Rigger's Primer

Welcome to the ShadowRun Riggers Primer. In the following pages we will go through the basics of rigging, from the gear and skills you'll want to take to what kind of actions and maneuvers you can do while rigging. First up will be a quick Glossary, explaining the various terms used through this guide. —- Glossary CG - Character Generation, where you create your character and their gear. R3R - Rigger 3 Revised Rulebook. SR3 - ShadowRun Core Rulebook. TN - Target Number, the number you need to get or higher on a d6. VCR – (Vehicle Control Rig) A cyberware implant wired into your middle brain. This piece of ware is what makes you a Rigger. RCD – (Remote Control Deck) A device that allows a Rigger to remotely control drones/vehicles at a distance. ASIST – (Artificial Sensory Induction System Technology) This is the interface that allows your brain to understand the signals being sent to it, and in turn converts brain waves to readable signals to your drone network. Drone – A remotely control vehicle, equipped with a computer pilot and sometimes weapons. ECM – (Electronic Counter Measures) A system that can disrupt radio and rigging channels, reducing range. ECCM – (Electronic Counter-counter Measures) A counter system to ECM, used to fight off interference caused by ECM. ED – (Electronic Deception) A more insidious bit of hardware, reducing the vehicle/drones electronic profile and making it harder to detect. ECD – (Electronic Counter-Deception) As before, designed to fight against Electronic Deception and reduce its effectiveness. Autosoft – Just like an Activesoft or knowsoft, but for drones. Rules vary, but they can't be higher rated that a drone pilots rating. Flux – Used to determine how powerful your devices are, in terms of range. VTOL - Vertical TakeOff/Landing. This includes Roto-craft and Vector Thrust aircraft. VSTOL - Very Short TakeOff/Landing. This is for Fixed winged Aircraft and some Vector thrust aircraft. STOL - Short Takeoff/Landing Part 1: The Gear —- VCR The first item, and most important is the VCR. This device is what allows you to mentally communicate with vehicles and drones, and actually 'jump' into one for direct control. They come in three ratings, from 1 to 3. Each rating will give you a +2 to your reaction while rigging, and +1d6 to your initiative. It will also give you a -1 tn per rating for control actions done while jumped into a vehicle/drone. All three levels are available in chargen, but they start expensive and only get more so the higher the rating. They also impact the body in a big way, leaving little room for other cyberware at the higher levels. In the end, its a personal choice of how you want to go. Most people choose a rating 2 VCR, and upgrade later as that leaves them enough cash to buy drones and other bits of gear you will need to be a successful rigger. Without a Vehicle Control Rig you can only do remote control with drones in a Captain's Chair mode where you sit back monitoring feeds from the various drones, issuing commands to the drones for them to interpret. —- RCD The Second item is the RCD, or Remote Control Deck. This device allows you to remotely control drones and vehicles. Each deck will have a Subscriber list, which enables it to identify drones under its control. Only drones on this list can be controlled. A subscriber list can contain equal to twice the RCD's rating. However, a RCD can actively control only a number of drones equal to its rating. The following is a basic RCD you can build and buy in CG. Items with a plus sign are part of the deck (installed modules, rules in the books listed). The RCD comes with an amount of ports equal to its rating. Additional ports can be bought at the price listed. Name Rating Cost Book, page# Remote Control Deck 6 30000 SR3, P.306 +ECCM 4 37500 SR3, P.305 +Intercom Speaker - 25 SR3, P.306 +RC Biofeedback Module 4 40000 R3R, P.97 +Signal Amplifier Module 6 1500 R3R, P.98 (The next few items also go on a RCD, but are optional to your style of play) RC Encryption Module 5 25000 R3R, P.98 RC Decryption Module 5 37500 R3R, P.98 Battletech IVIS Module - 75000 R3R, P.98 Storage memory - 1000MP - 6000 R3R, P.98 Autosoft - Clearsight 3 13500 R3R, P.99 (54MP in size) Autosoft - Sharpshooter 3 18000 R3R, P.99 (72MP in size) Extra Port - 235 Matrix p.59 —- Vehicles There are a wide variety of vehicles available in ShadowRun:Denver, both from the books and custom designed