Full Build Friday - Rina

I originally had plans for Kaladin from the Stormlight Archives for this week 's build, but I ran into an issue. While trying to research the character stories and abilities, I struggled to comprehend half of what was being described to me since pretty much all the terminology was tied to the setting and as such barely comprehendible. Instead, I pivoted to a character that I've been thinking about build for a while! As always, 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 fun making her video, so I hope you check it out or at least share it with somebody who prefers watching builds over reading them.

Let's get into the remastered rebuild for Rina from Zenless Zone Zero!

RINA

CHARACTER Alexandrina Sebastiane

SOURCE Zenless Zone Zero

BUILD GOALS

o    Rina is a support agent who wields the electric element. She is the head maid and most senior member of the Victoria Housekeeping Company

o    Floating over the battlefield, she is always accompanied by a pair of Bangboo named Anastella and Drusilla, who apply her Whack the Dimwit basic attacks by dealing physical or electricity damage

o    Duple Meter Allemande allows her to swoop in for an assist, sending her Bangboos spinning forward to create an electrical explosion

o    Her special is Dimwit Disappearing Trick, which has her Bangboos bombard enemies to deal massive electric damage

o    The Queen’s Attendants is her ultimate, which has her Bangboos deal massive electric damage in a sphere

o    She also has a passive skill called Mini Destruction Partner, which allows her to increase the Penetration Ratio of herself and her allies

o    Unlocking her Mindscape Cinema unleashes her Stormy Night’s Fright, which increases the entire squad’s electricity damage when she hits with a special, chain, or ultimate attack

o    Her signature W-Engine, the Weeping Cradle, causes her attacks to increase the damage the target takes from her entire squad

Summary of Goals: Rina is a highly competent maid with some ghostly themes. She primarily fights with her Bangboo companions, unleashing them to harass and shock her enemies. She can enhance her allies’ ability to punch through the defenses of her adversaries and otherwise imbue them with electricity, serving superbly to set them up to bring foes down.

LEVEL 1

Ancestry & Heritage: Deep Fetchling – Void Resistance

o    Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Dexterity, +Intelligence

o    Ancestry Feat: Shadow Blending

Background: Servant

o    Ability Boosts: +Charisma, +Intelligence

o    Skill Increase: Society (T), Labor Lore (T)

o    Background Feat: Read Lips

Class & Subclass: Witch of the Whisper of Wings

o    Class Ability Boost: +Intelligence

o    Skill Increase: Acrobatics (T), Arcana (T), Diplomacy (T), Intimidation (T), Nature (T), Occultism (T), Religion (T), Stealth (T)

o    Familiar’s Spells: Cantrips – electric arc, guidance, live wire; 1st – conductive weapon, horizon thunder sphere

o    Familiar Abilities: Flier, Independent, Spell Delivery

Details

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

Rina doesn’t necessarily have anything she needs out of the human ancestry so she’ll take the chance to represent her somewhat creepy nature with the fetchling ancestry. The deep heritage can grant her resistance to void damage, which is based on her poltergeist and ghostly themes. Rina has some pretty extravagant dodges in game, which Shadow Blending will play into a bit. As the head maid of the Victoria Housekeeping Company, the servant background is a pretty perfect fit for her. She rounds out her first level with the witch class, granting her a familiar to resemble Drusilla since she can only have one. Flier allows Drusilla to flit around and Independent lets her do so without taking a Command from Rina. Finally, Spell Delivery will allow Rina to carry touch range spells into combat without endangering herself. Going for a Whisper of Wings patron grants her access to the primal spell list, which will be important for her electric element. To start with, it allows her to take up electric arc and live wire with the latter being especially nice for the physical and electric damage that her basic attacks deal. Guidance is handy for her role as a support as is conductive weapon, which can add the shock rune to a weapon as a 1st-rank spell, which is kind of crazy. This also resembles her Stormy Night’s Fright whereas horizon thunder sphere can be made to resemble her Queen’s Attendants. Spending multiple actions on this resembles the explosion that this spell generates.

