Puppetmaster

A Half-Elf conducts a series of behind-the-scenes meetings, weaving a delicate path through their words to entice the promises that will help them start their revolution.

A scorned Human seeks to set in motion a chain of events that will grant her revenge for the mistreatment she has faced, and is willing to make a pact with a chaos-seeking entity in order to gain the power she needs.

A Tiefling brokers peace with nearby warring tribes through displays of magical strength and promises of more to come if demands are not met.

Some warlocks prefer to do their work on a larger scale than others. Those with grand ambitions learn to utilise their skill-set to manipulate those around them whom may be useful or necessary for their plans and schemes. This subclass has two main purposes: subtle tinkering with perceptions and opinions to achieve one's goals in a covert manner, and large area-of-effect spells with theatricality to be used to demand respect or subservience through blunter means.

Expanded Spell List

You may add the following spells that may not normally be available to you to your spell list.

• 1st level spells: Thaumaturgy, Alarm
• 2nd level spells: Alter Self, Calm Emotions
• 3rd level spells: Fireball, Lightning Bolt
• 4th level spells: Arcane Eye, Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer, Secret Chest
• 5th level spells: Dominate Person, Mislead, Modify Memory, Passwall
• 6th level spells: Chain Lightning
• 7th level spells: Fire Storm
• 8th level spells: Sunburst
• 9th level spells: Weird

In return for your additional spells beyond the normal Expanded Spell List, when you take your Mystic Arcanum spells, they must be the 6th-9th level spells listed here.

Wicked Words

At 6th level, you pick up on how to make your suggestions more agreeable to those who might otherwise doubt you through your travels and experiences. 

You may choose to gain advantage on any persuasion checks you make towards a creature that can understand your words, either written or spoken.

If you use this more than once a day on the same creature, that creature makes a wisdom check to see if they notice the unusual influence, with the check starting at DC 25 on your second use and decreasing by 5 for each additional use beyond that. On a success, the target becomes immune to any further attempts unless their opinion of you changes positively. The DC decrease changes depending on your Warlock level.

Promise of Pain

At 10th level, Puppetmasters gain access to the homebrew spell Promise of Pain.

As an action, you can establish an arcane link between yourself and an incapacitated or unconscious creature, which manifests as an illusory padlock visible in the same place on both creatures.

Whenever you take damage while this effect is active, the creature with which you established the link also takes that damage. If they are unconscious then the damage dealt is ignored, and they instead lose one death save automatically and have to roll for a second death save.

At higher levels, you can attempt to create this link with any creature.

Wondrous Words

At 14th level, you may choose to gain advantage on any Intimidation, Deception and Performance checks you make towards a creature that can understand your words, either written or spoken.

If you use this more than once a day on the same creature, that creature makes a wisdom check to see if they notice the unusual influence, with the check starting at DC 25 on your second use and decreasing by 3 for each additional use beyond that. On a success, the target becomes immune to any further attempts unless their opinion of you changes positively. At 15th level or higher, the DC decreases by 1 for each additional use.

At 16th level, whenever you pass an Intimidation, Deception, Performance or Persuasion check against one or more creatures, you may passively cast Dominate Person on one creature which you successfully targeted, which does not expend a spell slot. The normal requirements for a successful spell apply.