Drone

For many the Drone (also called an unmanned aerial vehicle *UAV's*,) are synonymous with News feeds, flying along the roads, NoGo's and in warzones, allowing news gathers to get in and get the 'News'. Yet these secretive, flying, intelligence-gathering device like all things have a darkerside. For while the

    News channels and News-Bloggers use them to capture the news, the military make use of them in conflict situations and this has not gone unnoticed with the Gangs and Sanctioned Op's as they're re-purposed into remotely-controlled or pre-programmed UAV's, rigged with new equipment and equipped with weapons. (Expense usually precludes the latter.)

## **Facts and Figures**

In PZ Territories there are many suppliers that sell personal Drones for a variety of uses, but Ops Teams tend to buy Combat versions from these companies, while Gangs and Cults build their own versions out in the NoGo.

**Speed:** Drones can Fly faster than a Character can run and as a result they can move 2 Spaces (16cm) rather than 1 (8cm).

**Wounds:** Drones are small and light as a necessity of design and as a result they have only 2 Wounds.

**Armour:** Light Weight Plastic casings and supporting frames used in Drones make them more resistant to bullets and explosions and as such they have an Armour of 1.

**Weight:** Drones are built to be light weight so they can fly around easily, Drones Weigh 25.

**Cost:** Not Including any Weapons and Ammo a Drone Costs $1,500

Like Vehicles and other Machines a Drone are vulnerable to Hack attempts and can employ software to defend themselves from these attacks.

As With Robots a Drone has a Hard Point that can mount a number of possible options, A Drone has 1 Small Hard Point only but can be fitted with a Sidearm Weapon taking up that Hard Point or be fitted with any Equipment that requires such a Hard Point. If the Drone is equipped with a Weapon they may have Extended Magazines or even Belt Feeding mechanisms to allow them to carry a greater number of Shots.

## **Drone Behaviour**

Unlike Robots the Drone is not an independent Unit and requires programming and direction to achieve its goals, this means that each Drone in a Force is required to have an Operator that keeps in contact and manages their mission as it progresses.

If a Character is assigned to be the Drone Controller they need not be in proximity to the Drone as they can use *coms* devices, even from vehicles. But if the Drone Controller is reduced to 0 Wounds or suffers a K.O. result then the Drone loses its controller and enters a default mode until another Character picks up control of the Drone (Characters in the same Force can simply make a Complex Action to declare they are taking control of the Drone, Enemy Characters must Hack the Drone to take control).

Drones with No Controller can Default to any of the Modes listed below but the Default Mode for each Drone in a Force must be selected before an Engagement Begins.

### **Hunter Mode**

Drones that are equipped with a Weapon can be set to enter Hunter Mode when they have No Controller, in this Mode the Drone will engage Enemies (Utilising the friend/foe technology that the cars combat system use) within its weapon range and open fire until it has exhausted its Shots or there are no more enemies in range.

If the Drone has Shots remaining but no targets it will begin to move in the direction of the nearest enemies and open fire once it is within range, if there are no Shots left or No Enemies it will default to 'Retreat Mode'

### **Retreat Mode**

Drones that are unarmed or out of Shots will often default to this Mode; When the Drone enters Retreat Mode it immediately turns toward the nearest board edge and begins travelling at its best speed until it leaves play and returns to its Base.

If the Drone is attacked during a Retreat it will immediately change directions and try to find a safer exit from the Field.

### **Regroup Mode**

Typically a Drone will default to this Mode if none are selected, in Regroup Mode the Drone will target the nearest allied Vehicle (Or Character if there are no Vehicles in play) and begin travelling toward it at best speed, on arrival the Drone will follow or if allowed (or the vehicle has an open back) land on the Vehicle and become a Passenger.

As with the Retreat Mode a Drone that comes under fire while in this Mode will find a safer route if possible, typically if the Drone reaches an allied Vehicle or Character they can then be taken Control of as normal.

## **Drone Types**

While most Drones used by Forces on the Highway are built to act as short range support Characters they are not indicative of all Drones, there are many differing types of Drones in use in the Dark Future, though most are of little direct benefit to a Force.

### **Recon Drones**

Many high altitude Drones are designed to cover great distances and gather Intel about enemy positions and Strongholds, these are generally used by the Military and Corporate interests, but some have been Designed and built by NoGo Gangs and Cults, and the Corporations will often sell them to Ops Teams.

**Approach:** +2

**Cost:** $5,000

If a Force has a Recon Drone at their disposal they may add a +2 Bonus to their Approach Roll for any Engagement they Declare, or a +1 for Engagements where they are the target.

### **Drone Carriers**

In Military conflicts around the world the Military use combat Drones and Robots extensively to deal with skirmishes, but getting them in place are performed by types of Drones that carry these Units and drop them from high altitude into the field.

**Range:** 3

**Capacity:** 6

**Cost:** $45,000

These large Drones are able to carry up to 6 Drones or Robots in berths and drop them into play anywhere within their Range from a Character or Vehicle on their Force, Drones can fly to the ground and Join Combat as normal, but Robots will be destroyed if dropped without Jump Jets (If they have Jump Jets they expend 1 Shot and roll for failure as normal).

