Full Build Friday - Rammatra [Automaton Solarian]

Hope everybody had a good Christmas! I did but I am sad to report that this will be the last FBF for a while - I have a bigger project coming in February, so I'll be taking January off to prepare for it. Look forward to the anniversary of this very blog! In the meantime, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in my best attempt to fit the character. These choice may not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.

I had some issues with clips for the video, but I hope you'll check it out!

Rise up for revolution with this build for Rammatra from Overwatch!

Rammatra from Overwatch

RAMMATRA

SOURCE Overwatch

BUILD GOALS

o    Rammatra was created as a robotic soldier in a war against humanity but after his first battle, he tried to find peace among the Shambali, a monastic order of omnics

o    However, his hatred of humanity led to him leaving them and instead creating Null Sector, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of humanity and the superiority of omnics

o    He is a tank, reducing the knockback and critical damage that he receives

o    His main attack is a staff called the Void Accelerator, which fires a stream of projectiles. His secondary attack creates a Void Barrier at a targeted location for a short duration

o    By entering his Nemesis Form, he replaces Void Accelerator with the shockwave-releasing Pummel and Void Barrier with the more personally-protecting Block

o    In either forms, he can unleash a Ravenous Vortex that creates a slowing area upon the ground that damages enemies and pulls them downward

o    His ultimate is Annihilation, which causes him to enter Nemesis Form and unleash a deadly swarm of nanomachines in the area around him that lasts longer when they have enemies to damage

o    His perks are relatively minor, but one does give him access to Nanite Repair and another can detonate his Ravenous Vortex for damage

Summary of Goals: The most obvious thing about Rammatra is that he’s a full-on robot and not one of those namby-pamby ‘trying to look human’ ones. He can switch from a ranged combat mode to a more physically menacing one but is a tank in either form, able to block attacks or create barriers for his team. His Ravenous Vortex suggests some gravity-based powers while Annihilation gets him in that supercharged Nemesis Form while just surrounding him with a damaging aura. Doesn’t seem too hard, but should be interesting.

LEVEL 1 

Ancestry & Heritage: Warrior Automaton

o    Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Strength, +Intelligence

o    Ancestry Feat: Reinforced Chassis

Background: Rebel

o    Ability Boosts: +Constitution, +Strength

o    Skill Increase: Deception (T), Warfare Lore (T)

o    Background Feat: Lie to Me

Class & Subclass: Solarian

o    Class Ability Boost: +Strength

o    Skill Increase: Acrobatics (T), Athletics (T), Computers (T), Diplomacy (T), Intimidation (T), Piloting (T), Religion (T)

o    Class Feat: Solar Shield

o    Solar Weapon: Bludgeoning brawling weapon with the free-hand and shove traits

Details

o    Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence (Str +4, Dex +1, Con +2, Int +2, Wis +0, Cha +0)

To kick off this build, we’ll rely on the automaton ancestry, representing Rammatra’s obviously inhuman design as well as the intent that he was built for with both the warrior heritage and the Reinforced Chassis ancestry feat. From those purpose-based origins, he chases his own reasoning with the rebel background though I did shop through a bunch of backgrounds before landing on that one. Closing out his ABCs is the solarian class – which is the first time I’ve really touched this class. There’s a few things that interest me here, the first of which is his solar weapon. I actually want to use this to resemble his Nemesis Form, having him Attune to create his solar weapon as a pair of arms that dealing bludgeoning damage, are part of the brawling weapon group, and have the free-hand and shove traits. This can represent some pretty beefy limbs and his Void Accelerator can either be reflected by the solar flare of the solarian or a weapon of his choice since solarian’s are full martials with proficiency in those eponymous weapons. Furthermore, he can gain the Solar Shield feat to represent his Block, creating a personal shield that can be used to increase his AC and Shield Block for the hits that get through his enhanced armor. It’s a solid start, but we still have quite a ways to go to cover this cantankerous construct.

