with superior workmanship and especially materials you should get a higher body attribute. (For example the standard- medium Otomo drone has body 6, the big cousin -bigger than a troll- has 10, and they can be outfitted with higher strength with gm- approvel too). Much needed for drones to keep up with living squishies, i mean what are machines known for? Power, speed and endurance.

Body attribute is pretty much working just like body+strength on a critter... normal drones are a bit on the weaker end for some reason.

[Yerameyahu]

It's pretty clear that Increase [Attribute] is for people, Irion. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) If you need a reason not to cheat, let's say that an Object can't be a 'voluntary subject'.

[sabs]

Use a Horseman with an advanced cargo module. Bonus points if you put an enhanced rigger cocoon in it. That will give you 6 body. 5 with a cocoon, 4 with an enhanced rigger cocoon, to play with.

Rigger Cocoon (Standard):
Armor 20, Structural Rating 10, increases resist pool for crashes and stuff by 5
Rigger Cocoon(Enhanced ):
Same, but also has the capabilities of a Valkyrie Module.

[Yerameyahu]

Oh, weird. I've literally never heard of that, despite everything. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sabs]

standard cocoon is 1 mod slot, enhanced is 2
I always get the enhanced version. Combine it with an agent and medical autosoft.. it is the awesome

[Irion]

It's pretty clear that Increase [Attribute] is for people, Irion.

Thats said at no point. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If you need a reason not to cheat, let's say that an Object can't be a 'voluntary subject'.

Darn it, thats the only RAW weakness. But I could argue that unconscious persons count as voluntary so objects beeing permanent unconscious would count to.
(My point is more: Why the hell are some health spells physical as Mana (only affecting living beeings) would fit perfectly.)

(Thats like the argument that you should be allowed to shapchange into a human. That was silly too. (And made its way in the FAQ)

[sabs]

Because Mana spells can be cast on the astral.
And Physical cannot.

[James McMurray]

Get a higher body vehicle and give it rigger adaptation. Voila, a drone with a higher body. If it has to be a horse, add on walker mode.

[Yerameyahu]

The Horseman isn't even a horse. Er, the Steed.

[sabs]

The steed is a terrible drone, it's a walking wheelchair. It's completely exposed.

[Irion]

Because Mana spells can be cast on the astral.
And Physical cannot.

So?
(There are some spells where it would make sence as Nutrition or Antidote/Detox. The later is a mana spell of course. )

[KarmaInferno]

If it's a drone motorcycle, a sidecar will add Body.





-k

[Ascalaphus]

If it's a drone motorcycle, a sidecar will add Body.

You beat me to it. Sidecar increases body. It would look... unusual... on a wheelchair, but it doesn't sound entirely implausible.

So I wonder if three mod slots suffice to fit in a nuke?

[Bodak]

Rigger Cocoon (Standard):
Armor 20, Structural Rating 10, increases resist pool for crashes and stuff by 5
Rigger Cocoon(Enhanced ):
Same, but also has the capabilities of a Valkyrie Module.

Just note that you cannot have anything higher than Rating 6 at character generation. Higher armour can be added once play starts, however, of course.

standard cocoon is 1 mod slot, enhanced is 2
I always get the enhanced version. Combine it with an agent and medical autosoft.. it is the awesome

It has never made sense to me that the enhanced version's Availability is so much harder than the Valkyrie module on its own or the standard cocoon on its own.

(My point is more: Why the hell are some health spells physical as Mana (only affecting living beeings) would fit perfectly.)

In SR3 the Increase Attribute spells were Mana spells for unaugmented attributes. If you wanted to boost an attribute already enhanced by (physical, technological, non-living) cyberware you had to cast the Physical version of the spell (as you were no longer affecting living tissue, but technological devices). That whole "paid for with essence" insanity didn't seem to cut the mustard in that situation.

[sabs]

I would argue that a rigger cocoon is completely the exception to that rating rule.
The availability on that cocoon is very low.

[Ascalaphus]

I don't think rigger cocoons were meant to be subject to the Rating restriction; there aren't Rating 1-10 rigger cocoons after all. The armor and structure ratings are more subsidiary stats that I don't think fall under that restriction. Just like the walls of a medium house might have an armor rating above 6; I don't think it should be an issue.

[redwulf25]

The steed is a terrible drone, it's a walking wheelchair. It's completely exposed.

It was largely a concept exercise, take a wheel chair drone and mod it into a bad ass engine of doom for a paraplegic rigger. But it looks like the best I can do without over moding and taking penalties is either a weapon mount or both engine mods. I considered putting a manipulator arm on it but unless I buggered my metric to imperial conversion or read the formula for the arms size wrong it would barely be over 7 inches. That's not an arm, it's a penis with fingers.



Sorry for that mental image, you're out of luck I've no brain bleach left to pass out to the rest of you.

[Hida Tsuzua]

The steed is a terrible drone, it's a walking wheelchair. It's completely exposed.

I do believe that's the reason why you install a rigger cocoon on the steed. Armor 20 Structure rating 10 is fairly decent at protecting oneself. The biggest reason I can see using a steed is for the stair climbing and price. If you don't want that, you could likely wrap yourself heavily in armor to the point you can barely move (or cannot move).

In a related note, I don't think your body holder needs to be an offensive powerhouse. It should be tough and safe. If you really need to keep up with teammates, speed becomes useful. But you can leave your carrier in auto-mode while you joystick your combat drones.

With some creative reading, you can make an Iron Will into your body carrier and fighter. It's got Body 6 and can take vehicle mods. Put in rigger adaptation, armor, upgrade response, and maybe a gun. Then you disable the RAS override on your commlink (it's a fairly easy hardware test). Jump into it though the drone. Since your body is moving based on the commands you're sending out, it can provide movement for the Iron Will. I wouldn't actually recommending trying to get this by the GM though. It'll ping his munchkin alarms and is probably illegal RAW. Then again who knows with the mess that is the Iron Will.

[The Jopp]

It seems you all forget the "similar models" rule from Arsenal.

At the gamemaster’s discretion, you may also apply slight changes in the
game stats. Th is shouldn’t exceed more than 1 point up- or downwards
(or up to 20% in case of Acceleration and Speed), and for
every advantage there should be an appropriate disadvantage

So you could make a more (for example) medium drone (BOD 3) into a medium drone BOD 4. Size wouldnt change but the design could be more robust. Disadvantages could be less sensor strength or acceleration or maximum speed.

It gives players and GM's nice flexibility, not to mention rather frightening BOD 5 heavy drones.