College of Puppetry

Referred to simply as “puppeteers” or “puppet masters”, these bards specialize in the use of puppets to entertain, crafting intricate mechanical dolls and using them to put on fantastic one-person shows. Though what most are unaware of a puppeteers’ true talent- manipulation. Many bards manipulate others through word or through spells but do not take the same interest in it as a bard of the College of Strings. The puppets they craft merely practice for controlling those around them. Often specializing in enchantment magic, they can focus their spells into strings of psychic energy that they use to manipulate the actions of others. Like many spellcasters who specialize in manipulation, puppet masters are often met with mixed responses from the people around them. Often invoking feelings of distrust or fascination and wonder, and all for good reason. Many puppeteers use their talents to help keep the peace and make immovable obstacles and foes turn and walk away. While other puppet masters, however, will use their abilities for their own personal gain.  Puppeteers who take to adventuring are valuable allies thanks to their ability to control the battlefield and force others into compliance.

Puppetry

3rd-level College of Strings feature

You may prepare a corpse or materials of appropriate mass and take 2 hours for a tiny puppet, 4 hours for small, 8 hours for medium, and 16 hours preparing a large puppet.Repairs take half as long.

It requires an action to attach your strings to a new puppet and control it. You may use a bonus action on each of your turns to direct your puppet. It has a range of 10 ft and acts according to the Find Familiar spell. 

Starting at 3rd level you can make a tiny or small puppet. At 6th level you can make a medium puppet and at 14th level a large puppet.

 

No Strings Attatched

3rd-level College of Strings feature

As a Bonus Action, you can expend one Bardic Inspiration to cut the strings on your currently controlled puppet. You imbue a puppet with temporary life giving it a range of 120 ft. This effect lasts 10 minutes.

 

Combat Puppets

6th-level College of Strings feature

Your ability to control your puppet improves. 

Improved No Strings Attached The Puppet can now make move actions without the bard spending a bardic inspiration, however, the Puppet cannot perform any tasks beyond walking or running without spending a bardic inspiration. 

Combat Puppet Your puppet gains its own initiative and can now take the attack action. Its attacks act as magical and it has resistance to nonmagical damage.

Puppet Shield If you (or an ally within 25ft of your puppet) are targeted with a ranged attack or a spell that targets only one creature; You may use your Reaction to move your puppet in between them and the source of the attack. The puppet becomes the new target for the attack. (You may use this twice per a Long Rest.)

Puppet Master

14th-level College of Strings feature

Your puppeteering works on people. Arcane strings extend from your fingers as you and as an Action, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration to attempt to attach them to an enemy within 50ft of you. They must succeed on a Charisma Saving Throw against your spell save DC or your strings take hold. On your turn you may use your action to do any of the following effects:

Move Your force the creature to move 30ft in any direction.

Attack You force the creature to make a simple attack on the nearest creature.

Tie Up The creature becomes restrained.

The creature may attempt a Charisma Saving Throw to break free at the end of their turn. If the creature fails three of the saving throws, the creature becomes permanently attached to the strings for the duration of the ability, and the creature stops making saving throws.