Needleworker

Many centuries ago there was a warlock by the name of Victor Frankenstein, who became disenchanted with the study of magical arts, as they were. He found no satisfaction in dusty tomes and careful calligraphy in a book that no one else would ever read. Any wizard could end life with the snap of his fingers, but only the necromancers ever dealt with the conquering of death. And in Victor's opinion, they didn't even truly conquer it. Sure, they were able to raise all sorts of undead, but the mere act of creating undead is far from fostering life. The ability to create true life and using that to manipulate the state of life in those around you- now that was power. Victor's search for the power to create life culminated in the creation of his first Stitched; an abomination that was made human parts, but that had a mind quite of its own. It was no puppet, but an actual living, breathing creature, capable of learning and thinking for itself. Though Victor found great satisfaction in his success, his first Stitched was far from his last, and his creations made him famous among many and infamous to even more. 

Since his passing, Victor's Frankenstein's notes and research have been scattered all over the place, but there is a small, persecuted branch of warlocks that seek to follow in his footsteps. These warlocks, known as Needleworkers, eschew traditional magical study as others practice it. Needleworkers instead prefer to control and manipulate life with their own two hands and sheer willpower, coupled with careful study and intensive preparation.

Grave Robbing

Once per day you may roll Investigation DC 12 to find and plunder a graveyard of its components. If you succeed on the DC you may roll 1d6 to determine how many bodies you discover. The DM will decide whether or not these body's belong to a class or not. 

Experienced Stitching

At 6th level your practice creating Stitched is beginning to show through in several ways.

Firstly, your stitched creations are more now more durable. Each time you create a new Stitched you may increase the Stitched' maximum HP by a number of d4 equal to your proficiency bonus. You may only use this feature once per Stitched, as you are creating it. This feature may not be used on Stitched already crafted. 

Secondly, your stitched are more physically capable. Your Stitched can add your proficiency bonus to their attack and damage rolls. Additionally, when you create a new Stitched you may choose one skill. When that particular Stitched  makes an ability check with that skill they may add your proficiency bonus to the check. Once you have used this feature to give a skill proficiency to one of your Stitched you may not select that same skill again until the original Stitched dies. This number increases to two at level 10, and then three at level 14. 

Finally, the time that it takes you to create a tiny or small Stitched is reduced by 5 minutes due to the muscle memory you've attained in your fingers. 

Crafted Horde

At 10th level your have grown both more fond and more capable of managing your creations. You can now control one more Stitched of the largest sized Stitched you can create in addition to the number that you already control. This feature may be used to create one Stitched of a smaller size if desired.

In addition to this improvement when you craft a new Stitched you may now add your proficiency bonus to any one of the Stitched' base ability scores, increasing it to a maximum of 20. This cap is increased to 22 at level 14. 

Crafted Horde

At 10th level your have grown both more fond and more capable of managing your creations. You can now control one more Stitched of the largest sized Stitched you can create in addition to the number that you already control. This feature may be used to create one Stitched of a smaller size if desired.

In addition to this improvement when you craft a new Stitched you may now add your proficiency bonus to any one of the Stitched' base ability scores, increasing it to a maximum of 20. This cap is increased to 22 at level 14. 

 

Culminating Research

At 14th level your long hours spent inside during the day and outside during the night are beginning to show. Your countenance is significantly paler,. with any friendly NPC that might be concerned for your well being inquiring about your health. As this is now commonplace, you might tend to either tired indifference or mild irritation. 

The vast amount of time spent studying your creations has revealed priceless insights into living matter and how it interacts with elemental, magical, and physical forces. When crafting a new Stitched you may choose one type of damage. Your new Stitched has resistance to damage of that type. Additionally, whenever it deals damage with any of its basic attacks the Stitched deals an additional 1d4 damage of the selected type. This bonus may be applied to Stitched that you have already created that haven't yet benefited from this feature. You may spend one long rest to change one Stitched'  chosen damage resistance/bonus to a new damage type. 

