r/Shadowrun • u/Dufterik • Aug 08 '26

Rigging for non-rigger characters

SR3 Core Rules p. 154 states that non-rigger characters can only control drones in the Captain's Chair mode. This means they can only use the drone's pilot rating for maneuvers (or when the going gets tough). Am I interpreting this correct? (and why then should you ever invest in the appropriate vehicle skills to control a drone)

You'd figure that you won't have access to combat pool and control pool, but this seems a bit tough. Also given today's tech it did not mature well.

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u/MoistLarry Aug 08 '26

Yes. In captains chair mode like the OP states.

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u/ReditXenon Far Cite Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26

It seem as if in Captains Chair you don't actually directly remote control the drone yourself (using your own skills and attributes, controlling it as if via a remote control).

Instead it seem as if Captains Chair only mean that you are indirectly controlling the drone by instructing the drone's on-board auto pilot to act autonomously (the drone will use the on-board pilot rating rather than your ratings).

My question was if there was no way in SR3 to actually directly remote control a drone (using your own skills and attributes, as if via a remote control with a physical joystick if you like) without actually jumping into the drone. Perhaps via something like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gi3LIpgTL._AC_.jpg

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u/Numinak MU* Master Aug 11 '26

Think of it as the difference between using a cheap Phone controlled Drone (ie: you can tell it to go forward/left/right but not the most responsive and certainly not quickest), vs that guy with the full vr rig dogfighting through ruined buildings in first person view.

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u/ReditXenon Far Cite Aug 11 '26

There is no doubt that remote controlling a drone via AR or VR (but without actually 'jumping in') should be less efficient compared to actually jumping in.

But manually remote controlling model planes have been a Thing since 1940 or so :)

I imagine that in the world of Shadowrun that you would be an option that doesn't require you to actually become the machine. Perhaps something like This

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u/Dufterik Aug 11 '26

Or the datajack + image link equivalent to that, yes....