Pathfinder
Siege Automaton
PATHFINDER
TITLE INFORMATION
STATUS: Active
OCCUPATION(S):
- Battle Automaton (formerly)
- Explorer (currently)
AFFILIATION(S):
- The Agents of Chaos (formerly)
- None (currently)
HOMEWORLD: Scintilla
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
SEX: Male Programming
AGE: 30
HEIGHT: 2.2 m/220 cm (7'03")
WEIGHT: 317 kg (700 lbs)
OPTIC: Sky Blue
CHASSIS: White & Muted Green
LANGUAGE(S) KNOWN:
- Binary - Fluent
- Galactic Basic - Receptive
FORCE SENSITIVITY: n/a
VOICE: x
STATISTICS
STRENGTHS
- Durable Chassis - Rampart units are manufactured with a chassis capable of resisting heavy blaster fire, making a more up-close-and-personal approach the smarter decision, as the unit boasts an admirable resistance to the Force as well. Coupled with the droid's high damage output, however, this decision can lead to complications, as being in melee distance risks being shredded in an instant by its lethal weapons.
- Natural Connection - Distinct from other units of his kind, Pathfinder is intrigued and fascinated by nature. Over the years, several flora and fauna alike have taken a shine to him, using his body as nesting grounds, and as such he has learnt how to handle wild animals, aided by his naturally gentle and timid soul.
- SST RAMPART Droid - While Pathfinder has shied away from his combat programming from so many years dormant, it still emerges under specific conditions. Rampart units are equipped with several unique attributes that make them fierce opponents to fight against, and Pathfinder is still more than capable of using them if he feels inclined to, no matter how gentle or seemingly harmless he may have otherwise appeared:
- It takes 1 second for a unit to reconfigure. Reconfiguration can take place while airborne, and ammo is automatically reloaded when switching between forms.
- The SMG has a mag size of 35 bullets before needing to reload for 1.5 seconds, and has a rate of fire of 8 rounds per second.
- The Gatling Gun has a mag size of 300 before needing to reload for 2.1 seconds, and has a rate of fire of 30 rounds per second.
- The Cannon has unlimited ammo, not needing to reload, with a rate of fire of 1 shot per second.
- Configuration: Tank requires at least an hour to charge at a time before it can be used. Additionally, it only lasts a measly 8 seconds.
- Self-Repair heals for 90 health per second, with a 0.5 delay in casting time and duration of up to 3.33 seconds before needing to cooldown for 1 second.
- Constantly using Self-Repair without waiting for its cooldown to recharge to its full meter will overheat the appendage, dealing more damage.
- Self-Repair is available during Configuration: Recon and Configuration: Sentry, but not Configuration: Tank.
- DATA SCAN: Rampart units can use the same appendage to scan the memory banks of other droids, even if deactivated and/or destroyed, so long as the memory bank itself remains intact. Doing so will show the Rampart unit the droid's last moments before its destruction.
WEAKNESSES
- Gentle Soul - Pathfinder's defining character trait is the stark difference in his behaviour compared to all other Rampart units. As opposed to being a mindless killing machine, Pathfinder's prolonged inactivity has drastically altered his programming, and as such he is far from the lethal weapon of mass destruction he once was. While still highly capable of killing, Pathfinder has since become much like a scared animal - he is most likely going to be more scared of you than you are of him, and he will only retaliate if absolutely necessary.
- The Dark Times - Pathfinder's combat programming has been almost forgotten, but it nonetheless remains in his subconscious, bubbling away and triggering during certain situations. Akin to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Pathfinder suffers from easily triggered panic attacks as a result of things that remind him of his time fighting during the battles he was made for. Whether it be something as forward as gunfire or something completely unrelated as fireworks, flashbacks to the war make Pathfinder's core programming resurface, in which case the droid loses all control of himself and reverts back to the mindless killing machine he used to be until he believes the threat to be eliminated. This can prove dangerous for those around him, as these episodes can result in sometimes lethal injuries to people meaning no harm.
- SST RAMPART Droid Downsides - While certainly a force to be reckoned with, Rampart droids- and Pathfinder by extension- aren't perfect, and suffer from several flaws. These range from their nature as a droid, to the weaknesses their differing forms have which enemies can take advantage of:
- Hard to Miss - Unlike the much more nimble and daintier B1 Battle Droid, Rampart units stand at an impressive 7 foot and have a large, stocky build, making them incredibly hard to miss.
- Still A Droid - Like most droids, Rampart units are very vulnerable to EMP attacks, which are capable of temporarily shutting them offline, leaving them vulnerable for attack.
- CONFIGURATION: RECON: Configuration: Recon have Rampart units completely mobile, but their equipped weapon, their SMG, is by far the weakest in its arsenal. Rampart units aren't particularly agile either, walking at relatively slow-to-moderate speeds. Keeping them in Recon mode is a sure fire way of tipping the odds in your favor.
