A Homunculus is a miniature servant created by a wizard. It is a weak combatant but makes for an effective spy, messenger, or scout. A homunculus’s creator determines its precise features. A homunculus cannot speak, but the process of creating one links it telepathically with its creator.

It knows what its master knows and can convey to them everything it sees and hears (up to a distance of 1,500 feet). A homunculus never travels beyond this range willingly, though it can be moved forcibly. If this occurs, the creature does everything in its power to regain contact with its master. An attack that destroys a homunculus deals 2d10 points of damage to its master.

A homunculus will try to climb onto its victim and bite with its venomous fangs. On a failed save vs. Poison, the opponent will fall asleep for 6d6 minutes. If the master is slain the homunculus also dies, its body swiftly melting away into a pool of ichor.

A homonculus is a small construct that is vaguely humanoid in form, stands about 18-in tall, and has bat-like wings with a 24-in wingspan. Homonculi have greenish reptilian skin, a bat-like head and ears, and a mouth full of needle sharp teeth. The bite of a homonculus is venomous and causes a comatose state for 1d6×5 (5-30) minutes unless the victim saves vs magic to negate. A homonculus is a reflection of its magic user creator and therefore rolls saves at whatever level its owner makes his saving throws. Magical defences in effect upon the owner, resist fire or bless for example, also protect the homonculus.

Similarly, its alignment is the same as its creator’s alignment. A homonculus cannot speak, but knows what its creator knows, and can communicate what it sees and hears to its creator via a limited form of telepathy up to 500-ft away. A homonculus will never willingly exceed the maximum communication range. The homonculus is completely under control of its creator, who need not concentrate on control to maintain it. This means the homonculus can be given a specific goal, which it will then plan to achieve, carrying out its orders without further attention from its creator.

Homonculi make excellent messengers, scouts, or spies. A homonculus can either walk upright like a human or fly, as need dictates. It is very quick and agile in combat, darting in and out of melee to deliver its venomous bite. Killing a homonculus deals an immediate 2d10 points of damage to its master. If the owner of the homonculus dies, the homonculus immediately disappears in a puff of smoke. Since Homonculi are constructs and not natural creatures they are never encountered in the wild.

Homonculi are created in a process involving both the spell caster and the services of an alchemist. The alchemist will require 1d4×500 (500-2,000) gold pieces, a pint of the magic user’s blood, and 1d4 weeks to prepare the base mixture of fluids which will form the creature. Within 24 hours of the alchemist completing the mixture process the magic user must cast the following spells upon the fluid, in order: mending, mirror image, and wizard eye. The spells must be cast by the person who gave the blood for the basic mixture (though scrolls may be used). Failure to cast the spells within 24 hours or casting the required spells out of order ruins that mixture and the whole process and all costs must be repeated. Upon completion of the wizard eye spell the fluid coalesces into a ready-to-use homonculus.

Treasure: None.