LEVEL 2

o    Class Feat: Basic Lesson – Lesson of the Elements

o    Skill Feat: Schooled in Secrets

o    Familiar’s Spells: 1st – air bubble

o    Gear: psychopomp mask

LEVEL 3

o    General Feat: Pet (Flier and Manual Dexterity)

o    Skill Increase: Stealth (E)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 2nd – elemental zone, sudden bolt

o    Gear: wondrous figurine (onyx dog), ring of discretion, psychopomp mask

LEVEL 4

o    Class Feat: Eerie Flicker

o    Skill Feat: Shadow Mark

o    Gear: jolt coil, wondrous figurine (onyx dog), dweomerweave robe, psychopomp mask

LEVEL 5

o    Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +4.5, Wis +2, Cha +3)

o    Ancestry Feat: Slink

o    Skill Increase: Acrobatics (E)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 3rd – lightning bolt

o    Gear: wand of the pampered pet, jolt coil, staff of air, wondrous figurine (onyx dog), ring of discretion, psychopomp mask

While the elemental betrayal hex has lost some of its bite but Rina still takes a Basic Lesson for the Lesson of the Elements as it will allow her to inflict a weakness on foes – resembling the penetration of her Mini Destruction Partner. She leans into her ghostly guise with the Eerie Flicker deviant ability, which is again based on her Dress Adjustment dodge ability. Schooled in Secrets just feels right for Rina. There’s something about that smile of hers that makes it feel like she’s in on something and given that the Victoria Housekeeping Company serves high-class customers, she’s likely privy to some dark secrets. Shadow Mark covers her ability to ably stalk others, as we see during the introduction of her faction as she appears right behind the highly competent Anby and the Slink ancestry feat also plays into her ability to sneak around. Rina’s first general feat has to be spent on the Pet general feat, which she should be able to have alongside her familiar to represent her Anastella Bangboo, representing her with the Flier and Manual Dexterity abilities.

She can create elemental zones to enhance electric damage as we see with the likes of her Stormy Night’s Fright and her Weeping Cradle W-Engine. Sudden bolt allows her to unleash high electrical damage upon a single target while lightning bolt is a line of electric damage, resembling her Dimwit Disappearing Trick.

LEVEL 6

o    Class Feat: Enhanced Familiar

o    Skill Feat: Intimidating Glare

o    Familiar Abilities: Familiar Focus, Manual Dexterity, Speech

o    Gear: +1 explorer’s clothing, wand of the pampered pet, demon mask, jolt coil, dweomerweave robe, wondrous figurine (onyx dog)

LEVEL 7

o    General Feat: Fleet

o    Skill Increase: Stealth (M)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 4th – elemental gift, fly

o    Gear: endless grimoire, +1 explorer’s clothing, wondrous figurine (candy constrictor), wand of the pampered pet, staff of air, jolt coil

LEVEL 8

o    Class Feat: Awakened Power – Eerie Flicker I

o    Skill Feat: Swift Sneak

o    Familiar’s Spells: 4th – zephyr slip

o    Gear: cloak of illusions, staff of the tempest, endless grimoire, +1 explorer’s clothing, wand of the pampered pet, demon mask

LEVEL 9

o    Ancestry Feat: Lightless Litheness

o    Skill Increase: Acrobatics (M)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 5th – lightning storm, stormburst

o    Gear: +1 resilient explorer’s clothing, cloak of illusions, ash gown, staff of the tempest, astrolabe of falling stars, wondrous figurine (candy constrictor)

LEVEL 10

o    Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +4, Con +1, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha +4)

o    Class Feat: Incredible Familiar

o    Skill Feat: Foil Senses

o    Skill Increase: Deception (T)

o    Familiar Abilities: Cantrip Connection, Spell Battery

o    Gear: thunderblast slippers, +1 resilient explorer’s clothing, greater jolt coil, cloak of illusions, endless grimoire, staff of the tempest

This block features Enhanced and Incredible Familiar, enhancing Drusilla considerably. Her familiar also gains another ability just from Rina being a witch, so she’ll be able to add Familiar Focus, Manual Dexterity, Speech, Spell Battery, and Cantrip Connection. The spell-focused options here are inspired by the energy regen of her Weeping Cradle, giving her extra spells beyond what she would normally have access to. Her other class feat for the block is Awakened Power, which she’ll use to gain the first power of Eerie Flicker so that creatures that fail to hit her concealment are left frightened by her – a bit inspired by the featureless face that briefly appears when she uses her ultimate. Intimidating Glare also plays into this before she starts investing in Stealth feats. Fleet and Swift Sneak allow her to close on enemies faster whereas Foil Senses helps her circumvent the senses of thirens and ethereals alike. Her ancestry feat for the block, Lightless Litheness, is inspired by her swooping dodge. However, the option that probably best resembles this is the zephyr slip spell that she picks up.

