It was errata'd.
It was a basic error, the original assumed that vehicles start with a base of 6 slots but they start with only 4, it's Firearms that have 6.
Full Version: Subtle Drone Tricks
Side note: How much heat do drones give off? Is is negligible to the point that thermo doesn't pick up on them? Or should we be considering that when building these super drones?
Also what is a drones effective Strength? Rather, how do you determine their max carry?
Also what is a drones effective Strength? Rather, how do you determine their max carry?
QUOTE (crizh @ Jun 23 2009, 07:03 PM) 
It was errata'd.
It was a basic error, the original assumed that vehicles start with a base of 6 slots but they start with only 4, it's Firearms that have 6.
It was a basic error, the original assumed that vehicles start with a base of 6 slots but they start with only 4, it's Firearms that have 6.
Oh cool. Thanks. I haven't read any of the erratas. I'm still pretty new to SR4.
QUOTE (Dumori @ Jun 18 2009, 02:38 PM)
Always use lasers on remote operating drones so they don't need to carry ammo as the can recrache by solar power.
Are there laser guns in SR4? The only mention of lasers that I recall are for sensors and and communication, not weapons. Or am I totally misunderstanding this sentence?
QUOTE (lowendz113 @ Jun 24 2009, 12:15 AM)
Are there laser guns in SR4? The only mention of lasers that I recall are for sensors and and communication, not weapons. Or am I totally misunderstanding this sentence?
Arsenal p41.
Here's a really basic one:
2 drones of choice:
D1: Gecko Tips (1) 300
Chameleon Coating (1) 1000
Laser Link (1) 50
Covert ops 3 600
D2: Gecko Tips (1) 300
Chameleon Coating (1) 1000
Retrans (1) 4000
Covertops 3 600
The laser link guy climbs down the vents deep enough to get past the wireless inhibiting wallpaper, the other one sits on the outside relaying your signal. The retran isn't altogether necessary, it just lets you stay as far away as possible.
It's very possible that you'd have to add a third laser linked drone in there to keep the chain together, but the principle still applies.
2 drones of choice:
D1: Gecko Tips (1) 300
Chameleon Coating (1) 1000
Laser Link (1) 50
Covert ops 3 600
D2: Gecko Tips (1) 300
Chameleon Coating (1) 1000
Retrans (1) 4000
Covertops 3 600
The laser link guy climbs down the vents deep enough to get past the wireless inhibiting wallpaper, the other one sits on the outside relaying your signal. The retran isn't altogether necessary, it just lets you stay as far away as possible.
It's very possible that you'd have to add a third laser linked drone in there to keep the chain together, but the principle still applies.
We they're lasers from orbital to pistol in size and powe and stated all the way to naval 22.5km range iirc.
I like the re-trans drones. Bust-a-move is a good choice, only 350 
for the base drone.
Are you using the Laser Link from Arsenal?
There is an improved version in Unwired. Up to Signal Rating 6 for Rating x 25 .
for the base drone.Are you using the Laser Link from Arsenal?
There is an improved version in Unwired. Up to Signal Rating 6 for Rating x 25
.
Subtle Outdoor Scout: Here's another on my hacker's wish list. It's fly spy intended for use scouting outdoor areas, planting as a camera, or attaching to things to be a tracking node. I've tried to make this one cheap-ish. It's basically a tiny bug (hard to notice by design to begin with) further enhanced with with chameleon, improved efficiency, signal masking, gecko grip, and a boosted signal. You can have it fly around the outside of an area for a while with little chance of being caught. You could also have it land somewhere or hook onto a wall/window and turn it into a nearly invisible camera platform. Lastly you can have it attach to a vehicle and act like a stealth tag (just order it to send pings back only when signaled, and/or to otherwise act as stealth tag. Oh, and make sure it's programmed to get away if not contacted for a while.)
Fly Spy Drone with 4 slots: $2000
NOTE: Drop the Signature masking at character creation and it's legal from the get go, and only $5450
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the base sensor packages beyond the standards to give it Ultrasound on the video, etc.
