Incarnate Homunculus

[Traitoreous]

One of my players asked if he could be an incarnate construct (savage species) homunculus. He thought it would be a cool idea and so do I. But is there any viable builds for such a character? Also does the LA -2 on the template mean he should be two levels higher than the rest of the party? It says minimum 0 on the LA section, but I can't come up with a mindless construct with a LA other than –. Is it always 0, because there are no constructs with LA?

[Inevitability]

The homunculus doesn't naturally have LA, but assigning it a +0 shouldn't be problematic. Unless you put a template on top of that, the -2 LA granted by Incarnate Construct will go to waste, though.

There are surprisingly mindless constructs with LA. Dustform creatures, from Sandstorm, lack an intelligence score yet have +2 LA.

[LordOfCain]

The homunculus doesn't naturally have LA, but assigning it a +0 shouldn't be problematic. Unless you put a template on top of that, the -2 LA granted by Incarnate Construct will go to waste, though.

There are surprisingly mindless constructs with LA. Dustform creatures, from Sandstorm, lack an intelligence score yet have +2 LA.
Will that be your LA for homunculi in the making monsters playable thread
:smallconfused:

[Godskook]

Are Warforged or Warforged Scout not on the table with refluffing of needed parts to fit the concept?

[Fizban]

You'll note that Savage Species places a high value on immunities, and construct has a ton of immunities. This is why Incarnate Construct is supposed to reduce LA. If you give a construct LA +0 then you've given it less LA than Savage Species expects, and it should be obvious that slapping free templates on there is a bad idea.

[unseenmage]

IIRC Savage Species has a section where it gives Homunculus, as well as several other normally LA -- Constructs, a LA.

They should be listed in my Every Playable Monster thread linked in my sig.

Edit: Savage Species page 21 gives Homunculus a LA +3.

[The Viscount]

The LA of Homunculus is problematic, because the update in Savage Species is actually before MMI, so the LA of - is considered the newer, and thus "true" LA for them.

Constructs with LA do exist, the Maug and Nimblewright are two examples.

[Inevitability]

Will that be your LA for homunculi in the making monsters playable thread
:smallconfused:

I can't promise anything. Probably though.

[daremetoidareyo]

Would an arbalester have a ranged natural attack?

[Afgncaap5]

Would an arbalester have a ranged natural attack?

I don't feel confident in answering one way or the other. However, it *is* worth noting that an Arbalester is almost never referred to in its entry as being a "living crossbow" so much as it's referred to as being "built around" a crossbow and "proficient with the crossbow built into its body" and other such statements. The intention seems to be that the crossbow and Arbalester are not one and the same, so if I was going to rule this in game I'd say no.

Having said that, if there was some really cool story reason to do so (though it's hard to imagine a story flow that seamlessly integrates concepts like "ranged attacks" and "natural attacks") I'd probably allow it. I think I'd be breaking the RAW then.

(Note to self: Arbalester Werewolves. They shoot you, and you turn into a peregrine falcon made out of livewood every full moon.)