Custom Drones

Building a drone is a multistep process. First, choose the drone’s chassis, which along with its level determines its base statistics. Next, choose your drone’s special abilities and feats. Finally, select your drone’s modifications (“mods”), which grant your drone additional abilities and allow you to fully customize it.

Other than those aspects determined by your drone’s chassis and mods, the exact details of your drone’s appearance and personality are up to you.

Drone Chassis
Each drone has one of three chassis types that determines its size, starting statistics, and initial mods, as well as the drone’s overall look and theme. These chassis types are combat, hover, and stealth, and they are presented on page 75. Each is organized as follows, using the terms below.

Combat Drone
Bigger than other chassis options, the combat drone moves along the ground and is outfitted with wheels, tracks, legs, or a similar form of propulsion. This drone is designed specifically for battle. It has an armored body and multiple weapon mounts, allowing it to pack a variety of armaments.


 * Size: Medium
 * Speed: 30 feet
 * AC: EAC 10, KAC 13
 * Good Save: Fortitude
 * Poor Saves: Reflex, Will
 * Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 12, Con --, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 6
 * Ability Increases: Strength, Dexterity
 * Initial Mods: Reductive plating, weapon mount or melee weapon arm (up to 2 in any combination), weapon proficiency

Hover Drone
The smallest of the chassis options, the hover drone is made from a lightweight frame equipped with miniature hoverjets, rotors, turbofans, or a similar form of aerial propulsion (small legs or wheels provide propulsion on land). This drone can fly at a good pace and avoid obstacles, but it is not very stealthy.


 * Size: Tiny
 * Speed: 30 feet, fly 30 feet (average)
 * AC: EAC 11, KAC 11
 * Good Save: Reflex
 * Poor Saves: Fortitude, Will
 * Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 16, Con --, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 6
 * Ability Increases: Dexterity, Wisdom
 * Bonus Skill Unit: Acrobatics
 * Initial Mods: Flight system (x2, included in its speed), weapon mount

Stealth Drone
Sleek and covered in a light-absorbing alloy, the stealth drone prowls along the ground on multiple small legs, silenced wheels, an air cushion, or some similar form of propulsion. This drone specializes in stealth and infiltration and can vanish almost entirely from sight as long as it remains perfectly still.


 * Size: Small
 * Speed: 40 feet, climb 20 feet
 * AC: EAC 10, KAC 12
 * Good Save: Reflex
 * Poor Saves: Fortitude, Will
 * Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 14, Con --, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 6
 * Ability Increases: Dexterity, Wisdom
 * Bonus Skill Unit: Stealth
 * Initial Mods: Climbing claws, reactive camouflage, weapon mount

Skill Unit
At 1st level, choose one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Computers, Engineering, Perception, or Stealth. This is a class skill for your drone, and it gains a number of ranks in the chosen skill equal to its level. Your drone can use this skill when not under your direct control. You can change your drone’s skill unit whenever you rebuild your drone from scratch. Additionally, whenever you are directly controlling your drone, it can use any of your skill ranks if you wish, assuming it has the appropriate tools to do so (a drone without manipulator arms cannot use Engineering to disable a device, for example).

Drone Feats
When choosing feats for your drone, you can choose from the following: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Deadly Aim, Far Shot, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Combat Maneuver, Improved Critical, Iron Will, Jet Dash, Kip Up, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Mobility, Multi-Weapon Fighting, Nimble Moves, Opening Volley, Penetrating Attack, Shot on the Run, Skill Focus, Skill Synergy, Slippery Shooter, Spring Attack, Strike Back, Suppressive Fire, Versatile Focus, Versatile Specialization, Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization.

Drone Mods
As you gain levels, your drone gains custom modifications, gear, and programming that give it additional capabilities and options. Any level-based abilities for your drone’s mods use the drone's level, regardless of whether you’re using control net to assign fewer levels to your drone.

Your drone gains its first custom modification at 1st level and an additional mod every 2 levels thereafter. Mods are grouped into two categories, basic and advanced. You can choose basic mods at any level, but you must be 11th level (or have assigned at least 11 levels to your drone) to select advanced mods. Some mods require your drone to have other custom mods installed before they can function. Unless otherwise noted, each mod can be selected only once.

Basic Mods
You can choose these mods at any level.

Armor Slot
Your drone gains an armor upgrade slot for an armor upgrade (see page 204). If you do not already have an armor upgrade to install, you must purchase one separately. You can install the armor upgrade only if your drone has enough open upgrade slots to meet the upgrade’s requirements. You can select this mod up to four times, each time adding an additional slot.

Barricade
Your drone gains the Barricade feat. Your drone must have Engineering as a class skill and manipulator arms for you to select this mod.

Cargo Rack
Your drone is outfitted with cargo space. The drone’s Strength score counts as 4 higher for the purpose of how determining much bulk it can carry, but all of this extra bulk must be stored gear and cargo, not mounted weapons, armor mods, or the like. This does not affect the drone’s actual Strength score in any way, merely how much it can carry. Due to its size, a drone might still be unable to carry awkward or unwieldy items.