Level 1 Rammatra, Page 1

Level 1 Rammatra, Page 2

LEVEL 2

o    Class Feat: Wizard Dedication – School of Civic Wizardy

o    Skill Feat: Phreaker

o    Skill Increase: Arcana (T)

o    Gear: commercial dermal plating

LEVEL 3

o    General Feat: Adopted Ancestry – Android

o    Skill Increase: Computers (E)

o    Gear: +1 core crystal, commercial dermal plating, reusable grenade shell

LEVEL 4

o    Class Feat: Basic Wizard Spellcasting

o    Skill Feat: Combat Hack

o    Spellbook: 1^st – gravitational pull

o    Gear: commercial programmer’s plushie, +1 core crystal, brooch of shielding, commercial dermal plating

LEVEL 5

o    Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +4.5, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +1, Cha +0)

o    Ancestry Feat: Arcane Eye

o    Skill Increase: Arcana (E), Crafting (T)

o    Gear: +1 striking core crystal, commercial programmer’s plushie, bracers of missile deflection, brooch of shielding, commercial dermal plating, reusable grenade shell

We do take a step away from the class feats of solarian to begin exploring a Wizard Dedication. There’s a few arcane spells I want to poach for this build and between his staff and cloak, wizard feels on point. And through Basic Wizard Spellcasting, we get one of the first spells I was looking for. Gravitational pull drags a target towards him, which isn’t exactly right, but the ability to potentially yank flying enemies down is a good start towards representing his Ravenous Vortex. There are some solarian options along that line, but this will also open us up to taking other wizard spellcasting options down the line. For his initial skill feats, I wanted to explore some Computers based options, reasoning that he uses such talents to free his fellow omnics from humanity’s thrall or at least subdue those that he can’t break free. In an attempt to lean a bit more into his robotic nature, I do have him taking Adopted Ancestry for the android though you might need your GM to okay a few of the feats that I’m looking at. Arcane Eye admittedly isn’t one of them, and it’s just that the darkvision is always handy to have.

LEVEL 6

o    Class Feat: Constellation Vortex

o    Skill Feat: Digital Diversion

o    Gear: +1 reinforced chassis, +1 striking core crystal, lesser atmospheric staff, commercial programmer’s plushie, brooch of shielding, necklace of knives

LEVEL 7

o    General Feat: Barricade

o    Skill Increase: Arcana (M)

o    Gear: endless grimoire, +1 reinforced chassis, wand of shard storm (1^st-rank), +1 striking core crystal, commercial programmer’s plushie, bracers of missile deflection

LEVEL 8

o    Class Feat: Plasma Ejection

o    Skill Feat: Quick Jump

o    Spellbook: 3^rd – gravity well

o    Gear: ring of wizardry (type I), endless grimoire, ring of the ram, +1 reinforced chassis, +1 striking core crystal, lesser atmospheric staff

LEVEL 9

o    Ancestry Feat: Repair Module

o    Skill Increase: Computers (M)

o    Gear: +1 resilient reinforced chassis, ring of wizardry (type I), advanced dermal plating, endless grimoire, wand of shard storm (1^st-rank), +1 striking core crystal

LEVEL 10

o    Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str +5, Dex +1, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +1, Cha +1)

o    Class Feat: Black Hole

o    Skill Feat: Magical Shorthand

o    Skill Increase: Society (T)

o    Gear: tactical gluon crystal, +1 resilient reinforced chassis, tactical programmer’s plushie, ring of wizardry (type I), endless grimoire, +1 striking core crystal

We’re actually going to be covering his ultimate a little early though it might seem a bit meager overall. Constellation Vortex can surround him in swirling weapons that damage enemies that start their turn adjacent to him. This is an admittedly smaller area than I’d like for his swirling Annihilation, but it’s something that he can maintain with ease and draw upon regularly. He further explores his solarian class with Plasma Ejection, with the line it creates intended to represent the shockwave of his Pummel. Or you could just keep blasting off the 10-foot emanation every round, cycling your attunement while trying to capture his Annihilation. Alternatively, he has Black Hole that he can use to drag in any number of creatures within 30 feet of him, again calling to mind his Ravenous Vortex. However, on that note, he’s also able to gain access to gravity well at this level, which has the range if not quite the reach of his Vortex. So if you feel satisfied on that front, I’d actually probably consider Nimbus Ward to further resemble his Block. His skill feats are a little more varied this time around as he uses Digital Diversion so that he can distract heroes from his terrorist cell’s true goals, Quick Jump since you can actually jump in Overwatch, and then Magical Shorthand purely so that he can pick up and learn spells more swiftly.

