"We two strings brought together in time,

Once interwoven, we were inseparable,

A bond by a knot of love,

But fate chooses favorites before snipping lines,

An outcome I loathed, 

If it could be my lungs engulf in soil,

Our places I'd gladly switch"

-Unnamed Poet

 

Its believed the first person to produce an arcane puppet was a bard who created it within his melancholy after losing the love of his life. An almost perfect image of his late wife. As he learned to accept the grief, he understood just how truly amazing his creation was - A teacher firstly, and soon a college to puppets was born. Students who studied within the college of marionettes find their ties to their puppets to be strongest when they create them in an image they've come to love or respect, with this they are never alone. A performance always done in pairs and for the talented, in threes. Those who have had the pleasure to witness an Arcane Marionettist perform, speak highly of their story and theater plays, as though other performances made by anyone else are crude recreations of their abilities. At its root, the collage offers comfort to the lonely and so that those who learn their ways may pass on comfort to inspire anyone willing to lend their eyes and heart.

A Showmans Best Friend

At 3rd level you have worked with enough magical trinkets and items that you can stitch the arcane with the physical almost effortlessly. You have taken the time to collect bits of material to form something close to a humanoid husk finishing it off with the flow of magic. (How the puppet looks is up to you) You can use your puppets as your spell casting focus. You gain proficiency with tinkers tools.

To control a puppet you need at least one free hand to allow for you to tie magical threads to, attaching at key points of its body. These threads cannot be interacted with by any one but you, they are invisible as well to all but yourself. You can spend an action to focus your senses to along your magical threads, taking the sight and hearing of the puppet you are controlling but you lose your ability to hear and see while focusing this way. Your puppets interactions with objects, mechanisms, and carry up to 50lbs of weight. Your puppets can not wield weapons or tool, and cannot interact with magical gear.

As a bonus action you call your marionette to life (when you start to control a second puppet, you may use your action for the second puppet, as to be able to control both within your turn). When you command the puppet it can move and take its action based on the following commands you give it, only one of these can be chosen: Help, Disengage, Interact or Attack. At levels 3, 6, 10, and 14 you can choose any one of the upgrades from the Puppeteer's Manual to give to each of your puppets. You can only control one puppet at a time (this increases to 2 at level 10).

Your puppet is a construct. As a construct, your puppet cannot speak on its own and it is unaligned. It does not require air, food, drink, or sleep and it is immune to disease. Your puppet can’t see and has no passive Perception of its own.

Your command of the puppet can only be stretched so far, if your puppet moves or is moved more than 60ft from you, you will lose control of your puppet causing it to fall to the ground limp. To reattaching your magical threads you will have to move within 60ft of the puppet and spend half of its movement to stand it up as part of its action. The puppet can still take damage whilst not being controlled and is considered prone until picked up by you, your threads, or someone else.

Any puppet reduced to 0 hp is considered broken and requires a long rest and tinkers tools to repair to a functional state, costing 3 gold per bard level, the restored puppet regains all of its hp. If any puppet is not broken but missing health you can spend a long rest to restore it to full hp as long as you have tinkers tools. You can heal your puppet during a short rest, you may sacrifice a hit die to heal your puppet for half of its total hp rounded up. Any spell that can restore health will work as usual if used on your puppets, but spells that restore life from death (like Resurrection) do not work. If you are not in possession of a tinkers tool you will not be able to fix, craft, or upgrade any puppets.

Should anything happen to your marionette you can spend 75gp, a long rest, and the use of tinkers tools to create a new puppet. Your puppets can be folded up and stored in a pack, each weighing 10lbs. You can only maintain your magic for 2 puppet, creating more than your maximum limit will cause the oldest one to fall apart beyond repair, losing any upgrades it had, this maximum increases to 3 at 10th level.

Your puppets gain your proficiency score. Attacks made by your puppets are considered magical for the sake of overcoming resistances

Arcane Puppet Medium (Construct), Neutral
Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 5*(Bard level)+Cha Mod. Speed 25  ft.
STR 16 (+3)	DEX 12 (+1)	CON 14 (+2)	INT 10 (+0)	WIS 10(+0)	CHA 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Con, Str Condition Immunities Charmed, Deafened, Fatigued, Frightened, Unconscious, Exhaustion, Blinded, Poisoned.
ACTIONS
Magical Weapons: The Arcane Puppets attacks are magical to overcome resistances Wild Swing. Melee Weapon Attack: (3+prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + prof) bludgeoning

 

 

Puppeteer's Manual

Each upgrade requires a long rest to fashion to the puppet, the use of a tinkers tool, and what ever the addition calls for in materials. Only one puppet may be worked on per night when adding an upgrade (This only applies to the act of upgrading, their is no limit to the amount of puppets you can repair during long rest).

