Inspired by Dataweaver's thread about things that were dropped heading into 2E, including clones, I decided to write this up. I'm not entirely sure how good any of this material is, so I could really use some feedback. Some of the mechanics might not, strictly, fit Promethean fluff, but I tried to adhere to it as best I could.
Homunculi
It is a miraculous thing, creating life, but all living things do it on a fairly regular basis in order to propagate the species. The creation of life from inanimate of dead matter, on the other hand, abiogenesis, is something far more rare- something only the Divine Fire is capable of achieving with its life-giving flames.
Generally, Demiurges are far more likely to create a Promethean than an Alchemist, but either way, the two types of mortals meddling with the fires of creation aren’t quite so different as you would first suspect. When an Alchemist creates a Promethean, they use their Magnitude as the cap for the base dice pool, much as Azoth serves as the cap for a Promethean. A Demiurge is considered to have a Magnitude equal to the number of years they have been attempting to create life and is always considered to have a full Pyros pool to spend on creating a Promethean.
In addition, there are several ways to improve your chances of creating a Promethean. The Obsession Condition grants the 9-again quality to the roll, while the Madness Condition applies its potential penalty as a bonus to the roll. Having the notes of a known Demiurge grants the rote action quality to the roll.
However, without the purity and overwhelming concentrated Pyros present in Azoth, it is a rare thing for a mortal Demiurge or Alchemist to produce a true Promethean. It takes an Exceptional Success on the Creation roll to make a true Promethean (as per a success for a Promethean’s Creation roll), while a regular success on the roll produces the hollowed out servile husks known as Homunculi.
New Firestorm Aspect: Life-Giving
A Homunculus is designed exactly like any normal Promethean character, with some significant differences. They still possess a Lineage, as suitable for their generative rite, and thus a Bestowment. They do not, however, possess Elpis, Torment, Azoth, or Refinement, or Pilgrimage. Like a mortal, they possess Virtue, Vice, and Integrity instead, with one significant difference. A Homunculus begins play with the Soulless Condition. They don’t have Azoth to burn with a soul will be, and they are not yet on the Pilgrimage. They are aimless creatures, looking for direction and purpose.
Lineages
Without Azoth to shore up their sense of self, and without the Pilgrimage to drive them forwards, most Homunculi are doomed to a lifetime never leaving their creators or whatever Alchemist happens upon them, possibly because those are the only people mostly unaffected or undisturbed by their unsettling company. Some wander aimlessly, getting by on what little alchemy they can manage. Most try and find purpose. Some find it in servitude, either to a master or to a cause. A rare few find the Created (Homunculi are generally far more common than true Prometheans) and attempt to step on the Pilgrimage themselves.
There are several methods by which a Homunculus can elevate themselves into a Promethean; the easiest is for another Promethean to perform the generative rite on the Homunculus, if it is successful, the flame of Azoth is ignited. A Homunculus could walk into a Life-Giving Firestorm, which is the only means of elevation for Extempore Homunculi, and come out a Promethean.
While it is not, strictly speaking, the best path forwards, some Homunculi seek to master their own state and become Alchemists. It costs Five Experiences to purchase a dot of Magnitude, and individual Distillations can be purchased for an Experience apiece. If they ever become a true Promethean, Magnitude becomes Azoth, and Experiences spent on Distillations are refunded on Merits, Skills, or Attributes.
Homunculi
It is a miraculous thing, creating life, but all living things do it on a fairly regular basis in order to propagate the species. The creation of life from inanimate of dead matter, on the other hand, abiogenesis, is something far more rare- something only the Divine Fire is capable of achieving with its life-giving flames.
Generally, Demiurges are far more likely to create a Promethean than an Alchemist, but either way, the two types of mortals meddling with the fires of creation aren’t quite so different as you would first suspect. When an Alchemist creates a Promethean, they use their Magnitude as the cap for the base dice pool, much as Azoth serves as the cap for a Promethean. A Demiurge is considered to have a Magnitude equal to the number of years they have been attempting to create life and is always considered to have a full Pyros pool to spend on creating a Promethean.
In addition, there are several ways to improve your chances of creating a Promethean. The Obsession Condition grants the 9-again quality to the roll, while the Madness Condition applies its potential penalty as a bonus to the roll. Having the notes of a known Demiurge grants the rote action quality to the roll.
