Homunculus - Revision history

Tao alexis: /* Advantages */

2025-02-13T16:18:05Z

Advantages

Tao alexis at 16:17, 13 February 2025

2025-02-13T16:17:29Z

Tao alexis at 16:45, 17 June 2022

2022-06-17T16:45:30Z

Tao alexis at 12:54, 6 June 2022

2022-06-06T12:54:23Z

Tao alexis at 17:56, 26 March 2021

2021-03-26T17:56:08Z

Tao alexis at 20:45, 6 November 2020

2020-11-06T20:45:08Z

Tao alexis: /* Advantages */

2020-09-12T22:59:15Z

Advantages

Tao alexis: /* Advantages */

2020-09-12T21:16:49Z

Advantages

Tao alexis at 21:05, 12 September 2020

2020-09-12T21:05:44Z

Tao alexis: /* Advantages */

2020-09-12T21:04:44Z

Advantages

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:18, 13 February 2025
Line 45:		Line 45:

	See [[Bestiary]]		See [[Bestiary]]
		+
		+	[[Category: Reviewed]]

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 | special = [[Flight|flight]], [[Saving Throw|saving throw]], [[Telepathy|telepathy]], [[Venom (substance)|venom]]
 }}
-'''Homunculi''', sometimes called '''doorkeepers''', are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating [[Golems (sage study)|golems]].  The methodology is of disturbing nature, involving putrefaction, investing spent human waste with life through arcane means, ultimately resulting in an unnatural abomination that is birthed, alive, from an [[Animal|animal's]] womb.  In every sense the homunculus is of loathsome form and origin, and it is for this reason that they are often regarded as inherently evil.
+Its lack of speech prevents it from communicating complex thoughts, but it is adept at making a variety of high-pitched shrills and hissing noises that its creator can learn to interpret, allowing for a crude but effective form of communication. Unlike most creatures, homunculi do not require rest, allowing them to stand watch indefinitely, making them ideal sentinels and earning them the title of "doorkeeper."
-[[File:homunculus.jpg|left|350px]]
+Despite their unwavering loyalty to their creator, they are only partially obedient. A homunculus will follow direct orders, but it is prone to acting independently when it believes its master is unaware or inattentive. If its creator is asleep or occupied, it may wander, seeking opportunities to satisfy its own curiosities or indulge in its darker inclinations. Though it will not betray its creator outright, it lacks moral boundaries and may take actions that cause indirect harm, such as tampering with experiments, playing with dangerous substances or provoking unwanted attention.
-== Behaviour ==
+Homunculi move in an unnatural, rolling shuffle, their bodies appearing bloated and misshapen. Their legs are short and bowed, causing them to compensate with occasional knuckle-walking when moving at speed. The most unsettling feature of the homunculus is its singular, lidless eye, which remains unnervingly fixed on its surroundings. It does not blink and seems to glisten constantly, as if coated in a thin film of moisture. Some scholars believe this fluid prevents the eye from drying out, while others suggest it is a form of excretion produced as a byproduct of the creature's unnatural origins. Regardless of the cause, its unblinking stare is unsettling, and many describe the sensation of being watched even when they are certain the creature is not present.
-Homunculi walk with a shuffling, rolling gait on two legs, as they are fat in the body.  They often compensate for their short legs with some knuckle-walking.  The one eye seems unnaturally focused; they do not blink nor possess eyelids; the eye tends to glisten, with some postulating that the orb "sweats" in order to keep from drying.  Homunculus will eat anything, including humanoid flesh.  They will do whatever their creator asks.
+Despite their small size, homunculi are voracious eaters and will consume nearly anything, including meat, bones, rotting plant matter and even humanoid flesh. Though they do not require sustenance in the same way living creatures do, they take pleasure in the act of feeding, often chewing methodically on whatever they can find. If given a body to dispose of, a homunculus will happily consume as much as it can, often reducing a corpse to little more than scraps of gristle and bone.
 == Advantages ==
-When its creator is awake and wills it so, the homunculus will maintain a '''telepathic connection''' between it and its creator.  This allows both participants to see through the eyes of the other, and hear all that is said.  This telepathy exists only so long as the creature is within a ¼-mile of its creator; beyond that, the connection is severed.  Part of this connection allows the homunculus a '''saving throw''' equal to its master, unless the creature is beyond this range.
+A homunculus maintains a constant '''telepathic connection''' with its creator while the creator is awake and within range. This allows both to see through each other's eyes and hear what the other hears, granting the master an extended awareness of their surroundings. This connection extends up to a ¼-mile; beyond this distance, the link is severed. Because of this bond, the homunculus shares its master's '''saving throw''' against magical effects so long as it remains within range.
-The homunculus possesses two small wings that fold into its back, enabling periods of '''flight''' that last no more than two [[Combat Round|rounds]].  During these flights the creature is able to move at '''[[Movement (stride)|stride-3]]'''.  It likes to perform an erratic swooping pattern around enemies when trapped in small spaces, which will make the creature -4 to hit until its next attack. It must "rest" for twice as many rounds as it flew, at which time it moves at normal speed, before it is able to take flight again.  For example, a homunculus that flew for one round would rest for two.
+One of the most dangerous aspects of the homunculus is its '''bite'''. When it sinks its needle-like teeth into a victim, the target must make a [[Saving Throws|save vs. magic]] or fall into a deep, unnatural sleep. Larger creatures have greater resistance to this effect, gaining a +1 bonus to their saving throw for every 200 lbs. of body weight. A sleeping victim becomes a [[Helpless Defenders|helpless defender]], and if the homunculus is not engaged or threatened, it will attempt to [[Assassination (sage ability)|assassinate]] the unconscious target by methodically biting at the throat or using a [[Spear (weapon)|spear]] or [[Dagger (weapon)|dagger]] to finish the job. If unable to use its bite effectively, it will resort to stabbing attacks that cause 1-3 damage.
-When the homunculus bites it's victim, a [[Saving Throws|save vs. magic]] must be made, or the victim will fall asleep.  A +1 bonus for this save is allowed for every 200 lbs. weight of the victim.  Those who fail will be [[Helpless Defenders|helpless]], and if the homunculus is not engaged or threatened, it will attempt to [[Assassination (sage ability)|assassinate]] the sleeping victim.  If it is unable to bite its victim, a homunculous will use a short stabbing weapon, a [[Spear (weapon)|spear]] or a [[Dagger (weapon)|dagger]], which will also cause 1-3 damage.
+Because of its small size and grotesque nature, most people find the presence of a homunculus deeply unsettling. It is rare to see one openly accompanying a master in civilised settings, as townsfolk and guards are likely to react with fear and hostility. While they make invaluable assistants to alchemists and sorcerers, they are universally regarded as abominations — mockeries of life born from unnatural experiments. Whether viewed as tools, servants or creeping horrors, homunculi remain one of the more disturbing creations known to scholars of the arcane.
 See [[Bestiary]]

