Non-cannon devils, feedback and suggestions apreciated

Woho~

I'm currently flumbling around with some sort of "Clerk Devil" that can fulfill various functions and are not combat oriented. I think the strongest of the three actually has a CR of 2.

What about fiends taking Character Levels? I'd say its okay and even necessery if one does not want to creat another caste for every possible task.
I also think thats the problem with some of your castes, weishan: They are not particular flexible.

Well then, i shall submit my current work so it can be adequately criticised. I want to inform any willing reader that I have never create something like that before and some statistics are just wrapped together from informations of the 3.5e online supplement that I saw fitting. The attacks are taken from the Lemure, among other things, and the CR is a good guess at best. I wanted them to be relatively weak and I think, I have succeeded. Anything beyond what's statted is supposed to come along with npc/character levels (Commoner devils included ).

Clerk Devils

If a berk thinks the devils are a bunch of war-loving, hateful, violent, canny and evil monsters, he’s right, basically. However, even – or especially – in a perfect military machine there are tasks to be done that are either beyond a soldier’s capability, or beneath his pride. The Baatezu, of course, have found a way to fill in these positions that are at the same time atop and below those of the ordinary Barbazu: Clerk Devils, as they are called disparaging by the other castes and almost everyone else for it is a handy term. Besides this social degradation, there are Clerk Devils that officially rank somewhere between Barbazu and Erinyes, namely the Hretalxu, who are the master researchers, senior lawyers, judges and head administrators of Baatorian society.

The caste classification follows the Rule of Three: First there are the Abraxus, who do mostly basic jobs like secretary work, field research (they are easily replaceable) or cleaning up old archives. Second are the Cernabraxus, who’s carriers vary greatly depending on the actual agency they are working for (this naturally applies to all Clerk Devils). They can as well lead on a group of Abraxu researchers or be the servitor of a Hretalxu (or any other devil that has need of it), who are the, surprisingly uncommon, highest caste of Clerk Devils.

Abraxus are usually promoted directly from Lemurs and sometimes Spinagon. They can also be demoted Abishai or Kocrachon, but this method is rarely used for a reason that the Baatezu like to keep hidden from others: Abraxu having been demoted from a higher caste often retain some of their old features: The scales of an Abishai, the blue skin of the Kocrachon, claws, and even functioning wings. From there they can advance through Cernabraxu to Hretalxu and nowhere else. The Hretalxu are able to further advance to an Erinyes or Cornugo, but this is a rare event. Hretalxu are not trained in combat, which is a necessary quality for those fiends, and usually find it hard to get accepted in their new environment for having been such a weak creature most of their existence.

Appearance: Clerk Devils have a fleshy skin that provides only slightly (or no) better protection than that of a Lemure. It will also get a grey touch in advancement. Abraxu still walk ducked like the Abishai, but the higher the caste of the Devil the more upright it stands. Two pointy horns that will grow with the rank of the owner crown the devil.

Habitat/Society: Clerk Devils live is as different as the tasks they are entrusted with. They can be encountered in the hundreds or alone, depending on their current assignment. Abraxu are usually loyal and cooperative since they fear the wrath of their superiors. When they are promoted to Cernabraxu status they become more ambitious and self-confident. Hretalxu can be masters of deception and intrigue, though some are just satisfied with what they are doing, being all absorbed and delighted in their work, considering a master of their art. Those devils almost fear promotion for it will most likely force them to break up with their beloved occupation. This, of course, is considered very un-devilish and may result in demotion or other, more creative punishment to encourage adequate behaviour.

Combat: All Clerk Devils detest close combat and will try to avoid it if possible. However, they would hate it to be seen as a coward and demonstrate their weakness in front of other Baatezu. The Hretalxu is the only of the three that might willingly take up the challenge of a sodding mortal or weak Outsider, should he ever encounter one. If seriously endangered, a Clerk Devil will almost always try to use its Gate ability to call for assistance. A Hretalxu can also recur to his fiery spell-like abilities, although he knows when they are of use and when not.

Ecology: Clerk Devils are not as tough as their war-like brethren. Therefore they avoid the battlefields of the Blood War and other harsh environments, if their job doesn’t involve either of these locations.

Sorry if anything's left incomplete, it's late and I'm sucked out.

Thanks weishan, I am grateful for every advice that helps to improve the concept. However, I shall try to confute some of your critics:

Yes, thats true in some way. But Erinyes have similar summoning-abilities (although I conflated this, giving the Hretalxu too much Baerbed Ones) and I tried to depict the highest of the Cler Devils as formally above the Barbazu - I didn't go after the CR to depict official ranks.
I am well aware that a 3rd level party would be crushed by the summoned devils, and maybe it is truely wise to reduce their number and strengh, though not too much - what has a 3rd level party to enter Baator anyway?

I will do so.

Mh, I really don't want that to happen, basically because I like my little devils the way they are, but also because I think the Baatezu hierarchy a bit too short in general. It is really a compromise between advancing-through-level and advancing-through-promotion.

Again, I didn't go after CRs for that - also Imps survive pretty well at CR 2. The feature that qualify Clerk Devils as clerks are their Intelligence which is superior to that of the soldier castes, plus the general flexibility. I didn't have the stats for Kocrachons to compare, but as I stated elsewhere I don't see them suitable for the job.

Well, I think it does not solely depend on the toughness of an object to become a snack or being spared, but I'll take that note. Maybe its really better to put them all together. With the Hretalxu abilities possibly. Or make them more different. However, a clerk shouldn't be physically stronger than your avarage soldier (Barbazu CR 5). Apropos: does anyone have 3.5e Abishai statistics? There ain't nothing in the online supplement, I don't possess any 3.5 MMs but I'd really like to see the conversion.

Much to consider... tomorrow.