As for his general feat and ancestry feat, he starts with Barricade. Which is kind of a poor man’s Void Barrier. It’s certainly not my only idea behind it, but it is a relatively early option for the concept as a whole. There’s also the android’s Repair Module, meant to call to mind the healing provided by his Nanite Repair perk slowly restoring him.

Level 10 Rammatra, Page 1

Level 10 Rammatra, Page 2

Level 10 Rammatra, Page 3

LEVEL 11

o    General Feat: Toughness

o    Skill Increase: Athletics (E)

o    Gear: +2 striking core crystal, tactical gluon crystal, wand of shard storm (2^nd-rank), +1 resilient reinforced chassis, ring of wizardry (type I), advanced dermal plating

LEVEL 12

o    Class Feat: Expert Wizard Spellcasting

o    Skill Feat: Rapid Mantel

o    Spellbook: 4^th – wall of mirrors

o    Gear: +2 resilient reinforced chassis, +2 striking core crystal, greater endless grimoire, tactical gluon crystal, tactical programmer’s plushie, tactical speed suspension

LEVEL 13

o    Ancestry Feat: Lesser Augmentation – Reinforced Chassis

o    Skill Increase: Athletics (M)

o    Gear: +2 greater striking core crystal, +2 resilient reinforced chassis, bravery baldric (stone), greater endless grimoire, tactical gluon crystal, wand of shard storm (2^nd-rank)

LEVEL 14

o    Class Feat: Singularity

o    Skill Feat: Powerful Leap

o    Spellbook: 5^th – wall of stone

o    Gear: quasar orbital crystal, +2 greater striking core crystal, ring of wizardry (type III), +2 resilient reinforced chassis, ring of wizardry (type II), greater endless grimoire

LEVEL 15

o    Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +5.5, Dex +1, Con +4.5, Int +4.5, Wis +2, Cha +1)

o    General Feat: Diehard

o    Skill Increase: Arcana (L)

o    Gear: +2 greater resilient reinforced chassis, quasar orbital crystal, wand of shard storm (3^rd-rank), +2 greater striking core crystal, bravery baldric (stone), advanced null space chamber

Expert Wizard Spellcasting lets us start getting some wall spells, such as wall of mirrors and wall of stone, to better represent his Void Barrier. Though maybe a little too much so. We do switch back to solarian for Singularity, just so that his Vortex truly is Ravenous. It’s kind of weird that this only pulls creature in when it kills them, but it’s something I suppose. Beyond that, Rapid Mantel lets him try to save himself when falling with his Strength rather than being forced to rely on his Dexterity, and Powerful Leap just feels right for his bionic burliness. We do lean into a bit of his tankiness with his remaining feats this block as he features the classic couple of Toughness and Diehard, but he gets something a little more unusual with his ancestry feat. When you apply Lesser Augmentation to his Reinforced Chassis, it gives him a reaction to potentially turn a crit into a normal hit. It is admittedly a longshot but with the tank class’s innate ability to reduce crit damage, it seemed an obvious pick to me.

LEVEL 16

o    Class Feat: Shattering Impact

o    Skill Feat: Unified Theory

o    Spellbook: 6^th – wall of force

o    Gear: superior gluon crystal, +2 greater resilient reinforced chassis, major endless grimoire, quasar orbital crystal, +2 greater striking core crystal, ring of wizardry (type III)

LEVEL 17

o    Ancestry Feat: Nanite Form

o    Skill Increase: Athletics (L)

o    Gear: +3 greater striking core crystal, superior gluon crystal, advanced akashic lens, +2 greater resilient reinforced chassis, quasar orbital crystal, wand of shard storm (3^rd-rank)

LEVEL 18

o    Class Feat: Master Wizard Spellcasting

o    Skill Feat: Cloud Jump

o    Gear: muscle invigorator, +3 greater striking core crystal, major atmospheric staff, superior gluon crystal, +2 greater resilient reinforced chassis, major endless grimoire

LEVEL 19

o    General Feat: Robust Health

o    Skill Increase: Computers (L)

o    Gear: +3 greater resilient reinforced chassis, muscle invigorator, wand of shard storm (4^th-rank), +3 greater striking core crystal, superior gluon crystal, advanced akashic lens

