Puppeteer (Class)

### **Puppeteer**

Dark and enigmatic, varied in form and function, puppeteers are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and power over others, which compels them to shape their lives. By mastering control over their own craft, they gain insight into their foes and the ability to manipulate them from the inside. They enjoy making things into puppets then using them for their daily lives or adventures. Most puppeteers distance themselves from others, instead preferring the company of their own making. Very few have seen puppeteers, most being recluses who prefer to let their puppets do the work for them. The few that have lived to see a puppeteer do their best not to anger them, lest they risk becoming a puppet themselves. The magic of puppeteers is long forgotten, and the many that have learned to practice it do so with limited power and range.

#### *Putting on a Show*

Puppeteers excel at the art of manipulation, either through direct control or subtle deception. Their primary tool and defining characteristic is a puppet. Focusing their obsessive need to micromanage the world around them into designing these dolls, puppeteers customize and improve their unusual puppets to represent their distinct needs and personalities.

If forced to fight, the puppeteer prefers to stay out of the fray and let their wordless machinations do the "talking". Using their threads to guide their manikins and direct the flow of battle, puppeteers, masters of performance, always have a trump card up their sleeve, just in case. Skillful in stealthfully manipulating their puppets from afar, they preside like an unseen conductor where the world is playing along to their every whim.

#### Class Features

As a Puppeteer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
**Hit Dice:** 1d6 per Puppeteer level
**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 1d6 + Constitution modifier
**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Puppeteer level after 1st

Proficiencies
**Armor:** Light armor
**Weapons:** Simple weapons
**Tools:** Tinker’s tools • Leatherworker’s tools • Weaver’s tools
**Saving Throws:** Charisma, Dexterity
**Skills:** Choose two from Acrobatics • Arcana • Deception • Insight • Intimidation • Performance • Persuasion • Sleight of Hand

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* Two daggers
* (*a*) Child's Marrionette Doll or (*b*) Pocket Watch
* A Necromancer's Journal to Puppet Crafting *(notes include 5 examinations of dolls)*
* Leather armor
* (*a*) Explorer's Pack or (*b*) Entertainer's Pack

#### Spellcasting

You have studied the workings of magic, how to channel it through objects, and how to awaken it within them. As a result, you have gained a limited ability to cast spells. To observers, you don’t appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you look as if you’re producing wonders through various items.

Preparing and Casting Spells
The Puppeteer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells. To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of artificer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Puppeteer spell list. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.

Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your puppeteer spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a puppeteer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
#### Personal Puppet

You have been given the gift to make puppets from objects or corpses and imbue them with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an ***Undead*** creature. To make a Puppet, you must make a Dexterity *(Sleight of Hand)* check with a set of either: Tinker’s tools, Leatherworker’s tools or Weaver’s tools. With enough time and resources, you can build a vast collection of puppets designed to overcome any situation.

Strings of Puppetry
A Puppeteer might be brilliant in their craft, honing it throughout the years of their lives. As you hold your hands with your fingers spread, thin psychic strings shoot forth from your outstretched fingertips. A Puppeteer may only control their Puppets as long as they remain within visual range. These psychic strings are only visible upon a Perception Check *(DC 5)*.

Command Puppet
On each of your turns, you can use a Bonus Action to mentally Command any Puppet you made with this feature within 60 feet of you *(if you control multiple Puppets, you can Command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same Command to each one)*. The maximum number of Puppets you may have equals to your Charisma modifier.

Puppets under your control, obey your commands to the best of their ability. As an action on your turn, you may fiddle with their strings, controlling them. Doing so allows you to choose the life-sized Puppet's actions. You decide what action the Puppet will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general Command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands on your turn, it acts only in self-defense.

* Once given an order, the Puppet continues to follow it until its task is complete.
* The Puppet's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your level.
* The Puppet uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own for attacks and skills which it is proficient in.
* The Puppet adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.
* The Puppet's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical damage.
* If you are incapacitated or absent, the Puppet is unable to act on its own.

#### Dying Effigy

You learn to pull the threads of magic laced in the puppet to bring it forward and take fatal blows instead of yourself. After taking damage that would reduce your hit points to 0, you can instead use your reaction to have a puppet take the damage instead if it is within 100 feet and line of sight. After using this ability you must finish a long rest to use it again.

#### Grim Harvest

At **2nd** level, you gain the ability to reap life energy from creatures you kill with your spells. Once per turn when you kill one or more creatures with a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to the spell's level. You don't gain this benefit for killing constructs or undead.