However, without the purity and overwhelming concentrated Pyros present in Azoth, it is a rare thing for a mortal Demiurge or Alchemist to produce a true Promethean. It takes an Exceptional Success on the Creation roll to make a true Promethean (as per a success for a Promethean’s Creation roll), while a regular success on the roll produces the hollowed out servile husks known as Homunculi.
New Firestorm Aspect: Life-Giving
- Firestorms burn their way through built-up Pyros in an environment, burning away Flux in the process. This, occasionally, produces unexpected side effects in the form of Homunculi, or even Extempore Prometheans. Roll the Firestorm’s Strength as a Creation dice pool. Apply a -1 penalty to the roll for every Pandoran, active or dormant, in the Firestorm’s range, and a -1 for every unspent Vitriol point in the Firestorm’s range. On a success, it creates a Homunculus. On an Exceptional Success, it creates an Extempore. There needn’t be a corpse in the area- it could be that the Created being tears its way, fully formed, from the earth, steps out of a dream, coalesces from the ash, or potentially anything else.
- On a Failure or Dramatic Failure (leading to Pandoran creation) consider the number of points of Pyros spent equal to double the Firestorm’s Strength. Much like Homunculi and Extempore, these Pandorans do not need to rip themselves from a dead body, but could step out of nightmares, clump together from debris, or congeal from rains of blood.
A Homunculus is designed exactly like any normal Promethean character, with some significant differences. They still possess a Lineage, as suitable for their generative rite, and thus a Bestowment. They do not, however, possess Elpis, Torment, Azoth, or Refinement, or Pilgrimage. Like a mortal, they possess Virtue, Vice, and Integrity instead, with one significant difference. A Homunculus begins play with the Soulless Condition. They don’t have Azoth to burn with a soul will be, and they are not yet on the Pilgrimage. They are aimless creatures, looking for direction and purpose.
Lineages
- Igors (Wretched)
- Graces (Galateids)
- Shabti (Osirian)
- Gala (Tammuz)
- Karshit (Ulgan)
- Automatons (Unfleshed)
- Pyros: A Homunculus possesses a number of points of Pyros equal to their Stamina, and may only spend one point of Pyros per turn.
- Transhuman Potential: As the Promethean ability
- Shock Absorption: As the Promethean ability
- Replenishing Pyros: A Homunculus doesn’t possess Azoth, and thus doesn’t gain Pyros from the rising of the sun, from interacting with humans, or from exposure to thunderstorms or electricity. They do, however, regain Pyros from sleeping near their Lineage’s element.
- Superlative Endurance & Durability: As the Promethean ability
- Unaging: As per the Promethean ability. If a Homunculus gets the opportunity to spark the flames of Azoth in the place where their soul should be, then their lifespan resets as though they had Returned.
- Disfigurements: Without Azoth, a Homunculus’ unique disfigurements are constantly visible. This can cause… issues for them. Mechanically, other’s impressions during Social Maneuvering are one worse than they normally would be, and they lose the 10-again quality to Social rolls.
- Without Azoth, the Homunculus cannot benefit from Electroshock Therapy, the Constitution of the Created, or make the Journey to the River. However, they’re also free of the curses of Disquiet, Torment, and Wastelands.
Without Azoth to shore up their sense of self, and without the Pilgrimage to drive them forwards, most Homunculi are doomed to a lifetime never leaving their creators or whatever Alchemist happens upon them, possibly because those are the only people mostly unaffected or undisturbed by their unsettling company. Some wander aimlessly, getting by on what little alchemy they can manage. Most try and find purpose. Some find it in servitude, either to a master or to a cause. A rare few find the Created (Homunculi are generally far more common than true Prometheans) and attempt to step on the Pilgrimage themselves.
There are several methods by which a Homunculus can elevate themselves into a Promethean; the easiest is for another Promethean to perform the generative rite on the Homunculus, if it is successful, the flame of Azoth is ignited. A Homunculus could walk into a Life-Giving Firestorm, which is the only means of elevation for Extempore Homunculi, and come out a Promethean.
While it is not, strictly speaking, the best path forwards, some Homunculi seek to master their own state and become Alchemists. It costs Five Experiences to purchase a dot of Magnitude, and individual Distillations can be purchased for an Experience apiece. If they ever become a true Promethean, Magnitude becomes Azoth, and Experiences spent on Distillations are refunded on Merits, Skills, or Attributes.
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