Climbing Claws
Your drone gains a climb speed equal to half its land speed. This mod can be applied to only combat and stealth drones.

Cybernetic Bridge
Your drone can be improved with one cybernetic augmentation, selected from only one of the following systems: arm, brain, ears, eyes, hand, legs, or throat. If the augmentation has an item level that is 4 or more levels lower than your ranks in Engineering, you can create and install the augmentation yourself at no cost. You can change such self-built augmentations once per day with 1 hour of work. If the augmentation is not 4 or more levels lower than your appropriate skill ranks, you must acquire and pay for the augmentation (including changing or replacing the augmentation) normally.

Enhanced Armor
Your drone gains a +2 bonus to its AC. At 11th level, you can choose this mod a second time as an advanced mod.

Extra Ammo
One of your drone’s weapon mounts can hold two additional batteries, magazines, or other type of ammunition in addition to its usual weapon and ammunition capacity. Your drone must have the weapon mount mod before selecting this mod. You can select this mod more than once, up to the number of weapon mounts the drone has.

Grease
Your drone can dispense grease on itself or an adjacent object or area as a standard action. If used on itself, the drone gains a +5 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to escape a grapple and a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC against grapple combat maneuvers. If used on an area, any creature in the area when it is dispensed must succeed at a Reflex save or fall prone (DC = 11 + your drone’s Dexterity modifier). A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a successful DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means the creature can’t move that round and must then succeed at a Reflex save or fall prone, while failure by 5 or more means it falls prone (see the Acrobatics skill on page 135 for details). A creature that doesn’t move on its turn doesn’t need to attempt this check and isn’t considered flat-footed.

Once your drone has used this ability, it cannot do so again until you take a 10-minute rest and spend 1 Resolve to regain Stamina Points while you have access to your drone.

Hardened AI
Your drone’s AI is secured against outside influence. Any attempt to hack your drone takes a –4 penalty, and your drone receives a +4 insight bonus to saving throws against effects that attempt to take control of the drone or otherwise dictate its actions.

Heuristic Programming
Your drone can learn from its mistakes. When it fails a skill check, and attempts the same skill check for the same task the next round, on its second attempt it may roll the check twice and take the better of the two results. Once your drone has used this ability, it cannot use it again until you take ten minutes to review its programming. You may do this at the same time you take ten minutes and spend 1 Resolve Point to regain all your Stamina Points.

Hydrojets
Your drone is equipped with miniature marine jet engines, granting it a swim speed equal to half its land speed. This mod can be applied to only combat drones and stealth drones.

Jump Jets
Your drone is equipped with powerful miniature jets. It can use these jets to jump up to 30 feet as a move action (either vertically, horizontally, or in any combination that does not exceed 30 feet). If applied to a hover drone, these jets instead allow your drone to increase its fly speed by 30 feet for 1 round. Once used, these jets must cool down for 1 minute before they can be used again.

Manipulator Arms
Your drone is equipped with two robotic arms with simple hands. They can perform most functions that your arms can perform (such as opening doors, typing on a keypad, wielding a weapon, or attempting skill checks that require manual dexterity), but attacks made with them take a –4 penalty.

Melee Weapon Arm
Your drone is equipped with a robotic arm to which you can affix a one-handed melee weapon, allowing your drone to wield that weapon and attack with it. This weapon cannot be disarmed. Wielding a two-handed melee weapon requires two melee weapon arms. If you do not already have a weapon to equip, you must purchase it separately. Swapping out a weapon in a melee weapon arm requires use of your custom rig and 1 hour of work. You can select this mod multiple times, each time adding an additional melee weapon arm to the drone.

Resistance
Your drone gains resistance to an energy type of your choice— acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic—equal to its level, to a maximum of 10. You can select this mod multiple times. Its effects do not stack; each time you select this mod, it must apply to a different energy type from the list above.

Riding Saddle
Your drone is equipped with a seat and programming to carry a rider as a combat-trained mount. If you ride your drone, it must be at least your size or larger. To carry another rider, the drone must be at least one size larger than the rider. You can direct your drone mount in battle without attempting Survival checks.

Skill Subroutines
Choose another skill from the skill unit list. This is a class skill for your drone, which gains a number of ranks in that skill equal to your its level. Your drone also increases its Intelligence score by 2. At 11th level, you can choose this mod a second time as an advanced mod. If you do, choose an additional skill to become a class skill for your drone (this skill doesn’t have to be on the skill unit list). Your drone gains ranks in the skill equal to your its level.

Smuggler's Compartment
Your drone has a secret compartment that can hold a single item of light bulk or smaller. A successful Perception check (DC = 15 + your gearhead level) is needed to notice or find the compartment. Accessing this compartment is a move action.

