Homunculi

A homunculus is a creature, usually no larger than a cat, that
is favored by magic users who find themselves in need of a
companion or servant. They are not found via the find
familiar spell, and are instead conjured in a ritual that
involves the master-to-be's own blood. The binding nature of
blood ensures that the homunculus remains servile forever.
Customizable Familiars
A unique facet of the existence of homunculi is their easily
mutable form. Ritualists who take the care to conjure a
homunculus can bestow properties such as flight, strength,
and even rudimentary spellcasting abilities to their servants.
Even more useful is their sympathetic link to their masters.
The blood bond ties the two so closely together that the
homunculus is able to grow simply by virtue of the power of
its master. This is typically reflected in the homunculus'
hardiness and ability to be modified by their master.
Obscure Magics
Although they are familiars, they cannot be conjured through
the use of the find familiar spell, and instead require a unique
ritual that typically requires some effort to procure. The ritual
can sometimes be found in large arcane libraries, ruined
wizards' towers, or bought from notable mages. In some
locales, the practice may be frowned upon or even considered
evil because of the use of blood in the casting.
Mechanics
A homunculus is available to any ritual caster of at least 3rd
level. Assuming you possess at least the common Manual of
Binding, you can make your preparations and complete the
ritual in 8 uninterrupted hours. The base homunculus stats
can be customized by applying any of the formulae you
qualify for. You can only have one homunculus at any time. If
you have a homunculus and attempt to cast the find familiar
spell, the spell fails, and any existing familiars are banished.
At 3rd level your homunculus can have a maximum of 2
formulae. At 5th level, you qualify for one additional formula,
and again at 10th, 15th, and 20th level. The formulae come in
many different levels, ranging from 1 to 5. In order to infuse
your homunculus with a certain formula, you must have the
appropriate Manual of Binding, which also range from 1 to 5.
These manuals can be found as loot or can be given to you as
rewards for quests at your DMs discretion. The newly
selected formulae can only be applied to your homunculus
after conducting the ritual again. Conducting the ritual
requires components that cost an amount of gp found on the
table below.
Ritual Cost and Formulae
Character Level Ritual Cost Formulae
3rd 100 gp 2 from his Manual. Bob has chosen two level 1 formulae and
5th 500 gp 3 one level 2 formula, so he must pay 500gp for the base cost of
10th 1,000 gp 4
15th 2,500 gp 5 ritual.
20th 5,000 gp 6
In addition to the cost of conducting the ritual, you must
also pay for each formula applied to the homunculus. You do
not have to pay for a formula the homunculus already
possesses. The prices for this are given as follows:
Formula Cost
Formula level GP Cost
1 75 gp
2 150 gp
3 300 gp
4 600 gp
5 1200 gp
When you conjure a homunculus, it shares your alignment
and develops a personality similar to the conjurer. The
homunculus always remains loyal to its master. It shares your
proficiency bonus, although the base homunculus doesn't
apply it to anything. The homunculus takes on the
appearance of your choice, although it can clearly be
recognized for what it is. In combat, you can give it orders on
your turn (no action required).
If the homunculus dies, it can be revived by repeating the
ritual.
Homunculus
Tiny construct
Armor Class 10
Hit Points The homunculus' hit points equals a
quarter of its masters max hit points.
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Understands the languages of its master
but can't speak.
Example
Bob the 5th level wizard has happened across an Uncommon
Manual of Binding. He intends to create a homunculus to be
his friend. Because Bob is 5th level, he qualifies for 3
formulae. He sets aside 8 hours to do the ritual, and chooses
the Speech (level 1), Ability Score Increase (choosing
Intelligence; level 1), and the Dismissal (level 2) formulae
the ritual, 75gp for each level 1 formula, and 150gp for the
level 2 formula. This brings his total to 800gp to conduct the

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 Manuals of Binding
A Manual of Binding is used in as part of the summoning
ritual in order to increase the power of your homunculus.
Manual of Binding
Wondrous item, varies
This book contains the knowledge necessary to summon a
homonculus by conducting the conjuring ritual. It also
contains all formulae of its level and below. The rarities are as
follows:
Item Rarity
Book Level Rarity
1 Common
2 Uncommon
3 Rare
4 Very Rare
5 Legendary

Scroll of Binding
Some formulae aren't found within the Manuals. A Scroll of
Binding is a formula that can only be applied to a creation
ritual once. Some mages who make a study of homunculi
create their own formulae, and scribe them on these arcane
scrolls. Some mages do this because they jealously guard
their own knowledge from other mages, and others do this
because the formulae are dangerous if misused.
Scroll of Binding
Wondrous item, varies
This scroll bears a formula that can be used in a creation
ritual to summon a homunculus. Once the scroll is used in
the ritual, it burns away and the homunculus gains the
formula specified on the scroll. When the homunculus is used
as part of a new ritual to upgrade or change formulas, the
formula granted by the scroll is lost forever. An example
Scroll of Binding can be found below.
Scroll of Infravision
Wondrous item, very rare
This scroll contains the following formula:
Infravision
The homunculus can see normally in darkness, both magical
and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.

