Marionette

Many have sought companionship, whether it is from people, animals or even from something as simple as a doll. These rogues are masters not only of the craft of puppetry but also the art of using strings to manipulate others. Before their victims notice, they are but a doll dancing along the strings on the Marionette’s hands.

Personal Puppet

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you have mastered the arts of puppetry and crafting your own puppets, allowing you to animate them with your threads at your own desire.

You learn the Mending spell, and you can add your proficiency bonus to ability checks related to puppetry and tool checks made to create puppets.

Additionally, you can spend a period of 5 hours, which can be fit into a long rest, with a set of carpenter’s tools or smith’s tools to create a puppet, and paying a certain amount worth of appropriate materials to function as a base. The statblock of your puppet is dependent on the base material used for its base.

Puppet Material Table

Material Table	Price	Puppet AC	Hit Dice	Puppet Weakness
Cloth, paper, rope	5gp	11	1d6	Vulnerability to fire damage
Crystal, glass, ice	50gp	13	1d8	Vulnerability to bludgeoning damage
Wood, bone	75gp	15	1d8	Vulnerability to bludgeoning damage
Stone	200gp	17	1d10	Walking speed is reduced by 10 feet
Iron, steel	500gp	19	1d10	Walking speed is reduced by 10 feet
Mithral	1200gp	21	1d12	-

 

When you finish a long rest, you can animate a puppet you have crafted with your threads, which becomes your Personal Puppet, and obtains the following properties:

• The puppet’s Constitution score is equal to its Armor Class, and it shares your Intelligence, Charisma, and Wisdom scores.

• The puppet gains hit dices equal to your Rogue level, and its value is shown in the Puppet Material Table. Its maximum hit points are calculated as normal, taking the maximum value for the first hit dice and then the average for every other one, adding its Constitution modifier for each hit dice.

• The puppet shares your weapons and armor proficiencies, as well as your attunement slots. It also may wield weapons if its structure allows it.

• In combat, the puppet shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action.

• During its turn, the puppet’s attacks can benefit from your Sneak Attack feature, but only if you haven’t used it during your last turn.

• If the Mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points.
  
  

  Personal Puppet

  Small or Medium Construct

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  Armor Class

  Hit Points

  Speed

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  STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
  8 (-1 )	16 (+3)	8 (-1)	9 (+0)	1 (-4)	5 (-2)

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  Damage Vulnerabilities

  Damage Immunities

  Damage Resistances

  Condition Immunities

  Senses

  Languanges

  Challenge - Proficiency Bonus

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  Cross Brace. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the puppet makes.

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  Actions

  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 + your proficiency bonus to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: damage equal to its hit die value + 3 bludgeoning damage.

Hand-String Weapon

Also, at 3rd level, you have a strong set of threads protruding from your fingertips. It counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. It deals 1d6 slashing damage on a hit and has the finesse and light properties.

When you take the Attack action on your turn using your threads, any attack you make with that action can originate from your space or your puppet’s space. You make this choice for each attack.

Additionally, whilst you are wielding your threads, you may perform the following:

• Garotte. As an action, you may attempt to grapple a creature within 15 feet of you using your threads. When doing so, you may use your Dexterity modifier in place of any Strength checks made to grapple or to maintain it.

  While you have a creature grappled in this way, as a bonus action, you may cause the next attack roll you make towards the grappled creature on this turn to automatically hit.

• Displacement. As an action, choose a creature within 30 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) check made against your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or you can move it 10 feet to an unoccupied space, provided the target is no more than one size larger than you.

• Redirection. As a reaction, when a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll against you, you can attempt to redirect the creature’s attack. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC equals to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a fail, you may choose to divert the target of the attack to another creature within the attack’s range, other than the attacker. If there are no creatures to divert the attack to, you may instead cause the attack to miss.

Performing Acts

Your acts draw inspirations from heroes and villains of many tales, bestowing your puppet a reflection of their powers that progresses in form of Acts.

At 9th level, you gain two First Acts of your choice, one of which increases to Second at 13th level and to Third at 17th level. At 17th level, you also increase your other Act to Second, and gain an additional First Act.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Blessings you know and replace it with another Act that you could learn at that level, and can change which of your Blessings is the Third, Second and First one.

In addition, all of your puppet’s attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You may also ignore the puppet weaknesses on the Puppet Material Table.

