Does 3rdEd Shadowrun have automatic sentry guns? Specifically, guns that can accurately fire w/o a skilled Gunner or Rigger behind them? Yes, I know about vehicle turrets, etc, but those all require a skilled Rigger or Gunner. The scenario I'm planning requires that the guns are able to acquire their targets and shoot them by themselves once they are activated (and a friend-or-foe signal to prevent them shooting the wrong persons).

Where do I find costs/avail/etc on these?

I know there are some in RA:S. I believe there were also some in CorpSec.

The Farm again?

~J

You can use the Ares Sentry II as a base. While mounted on a trailer, it should provide basic details. A drone pilot with sensors, a smartlink intergration and autosoft, plus remote turret and safe-fire system (?) could be built and doesn't require a rigger or gunner by using senor-enhanced gunnery.

Yup; the Farm. Depending on circumstances, it might be just me, or might be my whole gang of buddies holding out the compound against a whole bunch of Italian capos (my char's primary Lvl 4 hunted). And unlike the ATF, they're probably not going to be giving me 51 days to write the "7 scriptures" (or whatever Koresh was claiming to do).

If the former, then my char needs something that doesn't need any Gunnery skill because I don't have any. If the latter, then it would be nice to use the sentry guns to flush the enemies out (ie, burn their combat pools trying to dodge the automatic fire) before my teammates snipe them from behind reinforced walls. I'll also need the same setup to be able to fire Missiles for when the Capos bring in gunships.

FoF had sentry guns. I don't know about SR3.

You realize we're going to want a blow-by-blow if/when the Mafia finally takes a shot at cracking "Waco."

Suppressive fire is great for burning combat pool.

~J

Don't worry Garland, I'm sure either I or Docmortand will fill everyone in on the gory details. The farm itself has already been bought; escape tunnels dug, a getaway car stashed and I've already started planting trees around the perimeter to hide the farm from the country road, along with providing a nice place to conceal some mines. I've also already started reinforcing the farm's walls with concrete and scrap steel on the inside. We already have 3 LMGs and 1 MMG set aside, but I need a way to get them operational (hence, my questions here). I still need to buy a few hundred mines, several thousand rounds of ExEx ammo, some C-12 (to self-destruct the house when they converge), and some missiles (for the gunships that will be coming). I'd like to get some mini-guns if we come across them, but that is more of a "hope-and-see".

Kagetenshi, I've not been a fan of Suppersive fire in terms of direct action against the enemy (especially if the area is widespread), but I haven't thought of how it can work in conjunction with aimed fire. I'll have to give that some thought. I initially was wanting to get a couple of Vengance/Vanquishers, which would have been great for suppressive fire, but Doc said that would get too much attention from the military, so I had to kibosh that idea.

Sentry guns are covered in the basic rulebook. Check in that section with the security rules.

The Ultimate(?) Sentry Gun

That, or you can just have a drone without a way of moving itselfs, essientially a dogbrain with a gun and some sensors.

Yeah, that would make more sense, but with the vehicle design rules in Rigger 3, the Light and Medium Industrial Mover chasses are by far the best -- a lot of CF and Load, very low Mark-Up factor.

You realize those are rather large right? As in the light is a bulldozer sized thing.

I'd say more a mini-tracked drone, on a 1 foot length of track, there ya go. Make that, and build off it, or just use the generic tracked drone in the back already.

Yes, they are pretty large -- the Pyramid Protector has a total Load rating of 2500 before any of the gear. But you won't fit all the stuff on the PP onto a small drone.

But yeah, the PP is meant for a very specific use -- providing somewhat-mobile, stealthy, highly effective anti-aircraft and anti-armor protection for those with big budgets. If you just want to keep out a few criminals (or police officers), you're better off with something like a Crawler Drone or something -- small, more mobile, rather affordable. Or a Light Axle Trailer.

Where did you find tracked drones?

edit: aye em wetawded.

How about small exploding crawler mines as well?

Heh...I'm staying out of this one, because I already have planned that I and the rest of the team will be playing the capos for a one shot, and Lina gets to man the defenses as GM.

As the defenses get more and more hairy I am definately feeling sorry for the capos...

Some of the mines being discussed are variations on Bouncing Bettys, too...