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Formulae
Formula Name Formula Level Summary
Ability Score Increase 1 Increases chosen ability score by 4
Darkvision 1 Grants darkvision
Growth 1 Increases size to small
Lesser Resilience 1 Increases AC
Lesser Toughness 1 Increases health
Light 1 Grants the ability to emit light
Speech 1 Grants the ability to speak
Shared Senses 1 Share senses from a distance, grants speech through homunculus
Swim 1 Grants swim speed
Burrow 2 Grants burrow speed
Climb 2 Grants climb speed
Dismissal 2 Allows banishment and summoning of the homunculus
Greater Ability Score Increase 2 Further increases ability score
Improved Resilience 2 Further increases AC
Keen Senses 2 Grants advantage on Perception checks
Mimicry 2 Grants the ability to mimic noises it hears
Natural Weapon 2 Grants a natural attack
Skill proficiency 2 Grants proficiency with two skills of your choice
Spell Conduction 2 Grants the ability to make spell touch attacks for you
Spellcasting 2 Grants a non-damaging cantrip
Telepathy 2 Grants telepathic speech
Camouflage 3 Grants increased stealth capabilities
Celerity 3 Doubles a speed of your choice
Damage Resistance 3 Grants damage resistance of your choice
Flight 3 Grants a fly speed
Greater Growth 3 Increases size from small to medium
Greater Resilience 3 Increases AC even further
Improved Toughness 3 Increases health even further
Magic Resistance 3 Advantage on saves against spells
Teleportation 3 Grants the ability to teleport short distances
Tongues 3 Grants the ability to speak and understand all languages
Weapon Proficiency 3 Grants proficiency in one weapon of your choice
Evasion 4 Grants evasion
Breath Weapon 4 Grants a dragonborn's breath weapon
Damage Immunity 4 Grants damage immunity of your choice
Improved Spellcasting 4 Grants a non-damaging 1st level spell
Class Training 5 Grants access to 1st level abilities of a class of your choice
Greater Toughness 5 Sets homunculus' health equal to yours
Magic Item Use 5 Grants an attunement slot