vehicles. There also so many different rigger concepts I couldn't even begin to cover all the different type of builds out there. So instead, I will present you a few options and their costs. But before I do that, lets go over the basic statistics a vehicle has so you can make an informed decision. Handling - This refers to how maneuverable a vehicle is, and how easily a character can control it. The rating equals the base TN you need to hit on a d6 in order to do any sort of maneuver. All ground vehicles will have two numbers separated by a slash (Example: 3/5). The first number is its On-road handling, which covers any paved surface. The second number is its Off-road handling, for driving on any other type of surface except paved roads. Speed - The Speed rating represents the maximum speed a vehicle can safely travel for a sustained distance. This speed is expressed as meters per Combat Turn. Fixed-winged aircraft have two speed ratings. The higher is its maximum safe speed; the lower represents the aircraft's stall speed, the minimum speed it must maintain to keep flying. Under exceptional circumstances a vehicle may travel faster than its Speed Rating, but with unpleasant side effects. Vehicles may exceed their Speed Ratings by up to 1.5 times the rating, but doing so increases the difficulty for most Success Tests during Vehicle Combat. To convert a vehicles Speed Rating from meters per Combat Turn into Kilometers per hour, multiply the rating by 1.2. To convert it to MPH, multiply it by .75. Acceleration - This is how fast your vehicle can increase its speed within a given period. You can make a Driving Test (explained later on), to boost your vehicles speed. Each success rolled increases the vehicles Speed by its Acceleration Rating. Decelerating - A vehicle can brake or otherwise decelerate safely as long as its deceleration within a single Combat Turn does not exceed its Acceleration Rating multiplied by 4. If a vehicle exceeds this limit, the character must make a Crash Test (explained later). The base TN is the vehicles Handling Rating. For every 20 meters per turn (or portion thereof) by which the vehicle exceeds the safe deceleration limit, increase the TN by +1. Body - A vehicles Body Rating represents its mass and measure how much punishment it can take. The higher the number, the larger a vehicle is. Vehicles are solid and heavy when compared to other targets (people, for example), so reduce the Power of all attacks by half (except weapons that fire AV munitions) and the Damage Level drops by 1. For example, an attack that does 9M damage would do 4L to a vehicle after the reductions. Armor - The Armor Rating represents composite armor that protects the vehicle against all weapons fire. It is considered Hardened Armor, meaning it can deflect all damage from weapons with a Power (modified by the vehicles body, but not by burst or autofire) equal to or less than the Armor Rating. For Example, if a vehicle has Armor rating 3, no weapon with a Power Rating of 6 or lower can penetrate it; firing at the vehicle with an Uzi III (6M damage) gets you a bunch of sparks for your efforts. Against fire from a weapon with a Power Rating that exceeds the armor rating, the armor reduces the power of the attack like standard ballistic or impact armor. Vehicle armor provides no protection from impact damage from collisions. Signature - This indicates a vehicle's vulnerability to electromagnetic or thermal detection and serves as the TN for sensor and missile to-hit tests made against the vehicle. Signature does not represent the vehicle's vulnerability to target designators, such as laser or microwave targeting devices. Characters use standard ranged combat rules when targeting vehicles with such devices. Autonav - This represents the vehicle's collision-detection and navigation system. It acts as a drivers assistant. It can make minor control adjustments to avoid collisions and can navigate a course, but it cannot perform other autonomous functions such as firing vehicle weapons. During game play, a vehicle's Autonav Rating provides extra dice a character can use for Non-combat maneuvers. A vehicle's autonav system impedes the controlling character's ability to perform combat maneuvers, adding a +1 TN per rating to any Handling tests while in combat. Pilot - This indicates a drone's autonomous decision-making capability (more commonly known as the "dog brain"). Drones with high Pilot