Punch Thar Drone! Options

[yesferatu]

So, I want to make a close combat magician that uses touch spells.
I understand you can only use Physical spells on vehicles and drones, but can you use Stun spells on them?
Can I Punch a drone? Would there be any point in usng Shatter?

[Stahlseele]

Drones do not have a stun condition monitor as far as i remember.
Meaning no, you can't stun a drone, because there is no monitor where it could take the damage to.
Remember also that electricity/shock damage gets transferred to the controlling rigger, away from the drone.
The drone won't care, it will just lose its controller.

[yesferatu]

I'm pretty sure you can stick n shock a drone.
A rigger might take feedback damage as a side-effect, but the drones takes it first.

[Sendaz]

Page 199 in core covers some of this:

As most vehicles are a bit less squishy than metahumans,
they have a Condition Monitor equal to 12 plus half
their Body (rounded up), they ignore Stun damage (though
electricity-based attacks are considered Physical Damage
to vehicles), and any attack where the modified DV does
not exceed the Armor of the vehicle does nothing.

Drones are a different story and have a Condition
Monitor equal to 6 plus half their Body.

Stick and Shock or electrical attacks do physical damage to drones and vehicles as per p171

Electronic equipment and drones can also be affected
by Electricity damage. They never suffer Stun damage
so Electricity damage is Physical when used against
electronics and drones. They resist damage as usual and
suffer a secondary effect if they take even a single box
of damage.
The secondary effect for electronics and drones
damaged by Electricity damage is shorting out or overloading.
In game terms this is reflected as secondary
Matrix damage equal to half the Physical damage
rounded down.

The rigger would have to be jumped into the drone being brought down to suffer dumpshock, but the drone is still going down.

[yesferatu]

Ah ha! That is helpful.
Thanks.
So what's the best spell to use on a vehicle or drone?

[Stahlseele]

*throws table-tennis ball at yesferatu and screams in a very camp voice* LIGHTENINGBOLTO!
MANA SPELLS don't work.
The other kind does just fine.
Well, powerball may work too.
High Force levitation. lift it up into the airl ike you just don't care.
Turn the tables on the drone and simply dro-dro-dro-drop it!

Depending on what edition you are talking about and how much you want to point out flaws in the system . .
Slow.

[Sendaz]

Being partial to electrical effects you can start with the basics.

LIGHTNING BOLT
(INDIRECT, ELEMENTAL)
Type: P Range: LOS Damage: P
Duration: I Drain: F – 3

BALL LIGHTNING
(INDIRECT, ELEMENTAL)
Type: P Range: LOS (A) Damage: P
Duration: I Drain: F – 1
These spells create and direct vicious strikes of electricity
that cause Electricity damage (p. 170).

Lightning Bolt is a single target spell. Ball Lightning is an area spell, handy if you got a couple of things to zap.

However keep in mind a good rigger recognizes his weak spots and may be looking to add nonconductivity mods to the vehicle/drone armor, though they probably have to wait for the rigger book for full expansion on this.

I miss Slow, OP though it was....

[Stahlseele]

Wanna be a real smartass about it?
Bullet-shield. Just place it over the Drone instead of your bodies.

[bannockburn]

I'm a big fan of Ram, Wreck and Demolish Vehicle.

[Tiralee]

Again, depending on the edition...

Nova/Laser can also be devastating, If you read the rules right (The Laser spell fires a beam of coherent light at the target that causes burning damage like a laser with element light effect) you can argue that it has the same anti-armour properties as a regular laser weapon, but conversely, has the same disadvantages (massive drop off at range and how air-quality - smoke,steam, etc - dramatically affects the damage output).

As I was the GM, I ruled that it reads "like a laser" and has the same advantages and disadvantages, but this was SR3. (Spells from Magic in the Shadows, btw)

[Modular Man]

Wanna be a real smartass about it?
Bullet-shield. Just place it over the Drone instead of your bodies.

Been there, done that. It's fun (at least for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ).
Other spells are also handy for protecting the drone, but clarify with the GM up front how Object Resistance wil be handled...
Or did you mean to envelop the drone in a dome-shaped barrier to stop all of its bullets?

As for damaging drones? Yeah, the suggestion of Levitation is right. That's nasty for everyone anyway, though.
Those Glue spells also drive any rigger crazy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (as for SR4A, drones have a somewhat low body and stregth score, so they'll get stuck).
Just stay clear of any spells that do either stun damage or have a positive armor modifier (those will add to the drone's armor, avoid at all costs!).

If I'm not mistaken, the punch spell in SR4A deals stun damage. That won't damage the drone or even inconvenience it. Shatter will do.

If going for spirits, the movement power (in SR4A) packs some nice effects. A force 4 air spirit will divide about any drone's speed by 4. That's slow-mo, right there.

[Stahlseele]

Yeah, i meant the bullet proof dome over the drone to stop it from shooting anybody.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Yeah, i meant the bullet proof dome over the drone to stop it from shooting anybody.

They are never really Bullet-Proof, though (at best they save you for a round), unless you are capable of Crazy High Force rating Spells. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[KarmaInferno]

Dropping the drone down to the next floor is more reliable in stopping it from shooting you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Methods for doing this may vary.



-k

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Dropping the drone down to the next floor is more reliable in stopping it from shooting you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Methods for doing this may vary.



-k

Troll-Bow - Gets 'em Every Time (Dependent upon Edition). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Stahlseele]

Troll-Bow - Gets 'em Every Time (Dependent upon Edition). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Of course with Dikote on the Arrow-tips.