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 Level 1
Ability Score Increase
Choose one ability score. The homunculus' ability score
increases by 4. You can take this formula more than once,
increasing a different ability score each time. If you choose to
increase Constitution, calculate the homunculus' increase in
health as if it has as many hit die as you do.
Darkvision
The homunculus gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
Growth
The homunculus increases in size from Tiny to Small.
Lesser Resilience
The homunculus' AC increases by 3.
Lesser Toughness
The homunculus' health becomes half of your health instead
of a quarter.
Light
The homunculus can emit light as a bonus action. The light
can be as dim as 5 feet of bright light and 5 feet of dim light
to as bright as 30 feet of bright light and 30 feet of dim light
in 5-foot increments.
Speech
The homunculus becomes capable of speech, and can speak
in any languages you know. It's voice is vaguely reminiscent of
a goblin or a kobold.
Shared Senses
Whenever you and the homunculus are within 1 mile of each
other, you can sense whatever the homunculus senses, using
the special senses of the homunculus if you don't already
have them. While sharing senses in this way, you can speak
through the homunculus.
Swim
The homunculus gains the ability to swim and breathe
underwater. It gains a swim speed of 30 ft.
Level 2
Burrow
The homunculus' physiology adapts in such a way to allow
burrowing under the earth. It gains a burrow speed of 30 ft.
The homunculus benefits from the Earth Elemental's Earth
Glide ability when using this speed.
Climb
The homunculus gains the ability to climb up sheer surfaces.
It gains a climb speed of 30 ft.
Dismissal
As an action, you can dismiss the homunculus to a pocket
dimension where it remains indefinitely. You can summon it
back to your side as an action. When you do so, it appears in
a space of your choice within 5 feet of you.
4
Greater Ability Score Increase
Prerequisite Formulae: Ability Score Increase
Choose one ability score increased by Ability Score
Increase. The homunculus' ability score increases by 2.
Improved Resilience
Prerequisite Formula: Lesser Resilience
The homunculus' AC increases by 3.
Keen Senses
The homunculus gains advantage on perception checks.
Mimicry
Prerequisite Formula: Speech
The homunculus can mimic any sound or voice it has
heard with perfect accuracy.
Natural Weapon
The homunculus gains a natural attack that the form you
have chosen for it can conceivable have (i.e. bite if it has a
mouth, claws if it has hands). This attack deals 1d4
blugeoning, piercing, or slashing damage as appropriate for
the attack. The attack uses your choice of Strength or
Dexterity for attack and damage rolls, and the homunculus is
considered proficient with the natural weapon.
Skill Proficiency
The homunculus becomes proficient in two skills of your
choice.
Spell Conduction
When you cast a spell with a range of touch, the homunculus
can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. The
homunculus must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use
its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell
requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the
roll.
Spellcasting
Choose a cantrip from the spell list of your class that doesn't
deal damage. The homunculus can cast this cantrip using
your spell DC.
Telepathy
Prerequisite Formula: Speech
The homunculus gains the ability to speak directly into the
minds of other creatures. It can communicate telepathically
with any creature it can see within 30 feet of it. It doesn't
need to share a language with the creature for the creature to
understand it's telepathic utterances, but the creature must
be able to understand at least one language.
Level 3
Camouflage
The homunculus can apply it's proficiency bonus to Stealth
checks, or twice it's proficiency bonus if it's already
proficicent. Additionally, the homunculus gains advantage on
Stealth checks while remaining still.
Celerity
Choose one speed the homunculus possesses such as base,
fly, or climb. This speed doubles.
Damage Resistance
Choose a damage type. The homunculus gains resistance to
that damage type. If you choose bludgeoning, slashing, or
piercing for this resistance, damage from magical weapons
ignores this resistance. This resistance usually manifests in a
unique change in physiology, such as scales like a dragon for
fire resistance.
Flight
The homunculus gains means of aerial locomotion (wings,
magical levitation, etc.), which grant it a fly speed of 30 ft
(hover).
Greater Growth
Prerequisite Formula: Growth
The homunculus increases in size from Small to Medium.
Greater Resilience
Prerequisite Formulae: Improved Resilience
The homunculus'
The homunculus' AC increases by 3.
Improved Toughness
Prerequisite Formula: Toughness
The homunculus' health becomes three-quarters of your
health instead of half.
Magic Resistance
The homunculus has advantage on saving throws against
spells.
Teleportation
The homunculus gains the ability to magically teleport short
distances. Using 5 feet of its movement for the turn, it can
teleport 30 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of
opportunity. After this ability is used, at the start of it's turn,
roll a d6. On a roll of 4 or higher, the ability recharges and can
be used again.
Tongues
Prerequisite Formula: Speech
The homunculus becomes under the effects of the Tongues
spell at all times.
Weapon Proficiency
The homunculus gains proficiency in one weapon of your
choice. The weapon must be sized appropriately for the
homunculus to be able to use it, and must have appendages
that allow it to grip the weapon.
Level 4
Evasion
The homunculus gains Evasion, as the rogue class ability.
Breath Weapon
The homunculus gains the ability to unleash a breath attack
as per page 34 of the PHB. You choose what type of damage
the homunculus can inflict off of the table when you choose
this formula. The homunculus uses your character level for
the purposes of determining the damage of the attack. It can
use this attack once per short rest.
Damage Immunity
The homunculus gains immunity to a damage type you A
specify from this list: Fire, Cold, Acid, Lightning, Poison,
Psychic, Necrotic, Radiant, and Thunder. t
c
Improved Spellcasting g
Choose a 1st-level spell from the spell list of your class that fi
doesn't deal damage. The homunculus can cast this spell
using your spell DC once per long rest. B
Level 5 o
Class Training
Choose one class. The homunculus gains access to the 1st
level class features of that class. It selects spells as normal if
it gains Spellcasting.
Greater Toughness
Prerequisite Formula: Improved Toughness
health becomes equal to your health instead of three-
quarters.
Magic Item Use
The homunculus gains one magic item attunement slot,
which allows it to use magic items it qualifies for as normal.
Thoughts, Thanks, and Changelog
I briefly explored the idea of making this system a
wizard archetype, but I decided that the system is a
bit too broad and too complex to be limited to an
archetype. I also wanted this to be accessible by
other casters like druids and tomelocks.
I also intended for the DM to have a strong say in
how the player's homunculus progresses. The DM
can limit the homunculus' growth by simply not
providing the next level of Manual, or make the
player earn it by going on a quest. The homunculus'
progression through levels of formulae is not
achieved simply by leveling up.
The scroll of binding is intended to be used
partially so that players who have ideas for
formulas not represented in this document can
work with the DM to implement them. At their
option, the DM can treat a Manual of Binding like a
spellbook and allow a player to scribe any found
Scrolls of Binding into their Manuals, allowing the
preservation of rare formulae.