Puppetmaster (5e Class)

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Puppetmaster

The Puppeteer

Puppeteers seamlessly blend craftsmanship with occult practices, intricately weaving threads of magic. Entrusting fragments of their own souls into their animated creations, they gain the ability to manipulate their enchanted puppets.
Using their effigy as a conduit for their spells, puppeteers command their puppets to cast spells, engage in combat, and execute any other command issued by their master.

Creating a Puppeteer

Quick Build

You can make a puppeteer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Entertainer background.

5e Class Features

Class Features

As a Puppeteer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Puppeteer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Puppeteer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Daggers, sickles, scimitars, whips
Tools: Tinker's Tools, Weaver's Tools
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Acrobatics, Deception, History, Investigation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• Padded armor and one weapon you are proficient with
• Tinker's Tools and another tool for which you have proficiency.
• (a) Entertainer's pack or (b) Scholar's pack
• a Effigy

Table: The Puppeteer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Occult Stitch	String Range	Cantrips	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Puppeteers Bond, Puppet Show, Puppet Artisan, Occult Stitch	1d6	30 ft.	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Spellcasting	1d6	30 ft.	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Occult Ritual, Puppet Sense	2d6	40 ft.	2	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	40 ft.	2	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Puppet Duet, Puppet Improvement	3d6	50 ft.	3	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Ritual Boon	3d6	50 ft.	3	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Masterworks	4d6	60 ft.	3	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	60 ft.	4	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	Puppet Improvement	5d6	70 ft.	4	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Ritual Boon	5d6	70 ft.	4	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	—	6d6	80 ft.	4	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	6d6	80 ft.	4	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Puppet Improvement	7d6	90 ft.	5	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Ritual Boon	7d6	90 ft.	5	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	—	8d6	100 ft.	5	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8d6	100 ft.	5	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	Puppet Improvement	9d6	110 ft.	5	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	—	9d6	110 ft.	5	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	10d6	120 ft.	5	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	—	10d6	120 ft.	5	4	3	3	3	2

Spellcasting

By performing occult rituals you imbue your Effigy with occult power. You cast your spells by projecting your soul through this conduit.

Cantrips

At 2nd level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the puppeteer spell list. You learn additional puppeteer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips column of the puppeteer table.

Spell Slots

The puppeteer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your puppeteer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these puppeteer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of puppeteer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the puppeteer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of puppeteer spells equal to your Charisma modifier + one third of your puppeteer level (rounded up).
The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level puppeteer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 16, your list of prepared spells can include five spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Sleep, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of puppeteer spells requires time spent performing a ritual: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your puppeteer spells, since the power of your occult magic comes from performing occult rituals and weaving the essence of your soul into your puppet creations.
You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a puppeteer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spellcasting Ability

Spell save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast any puppeteer spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use your Effigy as a spellcasting focus for your puppeteer spells.

Puppeteer Spell List

Cantrips	1st Level	2nd Level	3rd Level	4th Level	5th Level
Dancing Lights	Bane	Blindness/Deafness	Antagonize	Charm Monster	Dominate Person
Light	Cause Fear	Calm Emotions	Bestow Curse	Compulsion	Dream
Mage Hand	Charm Person	Crown of Madness	Catnap	Confusion	Geas
Mending	Command	Enhance Ability	Enemies Abound	Dimension Door	Hold Monster
Messege	Cure Wounds	Enlarge Reduce	Fear	Greater Invisibility	Mislead
Mind Sliver	Dissonant Whispers	Enthrall	Haste	-	Modify Memory
Minor Illusion	False Life	Hold Person	Life Transference	-	-
Prestidigitation	Feather Fall	Invisibility	Phantom Steed	-	-
Thaumaturgy	Hex	Kinetic Jaunt	Remove Curse	-	-
-	Long Strider	Pass Without Trace	-	-	-
-	Mage Armor	Ray of Enfeeblement	-	-	-
-	Sleep	-	-	-	-
-	Unseen Servant	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-

Puppeteer's Bond

Effigy

Your Effigy is required to cast your spells and control your puppets. This can range from being a magical wooden cross, a claw or a weaving board.
Slightly visible magical strings extend from your Effigy to any puppets within the strings range, allowing you to manipulate the movements and actions of any puppet in range.
The range of your ethereal strings increase as you gain puppeteer levels, as shown in the String Range column of the puppeteer table.
If you lose your Effigy, you can create a new Effigy by performing a 10 minute ritual with a material cost of 50 gp.

Puppet Control

At the start of each day, you forge an occult connection with two chosen puppets through an intricate ritual. These puppets become vessels of your occult influence allowing you to control their movements with your Effigy. You have the freedom to perform this ritual again at the beginning of each new day to alter your puppet selection.