 

Fortified Fists: Your puppet now gains Multi-attack (If it takes the attack action it can attack twice now.) Requires a mace and 20gp which are consumed in the upgrade.

Hollow Chest: Your puppet can use its action to grapple a creature medium or large creature within 5ft. Requires a grapple hook and 20ft of iron chain which are consumed in the upgrade.

Sturdy Body: Your puppet gains a boost in armor, increasing its AC by 1. If this is chosen a second time, your puppet will gain another 1 AC. (maximum of 2 AC) Requires studded leather armor for the first upgrade, the second upgrade requires chain mail and 25 gp which are consumed in the upgrade.

Mounted Bolts: You fashion repeating arm sling shot to your puppet. Ranged Weapon Attack: (3+prof) to hit, one target. Hit: (1d6 + prof) piercing (Range 30/60) Requires a hand crossbow and  50ft of rope which are consumed in the upgrade.

Mobile Marionette: Your puppets movement speed is increased by 10ft. Requires a 3 bottles of oil and 3 pouches of ball bearings which are consumed in the upgrade.

Elemental Affinity: Choose Cold, Fire, or Lightning to add to your puppets weapon weapon attacks. Your puppet will now apply that property to the weapon as an extra 1d4. Requires a 1st level spell scroll with any damaging spell and a diamond (cold), ruby (fire), or a topaz (lightning) worth 50gp which are consumed in the upgrade.

Misplaced Fireworks: You've laced your puppet with explosives set to blow when it would drop to 0hp. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save. A target takes (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases by one die when you reach 5th level (7d6), 11th level (8d6), and 17th level (9d6). Requires a any 2nd level fire spell scroll and a spell scroll of grease which are consumed in the upgrade.

Playful Trickster: You can cast Disguise Self on you puppet once per long rest with out expending a spell slot and speak through it as though your puppet was talking on its own. If someone where to inspect the disguised puppet they would have to make an Investigate check against your spell save DC. Requires a Disguise Kit which is consumed in the upgrade.

Noxious Dart: 3 times per long rest your puppet can spit a poisonous dart instead of attacking dealing: Ranged (10/25), hit (3+prof), (1d6+(prof)) piercing. If hit, the target must make a Constitution saving throw equal against your spell save or become poisoned for until the end of your next turn. Requires a vial of poison and a single +1 dart which are consumed in the upgrade.

Fog: Once per day your puppet can start to pour a cloud of smoke out of all its nooks and crannies, creating a heavily obscured area in a 20-foot radius. A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds; a strong wind (20 or more miles per hour) disperses it in 1 round. Requires one flask of water, 10gp worth of charcoal, and an ember from a fire all of which are consumed in the upgrade.

Mesmerizing Dance: Your puppet moves in flourishes and swings that are just too captivating to stop looking at. Choose a creature within 10ft of your puppet, that creature has disadvantage on its next attack, your puppet cannot move this turn if Mesmerizing Dance was used. Requires a fancy dress/suit worth 25gp and a pouch of glitter which is consumed in the upgrade.

Reel It In : If your puppet would be hit with a melee attack taking more damage than it has health you can use your reaction to pull it away from danger moving your puppet  20 ft in any direction and preventing an attack of opportunity from the creature that attacked it this turn. Doing this puts a strain on your puppet, for every Reel It In performed your puppet loses 5ft from its movement speed total until you take a long rest. Requires 50ft of silver chains worth 30gp and iron pitons which are consumed in the upgrade

Thick as Thieves: You fasten a set of a Thieves Tools to your puppet, gaining proficiency with those tools and allowing you to use your puppet to pick locks and disarm traps. Your puppets carry capacity increases to 75lbs. Requires a set of Thieves tools and 50gp which are consumed in the upgrade.

Expert Entertainer

You have taken time to really hone your craft, the ability to control puppets is not a very simple task. The threads that tie you to your puppets are starting to take a shape of their own, you can see not only can you build better companions but your magical strings have mutated to let your puppets do things they couldn't do with physical upgrades alone. You gain one of the following abilities at 6th level and at 10th you learn Together Afar.

