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Ok, so the entry in the Bestiary for Homunculus states that for a mere 2,000 gp per HD (creation cost, halved for self-crafting?) you can get another HD of value. So my suggestion would be this:
I spend 50k (the price of a +5 sword)... and get a BAB +25 flanking weapon wielder. Give it whatever weapon you want, cast enlarge person on it to go from tiny to small and it gets 5 foot reach. The point of this being "who cares if it hits anything, you just want the flanker to fight with you so you get your sneak attack damage"... (of course it gets +25/+20/+15/+10/+5... so 5 attacks too)
Also uses: cast strength enhancements on it and you have your own tireless 50 speed flying "car-pet". Of course, speed boosts would help this as well.
Spend 200k (a +10 weapon's value) and craft it yourself? 202 HD homunculus.... Yeh... 1111 HP +202 BAB fighter anyone? Again, who cares what weapon it wields. Do the math on the -5's and you get +202/+197/+192/etc... 41 attacks, generally 35 or more are going to be hits (at +32 BAB and above). That sure as heck beats a +10 sword. Even if the cost is the same (and it is only a 102HD!!) you get some pretty decent attack ratings out of it. Give it an oversized dual handed weapon and the first twenty or so attacks still hit... I mean... its just a suggestion.
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So +1 HD is small, +2 more is medium, +3 more (I guess, rounding whichever way the wind blows) is large, +4 more is huge, and +6 more gargantuan, then +9 to colossal. So anything after that does what exactly? (and I don't know if I got the size cats right, sorry, am not reading the book). But basically there are only fine-colossal, right? 9 cats? Even so, what do you get with 102HD? And I guess then we are talking about reduce person spells.... and on the flipside, what is the threat range for melee? flanking for 50 feet out?
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The real question is whether or not you would use all the "non-ignore if you wish" rules for monster creation to finish this beast out. If you did that, you would truly end up with a combat ready friend at your side (25 stats, 50 feats, skills, AC, CMD, CMB, etc... changes) (1111 hp would be CR 39?) (god forbid a 20th level character get ahold of this idea and spend half his wealth on a homunculus pet... 440,000 gp)
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Propsken; consider spending 80,000 gp to make an Iron Golem or making a 81HD Homunculus... sure, the "one trick pony" isn't immune to the stuff the Iron Golem is, but dang... 445 HP and a BAB of +81 (even without any other advancements). A much better application of cash.
I was stating that this was an easy way to get a flanking friend in battle (flight 50) for rogues, as the starting point. From there, it just evolved to "well, what if you had the cash" situation. The reason for the flanking friend was because so many people complain about a rogue being useless because they can't flank... which is a concept I don't agree with on its face, but which I was addressing in the original post. Versus buying/having a +5 sword? No brainer. I would much rather have a +26 BAB "fighter flanking friend" than that sword. Almost any day. Even if not a rogue (spellcasters, for instance, could hide behind him in combat and not really worry about hitting him with spells... ie repair later).
ps. wtf is a wraith going to do to a homunculus???? CONSTRUCT = pretty much immune to wraith attacks. And one might argue that a Construct doesn't count as a living creature for Shadows as well... if they weren't already immune to ability drain attacks.
Sounds like you are spending a lot of money just to be made very sad by a well-timed Disintegrate. But that's just my 2 cp.
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Sounds like you are spending a lot of money just to be made very sad by a well-timed Disintegrate. But that's just my 2 cp.
Increasing it's HD also increases it's saves.
If the OP actually does spend that much cash on his Homonculus it's saves will be so high it can laugh off any disintegrate you could throw at it.The one thing the OP has neglected though is to see what happens when he magic jars into the Homonculus' body.
Take the above monster and then add PC class levels and abilities on top of it. Ugh.
Kinda cool in theorycraft. In game reality if you can do this, someone with more time and money on their hands will have already done it and will want to kick your ass for crimping their style. At least in any game I run and most of the ones I have played in, these kinds of insane power backdoors are risky at best and "rocks fall, you die" more likely.
Constructs have no good saves and no Constitution score, so its Fort save will never be good enough to consistantly beat the DC of a high level spell.
And Disintegrate was just the first thing that popped into my head, and a fine way to deal with any reasonable version of this tactic (ignoring the 200 HD version because if you spend that much of your WBL on a buddy I'll just ignore him and go after you since you will be vastly underpowered at any level).
For instance, Polymorph any Object will, by my reading, turn it into a lump of clay permanently with a Fort save that it has almost no chance of passing.
Also, the Magic Jar trick will not work because constructs are immune to Necromancy effects. But it is a clever idea.
By RAW the most attacks you can have from your BAB for one attack type ie. wing, bite, claw, on-hand, off-hand is 4.
Source Beyond 20th level
Note no character can have more than 4 attacks based on it's Base Attack Bonus
You don't get more attacks from your BAB when using natural weapons.
