Tiny construct, neutral
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 5 (2d4)
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (-3) | 15 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Telepathic Bond. While the homunculus is on the same plane of existence as its master, it can magically convey what it senses to its master, and the two can communicate telepathically.
ACTIONS
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (1d1) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a dc 10 constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is instead poisoned for 5 (1d10) minutes and unconscious while poisoned in this way
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
Homunculi are small mystical beings created by magicians for spying and other special tasks. They are shaped from a mixture of clay, ash, mandrake root, and blood, and infused with a fragment of the creator’s life essence. The average homunculus 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. They can understand the languages of their creator, but cannot speak. They share a telepathic bond with their master, allowing them to communicate and sense each other’s presence across any distance on the same plane of existence .
COMBAT
A homunculus is not a formidable combatant, but it can use its bite to inject a potent venom into its enemies . The venom can cause extreme drowsiness or even unconsciousness in those who fail to resist its effects. A homunculus can also act as a scout or a messenger for its master, using its flight and stealth abilities to avoid detection. A homunculus is loyal to its creator and will obey their commands without question. It dies if its master dies, or if it is separated from them for too long.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Homunculi 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 homunculus servant must first locate and hire an alchemist. The wizard must provide one pint of his own blood and 1d4×500 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 1d4 weeks to transform the blood into the necessary magical base. The wizard is then sent for and required to cast mending, mirror image, and arcane 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 homunculus is telepathically linked to its creator. It knows everything that its master knows and transmits everything it sees and hears to him. 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 homunculus is on another plane, the homunculus will remain near the point where it was last in contact with its master.
Homunculi 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.
Homunculi 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
Homunculi 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 homunculus 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, homunculi 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 homunculus. 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.