As for her other spells, fly will be important to resemble the way that Rina hovers around the battlefield. She finds another buffing spell with elemental gift. Specifically, the metal gift adds electricity damage and a bonus to hit to an ally’s attacks. Stormburst is probably the best for representing any of those explosive electrical orbs she summons, such as the one that she creates with her Queen’s Attendants, while lightning storm lets her consistently call down bolts of lightning like her Beat the Blockhead, Dimwit Disappearing Trick, or Shoo the Fool.

LEVEL 11

o    General Feat: Toughness

o    Skill Increase: Intimidation (E)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 6th – chain lightning, elemental confluence

o    Gear: crown of witchcraft, elemental wayfinder (air), thunderblast slippers, +1 resilient explorer’s clothing, cloak of illusions, ash gown

LEVEL 12

o    Class Feat: Coven Spell

o    Skill Feat: Aerobatics Mastery

o    Gear: +2 resilient explorer’s clothing, crown of witchcraft, greater endless grimoire, thunderblast slippers, wand of crackling lightning (3rd-rank), greater jolt coil

LEVEL 13

o    Ancestry Feat: Shadow’s Assault

o    Skill Increase: Intimidation (M)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 7th – shock to the system

o    Gear: major jolt coil, +2 resilient explorer’s clothing, hexing jar, crown of witchcraft, elemental wayfinder (air), thunderblast slippers

LEVEL 14

o    Class Feat: Portents of the Haruspex

o    Skill Feat: Kip Up

o    Gear: wondrous figurine (marble elephant), major jolt coil, major staff of air, +2 resilient explorer’s clothing, greater endless grimoire, crown of witchcraft

LEVEL 15

o    Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +4.5, Con +1, Int +5.5, Wis +3, Cha +4.5)

o    General Feat: Incredible Initiative

o    Skill Increase: Stealth (L)

o    Gear: +2 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, fossil fragment (amber mosquito), wondrous figurine (marble elephant), major jolt coil, hexing jar, greater ash gown

While I think elemental betrayal has lost some serious juice, I do like some of the other support options that witch has gained in the remaster – two of which Rina gains in this block. Coven Spell can trigger off of an ally’s spell and allow Rina to increase its damage, based on the way her Weeping Cradle deals damage. Her other reaction this block is Portents of the Haruspex, which she can use to afflict a foe with a weakness as another way to reference her Mini Destruction Partner. The only issue with this feat is that the weakness is damage, but Rina can take some advantage of it with Shadow’s Assault as it can be morphed into almost any damage type. On the skill feat side of things, Aerobatics Mastery will help her fly while saving on actions is massive for casters, and Kip Up helps Rina get back on her feet faster without wasting actions to do so. For her general feats, Incredible Initiative lets her buff her allies or blast foes in an area before these forces meet in melee whereas Toughness just increases her survivability, which is always important for casters.

Aside from the obvious chain lightning pick up, elemental confluence can mix air and metal elements to inflict electric and physical damage all at once. Also, while Rina isn’t a traditionally healing type of support, shock to the system is too fun to pass up on while also fitting with her thundering theme. Another aspect of this is that it grants the affected creature the ability to cast thunderstrike, which Rina can then bolster with her Coven Spell – even if it’s normally a martial that is casting it.

LEVEL 16

o    Class Feat: Effortless Concentration

o    Skill Feat: Legendary Sneak

o    Gear: greater thunderblast slippers, +2 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, wand of crackling lightning (6th-rank), wondrous figurine (marble elephant), major jolt coil, major staff of air

LEVEL 17

o    Ancestry Feat: Pierce the Light

o    Skill Increase: Acrobatics (L)

o    Familiar’s Spells: 9th – falling stars

o    Gear: greater staff of arcane might, greater fan of soothing winds, greater thunderblast slippers, +2 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, fossil fragment (amber mosquito), wondrous figurine (marble elephant)

