Artificers who create puppets to fight for them in battle. They control these puppets using strings made of magic that latch onto anchors in the puppets. Puppeteers commonly use poisons to enhance the offensive capabilities of their puppets.

Tool Proficiency

When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with woodcarver's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Puppeteer Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Puppeteer Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Puppeteer Spells

Artificer Level	Spell
3rd	ensnaring strike, hunter's mark
5th	melf's acid arrow, suggestion
9th	lightning arrow, stinking cloud
13th	dominate beast, staggering smite
17th	cloud kill, dominate person

Puppet Creation

By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a powerful weapon, puppets. You determine the creature's appearance and size; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

 

Puppet

Small or Medium construct, neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 5 times your artificer level

Speed 20 ft., fly 20ft.

STR

16 (+3)

DEX

16 (+3)

CON

18 (+4)

INT

4 (−4)

WIS

10 (+0)

CHA

4 (−4)

 

Skills Athletics +3

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned, frightened, petrified, paralyzed

Senses passive Perception 10

Immutable Form. The puppet is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Inanimate. The puppet is an inanimate object and cannot be targeted by spells that require the target to have a mind.

Actions 

Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB slashing damage.

Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 60 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d4 + PB piercing damage.

Crush. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + PB bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a strength Saving Throw against your spell save DC or be grappled.

 

While your puppet is within 30ft. of you, as an action you can control your puppet using magical threads. You can command it to move up to it's maximum movement and either take an action listed on its stat block, take the help action or cast a spell as though you were in the puppet's space, but you must use your own senses.

While your puppet is within 30ft. off you, non-divination artificer spells you cast with a range of self can treat the puppet or yourself as the target. You must still concentrate on the spell as normal. (e.g. casting Ensnaring Strike as a bonus action while your puppet is in range you may choose for your puppet to gain the effects and gain the Ensnaring Strike benefits on its next attack).

If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your woodworker's tools as an action to repair it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The puppet regains 10 hit points plus 10 hit points for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 50.

At the end of a short rest, you can create a new puppet if you have your woodworker's tools with you and access to basic supplies. If you already have a puppet from this feature, the first one is immediately destroyed.

Greater Control

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice whenever you take the attack action with your puppet on your turn. Also, the puppet's weapon attacks are magical.

Additionally, your puppet can now achieve mundane tasks and interact with items while under your control.

Puppet Modifications

Starting at 9th level, whenever you create a puppet you may give it one of the following modifications.

• Poisoned Weapons: Your puppet's Slash and Dart attacks deal an additional 1d6 poison damage.
• Reactive Defenses: Whenever a creature within 5ft. of your puppet is attacked, as a reaction you may give that creature a bonus to their AC equal to your proficiency bonus.
• Improved Armor: Your puppet gains a +2 bonus to AC and its maximum hit points are increased by 20.
• Explosive Core: Whenever your puppet would make attack you may forgo one of the attacks to order the puppet to explode destroying the puppet in the process. Any creature within 10 feet of the explosion must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Spell Save DC. If they fail, they take 4d8 fire damage, or half that damage on a successful roll.

Puppet Master

You have reach a mastery of puppet creation and controlling. Whenever you complete a short rest you may create two puppets instead of one. You may control both puppets using the same action however you may only cast a spell through one puppet as a part of the action.

Additionally you gain resistance to poison damage and gain immunity to the poisoned condition.