Speed
Your drone’s land speed increases by 10 feet.

Tool Arm
Select one technological item from Chapter 7: Equipment of no more than light bulk and an item level no higher than your gearhead level. Your drone is equipped with a robotic arm with that item attached and the proper programming to use the item, although it cannot use a tool that requires skill checks unless it also has ranks in the relevant skill (or you have ranks in the relevant skill and the drone is under your direct control).

Weapon Mount
You can affix a small arm or another one-handed ranged weapon on your drone, allowing it to wield that weapon and attack with it. This weapon cannot be disarmed. Mounting a longarm, a heavy weapon, or another two-handed ranged weapon requires two weapon mounts. A weapon mount can hold up to two batteries, two magazines, or two of another type of ammunition for the affixed weapon, provided this ammunition is of light bulk or less. Multiple weapon mounts used to affix a single two-handed weapon count as a single weapon mount for the purpose of how much ammunition it can hold. The drone reloads these batteries or magazines automatically, which takes the usual amount of time for the weapon. Spent batteries or magazines are stored within the drone. You can replace all of a weapon mount’s batteries or magazines as a move action. You must purchase separately or already have the weapon and ammunition for use with a weapon mount. You can replace the weapon with any other weapon that meets the criteria for your mount (for example, if you have two weapon mounts, you could replace a longarm with a heavy weapon). Swapping out a weapon in a weapon mount requires use of your custom rig and 1 hour of work. You can select this mod multiple times, each time adding an additional weapon mount to the drone.

Weapon Proficiency
Your drone gains one of the following feats as a bonus feat (it must meet all the prerequisites of the chosen feat): Advanced Melee Weapon Proficiency, Basic Melee Weapon Proficiency, Heavy Weapon Proficiency, Longarm Proficiency, Small Arm Proficiency, or Special Weapon Proficiency. You can select this mod multiple times; each time, your drone gains another of the available proficiency feats as a bonus feat.

Advanced Mods
You must be 11th level or higher to choose these mods.

Echolocators
Your drone uses basic echolocation to notice unseen foes. The drone gains the blindsense (sound) ability (see page 262).

Energy Shield
Your drone gains an energy shield that provides it with a number of temporary Hit Points equal to its level. This shield remains active until all of its temporary Hit Points are depleted. The drone can replenish the shield’s Hit Points to full when you take ten minutes and spend 1 Resolve Point to regain all your Stamina Points.. You can select this mod a second time to double the energy shield’s temporary Hit Points.

Excavator
Your drone gains a burrow speed equal to half its land speed. It can use this speed to move through clay, dirt, earth, and sand. It does not leave a hole behind, nor is its passage marked on the surface.

Flight System
Your drone gains a fly speed equal to half its land speed with average maneuverability for up to 10 minutes per day. This duration need not be continuous, but it must be used in 1-minute increments. You can select this mod a second time; in this case, the drone’s fly speed increases to its full land speed, and there is no limit on the amount of time it can fly.

Greater Resistance
Choose one type of energy for which your drone already has the resistance mod. Increase your drone’s resistance to that energy type by 5. You can select this mod multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you select this mod, it applies to a different energy type for which your drone has the resistance mod.

Invisibility Field
Once per day as a standard action, your drone can turn invisible for 10 minutes. If it makes an attack during this time, the invisibility ends. You can spend 2 Resolve Points to have the drone use this ability again on the same day. Your drone must have the reactive camouflage mod to select this.

Medical Subroutine
Your drone is equipped with first aid capabilities. If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points, your drone can attempt to administer emergency medical treatment to you, even despite you being unconscious. On subsequent rounds on your turn, your drone takes as many move actions as necessary to return to your side, followed by a standard action to administer first aid. Once it has done so, you can spend 2 Resolve Points to recover a number of Hit Points equal to your gearhead level. Your drone cannot use this mod on anyone but you nor use it if you are dead or have fewer than 2 RP remaining. You can’t benefit from this treatment more than once every 24 hours. Your drone must have the manipulator arms and skill subroutines (with the Medicine skill) mods to select this mod.

Reactive Camouflage
Your drone is equipped with a thin coating that can change color to match the drone’s surroundings. Whenever your drone stays stationary for 1 round, it gains a +10 bonus to Stealth checks (this bonus doesn’t stack with the invisibility or similar effects). If your drone takes any action, it loses this bonus until it once again spends 1 round remaining still.

Reductive Plating
Your drone gains damage reduction 1/—. This increases to DR 2/— at 7th level and increases by 1 again at 13th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Shock Wave
Whenever your drone is reduced to fewer than 10 HP, it immediately shuts down and unleashes a shock wave of electricity as a reaction (even if it is deactivated or destroyed by the attack). This deals 1d6 electricity damage per level to every creature within 10 feet (except the drone). An affected creature can attempt a Reflex save to take half damage (DC = 10 + half its level + your Intelligence modifier).