LEVEL 20

o    Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +6, Dex +1, Con +5, Int +5, Wis +3, Cha +1)

o    Class Feat: Cosmic Alignment

o    Skill Feat: Hologram Skeptic

o    Spellbook: 8^th – gravity field

o    Gear: +3 major striking core crystal, +3 greater resilient reinforced chassis, true endless grimoire, muscle invigorator, ultimate dermal plating, major atmospheric staff

Shattering Impact gives you a way to exit Nemesis Form, delivering a powerful Pummel while also making him unattuned. It lacks the shockwave, but I think the extra damage and attunement effects help balance it out a bit. Though that might just be me being hopeful. As I look at it again – isn’t it kind of a worse Vicious Swing? As for his spells, wall of force is certainly nice, but I think Master Wizard Spellcasting might be the bigger winner here as it leads to us gaining gravity field, a spell that specifically affects a 100-foot tall pillar and drags down the flying creatures within it. He finishes out his class feat with Cosmic Alignment, which means that he can deliver a Shattering Impact, Attune with the quickened action, and then summon a Constellation Vortex to really fit the feel of his Annihilation. Though as another alternative to that, I did have him take the Nanite Swarm through his adopted android ancestry. This effectively makes him the spiraling effect of Annihilation himself, but I think the idea of combining this with some of his solarian abilities might be neat. On his skill feats, he mostly just expands on what he’s already been investing in though I’m kind of surprised that we don’t have a legendary Computers skill feat. I feel like there’s definitely some design space there to work with. Closing out on all the options we’ve discussed thus far is Robust Health, taken just so its easier for his team to get him topped up and back on the front lines to continue the fight.

Level 20 Rammatra, Page 1

Level 20 Rammatra, Page 2

Level 20 Rammatra, Page 3

FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: While a wizard archetype would be a must-have in a free archetype game and could free up some solarian feats, what I would suggest is to grab your Basic Wizard Spellcasting, splash in an Arcane School Spell, and maybe even grab an Arcane Breadth, but then go for a Barbarian Dedication. The Rage this provides may help you create a more distinct divergence between his normal self and his Nemesis Form. I’d probably just look for one of the bigger damage options to put Instinct Ability to work, but a big grab in my opinion is Furious Finish so that he has a way of exiting Nemesis Form to go back to his other abilities.

BUILD CONCLUSION

Rammatra is a warrior automaton solarian with a background as a rebel. By taking the Adopted Ancestry for the android and using some of its nanite options, we can make Rammatra more properly a modern machine rather than a mere magic construct. His heritage is a nod towards his origins as a literal war machine whereas the rebel background calls to mind his founding of Null Sector. We build him into as much of a tank as possible with the likes of Toughness and Reinforced Chassis, which notably can get a Lesser Augmentation to cover the critical damage reduction that tanks in Overwatch get. For his Void Accelerator, I think you have a few options ranging from simply using his solar flare to picking up an appropriate weapon or even finding a suitable cantrip for it. The Void Barrier takes a bit longer to come online, starting with the innocuous Barricade and covering a few wall spells before landing on his wall of force. I believe we can express his Nemesis Form through his ability to attune to the cosmos as a solarian, manifesting a pair of big, meaty claws for his solar weapon that can land the heavy blows of his Pummel through Shattering Impact or blast a line-up of louts with Plasma Ejection. For the more personal protection provided by Block, he has his Solar Shield, potential shield cantrip, and that Reinforced Chassis. As for his Ravenous Vortex, gravity field might be the best fit for it, but the likes of gravity well and even Singularity aren’t remotely bad either. Rounding out his baseline abilities is Constellation Vortex for his Annihilation though you mind find yourself doing some cycling Plasma Ejections or even Nanite Form if you want another way to explore it. Beyond that, this build even managed to feature his Nanite Repair through the Repair Module ancestry feat, further helping him hang in the hassle to hand out head thumpings.

This rancorous, rebellious robot reveals a ravaging rite to rend and ruin his ruling rivals then returns to a more regal recognition to run his retinue of revolutionaries.

Lemme know what you think and what other builds you would like to see!

If you want to join in on the discussion of these builds and the ones I do for monsters or just hang out with a bunch of fellow TTRPG nerds, check out the Discord server. We also have a Twitter where we try to post teasers for the blog. In hopes of bringing you a white Christmas, next week is one howl of a build.

Have a fantastic Friday and a happy new year!