Homunculus

Homonculous

Species	construction
No. Appearing	1
Behaviour	servant
Range	rural, subterranean, urban
Size	1 ft. 6 in. tall
Weight	6 lbs.
Intelligence	13
Armour Class	6
Hit Dice	2
Action Points	4
Max. Stride	{{{stride}}}
THAC0	19
Hp/Die	d2
Attack Forms	bite
Damage	1–3
Special Attacks	flight, saving throw, telepathy, venom

Homunculi, sometimes called doorkeepers, are made through alchemical processes related to the study of fabricating 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.

For its creator, the homunculus is a loyal servant that acts somewhat like a familiar. It is quite capable of acting as an apprentice, performing lab experiments, cleaning and perform other duties, limited only by its size. The creature cannot speak, but it is able to make various high-pitched shrills that the creator is able to recognize, each conveying the creature's emotional state. Homunculus do not sleep, and are therefore able to remain awake all night long and guard the creator's door — thus, the name "doorkeeper."

Behaviour

Perhaps owing to their creation, homunculus possess a cold-blooded nature. They lack empathy or regret for anything they might do; they are fascinated with suffering and will perpetrate it upon any victim except their creator. They have been known to gouge out the eyes of helpless persons and to perform heinous acts with indifference. While nominally under constant orders from their creator, they are capable of the worst actions when their creator is asleep or unable to restrain them.

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.

Advantages

WORKING...

The homonculous travels on its hind legs or by flying. Its bite causes 1-3 paints of damage, and forces the victim to save versus magic or foll into a comatose sleep which lasts for 5-30 minutes. The creature makes all of its saving throws at the some level as its creator. Although the homonculous cannot speak, it knows what the magic-user knows, and the latter is able to see and hear through the creature's eyes and ears. There is a telepathic link between the magic-user and his creature, and the homonculous can be controlled up to 48" away from its master. It will never willingly pass from this maximum range. If the homonculous is killed the magic-user immediately suffers 2-20 points of damage.

See Bestiary