LEVEL 18

o    Class Feat: Patron’s Claim

o    Skill Feat: Battle Cry

o    Gear: crown of intellect, amplifying aeon stone, wand of paralytic shock (7th-level), greater thunderblast slippers, +2 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, major staff of the tempest

LEVEL 19

o    General Feat: Diehard

o    Skill Increase: Intimidation (L)

o    Gear: +3 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, crown of intellect, greater cloak of the bat, greater staff of arcane might, greater fan of soothing winds, greater thunderblast slippers

LEVEL 20

o    Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +5, Con +1, Int +6, Wis +4, Cha +5)

o    Class Feat: Patron’s Truth

o    Skill Feat: Scare to Death

o    Gear: greater guise of the smirking devil, +3 greater resilient explorer’s clothing, major staff of nature’s vengeance, crown of intellect, amplifying aeon stone, wand of paralytic shock (7th-level)

As I mentioned, action economy is queen on casters, which makes Effortless Concentration handy with the likes of lightning storm, elemental confluence, and her hexes. Another manner of action efficiency is Patron’s Claim as Rina needs to only spend a single action to allow Drusilla to use Patron’s Claim. This does some gnarly damage but perhaps more importantly, it comes with the ability to refuel one of Rina’s Focus Points – once more inspired by the energy regen of her W-Engine. She ends up on Patron’s Truth as her capstone feat because Witch’s Hut doesn’t really fit her and she doesn’t have enough hexes to make much use out of Hex Master. Closing out on her skill feats, Legendary Sneak allows her to hide in plain sight like we see in her first encounter with the Cunning Hares, but outside of that, she wants Intimidation feats so that she can debuff foes and make them more susceptible to her spells as well as the effects of her allies. The use of Pierce the Light in this build is inspired by the fact that Rina is a Hollow Diver in her home game and then she closes out on her feats with Diehard to represent the ghostly guise she has going on, a spirit that refuses to move on.

The only spell that really stands out in this block is falling stars, mostly because it can inflict electricity damage among the other damage types available to it.

FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: The very first archetype that needs to be mentioned is the Familiar Sage. There’s a chance that she should even swap out some of the class feats for this because Lightning Rings’ Intervention allows her familiar to unleash some minor shocks and Lightning Rings’ Overcharge lets her infuse an ally’s weapon with her familiar to grant it electricity damage. This expands the nature of her familiar which is great for the character and also sticks with her electrical theme. Alternatively, she could use a psychic or wizard multiclass archetype, mainly because the spells from it scale off of her Intelligence and it will also give her access to seal fate, which functions under the same idea as her increasing her team’s Penetration Ratio. Going this route, you’d have to swap in some skill increases for the pertinent skill, which could be done in place of her Acrobatics. Finally, she could also go full tilt into her poltergeist theme and take up the Ghost Dedication.

BUILD CONCLUSION

Alexandrina Sebastiane is a deep fetchling witch with a Whisper of Wings patron and a background as a servant since she is the longest-serving maid at the Victoria Housekeeping Company. Her fetchling ancestry and her wraith deviant ability reflect her spectral styling though she ends up relying on the fly spell to cover the way that she hovers around the battlefield. Meanwhile her investment in Stealth covers her ability to follow others around entirely unobserved. The witch class grants her Drusilla as a familiar but she needs the Pet general feat if she wants Anastella as well. The live wire spell is a great get for her Whack the Dimwit basic attack with its inclusion of physical and electricity damage. The ball lightning of her Duple Meter Allemande comes from horizon thunder sphere or storm burst. Good ol' lightning bolt is handy for her Dimwit Disappearing Trick while an electric falling stars can cover her Queen's Attendants ultimate. I think the best way to represent the Penetration Ratio increase of her Mini Destruction Partner or the increased damage of her Weeping Cradle is through inflicting weaknesses on enemies - using the likes of elemental betrayal or Portents of the Haruspex. Rounding out our review, Rina can use conductive weapon, elemental gift, or even shock to the system to empower her allies with electricity, per her Stormy Night's Fright.

A servant simply sublime, this spectral sweetheart sends shocks to the system that support her squad but sends saboteurs and slanderers into a sudden shutdown as she summons storms to squash their schemes.

Please let me know what you think and what other builds you'd 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 and a YouTube channel filled with video formats of these blog posts. Next week will be the first FBF for Ape-ril - a whole month of monkeying around!

Have a fantastic Friday!