VARIANT: Replace the Chameleon Coating with SunCell to save $500 and extend the drone's uptime to an extreame degree. It may function as a remote camera/tracking tag indefiently, or may remain airborn over an area for well over 12 hours.
Bust-a-Signal (not your budget): The next one up is a dirt cheap repeater drone. Drop it off inside a building and have it go find a window to establish a signal. Here you're hoping the fact it looks like (well is) a toy means it might not be seen as too odd sitting on a desk or window frame. It's easy enough to toss one of these guys in a waste basket after talking your way into an office, and then have it crawl out later after closing and sit with a view of the window. A few of them can be strung along to establish a laser link chain cheaply compared to other drone options. It only provides a signal of 2, so you are dependent on the laser link to establish the main connection and can only wifi hack something very close to the drone.
Bust-A-Move with 4 slots for $350
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $1000 and 1 slot you can give it Chameleon Coating and make it harder to detect while in an office.
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $500 (and no slots) you can put in Rating 4 Signal (the maximum for this base drone pilot 2).
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $1500 and 1 slot, you can put in a Special Machinery Rating 3 Non-standard Wireless Link (unwired 196) which has a signal that is harder to detect. If you can't get get Laser links aligned inside, a few of these are going to be harder to detect.
IMPROVED TOTAL: Giving all 3 improvements to the Drone gives it a full cost of $4000 and makes it more adaptable and much less likely to get caught as it hangs nearly invisibly near the ceiling. It might also mean you need fewer of them as you can place 2 or 3 using the nonstandard wifi instead of stringing along a lot of Laser Linked buggers.
Jammer Decoy Drone: This little drone is intended to blind the sensors in an area. It's best use is something to activate when you aren't trying to be subtle but you don't want to leave too much evidence on enemy sensors, such as in quick strikes or when you get detected and need to blind the enemy Spider in order to get out. You want to build this sucker cheap because it's going to get left behind, but unfortunetly jammers aren't cheap. We are making the Drone blind as part of this build, and it's Camera blinding system will need it to be out in the open.
Bust-A-Move with 4 slots for $350
IMPROVEMENT: At an extra cost of $1600 you can give it limited manuverability, touch sensors, and a Termination (self destruct) system... so the first guard to touch or attack the toy will find it exploding on him. The Drone was already blind so limiting it's manuverability does little more then provide (needed for this trick) slots. It still gains an extra +1 slot after the systems are put in.
IMPROVEMENT: For for 1 slot and $500 you can put in "pimped ride" at 2nd rank, effectively customizing it's look and providing it with various distraction and taunting options. Imagine the guards finding an evil chucky doll laughing and flails about. Importantly, it provides a booming sound system and light show that might make it easier to cover your own escape.
IMPROVEMENT: For $500 and 1 slot you can give it gecko pads, allowing it to be placed in interesting areas, or even attached to yourself or a vehicle providing moble jamming in a small innocious package. For an extra 1 slot and $300 you might combine this with a Special Machinery: White Noise Generator Rank 6, to help muffle your comminications with others.
IMPROVEMENT: For an extra $5000 you can boost the jammer up to rating 10, making it very tough to overcome.
IMPROVED TOTAL: All the above Improvements can be combined to make a small, blind, and mostly immobile drone, which can hold on for dear life, that is a jammer, camera neutralizer, bull horn, visual distractor, and potential bomb. Most of the time you might just have it on your shoulder/back on a run... doing it's jamming thing(s). Total fully pimped all 8 slots filled price is $15750. It's an adaptable toy with many uses at that point, not the least of which is a potent jammer on multiple levels.
Spot Gun Bot: This one is a bit strange, and depending on how you equip it, it might not be subtle for all that long. It's a robot dog, designed to look like a dog to most people, but still carry a weapon. It's a way of getting a small drone out in public with you, (just out walking your dog) without looking like you have a gun drone out in public. It's concealed weapon (weapon not included) is concealed behind something that looks like an average dog, right down to living hair and a wagging tail. It won't pass any sensor or magical tests, but it will look and smell right, and that should be enough to walk down streets in many neighborhoods. Added bonus: your "best friend" has a "bark" far worse then his (nonexistent) bite.
