Lesser Hound Archon Paragon (3.5e Racial Paragon Class)

Lesser Hound Archon Paragon
Born on the material plane, lesser hound archons aspire to rise to the ranks of their pure celestial kin. Through determination and good, lawful actions they draw closer to their primal source, transforming into full fledged hound archons.

Making a Lesser Hound Archon Paragon
Abilities: The important ability scores of a lesser hound archon paragon largely are determined by his class before or after his paragon levels. With that said, lesser hound archons are natural melee warriors, especially paladins, and so benefit from high Strength, Constitution, and Charisma. Wisdom will help with saving throws and paladin casting if available, leaving Dexterity and Intelligence least important.

Races: You must be a lesser hound archon to use this class.

Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, and Neutral Good.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the lesser hound archon paragon.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Lesser Hound Archon Paragons are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, but are no proficient in any armor or shields.  (Ex): Lesser Hound Archon Paragons recieve a +1 sacred bonus each level on saves against electricty and petrification, to a maximum of +7 at 7th level. After which, the benefit is superceded by Archon Immunities.  (Ex): Lesser Hound Archon Paragons recieve DR 2/evil at 1st level, and an additional +1 to their damage reduction each level, to a maximum of DR 10/evil at 9th level.  (Ex): A lesser hound archon paragon is swift of foot, gaining +10 to his base land speed.

 (Ex): Levels in lesser house archon paragon count as levels in paladin and for good or lawful aligned divine classes such as a good-aligned cleric, for the purposes of determining smite evil benefits and smites per day, lay on hands amount, and for caster level (but not spells per day and spells known). This does not grant you such class features, it merely continues the growth of those you have.  (Ex): As the lesser hound archon paragon gains levels his ability scores increase as noted above, gaining +2 Cha at 2nd level, +2 Wis at 4th level, +2 Con at 6th level, and +2 Str at 8th level. These increase stack and are gained as if through level advancement.  (Ex): At 2nd level a lesser hound archon paragon gains +1 to their natural armor, plus an additional +1 each level (+8 additional natural armor at 9th level).  (Su): At 2nd level lesser hound archon paragons master the true language of all beings. They may speak with any creature that has a language as though using a tongues spell with a caster level equal to their character level. In addition the lesser hound archon paragon learns Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal, though Tongues often supercedes this. ' (Sp):' At 3rd level a lesser hound archon paragon gains additional spell-like abilities, learning aid and continual flame'', each usable 3/day. At 7th level, they become usable at will.  (Su): At 4th level a lesser hound archon paragon may assume the form of any canine creature from Small to Large size whose HD are no greater than your own. This otherwise functions like polymorph except you may only assume the form of any dog or wolflike creature of the animal type.  (Su): At 5th level a lesser hound archon paragon gains a righteous aura whenever he fights or gets angry. Any hostile creature within a 20 foot radius of the archon must succeed on a Will save (DC 12 + 1/2 HD + Charisma) to negate its effects. Those who fail take a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours, or until they successfully hit the lesser hound archon paragon. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon's aura for 24 hours.  (Ex): At 5th level a lesser hound archon paragon gains the scent ability.  (Su): At 6th level, a lesser hound archon paragon gains spell resistance equal to their character level + 10.  (Su): At 7th level a lesser hound archon paragon is surrounded in a barrier of goodness. He gains the constant effects of magic circle against evil centered on himself, with a caster level equal to his character level. It may be dispelled, but he may reassume it as a free action on his turn.  (Ex): At 8th level a lesser hound archon paragon becomes immune to electricty and petrification. ' (Sp):''' At 9th level a lesser hound archon paragon can step across the world in an instant. He gains the ability to cast teleport a number of times equal to 1/3 his character level (so a 9 HD lesser hound archon may cast it 3/day). At 15 HD, he may teleport at will. At 18 HD, it functions like greater teleport instead.

 (Ex): At 9th level a lesser hound archon paragon has become a true archon and is recognized as such. He loses his native subtype and gains the lawful and good subtype, allowing him to bypass DR/law and DR/good. He may still be raised, reincarnated, and ressurected as normal, but he no longer needs to eat or sleep. In addition if the archon takes levels in paladin he may have his special mount gain 2 additional HD, +4 Str, +4 natural armor, improved evasion, and +10 to all movement speeds. This benefit also applies to any mount which has the celestial or half-celestial templates. If he has some other alternate class feature equivallent or replacing the paladin's mount, he instead gains a +2 effective paladin level on the bonus obtained.

Ex-Lesser Hound Archon Paragons
Lesser hound archons which fail to be lawful good, lawful neutral, or neutral good can no longer take levels in lesser hound archon paragon until they regain an acceptable alignment.

Playing a Lesser Hound Archon Paragon
Religion: As beings of the planes, religion comes almost naturally. If they do not directly worship a god of law and/or good, then they hold high the standards and belief of the lawful good planes themselves.

Other Classes: Even with no levels in paladin, lesser hound archon paragons often behave like one. Naturally they are friends with paladins, clerics of law and good, monks, and any who would stand and be a hero. They usually run into issues with the more shifty variant of rogue, or the typically chaotic barbarian or bard. Still, tis better to have friends than enemies, and they treat all they with at least a modecum of respect.

Combat: With a healthy boost to strength and constitution, lesser hound archon paragons are ideal melee troops. The classic hound archon charges into battle with greatsword or occational jovar, cutting down evil face to face.

Advancement: Melee classes, especially divinely powered ones such as the paladin, crusader, and various prestige classes, are perfect ways to continue your holy warrior advancement. With 9 HD, lesser hound archons can often jump right into a prestige class they qualify for.

Lesser Hound Archon Paragons in the World
"Evil, meet my sword! Sword! Meet!  EVIL!"

Daily Life: Lesser Hound Archon Paragons certainly stand out, both physically and how they hold themselves. Generally its presence is always welcome, for lesser hound archons wish nothing more than to help any way they can.

Notables: Charley Hampshire was a notable lesser hound archon paragon who defeated many evils, before eventually retiring to teach others how to destroy evil, beginning the legecy of the Kiritsu Star Knights organization.

Organizations: While no longer exclusively about hound archons or even celestials, the Kiritsu Star Knights are a group of divinely augmented soldiers trained specifically to combat evil and protect the material and upper planes from harm. Any good aligned character, hound archons included, can find a home there.

NPC Reactions: As an angellic being on earth, a lesser hound archon is a blessing to behold. They are good fortune in times of need, though they do tend to make others wary with their otherworldly presence and the feeling that such a being is undoubtly far stronger than the average man.

Lesser Hound Archon Paragon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge The Planes can research lesser hound archon paragons to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Lesser Hound Archon Paragons in the Game
Sample Encounter: A fallen hound archon has fallen prey to a corrupting evil force, who now takes its troubled host on a path of destruction to besmirch his good name and cause the celestial to fall deeper into sin. You must stop the destruction and save the archon before he kills you!

EL whatever: 9.