Spell Description
You create up to 6 spectral constructs (“Black Puppets”) that occupy a 20-foot radius around a point you choose within range. Each construct is roughly humanoid in shape and semi-intangible; they can neither speak nor perform complex actions, but can follow simple instructions and act as both screens and minor attackers.
Effect
When you cast this spell:
Deployment
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Choose an unoccupied point within 30 feet.
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Up to 6 Black Puppets appear in a radius of 20 feet from that point.
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They are intangible and ghostlike, but each counts as an individual entity for selecting targets and positioning.
Simple Commands
Once per round, as a reaction during either an enemy or ally's turn, you can command the Black Puppets to take one of the following options:
- Guard: Place a line of constructs between you (or an ally) and incoming enemies. They grant half cover to targets behind them.
- Reposition: You can move the location of the summoning radius, by the end of next round, any Black Puppet still outside of the radius disappears.
- Move: Move any number of puppets. Black Puppets share a pool of movement speed: # of Puppets + 10 feet (e.g. if you choose to summon 5 Puppets = 50 feet of movement speed). Each Puppet can move individually for a portion of the collective speed, or a single Puppet can move up to the total amount of collective speed.
- Attack: Send up to 3 constructs to each make a melee spell attack against creatures you can see within 30 feet. On a hit, they deal 1d6 psychic damage.
All Puppets must remain within the 20-foot summoning radius unless moved or the summoning radius was repositioned as part of their simple commands. If forced out of range by an enemy or spends one full round outside of the radius, that Puppet disappears, hit point and movement speed pools for the current cast of Black Puppets are unaffected by this.
Damage and Defense
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Cover: Each Black Puppet grants +2 to AC (equivalent to half-cover) for any creature directly behind them.
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Attack: Each Black Puppet rolls attacks at Disadvantage.
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Hit Points: The collective constructs share a pool of hit points: # of Puppets × your spellcasting modifier (e.g., if your modifier is +4, total = 44 HP). Each time a construct takes damage, reduce the shared pool by that amount. When the pool reaches 0, the spell ends and all constructs vanish.
Limitations
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Constructs can only follow simple, explicit commands that do not require complex decision-making.
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They do not provoke opportunity attacks.
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They have no Intelligence or Will: if you fail concentration, they vanish immediately.
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