Ratings can "understand" and execute more complex commands than those with lower ratings. A drones Pilot Rating applies when no Rigger is controlling it. In those cases, the Drones Pilot Rating counts as the Riggers relevant skill for any required test. Sensor - This represents the vehicle's target-detection, target-identification, and targeting systems, as well as the vehicles radio transponders for position-locating systems such as GPS. If a vehicle has an Autonav system, it automatically has a Sensor Rating of zero or higher. The Sensor Rating determines the base number of dice used for the vehicle's Perception Tests. Cargo Factor - This indicates how much 'space' a vehicle has for storage or modifications. One point of CF is equivalent to a cube of space half a meter long on each side (0.125 cubic meters). Load - This represents the amount of weight (in kilograms) a vehicle can lift, pull or carry. Load does not include the weight of passengers, except in unusual circumstances. Seating The Seating Code denotes a vehicles seating capacity. The order of numerals in the Seating Code indicates the arrangement of seats in the vehicle. Example: A Seating Code of 2+2+2b indicates that the front of the vehicle contains 2 bucket seats, the second row contains 2 bucket seats, and the back contains 2 bench seats. Entry Points - This indicates what kind of entry/exit points a vehicle has, and where they are located. A code of 2d +1f means it has two front doors, and one rear-opening door. Fuel - The type of fuel a vehicle requires. There are several different types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. It will also tell you how much fuel the vehicle can carry, which works in conjuction with Economy. Economy - This is how efficient your engine is in burning/using its fuel. The higher the number, the further you can go on the same amount of fuel. S/B - This stands for Setup/Breakdown, a term used with various drones. It allows you to break a drone down in the noted time to take up less space for storage, and the same amount of time to put back together. L/T - Landing/Take-off profile. This is strictly for airborne vehicles, and tells you how it can land or take off. Chassis - The type of vehicle it is, from Jet fighter to economy car. Doesn't really have much use beyond a few basic modifications. —- Now that we have that out of the way, I shall provide you with a few example vehicles to choose from, for various types of Rigger. These are only examples, though you can use them if you like. There are far too many different ways to do a rigger for me to cover them all! So, with that I present to you: The Smuggler This is a vehicle for the person looking to get into and out of hard to reach places. It has Vector Thrust engines, allowing it to hover and fly. And being electric, its much harder to spot and hear since it doesn't have that tell-tale jet engine sound. This particular vehicle is setup to sneak past sensors and patrols, flying quietly through the air. On the off chance it needs to go into a hot zone, it has a smoke dispensor mounted on its rear that can be use to obscure the battlefield and allow for extraction or dropoff of people. Either way, this machine has no armor, so think well before you use it in combat. All in all, This vehicle will cost you a total of 208,360 Nuyen, but is available in CG. (car is at +info gear custom vehicles vega) Name Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load Ford Vega 3 264 30 3 0 6 0 3 1 0 75 Seat Entry Fuel Econ S/B L/T Chass SI Avail Cost 2+1fb 2d+1t EC(250PF) .5km/PF - VTOL VT Sedan 1 4/48h 125,000 Additional Equipment Rating Cost Avail Book/page# Transponder Library Chip 6 2160 5/48hrs R3R p.101 Infrared Smoke Projector 12 - 2200 7/28days R3R p.101 Improved Drone Pilot 3 20000 6/14days R3R p.127 Rigger Adaption - 2800 4/7days R3R p.130 Electronic Deception 3 50000 8/60days R3R p.144 Anti-theft w/ Shock 6 1200 4/7days R3R p.150 Photovoltaic Chameleon Paint - 5000 6/14days R3R p.153 The Heavy This is exactly as it sounds. It's a big fricking vehicle with all the bells and whistles. You simply can't hide this thing using normal means, so you gotta be smart. To help in this, it has concealed armor and Photovoltaic paint to help it blend in better to its surroundings. It sports a top mounted Drone rack, so your aerial drones can be launched and picked up without having to unpack them. Comes with a bunch of other goodies, including