College of Puppets

Bards of the College of Puppets spread tales of heroes and monsters through the art of puppeteering. While capable of holding their own with an instrument or song, their true talent lies in captivating an audience with their mastery of the strings. An untrained puppeteer may hold a child's attention, but those in the college of puppets are famous for bringing a story to life, and performing spectacles on stage.

Puppetcraft

When you choose this college at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with tinker's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice. Additionally, you learn the mending cantrip.

Note: If you are already proficient with tinker's tools you will have to manually add proficiency with another tool to your character sheet. 

Master of Puppets

You learn a ritual that summons and binds a marionette to yourself. You perform this ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You must remain in contact with your tinker's tools during the course of this ritual, at the end of which your marionette is summoned to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, or in a pocket dimension, awaiting your summons. 

As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your marionette so long as it has at least 1 hit point remaining. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 5 feet of you.

The marionette is controlled by you and acts immediately upon your command. You can issue it commands somatically so long as you have a free hand and the marionette is within 30 feet of you. You may use your bonus action to command the marionette to move to an unoccupied space within your command range. The marionette hovers three inches above solid and liquid surfaces. The marionette can pass over empty spaces, such as the edge of a cliff or gaps between planks in a bridge, but if it ends its movement without a solid or liquid surface beneath it the marionette falls at a rate of 60 feet per round. You may use your action to command the marionette to perform one of its actions. When a creature that you can see within 5 feet of your marionette moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to command the marionette to make an opportunity attack against that creature.

The marionette is an inanimate construct, and cannot be healed by conventional means such as spells or healing potions. While your marionette is within your command range you may expend one use of your bardic inspiration as a bonus action to cause your marionette to regain hit points equal to twice the amount rolled on your bardic inspiration die. Additionally, if the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points.

When your marionette is reduced to 0 hit points it collapses to the ground at its location. It does not roll death saving throws but will still receive failures when it receives damage in this state, and it is destroyed if it accumulates 3 failed saves. Once destroyed it can only be restored by performing the summoning ritual again. If it receives any healing while in the collapsed state it regains functionality and any death saves are erased.

Note: The marionette is a homebrew creation and cannot be linked to the subclass, as that would prevent it from being published. Search for "Marionette" in homebrew creatures and add the one created by YokoAhava to your collection. Once part of your collection, you can add the marionette to your character sheet in the "extras" tab. I suggest adding it as a summoned creature, and modifying the statistics using the "Customize" dropdown menu as needed. Make sure you review the Additional Health information  and modify the maximum hit points accordingly. 

Marionette Frame

At 3rd level, you choose the base frame of your puppet. Your marionette gains an additional feature of your choice from the following list, which will affect its statistics or capabilities. These features increase in potency at 6th and 14th level. Ensure that you properly modify the statistics of your marionette to reflect the upgrade choice.

Reinforced Plating: Your marionette's armor class increases by 2. This bonus increases to +4 at 6th level, and +6 at 14th level.

Integrated Weaponry: Your marionette gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls, and you may choose to have the marionette's slam attack deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage on hit. This bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, and +3 at 14th level. This damage bonus is not considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks.

Rune-Carved Body: If you cast a bard spell while the marionette is within your command range, you can channel the energies through your marionette as a conduit, allowing you to immediately cast the spell as if the marionette was the point of origin, or store the spell within the runic carvings of the marionette until you choose to cast it. If you choose to store the spell, the spell has no effect other than to be stored in the marionette. If the marionette can't hold the spell, the spell is expended without effect. The marionette can store one spell of up to 5th level. Beginning at 14th level, the marionette can store up to two spells of 5th level. If the marionette is destroyed any spells stored are no longer stored in it.

While the marionette is within your command range you can choose to cast any spell stored within it. The spell uses the slot level, spell save DC, and spell attack bonus from the time of the original casting. The spell cast from the marionette is no longer stored in it, freeing up space. 

Your command range is 30 feet unless you have taken the "High Wire Strings" upgrade, which extends this range to 60 feet. 

Note: Each of these upgrades will be listed on the marionette's creature statistics, and you will have to apply whichever upgrade you selected manually. 

Integrated Weaponry

Your marionette gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls, and you may choose to have the marionette's slam attack deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage on hit. This bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, and +3 at 14th level. This damage bonus is not considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks.

Reinforced Plating

Your marionette's armor class increases by 2. This bonus increases to +4 at 6th level, and +6 at 14th level. 

Rune-Carved Body

If you cast a bard spell while the marionette is within your command range, you can channel the energies through your marionette as a conduit, allowing you to immediately cast the spell as if the marionette was the point of origin, or store the spell within the runic carvings of the marionette until you choose to cast it. If you choose to store the spell, the spell has no effect other than to be stored in the marionette. If the marionette can't hold the spell, the spell is expended without effect. The marionette can store one spell of up to 5th level. Beginning at 14th level, the marionette can store up to two spells of 5th level. If the marionette is destroyed any spells stored are no longer stored in it.

