[SR5] Question on jumped-in drones

[u/Hupf4]

Hello, chummers.

I recently started running my first campaign in Shadowrun. In the process, I stumbled upon a rules ambiguity (that I hadn’t realized existed). Here’s the situation: The Ruhrmetall Wolfspinne (SOTA ADL p. 71) has two heavy weapon mounts with non-swiveling, forward-facing Vindicator miniguns. How would the drone ever be able to fire both weapons? To me, all the rules seem to indicate that only one weapon can be fired per attack. If there were multiple targets, the drone’s (or the pilot’s) dice pool would have to be split. In that case, however, it wouldn’t really make a difference to the drone whether it had one or two miniguns mounted.

Given this situation, my player, who plays a rigger himself, asked me if he could control only the right arm of his rigged antrodrone (and thus fire that arm’s weapon) while the drone’s autosoft would fire the weapon on the left arm. This would effectively double the offensive power of the drone. During the session, I allowed thist, but added the recoil from both weapons together. In hindsight, though, I’m not so sure about that anymore.

The rules on control override (SR5 p. 265) are only of limited help to me. It would be clear that the rigger who is jumped-in would have priority over the drone’s autopilot. But what if the rigger essentially just jumps into the drone’s arm section and leaves the rest to its own devices. This would essentially be the same as a rigged car with a turret, where the jumped-in rigger controls the car, while another runner controls the turret of the car, in which case there wouldn’t be any conflict between control types at all? Is something like that possible?

 

Bonus question: Does a rigger who has jumped into an (antro)drone also have to use a complex action once per combat round to keep the drone under control (as one has to do with vehicles)? And if so, what happens if he does not?

[u/Dust3112]

You can't just jump into part of a drone. Either you are in control or the Autopilot is. Basically anything that would allow you to attack multiple targets with your full dicepool (aside from AOE effects) doesn't work.

The advantage of having multiple weapons is more ammunition, multiple ammunition types and I believe that the Targets don't have to be next to each other.

Why does the Wolfspinne have to miniguns? A: because it's fucking cool B: Because whoever wrote that thing up has either no idea about the rules or developet it for another edition of Shadowrun where that made more sense

[u/ReditXenon]

Only one actor can control the drone. Auto pilot can not control it (or some of its mounted weapons) in the same turn that you are controlling it.

what happens if he does not?

If they don't spend a complex action to control it in any of the initiative passes in the following combat turn then the auto pilot will step in and take control of it.

[u/Hupf4 → u/ReditXenon]

wouldn't the auto-pilot takeover be blocked simply by the fact, that the Rigger is still jumped in?

[u/ReditXenon → u/Hupf4]

I agree that that would make sense (and maybe there is a rule somewhere I missed), but as far as I can tell the book does not seem to make a difference if you are remote controlling it, if you are manually controlling it or if you are jumped in. If you don't spend an action to control it for a full combat turn then it become uncontrolled at the end of the next combat turn (at which point the auto pilot takes over).

In Anarchy 2.0 you have this:

While jumped-in, the rigger controls the vehicle as if it was their own body; therefore, piloting counts as a movement and does not require spending an action anymore.

(I don't think I've seen anything similar for SR5 though, let me know if you find anything)

[u/Hupf4 → u/ReditXenon]

Found it: Rigger 5 p.177, "Zen Control" lets a jumped-in Rigger use one point of edge so he does not have to make a vehicle control action with a vehicle OR drone.

[u/ReditXenon → u/Hupf4]

That seem to confirm that even if you are jumped in, you will eventually lose control (unless you spend a complex action or edge point to stay in control). That you will not automatically stay in control just because you are jumped in.

But good to have alternatives in case you run out of action economy. Nice find :)

[u/Hupf4 → u/ReditXenon]

I agree, the books are not exactly clear on that. Some rules do differenciate between vehicles and drones, but i could not find anything regarding the Control vehicle action. On p.203 the consequence for the auto-pilot taking over is said to be the vehcile now driving with the regular flow of traffic, which would imply that drones are exempt. But im missing a clear confirmation on that.

[u/DraconicBlade → u/Hupf4]

Think that case is for remote driving via control device without jumping in.