 

Marionettes Ensemble: As an action expend one bardic inspiration die, you can move a puppet that is within 5ft of a you or an ally, having it fold into make shift armor. This does not disturb your current armor so long as it is medium or light. You gain 1 AC and 1/4  of the puppets total hp rounded up plus one roll of your bardic inspiration die as temp hp for 1 minute, once attached your hands are no longer needed to keep the puppet in place. This effect cannot be stacked on the same creature or target non-humanoid creatures. After 1 minute, if any of the temporary hp was used up, that much damage will be applied to the puppet, if this effect would reduce the puppet to 0 its would reduce it to 1 hp instead, the puppet falls to the floor prone within 5ft of you or character it was protecting. The creature wearing the puppet can spend a bonus action to remove it. Cannot be use with Arcane Puppet Golem

Puppeteering Relife: The moment a large or smaller creature falls unconscious or dies within 30ft of you, you can use your reaction to weave your magical threads and take control of it in its weakened state. By spending a bardic inspiration you can have that creature move 10 feet in any direction and immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range, this attack can critically strike on a 19-20. After the attack, the creature returns to being unconscious or dead. You grant a bonus to the attack roll and damage roll of the creature’s attack equal to one roll of your bardic inspiration die. If Puppeteering Relife cannot be used on your puppets.

Puppeteers Assistant:  Your puppet is just a mirror of yourself, by having it mimic your movements you can have your puppet cast spells for you. By expending one bardic inspiration you can have the source of a spell you would like to cast come from your puppet. If it is a damaging spell, add 1 roll of your inspiration die to the damage total of the spell and if the spell is a healing spell add 1 roll of your inspiration die to the healing total. Your puppet can now use magical gear so long as you meet the requirements to use you them yourself, such as attunement.

Together Afar: At 10th level your magical threads can now reach 60ft times your proficiency in distance. You can now channel your soul into your puppet. As an action, expend one bardic inspiration, as your body goes limp, all senses are transferred to your new form as your soul now inhabits your puppet. Your body is considered unconscious. You can remain in this puppet this way for 10 minutes. You retain access to your class features, feats and stats except for strength, dexterity, constitution, hit points and AC which are taken from the puppet. You may cast spells in this form if you meet their requirements but concentration checks are made at disadvantage. If the puppet hp would be brought to 0, you are forced back into your own body.

As a puppet you also gain access to any upgrades and abilities it has. If your body would take damage while you are within your puppet you are immediately aware of the pain but do not know the source if you cannot see it. You can move away from your body up to the max distance of your magical threads, any further and you are forced out of the puppet and back into your body. While your are within your puppet you can roll your inspiration die to performance and deception checks. Any inspiration dice used for these checks do not consume uses of your inspiration.  You may spend an action to end this effect early.

You cannot use this ability again until you take a long rest.

Marionettes Ensemble

As an action expend one bardic inspiration die, you can move a puppet that is within 5ft of a you or an ally, having it fold into make shift armor. This does not disturb your current armor so long as it is medium or light. You gain 1 AC and 1/4  of the puppets total hp rounded up plus one roll of your bardic inspiration die as temp hp for 1 minute, once attached your hands are no longer needed to keep the puppet in place. This effect cannot be stacked on the same creature or target non-humanoid creatures. After 1 minute, if any of the temporary hp was used up, that much damage will be applied to the puppet, if this effect would reduce the puppet to 0 its would reduce it to 1 hp instead, the puppet falls to the floor prone within 5ft of you or character it was protecting. The creature wearing the puppet can spend a bonus action to dof it. Cannot be use with Arcane Puppet Golem

Puppeteering Relife

The moment a medium or large creature falls unconscious or dies within 30ft of you, you can use your reaction to weave your magical threads to take control of it in its weakened state. By spending a bardic inspiration you can have that creature move 10 feet in any direction and immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range, this attack can critically strike on a 19-20. After the attack, the creature returns to being unconscious or dead. You grant a bonus to the attack roll and damage roll of the creature’s attack equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). If Puppeteering Relife cannot be used on your puppets.

Puppeteers Assistant

Your puppet is just an extension of yourself, by having it mimic your movements you can have your puppet cast spells for you. This is limited to non concentration spells. By expending a bardic inspiration you can have the source of a spell you would like to cast come from your puppet. (For example, Cure Wounds is a spell with a range of touch, by having your puppet make use of Puppeteers Assistant you could have your puppet 30 ft away and touch an ally thus meeting the requirements for the spell). Your puppet can now use magical items so long as you meet the requirements to use you them yourself.

Together Afar

Together Afar: At 10th level your magical threads can now reach 60ft times your proficiency in distance. You can now channel your soul into your puppet. As an action, expend one bardic inspiration, as your body goes limp, all senses are transferred to your new form as your soul now inhabits your puppet. Your body is considered unconscious. You can remain in this puppet this way for 10 minutes. You retain access to your class features, feats and stats except for strength, dexterity, constitution, hit points and AC which are taken from the puppet. You may cast spells in this form if you meet their requirements but concentration checks are made at disadvantage. If the puppet hp would be brought to 0, you are forced back into your own body.

