Fetum Homunculus (3.5e Monster)

''What appears to be a small humanoid like a halfling who has been half melted by chemical burns, but no sign of bones or musculature is underneath sloughed off skin, simply more vaguely skin-colored substance. Its body is distorted and malformed, some having giant hands, others have hunched backs, a single bloated leg, or other aberrations in their form.''

Sometimes the creation of an athar homunculus goes horribly wrong, and the shriveled and deformed result is a fetum homunculus. Most are trashed and destroyed as waste, but cunning crafters may find use in these diminutive servants yet as amoral and fearless aids. Though they are intelligent, they lack much personality other than a vile hunger for obtaining a true personality. They hunt living beings seeking to hit them with their brain drain ability and steal their essence from them. No matter how virtuous of a victim they drain, the resulting mindset it twisted towards an evil aspect of their beliefs. They seek to become whole and fully formed, and successful fetum homunculii may very well evolved into higher and more dangerous forms.

Fetum homunculii typically follow the instructions of their creator, but they are free willed agents who attempt (poorly) to mimic the personalities and mannerisms of others. Some are employed as familiars, where they are constantly given a twisted version of their master's personality and have no need to brain drain others (though they may still do so). Their melted and wrinkled flesh is covered in alchemical reagents from their creation, leaking from various pores and open sores like sweat or blood. The alchemical cocktail is a deadly mix for most living creatures.

Fetum homuculii are usually 4 ft high and weigh 60 lbs, and they speak one language of their creator (usually Common).

Combat
Fetum homunculii are smart enough to ambush, or use overwhelming numbers to take on opponents. A single fetum homunculii is usually cowardly unless they can obtain a tactical advantage.

Brain Drain :  As a standard action touch attack against a flatfooted opponent it can absorb the personality and appearance of other humanoids and monstrous humanoids. This deals 1d6 damage to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and causes the homunculii to take on the appearance and mannerisms of its victim. This acts as disguise self, but it is distorted both physically and mentally, and so cannot pass as the original creature and only a creature of its type and subtype for 24 hours. When given the opportunity presents itself most choose to fully drain their opponents of all ability scores even though it only needs to hit once.

Chemical Burn : On a successful attack, or when hit with a natural attack, unarmed attack, or grappled it exposes its opponent to its chemical burn. It functions similar to a poison, but immunity to poison does not give immunity to this ability. Immunity (but not resistance) to acid does provide immunity. It can only harm corporeal creatures. Fortitude save DC 13, 1d4 Str/1d4 Str damage. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Construction
A fetum homunculus body is sculpted from mud, clay, blood, and a red jewel worth 50 gp. The creature’s master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. Creating the body requires a DC 12 Craft (sculpting) check or a DC 12 Craft (pottery) check.

After the body is sculpted, it is animated through an extended magical ritual that requires a specially prepared laboratory or workroom, similar to an alchemist’s laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature’s body, the building and ritual can be performed together.

A homunculus with more than 2 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +2,000 gp to the cost to create.

Craft Construct, arcane eye, mirror image, mending, caster must be at least 4th level; Price — (never sold); Cost 1,050 gp + 78 XP.

Familiar
The fetum homunculus can be taken as a familiar in place of the normal homunculus with the Improved Familiar feat and a character level of 7th.