#### Art of Puppetry

Beginning at **3rd** level, Puppeteers begin to study their craft extensively, bringing forth various Arts of Puppetry. They offer the practitioner the one thing that binds their craft together. You learn an Art of Puppetry feature at 3th, 6th, 8th & 17th levels.

* **The Ventriloquist**
* **The Dollmaker**

#### Shared Knowledge

At **3rd** level, you gain the ability to peer into the mind of your puppets. Roll a Wisdom check *(Insight)* to learn memories about a puppet's life. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Crimson Gift

Beginning at **4th** level, you're able to extend your innate magic to others. As an action, you may expend a spell slot to grant one of your Puppets 1d4 temporary hit points until they're depleted - taking necrotic damage instead equal to the number rolled. This damage ignores resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. At higher levels the die increases by 1d4 when you reach 8th level (2d4), and again at 12th level (3d4), 16th level (4d4), and 19th level (5d4).

#### Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by +2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by +1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

#### Weaken Will

Starting at **6th** level, when you bring a creature back to life it has disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed by you. Additionally charms on that creature last double the duration. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Fallen Marionette

Starting at **8th** level, the moment a creature falls unconscious or dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give that creature a final act of aggression. That creature immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range. After the attack, the creature returns to being unconscious or dead. You grant a bonus to the attack roll and damage roll of the cursed creature’s attack equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

#### Unnatural Senses

Starting at **10th** level, you can open your awareness to magically sense the presence of the undead within 60 feet of you. Additionally, you can make a Perception check to detect all creatures within 30 feet of you, but you will be unable to know who is friendly and who is hostile. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

#### Sacrificial Rite

At **12th** level, you can use a bonus action and sacrifice one of your Puppets to regain Hit Points equal to 1d6 + Constitution ability modifier. You can use this feature twice per short rest.

#### Allured Animation

Starting at **14th** level, you can briefly control a creature’s actions against their will. As an action, you must target a Large or smaller creature within 60 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or immediately move in any direction of your choice or make a single weapon attack against a creature of your choice within range. Dead or Unconscious creatures automatically fail their saving throw. At **20th** level, you can now target up to a Huge or smaller creature.

#### Necromantic Rite

Beginning at **17th** level, you have spent so much time dealing with undead forces that animate them that you have become inured to some of their worst effects. You have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.

#### Strings of Undeath

At **20th** level, you learn the lethal secrets of necromancy. Creature who return to life as your Puppets, are raised as more powerful beings than they were before. Their attacks now deal necrotic damage on hit. They are also resistant to necrotic damage themselves. Additionally, when they are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to add your Charisma modifier to their death saving throws. On success they drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

### Arts of Puppetry

#### The Ventriloquist

Virtuoso
Starting at **3th** level, while a Puppet is within 100 feet of you, you can see through its eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the puppet has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses.

Deadly Trickster
Starting at **6th** level, you have advantage in Performance and Deception checks. As an action, you can cast **Disguise Self** on a Puppet and speak or act through it. By doing so, you will create a perfect copy of a person that you have seen and studied for at least 1 minute. The Puppet imitates the voice, and physical behaviors of that person perfectly.

Illusory Mimicry
Beginning at **8th** level, when a creature makes an attack roll against you, as a natural reaction to danger, you can dissipate an illusory duplicate of yourself by expending one of your spell slots. The attack automatically misses, as if you were never there. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Artisan Killer
Starting at **17th** level, a Puppet under the effects of ***Deadly Trickster*** may attack twice per round. When attacking from a disguised or in hidden position in this form, the puppet can make both attacks before being revealed. It gains advantage on the attack roll and does bonus damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

#### The Dollmaker

Puppet Ledgerdomain
Starting at **3th** level, you can temporarily dismiss your Puppets from the world. They disappear into a pocket dimension where they await your summon. As an action, while they are temporarily dismissed, you can cause them to re-appear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you, with the effects of ***Dying Effigy***.

Raggedy Doll
Starting at **6th** level, your puppets count as one size larger when determining their carrying capacity and the weight they can push, drag, or lift. When they take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total.

Death Marionette
Starting at **8th** level, your Puppets can move stealthily at a normal pace. They have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit they score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Sewn Chaos
At **17th** level, your Puppets gain the ability to distract your enemies. As a bonus action on your turn, you can designate a creature within 10 feet. Doing so, gives you advantage on attack rolls against that creature on each of your turns in combat. As a reaction, they can make an attack to a creature with the ***Death Marionette*** and deal an extra 1d6 damage on that roll.