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Constructs have no good saves and no Constitution score, so its Fort save will never be good enough to consistantly beat the DC of a high level spell.
And Disintegrate was just the first thing that popped into my head, and a fine way to deal with any reasonable version of this tactic (ignoring the 200 HD version because if you spend that much of your WBL on a buddy I'll just ignore him and go after you since you will be vastly underpowered at any level).
For instance, Polymorph any Object will, by my reading, turn it into a lump of clay permanently with a Fort save that it has almost no chance of passing.
Also, the Magic Jar trick will not work because constructs are immune to Necromancy effects. But it is a clever idea.
Doesn't matter if it's a good save or a poor one, they still increase as HD goes up. And since the OP is adding 100HD to the construct even the bad saves will scale up to the mid 40's (ish) with that bonus.
As for immunity to necromancy effects there's always Beast-Bonded Witch, Possess familiar or Construct Armor.
By RAW the most attacks you can have from your BAB for one attack type ie. wing, bite, claw, on-hand, off-hand is 4.
Source Beyond 20th level
Note no character can have more than 4 attacks based on it's Base Attack Bonus
BAB iterative attacks grants up to 4 attacks.
TWF and other feats can increase this somewhat.Natural Attacks (bite, tail, claw, ...) do not use iteratives, but just add one use for each attack.
Any hand/claw used for weapon attacks cannot be used for natural attacks.
/cevah
If you go for Acid Breath, you need Noxious Bite. Other interesting feats: Ability Focus, Flyby Attack, Empower Spell Like Ability, and Quicken Spell Like Ability.
/cevah
As a Gm in this situation, i would make this homonculus Large.
Small at 4 Hd.
Medium at 8 HD.
Large at 16 HD.
I wouldnt make it larger then this unless the crafter wanted it to be larger.
Remember that these are homonculi were crafting, basicly the same thing as Eidolons but more full of Grimy magic science, If the Homunculus has wings for flying, Mouts for biting and hands for striking, then it has all those attacks (So 4 weapon attacks for one or both hands depending on feats, 2 wing attacks and a bite attack).
God knows ive considered such a creature as a bossfight to a ruined tower
…I think you are all forgetting the fact that when you die the homunculus goes of to the outer planes of evil.
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Yes young necromancer, come to the dark side
Probably *Sighs* why can't I remember both the facts an where i read them
Construct armor anyone?
Construct armor anyone?
Where?
Yes young necromancer, come to the dark side
I Ressurected it
Sadly the construct modifying rules in Ult Magic killed this idea off by capping increased HD.
Specific beats general rules?
Don't think that will save this.
"Hit Dice Modification: Hit Dice represent the overall strength and power of a construct. They affect a number of subsequent abilities, including hit points, saving throws, and base attacks. Determine the effects of a Hit Dice modification using the rules for adding creature Hit Dice using the information in Monster Creation. Because a construct's size is limited, a Hit Dice modification cannot increase its size. Therefore Hit Dice modification can never increase the base construct's Hit Dice beyond 50% of its total HD. Some constructs have a defined cost for increasing Hit Dice. To calculate the cost per Hit Die of other constructs, divide the construct's construction cost by its existing Hit Dice."
Sadly the construct modifying rules in Ult Magic killed this idea off by capping increased HD.
That already argued this point, and said specific trumps general.
"A homunculus with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create."
UM
Sadly the construct modifying rules in Ult Magic killed this idea off by capping increased HD.That already argued this point, and said specific trumps general.
"A homunculus with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create."
General rule: you may not increase by more than 50%
Specific rule: increase costs 2K gp. (No mention of limit).
I do not see that the specific rule has anything to override the general.
Sadly the construct modifying rules in Ult Magic killed this idea off by capping increased HD.That already argued this point, and said specific trumps general.
"A homunculus with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create."
General rule: you may not increase by more than 50%
Specific rule: increase costs 2K gp. (No mention of limit).
I do not see that the specific rule has anything to override the general.
This overruling is implied by the nature of the homunculus itself. It is normally a 2 HD creature. With this rule, you’d be able to only add 1 HD. Note the rule specifies the price goes up for “each” HD, so it specifically calls out the ability to add more than one HD. meaning that this specific rule does indeed supersede the general.
Sorry for the necro, but wanted to put this here for those who read this in the future.
Sadly the construct modifying rules in Ult Magic killed this idea off by capping increased HD.That already argued this point, and said specific trumps general.
"A homunculus with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create."
General rule: you may not increase by more than 50%
Specific rule: increase costs 2K gp. (No mention of limit).
I do not see that the specific rule has anything to override the general.
This overruling is implied by the nature of the homunculus itself. It is normally a 2 HD creature. With this rule, you’d be able to only add 1 HD. Note the rule specifies the price goes up for “each” HD, so it specifically calls out the ability to add more than one HD. meaning that this specific rule does indeed supersede the general.
Sorry for the necro, but wanted to put this here for those who read this in the future.
Exactly