Armsmaster’s Act - 1

You follow the story of a rising hero, determined to purge all evil from the world with their mighty sword.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains proficiency on all simple and martial weapons, and all armors and shields. Additionally, it learns one Fighting Style option of your choice from the fighter class.

 

Armsmaster's Act - 2

You follow the story of a rising hero, determined to purge all evil from the world with their mighty sword.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains proficiency on all simple and martial weapons, and all armors and shields. Additionally, it learns one Fighting Style option of your choice from the fighter class.

As the Second Act, it can attack twice, instead of once, whenever it takes the Attack action on its turn.

Armsmaster's Act - 3

You follow the story of a rising hero, determined to purge all evil from the world with their mighty sword.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains proficiency on all simple and martial weapons, and all armours and shields. Additionally, it learns one Fighting Style option of your choice from the fighter class.

As the Second Act, it can attack twice, instead of once, whenever it takes the Attack action on its turn.

As the Third Act, before your Personal Puppet makes an attack with a weapon it is proficient with, you can choose to apply a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If you do so and the attack hits, it deals +10 damage.

Commander's Act - 1

Your story follows the battles of a clever commander, whose tactics resulted on the victory of a war.

As an action, your Personal Puppet can use one of the following strategies until the start of its next turn:

• Offensive Strategy: Friendly creatures have advantage on attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of it that is hostile to you.
• Defensive Strategy: The puppet grants temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + half your Rogue level (rounded up) to each creature of your choice within 5 feet of it.
• Swift Strategy: Choose any number of creatures within 5 feet of your Personal Puppet. It can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.

 

Commander's Act - 2

Your story follows the battles of a clever commander, whose tactics resulted on the victory of a war.

As an action, your Personal Puppet can use one of the following strategies until the start of its next turn:

• Offensive Strategy: Friendly creatures have advantage on attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of it that is hostile to you.
• Defensive Strategy: The puppet grants temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + half your Rogue level (rounded up) to each creature of your choice within 5 feet of it.
• Swift Strategy: Choose any number of creatures within 5 feet of your Personal Puppet. It can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.

As the Second Act, the range of all strategies increases to 10 feet.

Commander's Act - 3

Your story follows the battles of a clever commander, whose tactics resulted on the victory of a war.

As an action, your Personal Puppet can use one of the following strategies until the start of its next turn:

• Offensive Strategy: Friendly creatures have advantage on attack rolls against any creature within 5 feet of it that is hostile to you.
• Defensive Strategy: The puppet grants temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + half your Rogue level (rounded up) to each creature of your choice within 5 feet of it.
• Swift Strategy: Choose any number of creatures within 5 feet of your Personal Puppet. It can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.

As the Second Act, the range of all strategies increases to 10 feet, and as the Third Act, your Personal Puppet can take two Strategies as part of the same action.

Elementalist's Act - 1

You follow the story of a young man, whose powers bent the elemental powers of the world around him.

As the First Act, you and your Personal Puppet gain resistance to two damage types of the following list: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You can change them at the end of a long rest.

 

Elementalist's Act - 2

You follow the story of a young man, whose powers bent the elemental powers of the world around him.

As the First Act, you and your Personal Puppet gain resistance to two damage types of the following list: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You can change them at the end of a long rest.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet’s strikes become infused with the elements, dealing an extra 1d6 damage of any type resisted with this blessing.

 

Elementalist's Act - 3

You follow the story of a young man, whose powers bent the elemental powers of the world around him.

As the First Act, you and your Personal Puppet gain resistance to two damage types of the following list: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. You can change them at the end of a long rest.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet’s strikes become infused with the elements, dealing an extra 1d6 damage of any type resisted with this blessing.

As the Third Act, as an action (Recharge 5-6) , if you haven’t used Sneak Attack during your turn, your Puppet can make a blast of elemental power. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Personal Puppet’s Constitution score). A creature takes your Sneak Attack damage of any type resisted with this blessing on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Giant's Act - 1

Your story follows the tale of a terrifying giant, who destroyed humanity’s settlements for fun.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet can add twice, instead of once, your proficiency bonus in Strength (Athletic) checks, and as part of the bonus action you use to command it, you can make its size increase up to Large, or revert back to its original size.

 

Giant's Act - 2

Your story follows the tale of a terrifying giant, who destroyed humanity’s settlements for fun.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet can add twice, instead of once, your proficiency bonus in Strength (Athletic) checks, and as part of the bonus action you use to command it, you can make its size increase up to Large, or revert back to its original size.

