The Puppeteer (5e Subclass)
The Puppeteer[edit]
Warlock Subclass
You have made a pact with the Puppeteer, a mysterious entity with mind-boggling influence over others. The madness of such a pact extends to you, and you may begin to see the world as a stage and its inhabitants as mere puppets, a form of entertainment for higher beings. The duties of your pact might be hunting down those who resist the strings that control them, or to establish such strings, both metaphorical and magical, upon the world's more colorful figures.
Expanded Spell List[edit]
The Puppeteer lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | command, ensnaring strike |
| 2nd | animal messenger, levitate |
| 3rd | fast friends, spirit guardians |
| 4th | compulsion, dominate beast |
| 5th | dominate person, geas |
Master's Puppet[edit]
Also at 1st level, you are gifted with a magical puppet from your patron. The puppet is a Tiny object that perfectly resembles a miniature version of yourself. You can determine the properties of the puppet, or by rolling on the Master's Puppet table.
| d4 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Glove puppet |
| 2 | Marionette |
| 3 | Miniature stick puppet |
| 4 | Ventriloquism dummy |
Your master's puppet has the following properties while you are holding it:
- You can use the puppet as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
- If you are holding the puppet in one hand and a different object or weapon in the other, you can cast warlock spells with somatic components as if you had a free hand.
- You can see any creature charmed by you if it is within 30 ft. of you regardless of impeding effects, including through solid objects. You cannot use this sight if you are blinded or in an area of magical darkness.
- You are proficient in the Performance skill, if you weren't already.
Your master's puppet has an AC equal to your spell save DC, hit points equal to your warlock level + your proficiency bonus, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. If the puppet is lost or destroyed, you can conduct a 1-hour long ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and the previous puppet is destroyed if it still exists. The puppet fades into inky blackness and disappears when you die.
Strings on the Mind[edit]
At 6th level, your mind has tapped partially away into the Puppeteer's mad show. You gain resistance to psychic damage. Additionally, whenever a creature subjects you to a saving throw against being charmed, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious, you can use your reaction to force a different creature within 30 ft. of you to make that saving throw as well. Once you activate this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
The Show Must Go On[edit]
You can shrug off death using the strange powers of your patron. Starting at 10th level, whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can choose to instead drop to 1 hit point. When you do so, strings of magical energy tether to your joints and allow you to hang like a puppet from an invisible force. For 1 minute, you have a flying speed of 60 ft. and you movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Once you activate this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Fine Control[edit]
You can turn creatures into puppets of your own. Starting at 14th level, as an action while you are holding your master's puppet, you can choose one creature within 30 ft. of you. Strings of magical force tether to the creature's joints. As part of this action on your turn, and as an action on each of your subsequent turns, you can manipulate your master's puppet and the creature will follow its movement, creating one of the following effects:
- Attack. The next time the creature attacks or casts a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw, choose 1 other creature within 30 ft. of it. The creature bound by your strings can only subject that creature to the attack or spell. This action has no effect on spells that create area effects, such as Fireball.
- Grovel. The creature is restrained until the start of your next turn.
- Move. The creature expends all of its movement to move up to its speed in a direction you choose. If this movement would push it through a hazard, such as open flames or an area of spikes, it suffers the effects of that hazard as normal.
At the start of each of its turns, the affected creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your warlock spell save DC or take 3d10 force damage, as the strings constrict the creature. On a successful save, it takes half damage.
Once you activate this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
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