Modified GMC Chariot (Disguised Combat Drone) with 4 slots = $4800
IMPROVEMENT: Make it more like a real dog, replace one of it's basic 5 sensor slots with an Olfactory Sensor so it can smell things out for you.
Fly Spy Drone with 4 slots: $2000
Improved Vertical Take Off 2 is built in for freeTotal: $7450
Boost the default Signal 3 up to Signal 5 for $1000 (Improved range is for use as a tracking tool)
Chameleon Coating is 1 slot, costing $1000
Gecko Grip is 1 slot, costing $300 (can stick to walls/cars/etc)
Signal Masking 1 is 1 slot costing $2000 (made out of sensor resistant materials)
Improved Economy is one slot for $1125 (allows it to act as an active spy for double the duration of normal)
NOTE: Drop the Signature masking at character creation and it's legal from the get go, and only $5450
IMPROVEMENTS: Improve the base sensor packages beyond the standards to give it Ultrasound on the video, etc.
VARIANT: Replace the Chameleon Coating with SunCell to save $500 and extend the drone's uptime to an extreame degree. It may function as a remote camera/tracking tag indefiently, or may remain airborn over an area for well over 12 hours.
Bust-a-Signal (not your budget): The next one up is a dirt cheap repeater drone. Drop it off inside a building and have it go find a window to establish a signal. Here you're hoping the fact it looks like (well is) a toy means it might not be seen as too odd sitting on a desk or window frame. It's easy enough to toss one of these guys in a waste basket after talking your way into an office, and then have it crawl out later after closing and sit with a view of the window. A few of them can be strung along to establish a laser link chain cheaply compared to other drone options. It only provides a signal of 2, so you are dependent on the laser link to establish the main connection and can only wifi hack something very close to the drone.
Bust-A-Move with 4 slots for $350
Walker Mode for FreeTotal: $1000
"Cute looks" is Free
Gecko Tips is 1 slot for $500
A Laser Link (unwired 200) as special machinery at Rating 6 is 1 slot for $150 (get a link through windows)
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $1000 and 1 slot you can give it Chameleon Coating and make it harder to detect while in an office.
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $500 (and no slots) you can put in Rating 4 Signal (the maximum for this base drone pilot 2).
IMPROVEMENTS: For another $1500 and 1 slot, you can put in a Special Machinery Rating 3 Non-standard Wireless Link (unwired 196) which has a signal that is harder to detect. If you can't get get Laser links aligned inside, a few of these are going to be harder to detect.
IMPROVED TOTAL: Giving all 3 improvements to the Drone gives it a full cost of $4000 and makes it more adaptable and much less likely to get caught as it hangs nearly invisibly near the ceiling. It might also mean you need fewer of them as you can place 2 or 3 using the nonstandard wifi instead of stringing along a lot of Laser Linked buggers.
Jammer Decoy Drone: This little drone is intended to blind the sensors in an area. It's best use is something to activate when you aren't trying to be subtle but you don't want to leave too much evidence on enemy sensors, such as in quick strikes or when you get detected and need to blind the enemy Spider in order to get out. You want to build this sucker cheap because it's going to get left behind, but unfortunetly jammers aren't cheap. We are making the Drone blind as part of this build, and it's Camera blinding system will need it to be out in the open.
Bust-A-Move with 4 slots for $350
Walker mode is FreeTOTAL: $7850
"Cute looks" is free
Improved Sensors for 1 slot costs $1000 (increases the sensor slots to 5)
Put in a Camera Neutralizer "Sensor System" (Aresnal 59) at Rating 6 for $1500. It will use up all sensor slots leaving the drone effectively aware only of cameras in the area.
ECM at rating 5 for 1 slot costs $5000. Most off-the-shelf signal systems and drones are rating 3, and security systems might be at rating 4, so rating 5 jamming should be enough to disable standard office wifi nodes (like unwired sensors) and commlinks carried by guards, unless they had the foresight to pre-load ECCM onto those nodes/drones/commlinks.