- CONFIGURATION: SENTRY: Configuration: Sentry's most blatant flaw is the Rampart unit's immobility. While Sentry form's damage is absurdly high, their inability to move puts them at a huge disadvantage to ranged attacks and, especially, snipers.
- Not only that, but during Sentry form, a Rampart unit's core is forced outside its chassis and protrudes from its back, barely protected by glass. This makes flanking them a highly effective strategy, as destroying the core will destroy the droid almost immediately.
- CONFIGURATION: TANK: Configuration: Tank presents itself with several weaknesses, the most obvious of which being its incredibly short duration at 8 seconds in addition to its recharge time of one hour. The splash damage from its Tank form's cannon can also damage itself, meaning that shooting its explosives within a confined area may result in a deadly aftermath for the droid. Overall, the easiest solution to counter Configuration: Tank is to just simply wait it out until the droid is forced back into its much more vulnerable Recon form.
- RECONFIGURE: There isn't much to say about a Rampart unit's ability to reconfigure, outside of the fact that during the split period of reconfiguring, the droid remains entirely vulnerable as it's stationary and completely unable to fire its guns. While the period of time it takes to transform isn't long in the slightest, taking aim while the droid reconfigures gives you a leg up.
- SELF-REPAIR: Rampart units cannot fire any of their weapons while self-repairing, making it a risky move to do outside of cover. Additionally, constant attempts to rush the repair process before it has the chance to cooldown will result in the unit overheating. The best bet to counter a self-repairing Rampart unit is to constantly apply pressure for it to either refuse to heal or to heal too much and overwork itself.
APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY
Pathfinder is a large, stocky droid, standing at an intimidating 7 foot. Much like all Rampart units, his default form, Configuration: Recon, has his right arm consist of his submachine gun, with the gatling gun used in Configuration: Sentry attached to his back. The noticeable difference in appearance that makes Pathfinder stand out from the rest of his kind, however, is the jungle of flora that has grown on him from years of dormant inactivity. He has become coated in moss, grass, and leafs, with several birds having nested on his broad shoulder plates. Unlike other Rampart units, Pathfinder's optic is a bright baby blue, in stark contrast to the usual blood red. When triggered into combat mode, however, Pathfinder's optic flickers to the red color it's supposed to be, a telltale sign that his inner programming has taken over.
Personality-wise, Pathfinder is incredibly gentle, timid, and very skittish; more attributes that make him stand out from the emotionless killing machines other Rampart units are. Pathfinder is very wary of people, but is incredibly affectionate with nature, being sure never to harm the local plants and animals he comes into contact with, expressing a deep interesting in their functions. Pathfinder, when not in combat mode, hasn't a mean bone in his body, wanting nothing more than to simply co-exist with people without them being afraid of him, or without threats and attacks. If one were to get to know him, they'd discover the droid has an almost childlike innocence to him, sincerely fascinated with the world around him.
During a triggered episode, however, Pathfinder's violent programming takes control and all semblance of personality and gentleness are immediately drowned out and discarded for his prime directive. The droid expresses no individuality, thought, emotion, or remorse during its combat mode. As a result, Pathfinder tends to stay clear of violent locations, as he is incredibly disturbed by the violence and bloodshed he is capable of causing, and doesn't wish to harm anyone.
BIOGRAPHY
Manufactured on the planet of Scintilla by First United Astral Engineering as part of their recent SST-series combat droids, Pathfinder left the assembly line an empty, emotionless machine with one prime directive: to kill. Shipped off alongside his fellow Rampart units, the droid would spend the majority of his life without cognitive thought, reason, or personality.
An asset for war fighting on the frontlines for The Agents of Chaos against The Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Rampart line proved successful. Merciless machines designed for destruction, the blood on the unit's hands is enough to last a lifetime, the droid's chassis providing it the defense and resilience necessary to take part in several battles in a row. That is, until the final days of a battle would result in the droid receiving heavy damages. Severely injured and collapsing during a retreat to heal, the Rampart unit would remain forgotten, ignored, left to rot in the earths of the planet as it powers down for what it assumed to be the last time.
It lay dormant, exposed to the elements and rusting while nature slowly reclaimed it. Overgrown with vines and roots and nested upon by small animals, the droid sat inert, seemingly unaware of the passing of time. That was until one fateful day, when it unexpectedly reactivated. With its combat programming all but lost, it instead displayed an intense curiosity about the natural world and its inhabitants. This inquisitive Rampart unit set out to explore its surroundings and discover its purpose on a war-ravaged planet. To find meaning. To find the path it was meant to take.
Giving itself the name "Pathfinder", the droid would set forth, blissfully oblivious to the bloodshed he had caused all of those years ago.
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