The retriever is a type of fictional monster for player character

Player character

A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...

s to encounter, in the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

.

Publication history

The retriever first appeared in first edition in the original Fiend Folio

Fiend Folio

Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...

(1981).

The retriever appeared in second edition in the Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992). The retriever appeared for the Planescape

Planescape

Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...

 setting in Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995).

The retriever appeared in the third edition under the "demon

Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...

" entry in the Monster Manual

Monster Manual

The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...

(2000), and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003).

The retriever appears in the game's fourth edition in Monster Manual 2 (2009).

Description

The retriever is a construct

Construct (Dungeons & Dragons)

Within the world of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, construct is a type of creature, or "creature type". Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature....

 in the 3rd edition, although some prior sources denote it as a demon

Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...

. It resembles an enormous metallic spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

, with a body the size of an ox

Ox

An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...

 and eight 14 feet (4.3 m) legs. Its back and head are interlaced with dozens of glossy metal plates arranged in a jagged fashion. It is black in color, and has six eyes and a pair of mandible

Mandible

The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...

s.

Characteristics and habits

Retrievers are constructed (typically by evil mages, warlords or demons) to find, capture or recapture lost or desired objects, runaway slaves, wanted criminals, or such. When ordered to find such a thing, it does to unerringly, both doing it without question and somehow knowing exactly where the to-be-retrieved thing is and how to retrieve it. In order for this to work, however, the master has to have either seen or touched the item/being to be retrieved.

Retrieving

If, by any chance and for whatever reason, the retriever has to challenge what it has to retrieve, it is capable of doing so. From its eyes, it is capable of firing four different eye weapons; fire, frost, electricity and petrification. It can also attack with its four front-most claws. The retriever usually weakens its foes first using its fire/frost/electricity eye weapons and its claws, before switching to petrification to immobilize the prey. It then picks them up and places them in the mouth, and takes them back to their master. Added to this fearsome offense is a strong defense. Retrievers are highly resistant to magic, most forms of energy attacks, and have a high number of hit points.

Personality

Retrievers are apparently unable to speak. They are chaotic evil in alignment.