IMPROVEMENT: At an extra cost of $1600 you can give it limited manuverability, touch sensors, and a Termination (self destruct) system... so the first guard to touch or attack the toy will find it exploding on him. The Drone was already blind so limiting it's manuverability does little more then provide (needed for this trick) slots. It still gains an extra +1 slot after the systems are put in.
IMPROVEMENT: For for 1 slot and $500 you can put in "pimped ride" at 2nd rank, effectively customizing it's look and providing it with various distraction and taunting options. Imagine the guards finding an evil chucky doll laughing and flails about. Importantly, it provides a booming sound system and light show that might make it easier to cover your own escape.
IMPROVEMENT: For $500 and 1 slot you can give it gecko pads, allowing it to be placed in interesting areas, or even attached to yourself or a vehicle providing moble jamming in a small innocious package. For an extra 1 slot and $300 you might combine this with a Special Machinery: White Noise Generator Rank 6, to help muffle your comminications with others.
IMPROVEMENT: For an extra $5000 you can boost the jammer up to rating 10, making it very tough to overcome.
IMPROVED TOTAL: All the above Improvements can be combined to make a small, blind, and mostly immobile drone, which can hold on for dear life, that is a jammer, camera neutralizer, bull horn, visual distractor, and potential bomb. Most of the time you might just have it on your shoulder/back on a run... doing it's jamming thing(s). Total fully pimped all 8 slots filled price is $15750. It's an adaptable toy with many uses at that point, not the least of which is a potent jammer on multiple levels.
Spot Gun Bot: This one is a bit strange, and depending on how you equip it, it might not be subtle for all that long. It's a robot dog, designed to look like a dog to most people, but still carry a weapon. It's a way of getting a small drone out in public with you, (just out walking your dog) without looking like you have a gun drone out in public. It's concealed weapon (weapon not included) is concealed behind something that looks like an average dog, right down to living hair and a wagging tail. It won't pass any sensor or magical tests, but it will look and smell right, and that should be enough to walk down streets in many neighborhoods. Added bonus: your "best friend" has a "bark" far worse then his (nonexistent) bite.
Modified GMC Chariot (Disguised Combat Drone) with 4 slots = $4800
Free Normal Concealed Fixed Remote Controlled Weapon Mount built in.Total: $20800 + LMG or smaller gun and Targeting soft
Walker Mode is 2 slots and $1000
Mimic system (Dog) at Rating 3 will take up $15000 and the remaining 2 slots.
IMPROVEMENT: Make it more like a real dog, replace one of it's basic 5 sensor slots with an Olfactory Sensor so it can smell things out for you.
A couple fairly simple ones (others may have their own variants on how to do these)
Renraku Stormcloud
Cost: 15,800
You've still got 1 more slot for vehicle modifications (I didn't really find anything terribly useful for that last spot that wouldn't interfere with its ability to hide in plain sight), and 2 more spots for sensors (I suggest doubling up on the camera, directional microphone, or laser microphone, allowing you to have one following a specific target while the other scans the area for anything interesting). Talk to your GM, see if they'll allow Directional or Laser Microphones to be outfitted with the audio enhancements (If so, I'd go with Audio Enhancement and Select Sound Filters both at max rating).
Designed to be capable of remaining in operation indefinitely, this drone is intended to hover over a designated area watching everything going on below it until such time as commands from the rigger, or established orders tell it to move on. While it has no real defensive capabilities, the lack of overt modifications, chameleon coating to let it take on an appropriate color scheme and logos, and covert ops autosoft should be more than enough to let it blend in with the other miniblimps with legitimate business hovering in the area.
Renraku Stormcloud w/ Internal, Flexible, Remote Controlled Weapon Mount
Not as discreet as the prior Stormcloud build, but should be good enough. Drift in, take the shot, drift away. Use for wetworks, or just providing ranged support/cover for the team. Once again, relying on the ability to pass as just one more Stormcloud to avoid drawing scrutiny or fire. Can be loaded with the same sensor package listed above, though without the improved sensor array, there's no 2 extra slots for you to play with. Loss of Sun Cell also means that your run-time is actually limited to 60 hours.