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 | THAC0 = 20
 | hpdie = d2
-| attack = bite
+| attack = '''1''': [[Fangs (attack)|fangs]]
 | dmg = 1–3
 | special = [[Flight|flight]], [[Saving Throw|saving throw]], [[Telepathy|telepathy]], [[Venom (substance)|venom]]

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 }}
-'''Homunculi''', sometimes called '''doorkeepers''', are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating [[Golems (study)|golems]].  The methodology is of disturbing nature, involving putrefaction, investing spent human waste with life through arcane means, ultimately resulting in an unnatural abomination that is birthed, alive, from an [[Animal|animal's]] womb.  In every sense the homunculus is of loathsome form and origin, and it is for this reason that they are often regarded as inherently evil.
+'''Homunculi''', sometimes called '''doorkeepers''', are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating [[Golems (sage study)|golems]].  The methodology is of disturbing nature, involving putrefaction, investing spent human waste with life through arcane means, ultimately resulting in an unnatural abomination that is birthed, alive, from an [[Animal|animal's]] womb.  In every sense the homunculus is of loathsome form and origin, and it is for this reason that they are often regarded as inherently evil.
 [[File:homunculus.jpg|left|350px]]

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 }}
-'''Homunculi''', sometimes called '''doorkeepers''', are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating [[Golems (study)|golems]].  The methodology is of disturbing nature, involving putrefaction, investing spent human waste with life through arcane means, ultimately resulting in an unnatural abomination that is birthed, alive, from an animal's womb.  In every sense the homunculus is of loathsome form and origin, and it is for this reason that they are often regarded as inherently evil.
+'''Homunculi''', sometimes called '''doorkeepers''', are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating [[Golems (study)|golems]].  The methodology is of disturbing nature, involving putrefaction, investing spent human waste with life through arcane means, ultimately resulting in an unnatural abomination that is birthed, alive, from an [[Animal|animal's]] womb.  In every sense the homunculus is of loathsome form and origin, and it is for this reason that they are often regarded as inherently evil.
 [[File:homunculus.jpg|left|350px]]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 | AP = 4
 | stride = 1
-| THAC0 = 19
+| THAC0 = 20
 | hpdie = d2
 | attack = bite

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 == Advantages ==
-The homunculus possesses two small wings that fold into its back, enabling periods of flight that last no more than two [[Combat Round|rounds]].
+When its creator is awake and wills it so, the homunculus will maintain a '''telepathic connection''' between it and its creator.  This allows both participants to see through the eyes of the other, and hear all that is said.  This telepathy exists only so long as the creature is within a ¼-mile of its creator; beyond that, the connection is severed.  Part of this connection allows the homunculus a '''saving throw''' equal to its master, unless the creature is beyond this range.
 WORKING...
-The homonculous
+Its bite causes 1-3 paints of damage,

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:04, 12 September 2020
Line 29:		Line 29:

	== Advantages ==		== Advantages ==
		+	The homunculus possesses two small wings that fold into its back, enabling periods of flight that last
		+

	WORKING...		WORKING...