Working on my Mechanic and I keep running into odd rules (some questions, some just odd):
Armor Slot (Ex) Am I limited to "any" army types, or can the Drone equip Powered, Heavy, or Light armor upgrades? Does the Drone count as armor with regard to these?
Melee Weapon Arm(Ex) I note that weapon proficency is not required for this upgrade.
Weapon Mount (Ex) As Melee Weapon Arm (Ex). Additionally, says it can hold two Batteries/magazines/other type of ammunition provided the ammunition is L or less bulk. Does this mean that Drones are unable to use weapons with ammunition that requires 1+ Bulk (Petrol or Missiles)?
Extra Ammo (Ex) Unlike Weapon Mount (Ex) above, this does not mention a bulk limitation on ammunition. Is this also limited to L bulk or less?
Weapon Proficency (Ex) Grenades and Sniper weapons are not on this list. Does this mean Drones cannot use them, or just that they will never be proficent with them?
Smuggler's Compartment (Ex) The very similar Cybernetic limb with hide-away compartment says that their secret compartment is easily found by security checkpoints. The Smuggler's Compartment makes no mention of Security checkpoints. Aside from the Perception check, are these compartments able to bypass security checkpoints, or will they be easily spotted?
Manipulator Arms (Ex) Can these arms wield Grenades? Or Sniper Weapons? I ask only because the other weapon mounting options are specifically unable to equip these.
Pax Miles wrote: Armor Slot (Ex) Am I limited to "any" army types, or can the Drone equip Powered, Heavy, or Light armor upgrades? Does the Drone count as armor with regard to these? You can equip any armor upgrade you own. Drones don't count as armor.
Pax Miles wrote: Melee Weapon Arm(Ex) I note that weapon proficiency is not required for this upgrade. Like PCs, drones don't need proficiency to wield a weapon, only to wield it without taking a penalty (off the top of my head, I think the penalty is -4 to attack rolls).
Pax Miles wrote: Weapon Mount (Ex) As Melee Weapon Arm (Ex). Additionally, says it can hold two Batteries/magazines/other type of ammunition provided the ammunition is L or less bulk. Does this mean that Drones are unable to use weapons with ammunition that requires 1+ Bulk (Petrol or Missiles)? Good question. I could be wrong here, but I would assume that the two additional batteries/magazines/etc. are in addition to whatever batteries/magazines/etc. are stored within the weapon itself, meaning that the drone can reload twice without assistance. Under this interpretation, drones can wield weapons with ammo of greater than light bulk, but cannot reload them without assistance.
Pax Miles wrote: Extra Ammo (Ex) Unlike Weapon Mount (Ex) above, this does not mention a bulk limitation on ammunition. Is this also limited to L bulk or less? Whatever restrictions apply to Weapon Mount would also apply to Extra Ammo.
Pax Miles wrote: Weapon Proficency (Ex) Grenades and Sniper weapons are not on this list. Does this mean Drones cannot use them, or just that they will never be proficent with them? There's nothing that says a drone can't use a weapon it isn't familiar with. A sniper weapon can be fitted to a pair of weapon mounts, but I don't think a weapon mount or a melee weapon arm can handle a thrown weapon like a grenade (although manipulator arms could, at a net -8 penalty).
Pax Miles wrote: Smuggler's Compartment (Ex) The very similar Cybernetic limb with hide-away compartment says that their secret compartment is easily found by security checkpoints. The Smuggler's Compartment makes no mention of Security checkpoints. Aside from the Perception check, are these compartments able to bypass security checkpoints, or will they be easily spotted? This is up to your GM, but I would rule that some sort of scan designed to see hidden objects would identify a smuggler's compartment without much difficulty.
Pax Miles wrote: Manipulator Arms (Ex) Can these arms wield Grenades? Or Sniper Weapons? I ask only because the other weapon mounting options are specifically unable to equip these. Manipulator arms can make any sort of attack a two-armed creature could make, but with a -4 penalty that stacks with the -4 penalty for lack of proficiency.
a random note on the manipulator arms.
If you want to use grenades with them, instead of grenades you could get explosives set to a detenator that your mechanic carries and uses it that method.
Placing, dropping, is simple. or throwing will be a fair bit easier because its not an attack so even if throwing is difficult it won't effect the actual DC of teh grenade.
Granted that doesn't matter too much for smoke grenades (other than it flying far from where you hoped it would land)
Thanks. Specific replies to a couple of these: Jimbles the Mediocre wrote: Pax Miles wrote: Armor Slot (Ex) Am I limited to "any" army types, or can the Drone equip Powered, Heavy, or Light armor upgrades? Does the Drone count as armor with regard to these? You can equip any armor upgrade you own. Drones don't count as armor. Not sure if you get my question. I'm not asking if I can wear drones as armor. I am wondering with regard to the text of the armor upgrades, if the drone is considered to be both the armor and the wearer?
For example, the Load Lifter armor upgrade increases the bulk that the wearer can carry by 3. How does this apply to the Drone with this armor upgrade? As far as I can tell, the book doesn't really explain if we are just to assume replacing instances of wearer and armor with drone, or if the intention is that most, if not all, of the armor upgrades don't function on drones...
Pretty much the same question for the Android Racial armor upgrade slot.
Jimbles the Mediocre wrote: There's nothing that says a drone can't use a weapon it isn't familiar with. A sniper weapon can be fitted to a pair of weapon mounts I suppose it is more vague that my initial reading.
Pax Miles wrote: I am wondering with regard to the text of the armor upgrades, if the drone is considered to be both the armor and the wearer? I don't think the drone is considered to be both the armor and the wearer (that would imply drones have an item level and a hardness), but that doesn't mean most armor upgrades can't be applied to drones (you're right in that this is effectively the same as the Android racial ability).
Let's look at Load Lifter - it says
Core Rulebook > Equipment > Armor (pg. 207) wrote: This set of artificial muscles increases the amount of bulk you can carry while wearing your armor by 3. Your concern is that, because the drone isn't "wearing armor", it can't use the armor upgrade. I think we can use some common sense here - if the drone can benefit from the armor upgrade, then it does benefit from the armor upgrade. That's what the drone mod is for, after all.
Some armor upgrades don't make any sense as a drone mod - for example, Tensile Reinforcement:
Core Rulebook > Equipment > Armor (pg. 207) wrote: When calculating your armor’s hardness and Hit Points (see page 409), treat it as if its item level were 5 higher. There's no way to apply this to a drone, because there's no armor item level to modify.
Isn't the whole point of an FAQ or rules Forum to eliminate the need for Common Sense when reading the Rules?
Rhetorical. But I do think it's worth pointing out the question because common sense is rarely employed if the RAW speaks otherwise. I agree, that's how I read it too. But just because I read it one way, doesn't mean that others will. The point of asking the question on a rules forum or getting an FAQ is to ensure that no one needs to assume that everyone at their table is employing the same common sense that you have.
And I hate the idea of sitting down at a table and being informed, mid-game, that one of my abilities doesn't work how I think it works, just because they read a vague passage differently.
Anyway, another one. How about the Automated Loader?
Weapon Mounts are certainly weapons built into the drone. And if the Drone qualifies as armor...
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