As a puppet you also gain access to any upgrades and abilities it has. If your body would take damage while you are within your puppet you are immediately aware of the pain but do not know the source if you cannot see it. You can move away from your body up to the max distance of your magical threads, any further and you are forced out of the puppet and back into your body. While your are within your puppet you can roll your inspiration die to performance and deception checks. Any inspiration dice used for these checks do not consume uses of your inspiration.  You may spend an action to end this effect early.

You cannot use this ability again until you take a long rest.

Puppeteers Mingle

At 14th level, if you are in control of two puppets, you can use your bonus action to combine them as one if they are within 5ft of each other. They become a large construct. Combined puppets are treated as one, but they require two hands to control and an action to manipulate. If you stop controlling the golem, it remains in still until you regain control.

The combination of the 2 puppets will cause some mutation to the upgrades each one had. The following list are the modified upgrades being used while the 2 are combined. If neither puppet had the multi-attack upgrade, the Arcane Puppet Golem will still gain this feature. If an upgrade is not listed below that was on either of the original 2 puppets it loses that feature. The Arcane Puppet Golem has its own stats and does not draw any from the wielder, only their proficiency is used.

You cannot make use of A Marionettes Ensemble while the 2 puppets are combined. If the Arcane Puppet Golem would drop to 0hp both puppets would immediately separate falling within the area the Golem was standing, both broken. You can spend an action to cause the two puppets to separate from each other, each one gaining half the Arcane Puppet Golems current hp rounded down.

 

Arcane Puppet Golem Large  (Construct), Neutral
Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor) Hit Points Both Arcane Puppet Hp added Size Large Speed 30 ft.
STR 23(+6)	DEX 15 (+2)	CON 20 (+5)	INT 10 (0)	WIS 10 (0)	CHA 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +2, Con +5 Condition Immunities Charmed, Deafened, Fatigued, Frightened, Unconscious, Exhaustion, Blinded, Paralyzed, Poisoned.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Arcane Puppet Golem can attack 2 times unless affected by Fortified Fists Wild Swing. Melee Weapon Attack: (6+Prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d12 + 6) bludgeoning Magical Weapons: The Arcane Puppet Golems attacks are magical to overcome resistances Brutish:This puppet can carry 350lbs

 

Fortified Fists-> Iron Mitts: Your puppet now gains Multi-attack (If it takes the attack action it can attack three times now.)

Hollow Chest-> Vacant Body: Your puppet now gains the ability to grapple a target that is huge or smaller. Whenever your puppet would have a creature grappled, it gains advantage on attacks against that creature. Your puppet only loses 10 ft walking speed while it has a creature grappled.

Sturdy Body->Reinforced Rivets: Your puppet gains a boost in armor, increasing its AC by 2. If this is chosen a second time, your puppet will gain another 1 AC. (Maximum AC +3)

Mounted Bolts->Boulder Toss: Reach into the earth grabbing loose rock and hurling it. Ranged Weapon Attack: +(6+prof) to hit, one target. Hit: (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning (Range 45/120)

Mesmerizing Dance->Overshadowing Presence: When a creature within your puppets reach (5ft) makes an attack against a target other than the Golem, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against the attacking creature.

Mobile Marionette->Wind Guided Marionette: Your puppet walking speed is increased by 15ft and gains a flying speed equal to its move speed

Elemental Affinity->Forces of Nature: Choose Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, or Radiant to add to your ranged or melee weapon (only one weapon). Your puppet will now apply that property to the weapon as an extra 2d4 (you may choose a new element whenever you for the Arcane puppet golem)

Missplaced Fireworks->Brilliant Explosion: You've laced your puppet with explosives set to blow when it would drop to 0hp. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes (8d12) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases by two die when you reach 18th level (10d12).

Noxious Dart->Ichored Chomp: Your puppet can opt to bite for a melee attack as one of its multi-attacks dealing: 5 ft, hit (6+prof), (1d12+6) piercing. If hit, the target must make a DC of (8+prof+Charisma) Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute, They can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On a save, they cannot be poisoned by Ichored Chomp for the next 24 hours.

Fog->Mountain Mist: Once per day your puppet can start to pour a cloud of smoke out of its mouth, creating a heavily obscured area in a 30-foot radius. A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds; a strong wind (20 or more miles per hour) disperses it in 1 round.

Reel It In->Pull of the Curtain : If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw, you may choose to forgo your saving throw and as a reaction, pull your puppet beside you, placing itself within 5ft of you. Doing thing causes you to take no damage but instead have your puppet take the damage.

Thick as Thieves-> Break and Enter: When ever your puppet would make a strike against an inanimate object that attack is considered critical. This puppet can carry triple its carry weight.

Synchronized Performance

When ever a creature uses a Bardic Inspiration die on a check, save, or attack roll and are within 30ft of both a puppet and its puppet master, the creature can roll an additional 1d4 to their roll.