Don't worry, when we get to the siege and destruction of Angel's Farm, I'll post it up here in all it's gory details.

Keep up the suggestions!

R3 also has the trailer mounted versions which is a drone but could easily just be a sentry gun for quick set up defense as well.

I don't think anyone answered your questions directly, Lina. The description and rules mechanics of Automatic Gun Systems are in SR3, p. 236. They come in 'dumb' and 'smart', the latter will actually target individuals. For automated guns I use, I abandoned the rules in this section for 'dumb' guns and use the suppressive fire rules insted, with an effective rating of 4 and a set fire arc. That doesn't change the rule extensively, just makes them mesh more with standard suppressive fire.

Thanks Luke. I'll look at this entry tonight. If they are what I hope they are, a couple dozen of these, 10000 rounds of ExEx, and 500 land mines should gives the Capos something to think about...just before they die!

If you're doing acquisition according to the rules, though, you'll have to ask your GM for Availability and cost (and a number of other things, probably, like BOD and possible Armor, Signature, etc.) for these things. The section in sr3.236 only details how they attack.
[Edit]Slow is me.[/Edit]

LinaInverse.

Have you ever read Tom Clancy's Hidden Agendas? (The Third Net Force Book i think) There's a Russian Fellow with some nice idea's about the kind of thing you doing with you piece of Real Estate.

Ignore. Double Post

Get backup generator and a supply of fuel so if they cut the power then it kicks in and you're not affected. If you've got an escape tunnel then invest in a load of plastic explosives so when you run for it leave the defences of automatic and have the explosives triggered when the house is breached. Destroys any evidence/clues, causes a lot of confusion to help cover your escape and takes out even more of the bad guys.

If your going for mines, might I suggest adding some sort of remote control feature to them? Plant them normally but have a burried cable linking them to the house. When everything's normal and you're out and about you have them turned off, but if there's an alert or someone attacking you then they get switched on. Lot less obvious since if someone's got the place under surveillance then they're bound to notice if there are large patches people always avoid walking on and suspect minefields.

Speaking of surveillance, you could also loft a Condor drone or two up yourself to keep an eye on things. High signature and endurance makes them pretty handy. Add FDDM/IVS systems so they can act as spotters. Is it possible to add a mortar to a drone turret and have it fired automatically? Even if not, just firing it by hand with seeker rounds on a mix of high explosive and anti-personnel mortars gives you a poor mans artillery.

Deep ponds and other water features are a boon to security. Make them large and deep enough that they can't be jumped or waded through and it helps channel attackers where you want to go. Or leave it shallow enough to be wadeable but add a little surprise like a spitting pike or awakened pihrana. Or have an undeground cable wired to a generator terminate in the botton of it so hit the switch and it becomes electrified.

Of course, all it takes is one phone call by the bad guys to the Feds or local police and you're in big trouble- Waco here you come.

Don't forget the frickin' lasers on thier heads.

Sea Leech. Sure, you have to salt the pond, but that will just let you kill the freaking monster when you have to. That or the Spitting Pike. Nasty critters.

With fricking lasers.

Depends on how ticked said mafia Don is. If he's mad enough, it might not be fast enough to suit.

Possibly. Been a while since I read Mob War/New Seattle, does it say whether he's particularly hot headed?

Oops, missed that one. So it's probably a she rather than a he.

~J

It seems to me that large amounts of razor wire, electrified or not, would probably preclude the need for a sign.

you don't get a nickname like "the Butcher" by being a patient, reasonable individual.

edit: curses, beaten to the punch.

As long as you're properly messy and brutal once you've got the target at your mercy, you can probably get away with using the cops to bag them.

~J

I think the trick is getting word out that, 'hey, we've found out she's got this place in Snomish, and is holed up there with a couple of friends.' Then a nasty, retribution force comes knocking, the semi-solid waste hits the oscillating device, with minefields, mortars, and machine guns (oh my!) and then KABOOM! The entire place goes up like Barry Pepper's career after "Battlefield: Earth."

And then if all they can find afterwards is a partially charred corpse that they think is probably you, you can call the whole thing a smashing success.

What if they try ground penetrating radar, sonar, of spirits to check for tunnels?

What if they use the aforementioned method before the strike?

~J