While the marionette is within your command range you can choose to cast any spell stored within it. The spell uses the slot level, spell save DC, and spell attack bonus from the time of the original casting. The spell cast from the marionette is no longer stored in it, freeing up space. 

Your command range is 30 feet unless you have taken the "High Wire Strings" upgrade, which extends this range to 60 feet.

Marionette Performance

At 6th level, your marionette gains an additional feature of your choice from the following list, which will affect its statistics or capabilities. These features may increase in potency at 14th level. Ensure that you properly modify the statistics of your marionette to reflect the upgrade choice.

A Dance of Death

Your marionette's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks. Additionally, your marionette gains the following action:

Magician's Assistant

As a bonus action, you can teleport, magically swapping places with your marionette at a cost of 15 feet of your movement, so long as your marionette is within your command range. After you swap positions, you may immediately move the marionette up to 15 feet. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all uses of this ability once you finish a long rest.

Your command range is 30 feet unless you have taken the "High Wire Strings" upgrade, which extends this range to 60 feet. 

Silhouette Shooting

Your marionette gains the following actions:

Slapstick Routine

Your marionette gains an additional 2 hit points for every level in this class. Additionally, your marionette gains the following reaction:

Finishing Touches

At 14th level, your marionette gains an additional feature of your choice from the following list, which will affect its statistics or capabilities. Ensure that you properly modify the statistics of your marionette to reflect the upgrade choice.

Center Stage

Your marionette's size increases to large. You can issue puppet commands as long as the marionette occupies at least one space within your command range. Additionally, your marionette gains the following action:

High Wire Strings

The range at which you can issue marionette commands is increased to 60 feet. Additionally, the marionette can be commanded to travel to and hover in an unoccupied space in midair.

Not a Clown, The Entire Circus

If you select this upgrade, you may choose one additional Marionette Frame upgrade and one additional Marionette Performance upgrade.

Note: Most of these upgrades will be listed on the marionette's creature statistics, and you will have to apply whichever upgrade you selected manually. Not a Clown, The Entire Circus will not be listed, as it only allows for the selection of other upgrades. 

Center Stage

Your marionette's size increases to large. You can issue puppet commands as long as the marionette occupies at least one space within your command range. Additionally, your marionette gains the following action:

High Wire Strings

Increased command range and flight. 

Not a Clown, The Entire Circus

If you select this upgrade, you may choose one additional Marionette Frame upgrade and one additional Marionette Performance upgrade. To select these upgrades, two additional class features have been made. I cannot set sub-options yet, so this is a workaround.

Not a Clown, The Entire Circus - Secondary Frame Selection

You can ONLY select options from this list if you selected Not a Clown, The Entire Circus as your finishing touch. You cannot select a feature you have previously chosen.  I cannot set sub-options yet, so this is a workaround. 

Integrated Weaponry

Your marionette gains a +3 to attack and damage rolls, and you may choose to have the marionette's slam attack deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage on hit. This damage bonus is not considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks.

Nothing

You do not gain a benefit from this as you did not select "Not a Clown, The Entire Circus" as your class feature.

Nothing

You do not gain a benefit from this as you did not select "Not a Clown, The Entire Circus" as your class feature.

Reinforced Plating

Your marionette's armor class increases by 6. 

Rune-Carved Body

If you cast a bard spell while the marionette is within your command range, you can channel the energies through your marionette as a conduit, allowing you to immediately cast the spell as if the marionette was the point of origin, or store the spell within the runic carvings of the marionette until you choose to cast it. If you choose to store the spell, the spell has no effect other than to be stored in the marionette. If the marionette can't hold the spell, the spell is expended without effect. The marionette can store up to two spells of 5th level. If the marionette is destroyed any spells stored are no longer stored in it.

While the marionette is within your command range you can choose to cast any spell stored within it. The spell uses the slot level, spell save DC, and spell attack bonus from the time of the original casting. The spell cast from the marionette is no longer stored in it, freeing up space. 

Your command range is 30 feet. 

Not a Clown, The Entire Circus - Secondary Performance Selection

You can ONLY select options from this list if you selected Not a Clown, The Entire Circus as your finishing touch. You cannot select a feature you have previously chosen.  I cannot set sub-options yet, so this is a workaround. 

A Dance of Death

Your marionette's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks. Additionally, your marionette gains the following action:

Magician's Assistant

As a bonus action, you can teleport, magically swapping places with your marionette at a cost of 15 feet of your movement, so long as your marionette is within your command range. After you swap positions, you may immediately move the marionette up to 15 feet. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all uses of this ability once you finish a long rest.

Your command range is 30 feet. 

Nothing

You do not gain a benefit from this as you did not select "Not a Clown, The Entire Circus" as your class feature.

Nothing

You do not gain a benefit from this as you did not select "Not a Clown, The Entire Circus" as your class feature.

Silhouette Shooting

Your marionette gains the following actions:

 

Slapstick Routine

Your marionette gains an additional 2 hit points for every level in this class. Additionally, your marionette gains the following reaction: