| DRONE MODEL | COST | FITTINGS | AC | ENC | HP | RANGE | TL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 500 m | 3 | |
| 5,000 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 100 km | 4 | |
| 1,000 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 2 km | 4 | |
| 2,000 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 1 km | 4 | |
| 3,000 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 5 km | 4 | |
| 2,500 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 100 km | 4 | |
| 10,000 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 100 km | 5 | |
| 50,000 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 30 | 5000 km | 5 |
In the far future, it’s often more convenient to send an expendable grav-flying probe into danger before venturing less repairable assets. Well-prepared adventuring groups often have reason to pack along a drone or two for exploring and aerial recon.
Military use of drones is limited by the ubiquitous use of quantum ECM. The easy confusion of electronic navigation makes it impossible to control an unwired drone remotely on a modern battlefield or in proximity to important civil structures, but in the alien wilds or away from urban centers, drones remain a feasible tool for explorers and conquerors of primitive militaries.
Each drone has a cost, a maximum number of fittings, an Encumbrance weight for carrying it along, a hit point rating, a maximum control range, and a mini-mum tech level. Drones may be attacked as any other object and will crash once reduced to zero hit points.
Piloting a Drone
Piloting a drone requires either a cybernetic drone control link as described on page 83 or a handheld control unit that comes with the drone. A control link can pilot up to one drone plus the user’s Program skill at any one time. Handheld units can pilot only one. Drones consume one type A power cell for every hour of use.
A pilot must spend their Main Action each round to command the drone to either move or shoot. Un-commanded drones remain stationary if piloted via control link, while handheld units run a 2-in-6 chance of crashing a drone if the operator fails to control them.In combat, drones fly at 30 meters per round on their pilot’s turn in combat. Out of combat, they can manage up to 100 kilometers per hour.
Spotting a drone at observation range is a Wis/Notice skill check at difficulty 10. A drone close enough to engage a target can be spotted at difficulty 8. Any secure facility will have sensors capable of detecting a civilian drone as soon as it gets within observation range, unless the drone has stealth fittings.
Drone Combat
A drone’s pilot can activate up to one weapon the drone is carrying as part of their Main Action to control it each round. Weapons all use Intelligence as the con-trolling attribute, and use the better of the pilot’s Pilot or Program skills as the relevant weapon skill. The drone shoots using the pilot’s base attack bonus.