Homonuculus in Eberron

[sfedi]

Are Homonuculus worth it?

In Magic of Eberron and in the ECS, there are several homonuculus.
But they are CR 1/2 to 1, cost 1250 gp and 150 xp aprox.

I can't imagine a PC or NPC making an homonuculus. Why should they?

 

[Glyfair]

If you want them for combat, I'd say almost 100% not worth it. However, if you want them for other things, they are. The dedicated wright is great for the magic item creating artificer. The expeditious messenger is good for keeping communications going with your party scouts in many situations.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They also help make player characters memorable, which is often its own reward.

 

[sniffles]

They also help make player characters memorable, which is often its own reward.

This is too true. If you check out the 3rd story hour in my sig, 'The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw', you'll find we have an artificer with a homunculus. His homunculus is a chest with four legs and a pair of arms. When our party was fighting zombies on a glass-coated surface, he sat on his homunculus to avoid falling down.

 

[sfedi]

If you want them for combat, I'd say almost 100% not worth it.

Yet, there's an homonuculus that's supposed to provide flanking (the Harrier?)

However, if you want them for other things, they are. The dedicated wright is great for the magic item creating artificer. The expeditious messenger is good for keeping communications going with your party scouts in many situations.

Those two were the most useful, IMHO.
But the messenger in particular, seems pretty weak for adventuring.
A familiar seems more useful.

 

[Glyfair]

Yet, there's an homonuculus that's supposed to provide flanking (the Harrier?)

Looking at it, it's not too bad. Still, one fireball and failed save and your artificer just lost 1,250 gp and about 100 xp. IMO, that's too much of an investment for something that is reasonably likely to die in combat.

If I'm investing that much, I'm going to need significant vigorish from elsewhere. The cool factor is one thing, but I don't want to have to spend about 3,000 gp a level for a cool combat companion.

I like the idea of an artificer who specializes in humonculi, and is surrounded by them. However, he won't last very long if he focuses on their combat abilities because of their high cost.