Additionally, your long experience has made your work seem even easier than the normal circle of life, not to mention far more customization. You now have advantage on the DC check to bring your creations to life. When searching for materials in graveyards, your long experience no longer requires you to make the DC 12 Investigation check; instead, simply roll the d6 as normal per long rest to determine the quantity of materials that you find. 

Culminating Research

See feat description for details. 

Stitched

Your study of life, death, and everything in between has taught you how to create life, allowing you to create Stitched. In addition to the base stats listed in your stitched, using materials that belonged to a specific class in their previous life will grant your Stitched base stat bonuses. Using at least three components of one class in one of your creations will grant your Stitched use of one cantrip, feat, or class bonus, per the DM's discretion. A Stitched must consist of components from at least two different bodies, or it will not successfully become vivified. Adding two or more components than necessary will increase the Stitched Size's level by one (increasing again for every three extra components after this).

Wizard: +1 Intelligence per component (max 20)

Druid: +1 Wisdom per component (max 20)

Barbarian: +1 Strength per component (max 20)

Rogue: +1 Dexterity per component (max 20)

Cleric: +1 Wisdom per component (max 20)

Paladin: +1 Strength per component (max 20)

Warlock: +1 Charisma per component (max 20)

Upon the completion of the Stitched you will roll make an Intelligence check + half your Needleworker level (rounded up) to see if you were successful in crafting a body capable of life. The DC for this check is equal to your 8 + the Stitched Size level (a medium-sized Stitched that is level three has a Int DC 11, for example). If you succeed, your Stitched comes to life and will obey your orders to the best of its ability. If you fail, the body remains lifeless and the materials used to create it are unusable. 

The Needleworker must be careful to never craft more Stitched than they have slots to maintain control over. If a Needleworker attempts to create a Stitched no available spaces, the oldest creation of that size will turn against the Needleworker and seek to kill them, stopping only when they or their creator is dead (regardless of whether the Needleworker was successful in the vivifying of their newest Stitched). If a Needleworker whishes to create a new Stitched for a size that is already full, it is in their best interest to destroy one of the other Stitched of that same level before beginning work on a new Stitched, or become else become hunted. A Stitch that is hunting you has advantage on all attacks and checks against you and your other Stitched. 

The Stitched sizes, crafting time, required Warlock level, and maximum number creations at one time are as follows:

Tiny: 30 minutes. Requires Warlock level 1. Maximum 3 (increased to 4 at level 3). https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252534-tiny-stitched

Small: 3 hours. Requires Warlock level 1. Maximum 3 (increased to 4 at level 3). https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252540-small-stitched

Medium: 8 hours. Requires Warlock level 3. Maximum 3 (increased to 4 at level 6). https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252598-medium-stitched

Large: 1 day. Requires Warlock level 6. Maximum 2 (increased to 3 at level 10). https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252618-large-stitched

Huge: 3 days. Requires Warlock level 10. Maximum 2 (increased to 3 at level 14). https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252732-huge-stitched

Gargantuan: 7 days. Requires Warlock level 14. Maximum 1 (increased to 2 at level 18).  https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/252740-gargantuan-stitched

Craft Stitched

Upon the completion of the Stitched you will roll make an Intelligence check + half your Needleworker level (rounded up) to see if you were successful in crafting a body capable of life. The DC for this check is equal to your 8 + the Stitched Size level (a medium-sized Stitched that is level three has a Int DC 11, for example). If you succeed, your Stitched comes to life and will obey your orders to the best of its ability. If you fail, the body remains lifeless and the materials used to create it are unusable. 

The Needleworker must be careful to never craft more Stitched than they have slots to maintain control over. If a Needleworker attempts to create a Stitched no available spaces, the oldest creation of that size will turn against the Needleworker and seek to kill them, stopping only when they or their creator is dead (regardless of whether the Needleworker was successful in the vivifying of their newest Stitched). If a Needleworker whishes to create a new Stitched for a size that is already full, it is in their best interest to destroy one of the other Stitched of that same level before beginning work on a new Stitched, or become else become hunted. A Stitch that is hunting you has advantage on all attacks and checks against you and your other Stitched.