Homebrew Arcane Puppet Species Details

History

 

Long ago, a legendary historian created the arcane puppets to organize, fix, and protect their collection. The historian worked for months to perfect them, and eventually created a species that could combine the tomes together using magic alone.

 

The historian considered the puppets as their familiars, and much time passed as they worked together in complete blissful autonomy. 

 

The historian, however, eventually passed, and was taken from the archives to be preserved. The puppets were not aware of this, and were instead left in the collection, sorting. Every piece of the collection remained organized and intact for decades, then centuries. 

 

Today, most of the puppets have left the archives to pursue their own futures, realizing that the place they guarded no longer had any patrons or anything new to organize. 

 

Since the historian disappeared, there have been no records or instructions of the puppets' creation, leaving just the few created by the historian themselves as the only few to exist. 

 

Appearance

 

The arcane puppets are a rather small species, resembling kobolds in body shape and height.

 

Their skin and hair is entirely made of a black substance unlike anything used today for experimentation. 

 

The species lacks proper strength to do anything physically. Their arms are too frail and their legs too small to do much of anything without using spellcasting. 

 

Occasionally, due to the puppets' affinities with certain spells, like fuse, they are highly skilled in using them on themselves, fusing with things they find an interest in. 

 

Abilities

 

Arcane puppets are highly skilled in magic, but that ability has long since dwindled as time passed. While their proficiency and knowledge remains, they have lost the ability to perform spells of creatures other than themselves, due to their time in the archives leaving them with nothing else to fuse. 

 

 

Arcane Puppet Traits

Arcane Puppets have traits far beyond what should be possible for a beginner caster, but lack the intelligence and vitality to use such traits properly.

Feeble Puppet

You are unable to take actions that require holding or moving more than 50 pounds with physical strength. 

Weak Spellcasting

You have lost your ability to target creatures (other than yourself or other arcane puppets) with any of your spells or cantrips. However, anything that could be cast on a creature can now be cast on objects. 

Advanced Spellcasting Knowledge

Over time, you have trained and mastered one high-level spell due to your task. You are able to use said spell as a cantrip.