UAV aka Drone STAT Write up

[fantazero]

So, started a Dresden game last night, takes place in a Fake Former Soviet Block Country.
Basically I want there to be Drone Strikes, and want my PCs to go up against a DRONE attack.

Ideas?
Aspects?
Is there a way to show this distance in zones Vertically?

[Magicpockets]

I'd stat a drone this way:

Aspects: "Type" (e.g. MQ-1 Predator) UAV, Eyes in the Sky, High maintenance

Powers:
Supernatural Senses [-1] (for the various sensors on board)
Wings [-1]

Skills (assuming a trained operator)
3: Guns, Investigation
2: Alertness, Stealth
1: Athletics, Endurance

As for the weapons:
AGM-114 Hellfire missile: Weapon:6-8 area attack

[cold_breaker]

Haha, gotta say, for non-system reasons I don't like this one. Namely, because 'UAV' and 'Drone' is such a broad term that only implies something scary and military because the military was the first group to actively use it. Refering to unmanned attack drones is about equivelent to refering to 'tanks' as 'motor vehicles.'

That said, I wouldn't stat up UAVs as characters - that implies that they're somehow mortal and can make decisions for themselves. I'd think of them more like cars or planes. The're capable of a weapon: 4 attack, and maybe it takes 6 or 8 shifts of damage to take one down. Or a tiny bit of hexing, which is why I don't think they're a very good foe in this setting.

[Arcane]

That said, I wouldn't stat up UAVs as characters - that implies that they're somehow mortal and can make decisions for themselves. I'd think of them more like cars or planes. The're capable of a weapon: 4 attack, and maybe it takes 6 or 8 shifts of damage to take one down. Or a tiny bit of hexing, which is why I don't think they're a very good foe in this setting.

Depends on who you're using them against and how they're deployed.  While wizards and others who can wield magic could hex them, there are a number of different types of beings in  the Dresdenverse who would not have such a means to counter-attack. 

And of course, if you have them fly high enough and strike when your target isn't anticipating them, it doesn't matter if they're hex-capable.  As Kincaid has proved, if you're far enough away and attack from surprise you can easily kill a wizard.

[cold_breaker]

Depends on who you're using them against and how they're deployed.  While wizards and others who can wield magic could hex them, there are a number of different types of beings in  the Dresdenverse who would not have such a means to counter-attack. 

And of course, if you have them fly high enough and strike when your target isn't anticipating them, it doesn't matter if they're hex-capable.  As Kincaid has proved, if you're far enough away and attack from surprise you can easily kill a wizard.

Goes without saying. Either way, I wouldn't stat up the drone, I'd stat up the pilot and require a mortal stunt and driving skill.

As for vertical combat? Yes. I'm still working the details out, but I think one zone up should be hovering a few meters off the ground, two zones is the height of a large tree, and then each story of building (10' or so) is another zone. Again though, here's where it gets tricky. I wouldn't treat an attack by an airplane as a combat, I'd treat it as a skill roll with consequences. The players don't need to roll initiative so much as figure out a way to deal with it before it hits them, or risk getting hit with a massive attack. Running for cover or somehow attacking it with a powerful attack on short notice.

[Taran]

Can't these things fire missles fairly accurately from miles away?

I think it'd be cooler to have an adventure where they know the drones are about to blow them or some kind of important objective to smitherines.

They'd have to use a variety of tactics (like out-stealthing the drones detection systems) then make their way to some kind of highly guarded terminal to deactivate them remotely - without the wizard accidently hexing the control unit.