I'm a drone rigger in the campaign I'm currently playing, and one of my drones is this big, modified Anthroform with STR 12 arms. Stick a couple of spurs on this thing, and it does 18M damage, which is nice, but a little limited. I was wondering, can martial arts skills and techniques be used by an anthroform drone if the rigger is controling it directly? Mech Arm Operation is the skill used when making melee attacks with mech arms, but if the rigger is proficient in a martial arm, can those abilities be used as well?

Brings a whole new meaning to "Jet" Li...

I personally suggest Dikoted Hand Blades for 22M against halved impact armor. As for martial arts, I like Leopard III-Busting Fu.

Panzer kunst! Panzer kunst!

~J

I would say no.

Yes: IF! You want to make 1 handling check(keeping it upright), 4 mechanical arm operation checks (for arms & legs), and have the lowest arm operation successes (at the same TN) limit your max martial arts succeses. Then, you can, otherwise, no.

actually they cover this in the Maechanical Arms operation section:
You have to make a Mech Arms test, I believe TN 4, for every success you get to use one die from the physical skill you wish to attempt. No combat pool, but you can use control pool in it's place IIRC.
Edit:

The drone keeps itself upright, by the nature of the design.

No, look at rules for kicking with a walker drone (what an anthroform is).

Make the body of the anthroform out of cyber pats (cyberarms, cyberlegs), then they move just like a cybered-sammy would. Just as able to kick ass and take names in hand-to hand.
I would say that it would have to have a handling check done though. I'd suggest it being something more like a dificult manuever though instead of limiting the successes against the limit of the handling test. make it like tn#8 each round for the handling test, at least until he gets used to it. Otherwise though, it would be justs like doing the riggers martial arts w/ a cyber body.
not sure how to handle control pool/combat pool for it though.

Cyberarms, cyberlegs, cybertorso, cyberskull.

Muscle replacement.

Hrm.

Ouch.

Yuck.

Muscle replacement? What muscle replacement!? Super strong tongue? Gastrointestinal muscles? ph34r my peristaltic waves!

seriously, though, isn't there a compatability issue there?

I was constructing a drone in my head.

Cyberarms, cyberlegs, cybertorso and cyberskull - there's the basics.

Muscle replacement because they don't move on their own - something has to pull them, and muscle replacement is an existing solution.

By the same token, cannibalise a wired reflex system - you don't need/get the bonuses, but it's an existing solution for issuing the "commands" for movement.

add in the processor and power supply, you're there

I was under the impression that cyberlimbs did move on their own. Or rather, provide their own ability to generate force. (as opposed to 'on their own', as in, Ash's hand in army of darkness)

Hmm, I can see where you'd be coming from with that... unless the arm is moved by internal muscle analogues?

It quite possibly is, but either way I'm assuming that those muscle analogues that are internal to the limb come with the limb.
Although there is probably still some muscle work done in the upper limb, where those muscles are anchored to the torso. Of course, with a cybertorso I'd imagine that those bits have been replaced, too.

Use the robot and drone rules for the basics, just make the "chassis" with the cyberware parts. Still has a robot brain, and powerplant in the torso, battery power,etc. Just adapt the powesource for the cyberlimbs from the metahuman body to what ever powesource you're using. probably be eaiser to setup w/ a machine than a body (needs to biotech skill).

Sounds like a good idea. The organ space in the torso would provide space for the power plant.

Why on earth would it be harder to command an anthroform drone that is directly wired to the medula oblongata than command a vehicle that utilises non-human propulsion and stability control such as rotor-drones, bikes, etc.

It should be easier, unless, of course rigging is, oh wait, yep, its SR.

Dang it, Botch! I've warned you about thinking too much about the rules. Now, go drink 'till you forget.

I was atcually thinking of doing it without any extra tests. But for soem reason, they require a skill for mechanical arm. I don't really get why you hsould have to make a test to move stuff with a rigged arm, but whatever, there it is. That's why I suggested one check per round. If you have to make a test to do stuff with the arm, it makes sense doing full on martial arts with it would be tough. But if you have a decent skill in "mechanical arm" (and I still don't get why it needs a skill), getting a 6-8 once per turn should be easy.