Renraku Stormcloud
- Chameleon Coating
- Improved Sensor Array (See below)
- Lighter than Air (Included)
- SunCell
- Camera (Rating 6)
- Low Light
- Thermographic
- Ultrasound
- Vision Enhancement (Rating 3)
- Vision Magnification
- Directional Microphone
- Laser Microphone (Rating 6)
- Radio Signal Scanner (Rating 6)
- Ultrawideband Radar (Rating 4)
- Camera (Rating 6)
- Adaptability Autosoft (Rating 3)
- Clearsight Autosoft (Rating 3) (Included)
- Covert Ops Autosoft (Rating 3)
Cost: 15,800
You've still got 1 more slot for vehicle modifications (I didn't really find anything terribly useful for that last spot that wouldn't interfere with its ability to hide in plain sight), and 2 more spots for sensors (I suggest doubling up on the camera, directional microphone, or laser microphone, allowing you to have one following a specific target while the other scans the area for anything interesting). Talk to your GM, see if they'll allow Directional or Laser Microphones to be outfitted with the audio enhancements (If so, I'd go with Audio Enhancement and Select Sound Filters both at max rating).
Designed to be capable of remaining in operation indefinitely, this drone is intended to hover over a designated area watching everything going on below it until such time as commands from the rigger, or established orders tell it to move on. While it has no real defensive capabilities, the lack of overt modifications, chameleon coating to let it take on an appropriate color scheme and logos, and covert ops autosoft should be more than enough to let it blend in with the other miniblimps with legitimate business hovering in the area.
Renraku Stormcloud w/ Internal, Flexible, Remote Controlled Weapon Mount
- [Rifle of Choice] (The Barrett offers the best damage output here, but is also the hardest to get ahold of and most expensive and may be overkill in most situations; at the other end of the spectrum, a simple sporting rifle such as the Remington 950 is cheap and easy to get, but lacks the AP value of sniper rifles)
- Barrel Reduction (You're still looking at either 600 or 1200 meters as a max range, depending on whether you went with the sporting or sniper rifle, so this shouldn't hurt you significantly in most situations)
- Camoflage Gillie Shroud and/or Chameleon Coloration (Per RAW, they stack, but many GMs may rule against this, or declare that you can't get a Gillie Shroud that covers the gunport and looks like a natural part of the drone, the goal here is as much concealability for as little as possible)
- Imaging Scope with Vision Magnification
- Silencer
- Smartgun
- Covert Ops Autosoft
- Targetting (Longarms) Autosoft
Not as discreet as the prior Stormcloud build, but should be good enough. Drift in, take the shot, drift away. Use for wetworks, or just providing ranged support/cover for the team. Once again, relying on the ability to pass as just one more Stormcloud to avoid drawing scrutiny or fire. Can be loaded with the same sensor package listed above, though without the improved sensor array, there's no 2 extra slots for you to play with. Loss of Sun Cell also means that your run-time is actually limited to 60 hours.
Unfortunately SunCell and Chameleon Coating are mutually exclusive. You either have solar panels or color changing, not both.
That said, the hovering sensor package & sniper riffle combo is a nice one. One equiped with a mini-drone launch setup can fire off much more stealthy drones from above. I'm still working out some ideas on an intrustion drone with flying fox so you could drop it onto a roof of a secure facility using Kulls, concaled towers, etc... or alterantively have it break out of a facility you sneak it into by jumping off a roof or out a window and glide a way.
That said, the hovering sensor package & sniper riffle combo is a nice one. One equiped with a mini-drone launch setup can fire off much more stealthy drones from above. I'm still working out some ideas on an intrustion drone with flying fox so you could drop it onto a roof of a secure facility using Kulls, concaled towers, etc... or alterantively have it break out of a facility you sneak it into by jumping off a roof or out a window and glide a way.
QUOTE (BlackJaw @ Jun 24 2009, 09:50 PM)
That said, the hovering sensor package & sniper riffle combo is a nice one. One equiped with a mini-drone launch setup can fire off much more stealthy drones from above.
