THE HOMONCULOUS

Also Known As "The Created," "Constructs" or "The Mutated"
- 0 - points

RACIAL ADVANTAGES:
Patron (varies)
Strong Will +4, 20 points

RACIAL DISADVANTAGES:
Duty (varies)
Sense of Duty to Master (-15 points)
Unusual Biochemistry (-5 points)

Homonculous are creatures created and given artificial life by alchenical means. An homonculous mat have almost any form the hideous to the sublime, according to the designs of its creator. Most are capable of independent thought and action, subject, in most cases, to the commands of its master.

All homonculi are created by an intricate process involving the mixture of up to eight different types of animal ingredients. A clay replica of the homonculous, deplicting its intended form, must first be fashioned by the alchemist, after which it is placed in a copper vat along with the desired mixtue of ingredients. The vat is then covered, and sealed for a period of two months, during which time the homonculous will grow and (hopefully!) take on the desired form. Upon completion of the two month gestation period, the homonculous should be fully formed. If the operation is sucessful, the completed homonculous will emerge from the vat as conceived by its creator. The creature will normally take from 3 to 18 minutes to fully awaken, after which it will be somewhat disoriented. If the process has turned out as planned, the homonculous will recognize its master at once. Should the homonculous' master not be present when the creature awakens, it will generally become violent and act in a most irrational manner. Only the homonculous' creator will be capable of controling the creature should this situation occur. All homonculi radiate a strong magical dweomer. As they are possessed only of artificial life, homonculi are very resistant to magical control and their biochemisty is different enough from normal life that drugs, magical potions and posions have reduced or unpredictable effects (see Unusual Biochemisty disadvantage, p CI-106). Healing spells are only half as effective when cast upon homonculous and homonculi who have been slain cannot be restored to life by any means. Since magic is such a powerful and fickle force and homonculous are highly magical constructs, there are certainly more and unknown factors involved in the creation process. This is just the basis with enough information to create an homonculi character.

Player Character Homonculous:

The homonculous are a "race" of creatures that allow the player great freedom to design any type of individual creature he wants to play (See the "Gargoyles, Mutated" for an example), subject to GM approval of course. For PC homonculi, it can be assumed that the PC has a Patron and a Duty both to "Master" (whos commands must be obeyed), generally the Patron and Duty should be of the same point cost and the duty DOES COUNT towards the total number of individual disadvantages.

Homonculous have very flexible personalities, although they often take on some of the charactistics of their master or those they are around. Homonculous can be of any appearance or form and while some homonculous may not end up looking quite like their creator intended, even these "mistakes" often are able to cope and live.

If an homonculi's master dies, the homonculous loses the Patron, Duty and Sense of Duty to Master, taking mental disadvantages (including Berserk) to get the character's cost back in line. Normally after the shock and grief of their master's death, and once an homonculi come to terms with its master's death (i.e., buying off Berserk and any other aquired Mental Disadvantages), an homonculi is "free" to develop and live life as it pleases...

As for homonculous reproduction, that remains a great unknown...

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