Scout Drone Research

The scout drone is the smallest of the aerial cyberdisks employed by the collective. They have been dubbed "cyberdisks" by the men and women researching them because they are not truly autonomous, and require a neural link to a biological pilot.

Specs

Speed: 200 kph (MA 50 in combat)
SDC: 10
Armor: 0 SP
Weapons: Stunner
Sensors: Enhanced optical suite
Maneuver: +2 to Drone Pilot checks
Autopilot: 14 base roll

Construction Details

The scout drone does not contain its own power source. It receives power through transmission from an external source. This significantly reduces their size and weight. The outer shell is a thin layer of alien alloy, that is sturdy, but offers no significant protection. Also, these cyberdisks are small and light enough that substantial impacts (small arms fire or running into objects at full speed) may damage the more sensitive components inside, even if the hull is not breached.

Component Specifications

The drone flies using what is being called a "repulsor drive." Under power, it appears to provide lift in the presence of a spatial gravity well. By modulating output, the strength of the repulsion effect can be controlled. By oscillating frequency (essentially rapidly turning the field on and off), thrust can be controlled. This, in effect, gives control over acceleration and altitude, as the repulsor field only works on one axis. Multiple repulsors (one primary "thrust" repulsor and several smaller "vernier" repulsors) are used in conjunction for forward flight and maneuvers. This means that the drones do actually have a "front." Thanks to the drone's small size and weight, it is exceptionally maneuverable, granting a +2 bonus to piloting rolls, which can be especially important in combat, considering the unit is unarmored, and it's only real defense is to avoid incoming fire entirely.

The drone's enhanced optical suite is contained within the hull. Contrary to initial belief, the "lenses" on the ventral and dorsal areas of the disk have nothing to do with the sensors. Rather, the alien alloy of the hull itself is transparent to the sensors, allowing them to see through it without being exposed. Additionally, the sensors can spin around the inner edge of the disk to provide a 360-degree view around it. The optical suite can see in multiple spectra. Besides normal visible light, it can see in IR, false-color thermograph and low-light. Each spectra can be further enhanced with fairly powerful teleoptics (about 25x magnification, or as much as high-end binoculars). The various detection includes at least one other sensor whose purpose is not understood at this time.

The scout drone has a "manipulator" device that is some kind of offshoot of the repulsor technology. In use, it acts like a very short-range "tractor beam," but its manipulative abilities are very limited. It can push, pull, or grab (and lift). It is not very strong, and cannot manipulate objects much heavier than a few pounds.

The scout drone's autopilot unit is quite agile, providing a base roll of 14 for maneuvers and defense rolls. The native programming is rather bare-bones, however, and can be upgraded by a skilled programmer to boost a unit's autopilot and maneuver rating. Like fine-tuning a race car, however, these adjustments must be made to individual units; programming adjustments cannot be uploaded to multiple units. A programmer can try to make one upgrade on one drone per game session (or between game sessions). With a roll of 20+, the unit gains a +1 maneuver/autopilot bonus. With a roll of 25+ it gains a +2 bonus. With a roll of 30+, the programmer manages to perfect its programming, giving it the maximum bonus of +5. However, bad luck or poor skills can be detrimental; if the roll is then or less, the programming is bugged, and one maneuver/autopilot point is lost. If the programmer rolls a critical failure of 0 or less, he or she has managed to completely corrupt the programming, and the unit is rendered inoperable until the base programming can be re-initialized (requiring a programming check at 15+ during a subsequent game session).

The scout drone also has mundane extras that aid in telepresence; it has audio pickups (microphones) that grant the pilot binaural hearing from the drone's location, and it also has speakers that allow the pilot to speak through the drone. The dorsal lens can display video images, and the ventral lens contains short-range wireless data transmitters/receivers that allow the drones to scan electronic devices and interface with them. The pilot still needs to know how to operate the devices in question; the drone grants no meta-knowledge or magic menus.

Weapons Loadout

Stunner
WA +2
DMG 1d6
ROF 2
MAG ∞
RNG 5m
Special: Bypasses unsealed armors

The stunner is an electric weapon similar in effect to a taser. Because of its wide arc, it gains a substantial bonus to accuracy.

Drone Repair

Stage 1 research allows damaged drones to be repaired. Each point of SDC (structural damage capacity, the "hit points" of vehicles and objects) will require a skilled tech one hour to repair with a difficulty 15+ skill check to initiate repairs. Severely damaged units (half SDC or less) will require a skill check of 20+. Any repair attempt (even failures) takes a minimum of one hour.

Drone Construction

Constructing new drones requires the following research be completed: Alien Alloys, Power Systems, Principles of Nanotechnology, Power Transmission, Repulsor Drive, Alien Weapon: Stunner and Neural Interface Helmet. Construction of each scout drone uses a minimal amount (1 unit) of alloy, one repulsor and one stunner. Fortunately, without an internal power source, new units can tap into an existing power source, and do not require the ability to create an Elerium-based reactor.