Retriever (3.5e Racial Paragon Class)

Retriever
Lower tiers of demons fear death more than most forms of punishment, and understandably so. Upon their deaths, their essence returns to the Abyss and they no longer even have the potential to exist.

But there is one thing they fear more than death: a gruesome process in which their skin is flayed from their body and replaced with heavy metallic plates. The final step of this indoctrination is the implantation of magical metal receptors that make them victim not only mindless, but completely obedient to its master. This is the process of making a retriever.

As their name suggests, retrievers specialize in locating and pursuing particularly dangerous pieces of their masters’ property. Sometimes sending an intelligent demon on a task is beneficial due to their ability to think logically, but on other occasionss undying, unswayable loyalty is required over brains. In these cases, having a retriever is a luxury that most demon lords pursue with relish.

Retreivers cannot speak of their own volition, but sufficiently powerful master would find it a simple matter to speak through a retriever via spells.

Making a Retriever
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are the most important abilities for a retriever, which emphasizes melee combat over other attack forms. Dexterity is also helpful for eye rays, but little investment is needed.

Races: Only an outsider can become a retriever, and while many attempts have failed there have been successful conversions of non-demons into retrievers. Additionally, in order to even survive the process, the outsider used must have a CR of at least 9.

Alignment: Any. The process of making a retriever strips the subject of all free will, so alignment means little.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the retriever.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Retrievers any manufactured weapon proficiencies they previously had, but retain proficiency with their natural weapons.

 (Ex): A retriever loses many of the abilities that made it an effective combatant as a sentient demon, and although it retains the outsider type it gains many properties of a living construct. It becomes a mindless creature, losing all skill points, feats, and abilities associated with sentience. It can no longer take levels in another class (although it may gain HD as the demon it previously was), and it loses access to any spell-like abilities or manufactured weapon proficiencies it possessed previously. It does, however, retain its Constitution score and all associated benefits thereof.

In return, the creature is gifted with a tremendous amount of grafted armor plating, granting it an armor bonus to AC equal to their normal Hit Dice and then an additional +1 per retriever level. It also gains bonus hit points as befitting a construct of its size, which stack with bonus hit points from its Constitution score. It also gains a wicked prosthetic blade in place of each of its normal claw, slam, or stinger attacks, increasing the damage dealt by that attack by one size category. If the retriever doesn't already have natural weapons, it gains two claw attacks that deal damage as a creature one size larger than itself (consult the table below for damage by size). For retrievers that already possess natural weapons, use the amount on the table or their base damage, whichever is higher.

All of the retrievers weapons no longer incur penalties to attack rolls (as if the retriever had the Improved Multiattack feat) are also ensorcelled to gain power with the retriever itself, gaining an enhancement bonus equal to one third the retriever’s Hit Dice. The retriever also gains a +2 bonus to its Strength score per class level it possesses.

Lastly, a retriever has the following traits as a construct-like creature. It no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe, becomes immune to poisons and disease, death effects and necromancy, paralysis, and mind-affecting effects.

 : Each level, a retriever gains eye rays that it may fire upon targets within Medium range (100 feet + 10 additional feet per HD of the retriever) as a swift action. At first level, it gains access to the elemental and dispelling rays, and finally the petrification ray at 2nd level (see below). All eye rays have a save DC of 10 + 1/2 the retreiver's CR (or character level) + its Constitution modifier, and have a caster level equal to the retriever's CR (or character level).
 * Elemental Ray: This option actually consists of three separate rays: fire, cold, and electricity, one of which is chosen by the retriever each time it is fired. Regardless of the damage type selected, the ray deals 2d6 damage per HD of the retriever (with a Fortitude save for half damage).
 * Dispelling: This ray carries the effect of a targeted greater dispel magic spell.
 * Petrification: The target of this ray must make a Fortitude save or be permanently petrified (as a flesh to stone spell).

 : When presented with a target from a creature that has either seen or has a sample from the target, a retriever comes under the effect of a find the path spell (with the target creature set as the destination). This effect is usable at will and cannot be fooled by any means.

 : A 2nd level retriever can always link back to its creator no matter where it is; this ability functions as a plane shift spell (usable at will, but only on the retriever itself and whatever it is carrying) that always takes the retriever exactly where it needs to go.