Rodd

*A gang leader from the slums. Known for extorting commoners.*

 Penny (Wife, deceased)

**Rodd** is a playable character in *Andaron Saga*. He is a gang leader who rules the slums of Malthrak with an iron fist.

## Personality

Off the bat, Rodd comes off as a typical corrupt and apathetic gangster landlord who chooses to do evil for the fun of it, claiming himself to be the owner of the slums of Malthrak and praying off of those who are less fortunate. Despite that, Rodd is actually a very tragic and remorseful character as his evil-doing was only in result of losing his wife, Penny; while she was alive, Rodd was a decent person and more known and respected. Losing Penny caused Rodd to spiral into a pit of Nihilism, causing him to do what he did. Rodd’s Nihilism also extends against nobility, stating that all of them are no better than what he his; they only look out after themselves and only seek to elevate their status, even if it means invoking national war.

## In Game

### *Andaron Saga*

#### Recruitment

In Ch. 1, enter combat with him with Colter and Thea, but do not defeat him. Colter must survive the chapter. In Ch. 10, talk to him with Colter or Thea to recruit him.

#### Overall

Rodd is a fantastic unit with an unfortunate weakness that will show itself later in the game. He has decent bases during his join time and comes with the Zanbato, a sword effective against cavalry. Thankfully, the map he joins is abundant with slow axe-users and, later in the chapters, axe cavaliers—including a Great Knight miniboss in Henry—all of which he will be able to double with ease. His growths are all stellar for his class type, having great strength and skill, good speed, and even decent luck and defense, ensuring that every level will count and he’ll grow into a good physical brawler with some dodge capabilities.

Probably his two best standout traits are his personal skill and his constitution. The former is Cheap Shot, a straightforward skill that simply deals a raw +6 damage when he initiates. While nothing flashy, that +6 turns into +12 if Rodd doubles—which he will— allowing him to clear out of foes with greater effectiveness than most of your army, making him an exceptional boss killer or just against foes with higher hp. Another thing is his 11 constitution, and with his C-rank in swords, he’ll be able to wield swords as heavy as steel blades and still be able to double, which can even extend to steel axes upon promotion, where he gains +2 extra con on top of that. The catch is that it does make him harder to rescue, and even units like Theodor, Jaheira, and Victoria may not be able to hoist him away.

Probably his biggest weakness is his viability for endgame. Despite his incredible combat prowess, he possesses no eligibility to wield a regalia, which does decrease his value to promote him over other units who do have access to regalia: Ariel and Kurt have access to regalia in the early game while having more movement than Rodd, Shom and especially Shay have more utility upon promotion, Isabelle has plot armor in both the figurative and literal sense, and even Rodd’s closest competition, mercenary Natalie, offers potentially more reward if you do train her. This unfortunately leaves Rodd in a rough spot: a great unit for early to mid-game but leaves little to offer for endgame.

#### Supports

* Colter
* Buggi