Homebrew Animated Puppet Species Details

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight"

“To-morrow I cease to be a puppet, and I become a boy like you and all the other boys.” - Pinock, the first known animated puppet.

Living Puppet

Carved from wood, an animated puppet is, in some manner, infused with magic and a soul. The puppet may have a soul gem inside of them, or be infused in some other manner. The final step in a puppet being brought to life is a wish upon a star, after which a fairy might come and give the puppet a spark of life. To what end the fairy offers their aid is something to be considered, for not all fairies are benevolent.

Although they were manufactured, animated puppets are living humanoids. Resting, healing magic, and the Medicine skill all provide the same benefits to animated puppets that they do to other humanoids. An animated puppet, despite being born of a wooden body, ages and grows with time. 

Wooden Personality

An animated puppet typically shows little emotion in the beginning, but has the capability of developing their human soul and growing their emotions. An animated puppet might grapple with the concept of life, and might struggle to understand their own origins. They might have a hard time accepting their life, that many look at as false or an abomination. They might endeavor to discover a meaning to their lives, or some sense of greater purpose. They may set out to find the fairy which gave them the spark of life, to be granted the final step of becoming "real".

The typical animated puppet has a sexless body shape, but this depends on how it was created. Some animated puppets ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity.

The more an animated puppet develops its individuality, the more likely it is to modify its body, seeking out an artificer to customize the look of its face, limbs, and plating. It may alter itself so much that it looks more robotic, or instead endeavor to look more human, or something else entirely.

Animated Puppet Traits

The traits of an animated puppet reflect its constructed nature.

Flammable

If you take any fire damage, you gain the Burning condition.

A burning creature or object takes 1d4 Fire damage at the start of each of its turns. As an action, you can extinguish fire on yourself by giving yourself the Prone condition and rolling on the ground. The fire also goes out if it is doused, submerged, or suffocated.

Age

Due to the rarity of such a creature existing, the maximum lifespan for an animated puppet remains a mystery. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Alignment

Animated puppets may have absorbed the morality, or lack thereof, of the beings around which they are raised, or of the one who created them.

Size

Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + 10 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 270 + (4 × your size modifier)

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Constructed Resilience

You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You are immune to disease.
• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Puppet’s Rest

When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Wooden Exterior

Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor:

• You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• You can build-in armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor other than a shield, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, with the help of an artificer, during which you remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
• While you live, the armor incorporated into your body can’t be removed against your will.
• You can also wear armor normally, but you cannot wear armor on top of incorporated armor; you must choose one or another.

Inherited Tinker Knowledge

You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.