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Retrievers first appeared in the Fiend Folio for AD&D 1st Edition. They make their 4e debut here in the Monster Manual 2.

The Lore

Copyright 2009 Wizards of the Coast

Retrievers are powerful constructs shaped like giant spiders, built by the primordials themselves during the Dawn War to carry out kidnappings, thefts, and assassinations. They’re not smart enough to do anything outside their intended function, but when it comes to their mission there’s no one better in existence.

Once given a target, a retriever can track it from anywhere in the multiverse and teleport to its location instantly. If they’re retrieving, they can grab the target and skedaddle. If they’re assassinating, they can count on their huge size, bladed legs, and multi-directional eye rays to flatten almost any opposition.

The primordials can really build things to last when they care to. A significant number of retrievers survived the War and is still active today, which is very bad news for the world because some demons have learned how to command them. Back in the days of AD&D, retrievers were linked to Demogorgon in particular, but now they could be found in the service of any demon lord or other entity of similar power. Perhaps some of them still act at the behest of a primordial, and Lolth is spidery enough to want a bunch of them working for her. Make any of them angry enough and a few retrievers might show up at your home.

The Numbers

Retrievers are Huge Elemental Animates, but though they are described as constructs they lack the Construct keyword. They’re Level 27 Soldiers with 248 HP, immunity to Charm and Fear, and Resist 5 to all damage. They run at speed 8, but have no climb speed despite looking like spiders. Their special senses include darkvision and truesight 10.

A retriever has Reach 3 and two basic attacks: a standard Claw strike and Retrieve, which targets Fortitude, deals claw damage and grabs the target. A retriever can move its grabbed victim without needing to make Strength tests, so they can easily “grab and go”.

It also has access to four different eye rays, each pairing a type of elemental damage with a different rider: acid and blindness, cold and immobilization, fire and ongoing damage, thunder and stun. The creature can fire all four in the same action, but must target a different creature with each. At the start of each turn, a random ray recharges. This means a second full blast takes a while, but it can fire a partial one if needed.

If the retriever is hard-pressed it can take an action to engage in Self-Repair, recovering 20 HP and gaining a +4 bonus to AC for a turn. This recharges once it’s first bloodied. Might be a good thing to do when it manages to run away with its victim.

And finally we have the power that makes it truly fearsome: Unerring Accuracy, which allows it to sense the approximate location of its target and teleport to within 10 squares of it from anywhere in the multiverse. Demogorgon is pissed at you, gives your name to a retriever in his throne room and bam, giant spider mech bursting through your bedroom wall. This is a daily power, so I guess a retriever on a kidnapping mission needs at least a few hours before it can return to its master. That’s your window to rescue them.

The order doesn’t even have to be very specific. “Bring me an elf” will allow it to teleport to the location of the nearest elf, and so on.

Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

Despite being an epic spider mech, the retriever is a Regular, which means it will usually be found as part of a group. This can mean “multiple retrievers”, or it can mean other epic assassin-types who hitch a ride on the teleport. Maybe they’re riding a howdah atop the spider body - it’d be the perfect place for some epic artillery or controller monsters.

Alternatively, they might be found under the command of a less sophisticated type of demon who prefers to use them as bodyguards and extra muscle in a more straightforward combat scenario.

The sample encounter could belong to either type: a marilith with an entourage composed of an abyssal rotfiend and 2 retrievers (level 26).