The Drone Carrier is assumed to accompany the Force at high altitude and will Deploy their entire payload or part of it when a Character in Play makes a Complex Action to call them, at the beginning of the next Turn the Drones/Robots may be placed anywhere within the Drone Carriers range of the Character that called them in.

## **Drones as Intelligent Characters**

While Drones are not designed to have advanced intelligent programs or A.I Neural nets like Robots, and, their on-board computers are equally less advanced, however there are a number of upgrades available in the Robotic Augmentation Section that do not require any Hard Points that add additional Computing power to a Drone.

If the Drone is fitted with the Secondary Brain upgrade is essentially fitted with a Robotic Brain that is able to support the main Drone computer and make the Drone able to function as a normal Robot Character, this allows the Drone to begin with a Skill of 1 and build up their Mileage and develop as if they were a Robot, except that they have a Drone Body and can Fly.

## **Drone Equipment**

While a Drone can be fitted with a Weapon or Robotic Augmentation on its Small Hard Point, there are some pieces of equipment that are designed specifically for use by Drones and would do little good for others, or are simply more common on Drones than Robots.

### Laser Painter

Many Drones are fitted with a Targeting Laser that allows them to highlight a target for attack, Drones with a Laser Painter can aim and Shoot the Laser at an Enemy Vehicle or Character and transmit targeting Data to the rest of the Force.

***Range:**'* 12

**Accuracy:** +1

**Mounts:** 1 Small Hard Point

**Weight:** 3

**Cost:** $200

When the Drone selects a Target they must roll To Hit as normal for a ranged weapon, if they Hit the target is painted and the Drone must maintain the Target, as long as the Drone continues to have Line of Sight on the Target they grant a +1 Accuracy bonus to any allies that Shoot at the Painted Target, if the Drone targets a different Vehicle or Character then any Accuracy Bonus for previous targets is lost as the Drone can only Paint one target at a time.

### **Mini Passive Layer**

Small Hard Points are unable to carry even Light Weight Passives but the ability to deploy Smoke, Mines, or any other Passive is useful for these highly mobile Characters, this device is fitted with 6 Mounts that can each carry any type of passive and may deploy 1 or more of them with a Single Shoot Action.

**Shots:** 6

**Mounts:** 1 Small Hard Point

**Weight:** 15

**Cost:** $500

**Smoke Shot:** $5

**Oil Shot:** $5

**Spikes Shot:** $10

**Mines Shot:** $250

**Napalm Shot:** $100

A Drone with this Upgrade can carry 6 Shots in all and may take any combination of Shots from those available, if a Passive is deployed directly onto a Vehicle or Character then the target must resolve the effects of the Passive as if they had run into them normally, except for Oil and Spikes which must be under a Vehicle or Character to be effective.

### **Tech Support Computer**

Some Characters in the field (Especially Field Mechanics) like to use Drones as personal support Vehicles and equip them with specialized equipment that can be useful to the Character for Repairing and maintain Vehicles, Robots, and Drones.

**Repair:** +1

**Shots:** 10

**Mounts:** 1 Small Hard Point

**Weight:** 20

**Cost:** $1,000

A Character with a Tool Kit can use the Shots of the Drone instead of their own to save their supplies.

When a Character uses a Tool Kit to make repairs on a Vehicle, Robot, or Drone (Except the Drone fitted with the Tech Support Computer) they gain an additional +1 to their Repair roll from the assistance of the Drone.

### **Medic Support Computer**

Making use of Drones to support a Skilled Character is common practice for many Forces, and Medical Support is always high on the list, Drones equipped with this Upgrade are designed to provide support and assistance to Characters that are using Med Kits.

**Healing:** +1

**Shots:** 10

**Mounts:** 1 Small Hard Point

**Weight:** 20

**Cost:** $1,000

A Character with a Med Kit can use the Shots of the Drone instead of their own to save their supplies.

When a Character uses a Med Kit to Heal a Character they gain an additional +1 to their Healing roll from the assistance of the Drone.

### **Adaptive Holo-Plating**

Drones are often very vulnerable on the Road and may Forces seek to better conceal their activities so as to protect them from attack, Much like the Colour shifting effects of Holoskin this Upgrade coats the Drone in an Active Camouflage system that makes them harder to target at distance.

*Camouflage:'* +1

**Mounts:** None

**Weight:** 5

**Cost:** $2,500

When the Drone is targeted for attack the Attacker suffers a +1 Difficulty modifier making the Drone harder to hit at range.

### **Large Mount Converter**

Many Gangs and even Ops Teams would rather have a Drone that was able to carry a large weapon rather than being highly mobile, by fitting a large support Frame to the Drones Small Hard Point it can be retrofitted to carry Light Weight Weapon or Large Hard Point equipment from the Robotic Augmentation list, though this weighty upgrade slows the Drone down as a result of not being designed to carry such a heavy item.

**Speed:** -4cm

**Weight:** 50

**Cost:** $1,000

When a Drone is fitted with this system its total weight is increased and allows them to carry an additional 50 Weight, the Weight of the Mount is added to the Weight of the Drone but comes with additional lift support so that the Drone is not encumbered.

## See Also

UAV [1] (External Link)

Robots

Robotic Augmentation

Sidearm

Drones *(fan-made, non-canon gang)*

Index