Roguish Archetype
Rogues gain access to the Roguish Archetype feature at 3rd level. Here is a new option for this feature in addition to the ones in the Player's Handbook.
Puppeteer
The art of puppetry isn’t for all rogues, but for the few who begin to delve into its secrets, they discover a world of deadly beauty. Puppeteers often see themselves as visionaries, turning the role of a thief or an assassin, into an art form. Dance alongside your creations as you pursue precision and grace.
Silk Touch
Starting at 3rd level, your fingertips are able to expel a thin ethereal thread. Using your cunning action with a free hand, you can attach these threads to an object you can see within 30ft of you that isn't being worn or carried, is not behind total cover and that weighs up to 2lbs. You can then, as part of the same action, pull that object up to 30ft closer to you, catching it in your hand if pulled all the way towards you. At the DMs discretion, with this feature the threads can be used to pull small levers or door handles. The threads are thin and ethereal and cannot be interacted with physically.
Another creature can spot these threads by making a successful Wisdom (Perception) check contested by your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
Puppet Maker
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to shackle life at the point of death, turning your victims into puppets. When you slay a small or medium sized humanoid within 5 ft of you, you are able to attach your ethereal threads to their body, which stay connected to you and the puppet. These threads are thin and ethereal and cannot be interacted with physically. Another creature can spot these threads by making a successful Wisdom (Perception) check contested by your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The target immediately becomes your puppet, vaguely retaining their original form, size and weight but turn entirely wooden apart from their equipment. While they are your puppet, they can not be revived by any means short of a True Resurrection or Wish spell, which, if successful, reduces your puppet to 0 hit points. The statistics for the puppet are provided at the end of this subclass.
The puppet does not retain any memories or sentience they may have had during life. While the puppet isn’t being controlled and is within 30ft of you, it remains completely still, falls limp and goes prone, or defends itself to the best of its ability (your choice). The puppet is not able to defend itself if you do not have at least one free hand, or you are not able to see it, and is considered to be stunned if completely still or limp. In combat it takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, if you can see your puppet within 30ft of you, you can use your action with two free hands to control the puppet until the end of your turn, deciding where it moves, and what Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Use an Object or stat block provided action it takes. To move the puppet or make it interact with a creature or object, you must be able to see that creature or object and the puppet, this includes attacks. If you have successfully taken the action to control the puppet on your turn, you can use your bonus action to allow it to benefit from and then use your Cunning Action feature until the end of your turn.
If you are incapacitated or not within 30 ft of the puppet, it falls limp and is considered to be stunned until you are no longer incapacitated and within 30 ft of it. The puppet requires you to have taken the action to control it on your previous turn as well as for you to have at least one free hand in order for it to take reactions, such as when making an opportunity attack.
Only you or your puppet are able to benefit from bonus Sneak Attack damage per round.
The puppet can not be healed by non-magical means. It regains all of its hit points after a long rest, and can be healed by expending any number of your available Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, healing for the number rolled adding your Constitution modifier per roll.
The puppet remains your puppet until you use an action to severe the threads connecting it to you, or when the puppet is reduced to 0 hit points. You may not attach your threads to a new target until your threads to your current puppet are severed. When a puppet is reduced to 0 hit points or you severe your threads to it, it is immediately reduced to a pile of fine grey dust.
Once you’ve used this feature, you can not use it again until you’ve completed a long rest.
Dress Up
Your puppet doesn't have to be a complete replica of what you killed to attain it. When you create a puppet, it may take on a certain color of wood, or be covered with engravings. It's shape may even look more alien or wild as long as it maintains a humanoid shape and does not grow any extra limbs. Discuss with your DM what makes your puppets unique and personal.
Unseen Duet
Starting at 9th level, your puppet mastery reaches terrifying new heights, allowing for finer control and range. Your puppet gains advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks that rely on hearing, and when you control it to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, it can use the bonus that you would add to those checks instead of its own bonus.
The puppet is now able to be taken control of up to 60 ft away from you. It now falls limp if you are incapacitated or not within 60 ft of it. While more than 30ft away from you, it is unable to take Attack or stat block provided actions.
At 17th level, the puppet gains the ability to take Attack and stat block provided actions while up to 60 ft away from you.
Deadly Creation
Starting at 13th level, your puppets become horrific opponents, leaving their victims with little chance of opposition. Your puppets slam attack is counted as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Additionally, creatures that are surprised have disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks to resist the puppet's Puppet’s Dance feature.
The Final Performance
Starting at 17th level, you’ve developed a way for your puppets to go out with a show stopping bang. If you can see your puppet within 60ft of you, using an action with two free hands, you force it into an unstable and dangerous form, during which it may shake violently or emanate a dark shroud. At the end of your next turn or if it is reduced to 0 hit points, the puppet explodes being destroyed in the process, forcing each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the puppet to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, a target takes 10d6 force damage and is knocked prone, or half as much on a successful one and they aren’t knocked prone.
The blast spreads around corners, and deals double damage to objects and structures.
Credits
- Created by Waifu_Handbook and 6_Fingered_Goblin.
- Artwork by grathvongraven.
- Made using GMBinder.
Puppet
Medium or Small Construct, Neutral
- Armor Class 13 + your proficiency bonus
- Hit Points equal to five times your level in this class
- Speed 30 ft., fly 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5)
- Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +2
- Skills Stealth +5, Acrobatics +5
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
- Damage Immunities Psychic, Poison
- Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft (Blind Beyond This Radius), passive Perception 5
- Languages --
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Marionette Manipulation: The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the puppet’s skill and saving throw bonuses (above), the bonuses to hit and damage of its Slam attack, and the Puppet's Dance DC.
Yank: When the puppet is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
False Appearance: While the puppet remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal wooden mannequin.
Actions
Multiattack. The puppet can use its Puppet's Dance. It then makes its Slam attack.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, Reach 5 ft,. one target you can see. Hit: (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Puppet's Dance (Recharge 4-6). The puppet targets a creature within 30 ft of it, attempting to confuse it with unnatural movement. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) check against DC 13 or the puppet is able to add additional damage equal to your Sneak Attack to its slam attacks against that creature for 1 minute or until the puppet is incapacitated.