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Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 00:34:39
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Homonculi - why don't we see more of these in the Realms? Is it easier to just get familiars? Or is it something more about the cost or psychology of creating one?
I can't remember the last time I saw one in a novel or adventure, or even available in the rules as an option. Were they ever implemented in 4E rules as a ritual or magical-alchemical process?
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"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 00:48:30
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| One of the Princes of Shade, the good one, had a pair of Homonluci. |
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Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 00:50:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Gyor
One of the Princes of Shade, the good one, had a pair of Homonluci.
Oh, that's right.
For some reason, they always seem like such a rare thing. |
"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 00:54:02
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| The adventure Maggoth's Castle showcased a mage that had multiple Homonculi, and were slightly more powerful when another spell (which varied) was incorporated into the creation formula. |
- Ryan |
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Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 01:01:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Rymac
The adventure Maggoth's Castle showcased a mage that had multiple Homonculi, and were slightly more powerful when another spell (which varied) was incorporated into the creation formula.
I hadn't heard of this adventure - thanks! 
I thought it might be interesting to design an adventure for my current players where they could find some homonculi, and perhaps a magical formula that I could make available as treasure for our warlock and wizard players. The only thing I've been able to think of was that old Sinbad movie with Tom Baker playing the villain - which is a great movie, but it's sort of debatable whether it's an imp or a homonculus.
EDIT: turns out my mom had this in a box of old Realms material: Maddgoth's castle. Looks like maybe a 2E add-on to Undermountain, by Steven Schend, very cool!
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"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
Edited by - Eltheron on 18 Nov 2015 01:13:28 |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 02:15:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Eltheron
quote:
Originally posted by Rymac
The adventure Maggoth's Castle showcased a mage that had multiple Homonculi, and were slightly more powerful when another spell (which varied) was incorporated into the creation formula.
I hadn't heard of this adventure - thanks!
I thought it might be interesting to design an adventure for my current players where they could find some homonculi, and perhaps a magical formula that I could make available as treasure for our warlock and wizard players. The only thing I've been able to think of was that old Sinbad movie with Tom Baker playing the villain - which is a great movie, but it's sort of debatable whether it's an imp or a homonculus.
EDIT: turns out my mom had this in a box of old Realms material: Maddgoth's castle. Looks like maybe a 2E add-on to Undermountain, by Steven Schend, very cool!
I believe there where a Trilogy of modules, there was another one called Lost something and I believe the last one involved Halaster..... |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6648 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 02:41:16
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Yep, The Lost Level, Maddgoth's Castle and Stardock - all by Steven Schend and lots of fun.
There is also a homonculus recipe in Ed's "Pages From the Mages" compilation in the book Briel's Book of Shadows.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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LordofBones
Master of Realmslore
1487 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2015 : 03:41:32
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If you're playing a necromancer, a slaymate is a far better option. Creepy as hell, but effective.
Otherwise I don't really recall any personal benefit conferred by the Improved Familiar feat that would make regular familiars redundant, which explains the lack of homunculi. |
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Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 19 Nov 2015 : 05:36:33
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yep, The Lost Level, Maddgoth's Castle and Stardock - all by Steven Schend and lots of fun.
There is also a homonculus recipe in Ed's "Pages From the Mages" compilation in the book Briel's Book of Shadows.
Found all of these in the stash! I never realized they collated the Pages from the Mages - it's terrific they did, that column was one of my favorites.
quote:
Originally posted by LordofBones
If you're playing a necromancer, a slaymate is a far better option. Creepy as hell, but effective.
Otherwise I don't really recall any personal benefit conferred by the Improved Familiar feat that would make regular familiars redundant, which explains the lack of homunculi.
For sure, this is something I might do as a player (I'm a die-hard fan of Myrkul, so we never got rid of him). And this is an extremely creepy but fun idea. But I'm DMing this time around, and I'm pretty sure the Wizard will be NG elf and the Warlock will be straight-up N elf with a dark fey-type pact (I think that's what they wanted). Assuming I can figure all this out rule-wise, we're rolling a group of new lvl 1s for a new homebrew campaign this coming weekend.
I think I may tweak Ed's recipe for a homonculus, maybe put a strong Calimshan theme into it, and have it be something one or both could work toward if they're into it. If not, they could sell it for some good coin.
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"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
Edited by - Eltheron on 19 Nov 2015 05:47:45 |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 19 Nov 2015 : 06:36:14
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| If you've never seen the Pages From The Mages book before, then you probably also have missed Prayers From The Faithful as well. Worth a look. |
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Darkheyr
Learned Scribe
264 Posts |
Posted - 19 Nov 2015 : 23:14:40
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3.5 Eberron had multiple different homunculi. Given their relative importance to the Artificer... maybe there's a 4E update to them?
It's not FR, but they'd be easily imported. |
silm.pw - A Neverwinter Nights Persistent World |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2015 : 05:51:14
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| There have also been many different magical servants written up over the years, such as tabi, manikins, variations on the unseen servant concept, etc. |
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rangerstranger
Seeker
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2015 : 20:12:53
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I think in the adventure "Doom of Daggerdale" the Wizard Calderan, an ancestor of Randall Morn, has a Homonculi familiar. He plays a short part in the adventure, although it is quite forgettable.
As to the answer of your question, I do not know. Imps of some sort seem to be the default evil Wizard familiar. |
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Homonculi