Like the GTS Tower for example....
For when you just need to infiltrate and attack the toy store.
Ferret decked out to look like a WH40k APC. Use it's weapon mount to install a Multilaunch drone rack (5space). Fill it w/ space marines (bust-a-moves). Maybe put a scary looking ramplate bulldozer front on it (hey it's all about the looks). Non-hidden armor of course.
Or for the truly star wars mad... walker mode... for your own AT-AT filled w/ stormtroopers.
(ferret only little drone I can think of w/ the 5 space needed for the multi-launch rack... seemed kinda fitting).
Ferret decked out to look like a WH40k APC. Use it's weapon mount to install a Multilaunch drone rack (5space). Fill it w/ space marines (bust-a-moves). Maybe put a scary looking ramplate bulldozer front on it (hey it's all about the looks). Non-hidden armor of course.
Or for the truly star wars mad... walker mode... for your own AT-AT filled w/ stormtroopers.
(ferret only little drone I can think of w/ the 5 space needed for the multi-launch rack... seemed kinda fitting).
QUOTE (Falconer @ Jun 24 2009, 11:54 PM)
(ferret only little drone I can think of w/ the 5 space needed for the multi-launch rack... seemed kinda fitting).
Much to my disappointment I must remind you that the multi-launch rack has a Body minimum of 10.
Hence my love for the GTS Tower....
QUOTE (BlackJaw @ Jun 24 2009, 10:50 PM)
Unfortunately SunCell and Chameleon Coating are mutually exclusive. You either have solar panels or color changing, not both.
That said, the hovering sensor package & sniper riffle combo is a nice one. One equiped with a mini-drone launch setup can fire off much more stealthy drones from above. I'm still working out some ideas on an intrustion drone with flying fox so you could drop it onto a roof of a secure facility using Kulls, concaled towers, etc... or alterantively have it break out of a facility you sneak it into by jumping off a roof or out a window and glide a way.
That said, the hovering sensor package & sniper riffle combo is a nice one. One equiped with a mini-drone launch setup can fire off much more stealthy drones from above. I'm still working out some ideas on an intrustion drone with flying fox so you could drop it onto a roof of a secure facility using Kulls, concaled towers, etc... or alterantively have it break out of a facility you sneak it into by jumping off a roof or out a window and glide a way.
Oops. Missed that.
After the run last night, my hacker bought a Tapper Drone (unwired, 1000gp) with the Gecko Tip Addon.
Looking at it, the Tapper Drone is a good cheap platfrom to modify into a hacker stealth intrusion drone. It's as small as a cockroach, has a built in optical tap, and able to drag optical cable behind it... all built in. Thanks to the 4 slot minimum rule, we can add in a few extra tricks on top of that.
Looking at it, the Tapper Drone is a good cheap platfrom to modify into a hacker stealth intrusion drone. It's as small as a cockroach, has a built in optical tap, and able to drag optical cable behind it... all built in. Thanks to the 4 slot minimum rule, we can add in a few extra tricks on top of that.
Technomancer drone riggers should consider an anthroform drone, especially if you don't have biowires. Then you can call up a machine sprite with 2 autosofts: 1) pilot:anthroform and 2) whatever skill you need. If you've got the time/energy, you can add another machine sprite and have it use Diagnostics to improve the drone's performance.
This is especially handy for activities like demolitions where you don't want to be nearby but works for those necessities like medicine/first aid, pilot (manually operated exotic vehicle), and even pistol/longarm/automatic/heavy weapons.
Give the drone some clothes and a nanopaste disguise kit and a the standard Manservant drone from Arsenal can pose as an elderly person, an adolescent, or maybe a dwarf.
This is especially handy for activities like demolitions where you don't want to be nearby but works for those necessities like medicine/first aid, pilot (manually operated exotic vehicle), and even pistol/longarm/automatic/heavy weapons.
Give the drone some clothes and a nanopaste disguise kit and a the standard Manservant drone from Arsenal can pose as an elderly person, an adolescent, or maybe a dwarf.
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