Puppet Artisan

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with the tools you use to make your puppets.
Wood = Woodcarver's Tools
Ceramic = Potter's Tools
Fabric = Weaver's Tools

Occult Stitch

At 1st level, as an action, you can expend one of your Occult Stitches to attempt to mend one puppet within 5 feet of you. The puppet restores a number of hit points equal to a roll of 1d6 + your Charisma modifier.
Alternatively, during a short rest, you may spend 10 minutes carefully stitching together your puppet. Doing so the puppet instead restores hit points equal to the maximum result of the healing die.
You can use this feature number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus and the amount of healing dice changes as you gain puppeteer levels, as shown in the Occult Stitch column of the puppeteer table. You regain all Occult Stitches when you finish a long rest.

Puppet Show

At 1st level, your connection with your puppets enhances your performance abilities. If you are not already proficient in the Performance skill, you gain proficiency with it and when making Performance checks with your puppets, your Proficiency bonus is doubled.

Occult Ritual

At 3rd level, you can perform one of the Rituals listed, delving deeper into occult puppetry. You gain access to new ways of enhancing your puppets and as you progress, unlock additional abilities from your occult affiliation.

Puppet Sense

At 3rd level, as an Action, you can see through one of your active puppets eyes and hear what it hears. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. You can cancel this at any time as a free action.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Puppet Duet

At 5th level, your proficiency with puppetry ascends, granting you the ability to control two puppets simultaneously.

Puppet Improvement

When you reach 6th level, and again at 9th, 12th and 15th level, your puppets gain new features.

Masterworks

At 6th level, your proficiency bonus is now doubled for any ability check you make that uses your Tinker's Tools and your Puppet Artisans tools.

Name

At 11th level, you regain half of your maximum Occult Stitches (rounded down) when you finish a short rest.

Master of Marionettes

At 18th level, your prowess as a puppeteer reaches its zenith. You gain the ability to control three puppets simultaneously.

Occult Rituals

When you reach 3rd level, you are experienced enough to perform a unique ritual, shaping your occult focus.

Ritual of Spellbinding

Puppeteers who delve deeper into the secrets of occult magic become Spellbinders, mastering the ancient art of binding and influencing the occult forces. Through this ritual they deepen their connection to the mystical arts,
allowing them to cast spells through their enchanted puppets. As the Spellbinder advances, their mastery over occult magic grows, granting them access to a wider array of spells and enhancing the potency of their occult magic.

Occult Dedication

Starting at 3rd level, you can now prepare a number of puppeteer spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your puppeteer level (rounded down).

Puppet Somatics

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast cantrips and spells from one of your active puppet's position instead of yours. You cannot cast spells with an range of Self this way.

Spring into Action

Starting at 6th level, you've honed your puppetry skills to synchronize with your spellcasting. When you target a creature with a spell, you can use your reaction to command one of your active puppets to follow up with an action against the targeted creature,
provided it is active and within range for its abilities. Additionally, when you use Occult Stitch or cast a spell with a positive effect on one of your puppets, you can use your reaction to command that puppet to take an action or move up to their maximum speed.

Puppet Resonance

Starting at 10th level, when you cast a spell with a positive effect on one of your active puppets, all of your other active puppets gain the same effect.

Ritual of the Weavewarden

Puppeteers who partake in this ritual aspire to become Weavewardens. Weavewardens have mastered the art of using their ethereal strings as protective armor and excel in close-quarters combat, seamlessly coordinating their attacks with their puppets.

Trained in close combat

Starting at 3rd level, when you take this lesson you gain proficiency with one type of melee weapon of your choice.

Protective Weave

Starting at 3rd level, as an Bonus Action you can spend one of your Occult Stitches to spin yourself a protective layer of enchanted strings, which lasts for 1 minute.
While your protective strings are active, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain a +2 bonus to your AC.
• You gain a temporary hit points equal to the maximum result of your Occult Stitch dice, as shown in the Occult Stitch column of the puppeteer table.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can command one of your puppets to take an action or move up to their maximum speed in place of one of those attacks.
Additionally when you successfully hit a creature with an attack, you can use your reaction to command one of your active puppets to follow up with an action against the targeted creature, provided it is active and within range for its abilities.

Ritual of Soulweaving

Puppeteers who tread the path of soulweaving extend their influence beyond constructs, manipulating both puppets and living souls through their mastery of ethereal strings.

Lifeweaver

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Occult Stitch on yourself and other living beings.

Lifeweaver

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your Occult Stitch on yourself and other living beings.