As the Second Act, you can make your puppet’s size increase up to Huge and it has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Additionally, its carrying capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled.

 

Giant's Act - 3

Your story follows the tale of a terrifying giant, who destroyed humanity’s settlements for fun.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet can add twice, instead of once, your proficiency bonus in Strength (Athletic) checks, and as part of the bonus action you use to command it, you can make its size increase up to Large, or revert back to its original size.

As the Second Act, you can make your puppet’s size increase up to Huge and it has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Additionally, its carrying capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled.

As the Third Act, you can make your puppet’s size increase up to Gargantuan, and its reach increases by 5 feet.

Guardian's Act - 1

The tale follows the noble actions of a young hero, protecting the weak with their shield, and becoming a beacon of hope among the people. As the First Act, increase your Personal Puppet’s maximum hit points by twice your Rogue level.

Guardian's Act - 2

The tale follows the noble actions of a young hero, protecting the weak with their shield, and becoming a beacon of hope among the people. As the First Act, increase your Personal Puppet’s maximum hit points by twice your Rogue level.

As the Second Act, whenever a creature is hit by an attack within 30 feet of your Personal Puppet, it can use its reaction to magically take that damage, instead of that creature taking it. This feature doesn’t transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage can’t be reduced in any way.

Guardian's Act - 3

The tale follows the noble actions of a young hero, protecting the weak with their shield, and becoming a beacon of hope among the people. As the First Act, increase your Personal Puppet’s maximum hit points by twice your Rogue level.

As the Second Act, whenever a creature is hit by an attack within 30 feet of your Personal Puppet, it can use its reaction to magically take that damage, instead of that creature taking it. This feature doesn’t transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage can’t be reduced in any way.

As the Third Act, when your Personal Puppet uses its reaction to magically take another creature’s damage, it gains resistance to that damage.

Hexmaker's Act - 1

Your performance follows the evil deeds of a old hag, who poisoned a town’s well to bring pain to their inhabitants.

As the First Act, when your puppet’s attacks hit, it can additionally inflict the one of the following conditions for one minute: Blinded, Deafened, Poisoned or Frightened. The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Personal Puppet’s Constitution modifier), or become affected by the chosen condition until the start of your puppet’s next turn. If the attack that hit had Sneak Attack, you can forgo rolling it to impose disadvantage on the saving throw.

Hexmaker's Act - 2

Your performance follows the evil deeds of a old hag, who poisoned a town’s well to bring pain to their inhabitants.

As the First Act, when your puppet’s attacks hit, it can additionally inflict the one of the following conditions for one minute: Blinded, Deafened, Poisoned or Frightened. The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Personal Puppet’s Constitution modifier), or become affected by the chosen condition until the start of your puppet’s next turn. If the attack that hit had Sneak Attack, you can forgo rolling it to impose disadvantage on the saving throw.

As the Second Act, your list of options expands: Restrained and Incapacitated.

Hexmaker's Act - 3

Your performance follows the evil deeds of a old hag, who poisoned a town’s well to bring pain to their inhabitants.

As the First Act, when your puppet’s attacks hit, it can additionally inflict the one of the following conditions for one minute: Blinded, Deafened, Poisoned or Frightened. The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Personal Puppet’s Constitution modifier), or become affected by the chosen condition until the start of your puppet’s next turn. If the attack that hit had Sneak Attack, you can forgo rolling it to impose disadvantage on the saving throw.

As the Second Act, your list of options expands: Restrained and Incapacitated; and again as the Third Act: Paralyzed, Stunned or one point of Exhaustion.

Magi's Act - 1

The tale follows the story of a rising wizard, showing the ordeals of learning about a new but strange world. Choose any cantrip from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. When you take a bonus action to command the puppet, you may choose to let the puppet cast the cantrip instead.

Additionally, choose a 1st and 2nd level spell from those spell lists. You can command your puppet to cast the chosen spell once per long rest each. The spell must have a casting time of one action, one minute or longer. If the spell has a range of self, you also gain the same benefit as the puppet. If the spell has a duration longer than an action or requires concentration, you must concentrate on it, instead of your puppet.

Wisdom is your puppet’s spellcasting modifier.

