Homunculus Thread

They're really interesting and under used.

The concept of artificial beings that are living but soulless is theologically great.

File: 36.png (320KB, 640x480px) Image search: [Google]

320KB, 640x480px

Bad idea, the whole concept is nothing but trouble.

File: sample_9c8dcc54d49ab84a858b443e9aa2702d59148164.jpg (399KB, 850x531px) Image search: [Google]

399KB, 850x531px

>>44114966
I was pretty fascinated by them. In early drafts of a fantasy series I was working on in my head, a Homunculus girl was the main character.

She was a prototype to the main antagonist who was made by the same creator. They were both meant to replace the gods of old who had died. The girl didn't really have any cool powers from it though.

I also statted up a "Homunculus race" for 3.5 with someone else. Gist of the stats were:
>+2 to any one ability of your choice
>-2 to any one ability of your choice
They also got a choice of one of two bonus feats (I think it was Diehard or Endurance), they lived about 30 years (and were Adventure at 1 year old), and were supposed to look a bit like dolljointed, clay statues.

>>44114966
I like them. I also like the idea of how horribly wrong they could end up.

I've actually been thinking of using them recently. In the beginning, a well-crafted one could be almost indistinguishable from a human, but they would degrade over time for various reasons tied to their regeneration and growth. For example, their injuries wouldn't heal properly. Their wounds would close and new tissue would grow to replace what was lost, but usually not in a way that fit the intended design. Maybe it'd grow back scaled, or a new eye would pop up. Whatever the case, something would go wrong.

Even if the Homunculus avoided injury, that wouldn't be enough for it to retain its original shape. Bodies replace their cells all the time, and these Homunculi are no different. If they aren't properly maintained, which isn't too pleasant of a process for them, they eventually grow into horrible misshapen monsters regardless of their original appearance.

Reasons for making them range across the usual points. Sometimes someone just wants a mindless minion or to see if it could be done. Other times they're trying to resurrect someone whose original body is unable to be revived properly, or create a suitable host for any sort of incorporeal spirit, and need to manufacture a new vessel to do so. All of these can and will mutate. Those resurrected in this manner generally grow rather deranged and feel that there's something wrong with their new flesh, often tearing and peeling at it in a way that hastens their inevitable mutation.

File: 1433809964638.jpg (43KB, 214x329px) Image search: [Google]

43KB, 214x329px

>>44115307
>The concept of artificial beings that are living but soulless

That's a really tasty line, but I'm going to also slip in "intelligent" in front of artificial to make it tastier.

how would you suggest letting players make homunculi? my players have expressed interest in making one, but I couldn't find any rules in 5th ed. if I did let them, should I define the personality or the player who makes it?

>>44117892
Homunculi are counted towards being Living constructs that have a bound mental link to there creators.

Usually they are made with clay, the creators blood, some magical essence, a ritual, and anything thats optional such as shaping the body in a special way as long as they still fit the Tiny size.

They usually have low hp (like up to 10 for high and 3 for low), poisoned attacks, and are tiny with a telepathic ability up to 100ft or more.

>>44118266
so they are basically tiny extensions of the creator's mind? like, no distinct personality or such, just robotic behavior

File: scan_art.jpg (100KB, 620x820px) Image search: [Google]

100KB, 620x820px

>>44118373
Mostly yes, they can't talk, obey orders, and have very very limited sentience and are basically living helpers.

The big human sized Homunculi that are popularized are rare examples of when a homunculus are built with a intend of living like a person, but are almost deadly to make due to sucking out most of the creators life force, or using so much of there blood and materials that they are almost permanently weak after creating them.

The more complex the Homunculus, the more it needs to be alive.

>>44117694
Or you could go with that old classic spin where Homonculi are magically modified amphibians, and the older they get the more they revert to their true form

The 5e art for them is adorable.

File: Amoretta.Virgine.full.1220211.jpg (1023KB, 1000x1005px) Image search: [Google]

1023KB, 1000x1005px

>>44114966
They are cute. For more advanced ones, try using the souls of Angela or Fey as a base

>>44117694
So, a very short effective lifespan before mutations set in? Seems like they'd make a good disposable minion army.

>>44120337
What did Angela do to you Anon? How did she hurt you?

>>44120643
Well, there are ways to maintain and repair your Homunculus, though they usually find the process painful. Alternatively, you could allow them to mutate freely and hope they stabilize before becoming entirely unrecognizable.

Depending on how well-crafted they are, the mutation rate and point of stabilization varies. However, even the best ones will eventually become obviously inhuman. Certain forms of monsters could probably descend from them.

But yes, they do make excellent disposable minions.
>>44119860
Well, reversion does actually come into it. It's just not exactly amphibians that they're reverting into. If they were just growing human cells, that would be an ordinary clone.

The whole process for crafting the Homunculi involves an assortment of poorly understood rituals and magics, performed by people who aren't quite capable of perfectly replicating the more minute and invisible details of biology. To some degree, the mutation process is actually required for its biological systems to complete themselves after their basic structure has been sculpted. This also means that the functions of various internal organs are likely to be switched, or just operate entirely differently from those of real humans.

File: Homunculus_Faust.jpg (159KB, 581x749px) Image search: [Google]

159KB, 581x749px

>>44114966
All I know about the little besties is that they live inside the tiny things that come out of dicks, and sometimes in glass jars.