Puppets

Your puppets only move when you command them to with your Effigy. To command an active puppet you must use your Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. If you become incapacitated, lose your Effigy, or the puppet leaves your Strings Range, it is no longer considered active and can no longer be commanded. When you are no longer incapacitated, regain your Effigy, or move back into the Strings Range, you can once again give commands. Each puppet has its own Hit Points, Armor Rating, and Speed and their own Saving Throw Proficiencies but use your Ability Scores as a baseline, and are immune to being Frightened or Charmed. If a puppet gets the opportunity to use a reaction, it uses your Reaction to perform the action. Spells and other effects that cause you to deal extra damage to targets also affect your puppet's attacks and spells. If a puppet reaches 0 hit points, it can no longer be commanded until you spend 10 minutes repairing and re-infusing it with occult magic by performing a ritual during a short rest or long rest. If this ritual is performed during a short rest, the puppet regains hit points equal to your Puppeteer level, and during a long rest, it regains all it's hit points.

• Action Manipulate: You manipulate each of your puppets to either take an action or move up to their maximum speed.
• Bonus Action Manipulate: You manipulate one puppet move up to their maximum speed.

Your puppets become momentarily inanimate when:

• you are outside your strings range
• you not wielding your effigy
• you are incapacitated or unconscious

Goliath Puppet

• Attack Roll: Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Armor Class: 10 + Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Saving Throw Proficiency: Strength, Constitution
• Hit Points: 5 + six times your puppeteer level
• Speed: 30 Feet

Puppet Slam [Melee Attack]
The goliath puppet makes a melee attack against one target dealing 1d8 + Charisma modifier bludgeoning damage.

Threatening Presence [Passive]
Creatures within 5 feet of the active goliath puppet suffer disadvantage on attack rolls against enemies other than the goliath puppet.
NAME [1st Spell]

NAME [2st Spell]
At 9th level,

Shinobi Puppet

• Attack Roll: Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Armor Class: 10 + your Charisma modifier
• Hit Points: 5 + four times your puppeteer level
• Speed: 25 Feet

Shuriken Attack [Ranged Attack]
The puppet makes a ranged attack, throwing one of its shurikens at a target, dealing 1d4 + your Charisma modifier piercing damage. This Action is only usable when the puppet has at least 1 shuriken left, and its maximum is 3.

Recover Shuriken [1st Spell]
The puppet recovers all of its shurikens.

Sneak Attack [Passive]
Once per turn, the shinobi puppet can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature it hits with an attack if it has advantage on the attack roll.
It does not need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and it doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
The amount of extra sneak attack dice is equal to half your amount of Occult Stitch dice (rounded up), as shown in the Occult Stitch column of the puppeteer table.

Conjurer Puppet

• Spell Attack Bonus: 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Spell Save DC: 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Armor Class: 10 + your Charisma modifier
• Hit Points: 5 + three times your puppeteer level
• Speed: 25 Feet

Cantrip Attack [Cantrip]

Electric Arc [1st Spell]
The puppet hurls an electric arc at a creature within 60 feet. The lightning then chains from that target to another creature of your choosing within 10 feet. Each target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 lightning damage + Charisma modifier. On a successful save, the target only takes half as much damage.

Chilling Clasp [1st Spell]
The puppet grasps the target with a chilling touch. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 Cold damage + Charisma modifier, its speed is reduced by 10 feet and it can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Spellweaver [Passive]
Beginning at 5th level, the spell attacks and spell save DC of your Conjurer puppet increases by 1. This bonus also applies to your cantrips and spells that you cast from the Conjurer puppet's position.

Jester Puppet

• Attack Roll: Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Armor Class: 10 + your Charisma modifier
• Saving Throw Proficiency: Dexterity, Charisma
• Hit Points: 5 + four times your puppeteer level
• Speed: 30 Feet

Mocking Jest [Cantrip]
The jester puppet mocks a creature within 30 feet, dealing 1d4 psychic damage and causing the next attack against the enemy to have advantage until the start of your next turn. The jester puppet mocks a creature forcing it to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 psychic damage and the next attack against the enemy has advantage until the start of your next turn.

Mischievous Flip [1st Spell] [Reaction]
When a creature within 30 feet of an active jester puppet rolls for an attack roll or saving throw, you may flip the D20 result to its opposite site. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

Nether Swap [2nd Spell]
Starting at 5th level, the jester puppet dazzles with its whimsical antics. As an action it can switch places with a creature within 30 feet, that is also in your Strings Range. The targeted creature must succeed in a Constitution saving throw to resist the switch, although it can willingly choose to fail this saving throw.

Spells

Puppeteers Hex

1st-level Enchantment
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: 90 Feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You place a curse on a creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, you and your puppets deal an extra 1d4 Psychic damage to the target whenever you or your puppets hit it with an attack.
Also, choose one ability when you cast the spell. The target has disadvantage on ability checks made with the chosen ability.

If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature.

A Remove Curse cast on the target ends this spell early.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites: You must have a Charisma score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

5.00

(one vote)

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