Magi's Act - 2

The tale follows the story of a rising wizard, showing the ordeals of learning about a new but strange world. Choose any cantrip from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. When you take a bonus action to command the puppet, you may choose to let the puppet cast the cantrip instead.

Additionally, choose a 1st and 2nd level spell from those spell lists. You can command your puppet to cast the chosen spell once per long rest each. The spell must have a casting time of one action, one minute or longer. If the spell has a range of self, you also gain the same benefit as the puppet. If the spell has a duration longer than an action or requires concentration, you must concentrate on it, instead of your puppet.

Wisdom is your puppet’s spellcasting modifier.

As the Second Act, you may choose an additional spell of 3rd level from the said spell lists.

Magi's Act - 3

The tale follows the story of a rising wizard, showing the ordeals of learning about a new but strange world. Choose any cantrip from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. When you take a bonus action to command the puppet, you may choose to let the puppet cast the cantrip instead.

Additionally, choose a 1st and 2nd level spell from those spell lists. You can command your puppet to cast the chosen spell once per long rest each. The spell must have a casting time of one action, one minute or longer. If the spell has a range of self, you also gain the same benefit as the puppet. If the spell has a duration longer than an action or requires concentration, you must concentrate on it, instead of your puppet.

Wisdom is your puppet’s spellcasting modifier.

As the Second Act, you may choose an additional spell of 3rd level from the said spell lists, and as the Third Act, you gain a pool of mana equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), regaining all expended uses on a long rest. You may expend a number of mana equal to the spell’s level to command the puppet to cast the spell, without expending a use of the spell’s casting.

Onrush's Act - 1

You follow the tale of a ruthless serial killer, known for their uncanny speed and flawless execution.

As the First Act, when your Personal Puppet takes the Dash action, it can perform a weapon attack against any creature within 5 feet of it along its movement. After it does so, its speed becomes zero for the rest of the turn.

 

Onrush's Act - 2

You follow the tale of a ruthless serial killer, known for their uncanny speed and flawless execution.

As the First Act, when your Personal Puppet takes the Dash action, it can perform a weapon attack against any creature within 5 feet of it along its movement. After it does so, its speed becomes zero for the rest of the turn.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet becomes inherently faster, increasing its walking speed by 15 feet. Additionally, it gains the ability to move through a creature’s space without any penalty.

 

Onrush's Act - 3

You follow the tale of a ruthless serial killer, known for their uncanny speed and flawless execution.

As the First Act, when your Personal Puppet takes the Dash action, it can perform a weapon attack against any creature within 5 feet of it along its movement. After it does so, its speed becomes zero for the rest of the turn.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet becomes inherently faster, increasing its walking speed by 15 feet. Additionally, it gains the ability to move through a creature’s space without any penalty.

As the Third Act, when your Personal Puppet takes the Dash action, as long as it moves in a straight line, it can perform a weapon attack against each creature whose space the puppet moves through.

Puppetmaster's Act - 1

You follow the wisdom of a puppetmaster like you, who inspires your journey and growth.

As the First Act, you gain one Puppetry, which represents the guidance of the Puppetmaster. Your Personal Puppet gains a bonus to their attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws equal to your Puppetry.

 

Puppetmaster's Act - 2

You follow the wisdom of a puppetmaster like you, who inspires your journey and growth.

As the First Act, you gain one Puppetry, which represents the guidance of the Puppetmaster. Your Personal Puppet gains a bonus to their attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws equal to your Puppetry.

As the Second Act, you now have two Puppetry, which recharges after a short or long rest. When your Personal Puppet fails an attack roll or a saving throw, you can use a Puppetry to reroll the attack roll or saving throw. You must use the new roll.

Puppetmaster's Act - 3

You follow the wisdom of a puppetmaster like you, who inspires your journey and growth.

As the First Act, you gain one Puppetry, which represents the guidance of the Puppetmaster. Your Personal Puppet gains a bonus to their attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws equal to your Puppetry.

As the Second Act, you now have two Puppetry, which recharges after a short or long rest. When your Personal Puppet fails an attack roll or a saving throw, you can use a Puppetry to reroll the attack roll or saving throw. You must use the new roll.

As the Third Act, you now have three Puppetry. You can use two Puppetry to give two commands to your Personal Puppet as part of the same bonus action.

Shaper's Act - 1

You follow the tale of a smith, whose creations were able to shatter the world and resist the strongest blow.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage as the material that it was used to create it hardens to incredible degree.