two internal Hard-point weapon mounts with weapons (You get to choose their facing, front or rear). It also comes with a host of other goodies to help you get done what needs to be done. This is a big vehicle for big jobs and will get you into and out of many areas in a hurry. This is best suited to the drone rigger archtype, due to the size and space it has available for drone storage. All in all, This vehicle will cost you a total of 278,810 Nuyen, but is available in CG. (car is at +info gear vehicles land transport) Name Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load GMC 4201 Heavy Transport 2/6 143 6 6 0 2 2 3 0 81.6 5964 Seat Entry Fuel Econ S/B L/T Chass SI Avail Cost 2+1b 2d+1x D(500l) 3km/l - - Heavy Transport 1 4/4days 80,000 Additional Equipment Rating Cost Avail Book/page# Turbo Charging 3 24,000 6/12days R3R p.126 Drive-by-wire 2 40,000 8/16days R3R p.129 Transponder Library Chip 6 2160 5/48hrs R3R p.101 Smoke Projector 12 - Thermal - 2200 6/28days R3R p.101 Drone Pilot 3 25,000 6/14days R3R p.127 Oil-Slick Sprayer - 600 5/14days R3R p.127 Sensors 5 15,000 8/30days R3R p.147 Contingency Maneuver Controls 6 22,500 6/14days R3R p.128 Rigger Adaption - 2800 4/7days R3R p.130 Remote-Control Interface - 15,000 4/7days R3R p.130 Concealed Armor 6 12,000 8/21days R3R p.132 EnviroSeal System (Gas) w/over pressure - 31,500 8/14days R3R p.132 Smartlink Integration Kit - 650 4/48hrs R3R p.139 Internal Hardpoint - 3000 6/7days R3R p.137 Gunnery Recoil Adjuster 6 3000 6/48hrs R3R p.137 Ingram Valiant w/smartlink I - 4500 6/5days +info gear firearms machineguns Ammunition Bin(4000 rounds) - 100 6/7days R3R p.136 Internal Hardpoint - 3000 6/7days R3R p.137 ArmTech MGL-12 w/smartlink I - 4400 6/36hrs +info gear firearms launch ECM 4 50,000 8/21days R3R p.144 Anti-Theft with Electroshock 6 3200 4/7days R3R p.150 Drone Rack 2 21,000 4/96hrs R3R p.151 Photovoltaic Chameleon Paint - 5000 6/14days R3R p.153 Spotlight (White) - 600 4/96hrs R3R p.153 Spotlight (Infrared) - 600 4/96hrs R3R p.153 Runflat Tires (6 tires) - 3000 - R3R p.155 The Getaway driver Fast cars are a way of life for some. And this one certain meets those needs. It lacks armor, but it lacks in protection it makes up for in speed and maneuverability. A host of systems to help it stay under the radar are installed, including the expensive Ruthenium system. While a lot more expensive than Photovoltaic paint, it offers a lot more in the way of versatility by being to instantly switch colors and patterns without the delay that Photovoltaic has. It can also show full video across the entire vehicle or just about any animated icons you could want. But the real power comes in the stealth it can provide. By parking nearby and flicking a switch, the car becomes near invisible to the naked eye, making it the perfect vehicle to lie in wait while the team gets in and out. And of course, if you do end up being chased, the transponder library linked to the morphing plates make it that much harder for them to track you! Even then, if they are on your tail, you can simply turn on the oil slick sprayer and make them lose control while you make your getaway. All in all, this is a car meant to get away from pursuit then use its Ruth abilities to hide until the coast is clear. The only draw back is being a sports car, it has little room for a troll. You could probably stuff one in there, but everything from handling to your speed would suffer greatly. The total cost of this vehicle with the listed gear will be 268,210 nuyen and available in CG. Name Hand Speed Accel Body Armor Sig Auto Pilot Sensor Cargo Load Eurocar Westwind Turbo 2/7 264 14 3 0 1 3 0 1 4 35 Seat Entry Fuel Econ S/B L/T Chass SI Avail Cost 2+1b 2d+1t Gas (80l) 5.4km/l - - sports car 2 4/96h 77,000 Additional Equipment Rating Cost Avail Book/page# Turbocharging 2 included included R3R p.126 APPS (2 seats 1 bench) - Included Included R3R p.131 Nitrous Oxide Injectors 5 24,500 4/48hrs R3R p.126 Rigger Adaption - 2800 4/7days R3R p.130 Drive-by-wire System 1 19250 8/16days R3R p.129 Roll Bars - 2000 3/72hrs R3R p.133 Anti-theft system w/Electroshock 6 3200 4/7days R3R p.150 Performance Runflat Tires x4 - 1700 - R3R p.155 Transponder Library 6 2160 5/48hrs R3R p.101 Morphing License Plate - 5000 8/14days R3R p.101 Oil Slick Sprayer - 600 5/14days R3R p.101 Ruthenium Polymers - 100,000 5/14days M&M p.114 Ruthenium Sensors 6 30,000 5/14days M&M p.114 To be Continued.