Robot, Rogue Hover Drone

Rogue Hover Drone CR 6

XP 2,400
N Tiny construct (technological)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +18

DEFENSE

HP 80
EAC 18; KAC 19
Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +7
Immunities construct immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (Ex, perfect)
Ranged merciful tactical rotating pistol +15 (2d4+6 P nonlethal)

STATISTICS

Str –2; Dex +5; Con —; Int +2; Wis +3; Cha –2
Skills Acrobatics +18 (+26 to fly), Engineering +18
Feats Far Shot, Mobility, Shot on the Run
Languages Common
Other Abilities drone mods (flight systems [2], manipulator arms, skill subroutines [2; Acrobatics, Engineering], weapon mount, weapon proficiency), unliving
Gear merciful tactical rotating pistol with 20 small arm rounds, mk 2 nanite patch

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Drone Mods (Ex)

A rogue drone has a number of mods equal to the number it would have as a drone built by a mechanic of a level equal to the rogue drone’s CR.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or defection (3–6)

Many mechanics and their drones are inseparable companions.

Each drone is the unique expression of a mechanic’s genius, arising only after endless hours of tinkering, experimentation, and hard work. If separated from their creators, most drones simply stop, waiting for directives that might not ever come.

However, due to outside influences or a glitch in their AIs, some gain autonomy. These freewilled robots are known as rogue drones.

Among the most common rogue drones are those that are lost or orphaned.

Sometimes, a dying mechanic can transfer a fraction of their consciousness to a beloved drone, with one final set of instructions to follow. A complex drone, already on the verge of sentience, may find its mechanic’s body and attempt to integrate their custom rig into its circuitry. In a few cases, when the mechanic is imprisoned or kidnapped, a determined drone gains independence in its search for them. Whatever the cause, rogue drones are often confused and seeking answers and may cause harm to creatures they encounter.

Some rogues drones have even more traumatic origins.

With noble but misguided intentions, agents of the more extremist cells of organizations like the Android Abolitionist Front will sometimes try to “liberate” a drone from its mechanic, regardless of the consequences. Other times, a drone can become magically corrupted or possessed by spirits and end up murdering its creator. Such rogue drones often become bent on destroying any humanoids and other sentient beings who cross their path. Occasionally, a rogue drone is created when a hostile AI hacks into the robot’s programming, creating a deadly agent in the physical world.

The existence of rogue drones has caused legal conundrums. Some experts see a rogue drone as a newborn SRO whose complex programming and sophisticated interfaces are on the verge of attracting a soul. Others consider a rogue drone to be an unpredictable piece of equipment that has outlived its primary purpose and should be destroyed. With no clear answers forthcoming, these legal battles will probably continue to rage on for years.