College of Manipulation

Bards of the College of Manipulation look to bring Story and Whimsy to life through the time-honored tradition of puppetry. Through the application of will solidified into strings, they manipulate their Marionettes, wooden or flesh, to weave the story they see fit. True masters of their craft weave magics in and through their subjects, taking "bringing the puppet to life" to a whole new level as they support their comrades in battle from afar.

Manipulation Bards can attach strings to objects, and depending on their experience the range of objects will increase. From simple small everyday items as a beginner, to even controlling people and monsters at a master's level. A bard of Manipulation can be a terrifying force.

 

 

Willful Strings

 You can manifest your will into reality as strings, attaching them to a target to manipulate as you see fit. You may use a Marionette's Control Bar as a spellcasting focus.

You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to attach your strings to an object. The control lasts 10 minutes, and you may only control 1 Marionette at a time unless otherwise stated. You use your action to give commands to the Marionette. It may take a movement, and either an action or a bonus action. It can only take an attack of opportunity for its reaction, and cannot benefit from from any feat of its caster. The range of a spell cast from a Marionette is halved, and any requirements must be met by the caster, such as line of sight, or the ability to be heard by. 

The object you control's stats will differ depending on its size. You use the table below to determine your new marionettes stats, what level of spell you may cast through it. While you are controlling a Marionette you may only cast spells through it, unless the spell has a casting time of a bonus action or a reaction.

It has a Spellcasting Modifier of +4, and a Spell DC of 14

The Marionette can manipulate objects so long as it has the proper appendages for it. Talk to your DM to find out exactly what your object is capable of.

A Marionette is a construct with AC, hit points, attacks, Strength, and Dexterity determined by its size. Its Constitution is 10 and its Intelligence and Wisdom are 3, and its Charisma is 1. Its speed is 30 feet; if the object lacks legs or other appendages it can use for locomotion, it instead has a flying speed of 30 feet and can hover.

If you command it to attack, it can make a single melee or spell attack against a creature within range of it. For melee it makes a slam attack with an attack bonus and bludgeoning damage determined by its size. The GM might rule that a specific object inflicts slashing or piercing damage based on its form.

Level Available	Size	HP	AC	Str	Dex	Attack	Spell Level	Number  Available
3rd	Tiny	20	18	4	18	+8 to hit, 1d4 + 4 damage	Cantrip	2
3rd	Small	25	16	6	14	+6 to hit, 1d8 + 2 damage	2nd	1
5th	Medium	40	13	10	12	+5 to hit, 2d6 + 1 damage	4th	1
10th	Large	50	10	14	10	+6 to hit, 2d10 + 2 damage	6th	1
15th	Huge	80	10	18	6	+8 to hit, 2d12 + 4 damage	7th	1

 

Favorite Doll

You may devote time to crafting a Marionette. It uses the Willful Strings table to determine its stats according to what is available at your level.

The time it takes to make a Marionette depends on the size. A set of Tiny Marionettes will take 1 hour. For each size increase, you add an additional 2 hours of working time. The work does not have to be congruent and can be spread over multiple days. 

You must be able to see the Marionette to control it.

It may cast spells at levels according the the table +1, and its Spellcasting Modifier and DC are equal to your own.

It may benefit from any features the caster has.

You may have as many dolls as you can carry, however only one may be controlled at a time (a set of tiny dolls is counted as one)

 

A Good Co-Star

Your Dolls performance makes your act all the lore believable. 

When you make a performance check, you may use a bardic inspiration to reroll the die. You must use the new roll. 

Improved Dollmaking

Upon reaching level 6, your ability to craft dolls is reaching artistic. You know what you need, and you know how to build it. 

Choose one of the following specializations to improve your Favorite Doll permanently. Your Favorite Doll takes 24 hours of work to build, but now holds new powers and possibilities. 

Heavy: Your doll gains +2 to its AC, 5 feet to its reach, and becomes a large creature. It can provide partial cover to anyone behind it. Additionally, it gains the Sentinel feature.

Agile: Your doll gains 10 feet to it's move speed, and an extra attack. It can take both an action and bonus action, but can only cast one spell per round. Additionally, it gains the Mobile feature.

Empowered: The level your Dolls can cas spells increases by 1, and it gains the ability to upcast. Additionally, it gains the War Caster feature. 

Manifest Will

Through sheer force of will, you empower your marionettes with more power than they can contain as a bonus action.

For a number of rounds equal to half your bard level rounded down, you may cast spells of 1 level higher than your marionette allows. If a spell can be upcast, it may be upcast in this way. Additionally, the melee damage of your Marionette increases by 1 of its die type (i.e 1d4+2 becomes 2d4) and it may make an additional attack.

If you use this ability on an object other than your Favorite Doll, it will be destroyed at the end of the turn. If you use this ability on your Favorite Doll, it gains one of the following abilities in accordance with your chosen Specialization. 

 Heavy: The doll gains two additional die to it's Melee attack instead of one (i.e. 2d4+2 becomes 4d4+2) Additionally, when your doll lands an attack, it knocks the target back 10 feet. 

Agile: The doll gains a fly speed equal to its movement speed. If it already has a fly speed, it is now doubled. Additionally, it may move without provoking opportunity attacks. 

Empowered: The doll gains a pool of sorcery points equal to your bard level, and the metamagics twin spell and careful spell. Additionally, you may self-destruct the doll, causing an explosion equal to a 6th level fireball and is destroyed. 

Stunt Double

Once per day, you may spend one of your Bardic Inspiration to switch places with you Favorite Doll as a reaction as long as you currently have your Willful Strings attached to it.

Mental Gymnastics

The total number of puppets you may control increases by one. 

When controlling an extra puppet, you may issue orders to both independently. Additionally, you can cast spells using both puppets, following the rules for multiple spells in a turn. 

When not controlling an extra puppet, you have advantage on intelligence and wisdom saves as well as concentration checks.

An extension of ones self.

You no longer have to see your folks to control them.

Additionally, the you puppet is hit you may use one Bardic Inspiration to reduce the damage by half. If you do so, you take damage equal to the amount the attack was reduced by.