[X] My Assistant

[j2klbs]

I not sure what a drone's defense is when a rigger is jumped in. On p. 205 it states ...

"When a vehicle is attacked in combat, the driver rolls
his Reaction + Intuition as the defense part of the Opposed
Test. Drones roll their Pilot + Autosoft [Handling].
See also Rigging and You, p. 266 for tests performed
while jumped in."

But when I look for the rules in the section beginning on p. 266 I can't find any. My best guess is that while the rigger is jumped in it would be treated as if he were piloting a vehicle and thus use REA + INT, but I can't find that rule anywhere.

Am I overlooking something?

[Udoshi]

Which edition is this?

I know the answer for anniversary, but your page number/links don't seem to be accurate to that edition.

[BlackJaw]

Those page numbers you're quoting seem to be SR5, so that's what I'm giving my answer in.

Terms can get a bit confusing: A vehicle is a device that a player can ride in, and a Drone is a device that you can rig into. If your vehicle is rigger adapted, it is a Drone and a Vehicle. In Shadowrun, just about all Vehicles and Drones are able to act and move on their own thanks to their pilot programs. Most of the book talks about vehicles as something a character might get in and drive, and drones as self-controlled robots. The details of jumping-in or remote controlling vehicles or drones are really only discussed in detail in the Matrix and Rigging sections. Overall: the terms are fairly interchangeable, so try not to get too hung up on them.

If you are directly controlling a vehicle or drone (such as being behind the wheel or remote controlling a drone at a distance,) you use the Reaction + Intuition. If the vehicle or drone is controlling itself via it's pilot program (Because you are only giving it orders or it's completely on its own,) it uses Pilot + Handling Autosoft.

That means if you are rigged into a Drone or Vehicle, you use Reaction + Intuition. It's being controlled by you, not self controlled by it's pilot program.

As a defensive test, limits do not apply to these rolls.

[j2klbs]

I was talking about SR5. Thank you so much BlackJaw!!! That clears things up!

~Jason

[j2klbs]

Follow-up question. Since the jumped in drone is treated like a vehicle, then wouldn't that mean the rigger must spend a complex action each combat turn or else the drone goes uncontrolled?

[j2klbs]

bump

[BlackJaw]

Follow-up question. Since the jumped in drone is treated like a vehicle, then wouldn't that mean the rigger must spend a complex action each combat turn or else the drone goes uncontrolled?

Yes.

Rigging can be thought of as driving/piloting a vehicle, but with special extras and draw backs because of being jumped in. You still follow most of the vehicle control rules, unless the rigging section says otherwise.

[j2klbs]

Thanks again!

It sort of makes sense to me know. If you spend at least a complex action to be in control of a drone, you can use REA+INT when it gets shot at. But if you don't spend this action then the drone reverts to it's dog brain and becomes uncontrolled. Presumably when uncontrolled the drone would only resists attacks with Pilot + Autosoft (Handling) until the rigger spend an action to bring it back under control.