Artificer and Homunculus Question

[The Amazing Dingo]

I was glancing through the Eberron Game Setting after a friend of mine spoke to me about the Artificer. I took a little time and read over the Artificer and the Homunculus sections and noticed a difference. Namely, in the Artificer's Ability description for Craft Homunculus it says that to increase his creation by 1 HD, he can spend an addition 2,000gp and 160XP. Okay...

In the Homunculus creature descriptions, it says that they can be advanced with only the 2,000gp. It also says in the Homunculus descrption that a wizard can craft a Homunculus (no surprise there).

So, if a wizard wishes to advance the Homunculus, he only pays the gold. If an Artificer wishes to advance it, he has to pay both the gold and the XP. I know the Artificer can advance it to a small creature (and beyond) and, according to what I've seen, it doesn't give a wizard that option.

Am I reading this correctly or might I be missing something elsewhere in the book or in some Errata?

 

[Staffan]

I'd say that both would have to pay the XP. Basically, the Base Price of the homunculus increases by 4,000 gp per extra HD, which leads to an increase of 2,000 gp creation cost and 160 XP. This would be consistent with other item creation.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Namely, in the Artificer's Ability description for Craft Homunculus it says that to increase his creation by 1 HD, he can spend an addition 2,000gp and 160XP.

The cost is 2000gp which would mean that the Market price would have increased by 4000gp. Rather than increasing market price like in the golem description, it is stated this way because they cannot be sold and thus have no 'market price'.

160xp is 1/25 of 4000gp.

In the Homunculus creature descriptions, it says that they can be advanced with only the 2,000gp.

Possible literalist loophole? Sure.
Would I slap you down for trying it? Yes.

The 2000gp increase also implies the 160xp cost and 4 additional days of crafting time per Craft Construct.

I know the Artificer can advance it to a small creature (and beyond) and, according to what I've seen, it doesn't give a wizard that option.

"No matter how many Hit Dicec it has, a homunculus never grows larger than Small." ECS p32.

This is a special ability for the Artificer.

Am I reading this correctly or might I be missing something elsewhere in the book or in some Errata?

No errata on this beyond mentioning that artificers can craft both the MM version and the Eberron versions.

 

[The Amazing Dingo]

Staffan, jody, thank you.

I do agree that if someone tried that on me then I'd have to cut it short right then and there too. It does only seem logical.

I appreciate it.

 

[xpyder]

advancing homunculi

I took it to mean the following:

to advance the hit dice when you initally create the homunculus add 2,000GP to the base price per HD

Artificers may advance homunculi (s)he owns by 1 HD by spending 2,000GP and 160XP after creation.

max HD for an artificer's homunculi is Master's HD-2

a homunculus never grows larger than small(@DM's option: never grows larger than 1 size category past initial size)