Homunculus feats / skills at creation

[schreier]

In the SRD entry, it says "A homunculus’s creator determines its precise features. Homunculi are little more than tools designed to carry out assigned tasks." -- does this mean that the creator can pick the feats for the construct? I assume that things like class skills are not flexible, but it seems like the lvl 1 feat could be? Or maybe class skills could be?

Right now - the dedicated wright looks like craft skills are the only class skills, hammer is the only weapon proficiency (not sure if warhammer, or light hammer, or just "hammer"? it does damage like a light hammer but does not seem throwable), and the base feat is skill focus (Craft (my choice)).

Can I swap the weapon proficiency for another? Can I change class skills? Can I change the feat?

I assume that, if I advance to 12 HD as an example - I need to pick an attribute to increase at HD 4, 8 and 12? And if I pick Int, then skill points increase from that HD forward?

[liquidformat]

first off on the hammer, it isn't a light hammer nor does the damage match that of a light hammer. The Dedicated Wright is tiny with a hammer that deals 1d3 damage which would be 1d6 at medium, that lines up closer to a light mace than a light hammer. Anyways it is never really mentioned at all anywhere in the description which makes it questionable whether the 'hammer' is or isn't a part of the Dedicated Wright's body that can't be put down or just a tool. Either way I personally wouldn't allow it to be a weapon proficiency that can be traded away.

As far as skills go it only has two class skills which are chosen at creation, I could see an argument that adding more craft () skills as it gains HD and even allowing it to take cross class skills since it does have an intelligence score. However, its class skills are well defined, so no you can't change its class skills unless you are homebrewing a new Homunculus based off of the Dedicated Wright.

As far as the feat goes you might be able to change that, it is more of a consult your dm question. The feats shown in a monster entry are the feat chosen by an 'average' member of the race and can be changed unless they are bonus feats so should be changeable. However, some DMs specifically with the Dedicated Wright might say that first feat is locked in due to its nature as a construct.

Finally, take a look at Improved Homunculus and Magic of Eberron as a whole. The feat adds a lot to the power and versatility of Homunculi and the book does go a bit more indepth into Homunculus.

[schreier]

I had never seen a class with 2 specific crafts as their class skills, and the ability to pick any 2 made me think it was all craft skills - obviously you are right.

I think I would put the hammer under warhammer, since it is probably relatively similar (and not used for throwing) so give that proficiency.

I am torn on the feats - but if necessary you could always go the psychic reformation route if you can find a psion to perform that action.

Improved Homunculus is very nice - I know familiars have epic progression, but there was never an epic progression to the Improved Homunculus. The way it is written (18+) would RAW say no more progression though.

[liquidformat]

I had never seen a class with 2 specific crafts as their class skills, and the ability to pick any 2 made me think it was all craft skills - obviously you are right.

I think I would put the hammer under warhammer, since it is probably relatively similar (and not used for throwing) so give that proficiency.

I am torn on the feats - but if necessary you could always go the psychic reformation route if you can find a psion to perform that action.

Improved Homunculus is very nice - I know familiars have epic progression, but there was never an epic progression to the Improved Homunculus. The way it is written (18+) would RAW say no more progression though.

So slightly confused about your comment about 'classes' homunculus are a monster race not a class so the comparison is apples to oranges.

psychic reformation will probably work for changing the skill focus feat if your dm doesn't let you change that from the start. Though letting psychic reformation replace the hammer proficiency is probably a no go unless you are in a super optimized game with lots of rule abuse. I at least have never come across a dm that would let you replace class weapon or armor proficiencies with psychic reformation as those are class features which aren't covered by psychic reformation.

Honestly, at best a tenth of 3.5 content has been explicitly covered on how it functions at epic levels, things like Vow of Poverty and Improved Homunculus that are explicitly covered by epic level handbook should probably be handled how classes are described being handled.

[schreier]

I wasn't trying to say that the monstrous HD from Homunculus were the same as a class - more that I have never encountered individual craft skills as "class skills" -- so just assumed all crafts were be considered class. You are right that that is not correct.

As far as psychic Reformation, that would be for the skill focus. Not the weapon, since I believe you have to be eligible to take the feat ... Hammer is a bonus feat, so could just become another weapon I would think?