Homonculous
Climate/Terrain:
| Any |
|
Frequency:
| Very rare
|
Organization:
| Solitary
|
Activity Cycle:
| Any
|
Diet:
| Omnivore
|
Intelligence:
| See below
|
Treasure:
| Nil
|
Alignment:
| See below
|
No. Appearing:
| 1
|
Armor Class:
| 6
|
Movement:
| 6, Fl 18 (B)
|
Hit Dice:
| 2
|
THAC0:
| 19
|
No. of Attacks:
| 1
|
Damage/Attack:
| 1-3
|
Special Attacks:
| Bite causes sleep
|
Special Defenses:
| See below
|
Magic Resistance:
| See below
|
Size:
| T(18" tall)
|
Morale:
| Elite (13-14)
|
XP Value:
| 270
|
Homonculi are small mystical beings created by magicians for spying and other
special tasks.
The average homonculous is vaguely humanoid in form. It is 18 inches tall and
its greenish, reptilian skin may have spots or warts. They have leathery,
bat-like wings with a span of 24 inches and a mouth filled with long, pointed teeth
that can inject a potent sleeping venom.
Combat: The homonculous is a quick and agile flyer which uses this ability to great
advantage in combat. It can dart to and fro so quickly that any attempt to
capture it short of a net or
web spell is almost impossible.
In combat, the homonculous will land on its chosen victim and bite with its
needle-like fangs. In addition to doing 1-3 points of damage, the creature
injects a powerful venom. Anyone bitten by the homonculous must save vs. poison or
fall into a comatose sleep for 5-30 (5d6) minutes.
The creature's saving throws are the same as those of its creator. While most
attacks against either the homonculous or creator do not affect the other,
there is one exception. Any attack which destroys the homonculous causes its
creator to suffer 2-20 (2d10) points of damage. Conversely, if the creator is slain,
the homonculous also dies and its body swiftly melts away into a pool of ichor.
Habitat/Society: Homonculi are artificial creatures created by wizards as living tools. The
process by which one is created is long, complicated, and expensive. Any wizard
who desires a homonculous servant must first locate and hire an alchemist. The
wizard must provide one pint of his own blood and 500-2,000 (1d4 x 500) gold
pieces. The blood becomes the basis for the creature's body while the money pays
for a variety of other supplies and the alchemist's time. The alchemist requires
1-4 weeks to transform the blood into the necessary magical base. The wizard is
then sent for and required to cast
mending, mirror image, and
wizard eye spells upon the fluids. As the last of these spells is worked, the fluids
spontaneously coagulate and form the body of the homonculous.
The homonculous is telepathically linked to its creator. It knows everything
that its master knows and transmits everything it sees and hears to him. The
creator can telepathically control the actions of the homonculous at a range of up
to 480 yards. The homonculous will never willingly travel beyond the limits of
contact with its master, though it can be removed from that region by force.
As soon as it loses contact with its master, the creature panics and will do
anything to regain contact. Contact between the two cannot be maintained across
planar or dimensional barriers. If either the creator or homonculous is on
another plane, the homonculous will remain near the point where it was last in
contact with its master.
Homonculi are a reflection of their creator. They have the creator's
alignment, basic intelligence, and even physical mannerisms. They are mute but can write
if the creator is literate. They may assist their creator in a variety of
tasks including magical endeavors, although they cannot themselves cast spells.
Homonculi lairs are in the homes of their creators. Indulgent wizards may
provide a specially built bed, nest, or living chamber. Otherwise, the homonculous
simply perches wherever it can.
Ecology: Homonculi are nothing more than tools. They have no place in the natural world
and are not part of any ecological system. They provide the wizard who created
them with a variety of useful services. Commonly, a homonculous is called upon
to act as a spy, scout, messenger, or emissary. Because of the potential harm
which the death of a homonculous inflicts on its master, they are seldom
employed as body guards or living weapons.
Although they are magical creations, homonculi possess the same biological
functions as non-magical creatures. They must rest and require food and drink in
order to survive. When eating, they share the tastes of their masters and
generally consume about as much as a typical cat.
There are rumors of magical means by which non-wizards can acquire their own
form of homonculous. Although these are not widely believed to be valid, there
are those who report having seen the process or its results first hand. If such
a procedure exists, it would be quite valuable to its discoverer.