Shaper's Act - 2

You follow the tale of a smith, whose creations were able to shatter the world and resist the strongest blow.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage as the material that it was used to create it hardens to incredible degree.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet gains either a flying speed, a climbing speed or a swimming speed (your choice) equal to its walking speed (or half as much for its flying speed).

 

Shaper's Act - 3

You follow the tale of a smith, whose creations were able to shatter the world and resist the strongest blow.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage as the material that it was used to create it hardens to incredible degree.

As the Second Act, your Personal Puppet gains either a flying speed, a climbing speed or a swimming speed (your choice) equal to its walking speed (or half as much for its flying speed).

As the Third Act, when your Personal Puppet scores a critical hit, you can apply Sneak Attack to it, even if you have already used it during your turn or its turn.

Trickster's Act - 1

Your performance follows the tale of a deceptive man, causing mayhem and spreading chaos.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet becomes a reflection of yourself or another creature you know, imitating even the texture of its body. You can change its appearance as an action. A creature can use its action to inspect its appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your puppet’s Constitution modifier) to discern its true nature. Additionally, you can see through your puppet’s eyes and hear what it hears.

 

Trickster's Act - 2

Your performance follows the tale of a deceptive man, causing mayhem and spreading chaos.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet becomes a reflection of yourself or another creature you know, imitating even the texture of its body. You can change its appearance as an action. A creature can use its action to inspect its appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your puppet’s Constitution modifier) to discern its true nature. Additionally, you can see through your puppet’s eyes and hear what it hears.

As the Second Act, as an action, both you and your Personal Puppet can become invisible for 1 hour, or until it makes an attack or casts a spell.

 

Trickster's Act - 3

Your performance follows the tale of a deceptive man, causing mayhem and spreading chaos.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet becomes a reflection of yourself or another creature you know, imitating even the texture of its body. You can change its appearance as an action. A creature can use its action to inspect its appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your puppet’s Constitution modifier) to discern its true nature. Additionally, you can see through your puppet’s eyes and hear what it hears.

As the Second Act, as an action, both you and your Personal Puppet can become invisible for 1 hour, or until it makes an attack or casts a spell.

As the Third Act, as an action or as a reaction when you are targeted by an attack or are within the area of a harmful effect, you can change places with your Personal Puppet, potentially causing attacks to change target or leave a spell’s area of effect. Then, you can choose for either you or your puppet to become invisible until the start of your next turn.

Wondermaker's Act - 1

You follow the tale of a clever artificer, traveling the world to discover about new magical wonders.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains one attunement of its own, which is restricted to magic items of Rare rarity or lower.

Wondermaker's Act - 2

You follow the tale of a clever artificer, traveling the world to discover about new magical wonders.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains one attunement of its own, which is restricted to magic items of Rare rarity or lower.

As the Second Act, this attunement slot is restricted to Very Rare magic items or lower.

Wondermaker's Act - 3

You follow the tale of a clever artificer, traveling the world to discover about new magical wonders.

As the First Act, your Personal Puppet gains one attunement of its own, which is restricted to magic items of Rare rarity or lower.

As the Second Act, this attunement slot is restricted to Very Rare magic items or lower, and as the Third Act, it’s restricted to Legendary magic items or lower.

Pulling Strings

Starting at 13th level, you learn the ability to reanimate and take control of corpses or creatures that have been knocked unconscious.

As an action, you can attach threads onto a creature that has died or had its hit points reduced to 0 within the last minute, forcefully taking control of its body, and turning it into an Improvised Puppet. The Improvised Puppet immediately stands up with 1 hit point and it remains reanimated for 1 hour during which it cannot regain hit points or until you use this feature again, after which time it collapses and is reduced to 0 hit points.

In combat, the Improvised Puppet shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. The only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to move and/or take another action. That action can be one in its previous stat block or some other action. During this time, you can also cause your Improvised Puppet to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well.

Once you have used this feature on a creature, it becomes immune to becoming reanimated again in this way for 24 hours.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1), regaining all expended uses on a long rest.

Living Flesh Marinette

At 17th level, you learn how to control a creature even when they are conscious and alive, making them dance along your own desires.

Once per long rest, you can choose a creature that doesn’t meet the requirements for your Pulling Strings feature. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a fail, they become your Improvised Puppet, as your strings force their body to follow your puppetry. The target can make a Strength saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it breaks free from the threads.