Puppet Master (3.5e Prestige Class)

Puppet Master

“	So you ever see a Piece of Wood get up off the ground, multiply and grow twice its size?	”
—Daveak Wolfswift, Human Puppet Master, David Yack, original creator of class and first to play it

The Puppeteer always was looked upon as not a threat, but when the magic-users began to mess with Puppets the Profession became feared and looked upon with worry. A Puppet Master is one such being who has took the simple art of puppetry and melded some amount of arcane magic to these Puppets. Puppet masters are, in all regards, dangerous, at minimum. Their Puppets seem to take on somewhat greater powers as their Master gains in Power. Their have been uncomfirmed reports of Puppet Masters with Gigantic Minions at their beck and call.

Becoming a Puppet Master

Characters become Puppet Master, normally because they wish control, or power. No matter the reason, most become a puppet master because they want something to do with their craft and performing ability. Normally, a Puppet Master will also be an Illusionist or Bard, Sorcerer is also fairly common but Clerics are still freely capable. The Puppet Master's main ability is Charisma as it effects spells per day and many abilities

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any Non Lawful
Skills:	8 ranks in Perform(Puppeteering), 8 ranks in Craft(Puppet)
Spellcasting:	Must be a 5th level spellcaster
Special	Must create a Puppet with a Market Value of atleast 100 GP

Table: The Puppet Master

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day						Spells Known
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th
1st	+ 1	+2	+0	+2	Puppet Manipulation, Ventriloquism		3	—	—	—	—		2	—	—
2nd	+ 2	+3	+0	+3	Mind of it's own		4	—	—	—	—		2
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Psychic Strings		5	—	—	—	—		3	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Hold Person		6	3	—	—	—		3	1	—
5th	+ 4	+ 4	+1	+4	Combat Casting		6	4	—	—	—		4	2	—
6th	+ 4	+5	+2	+5	Puppet Horde		6	5	3	—	—		4	2	1
7th	+ 5	+5	+ 2	+5	Larger Than Life		6	6	4	—	—		5	3	2
8th	+ 5	+6	+2	+6	Control is at Hand		6	6	5	3	—		5	3	2	1
9th	+ 6	+6	+3	+6	No Strings Attached		6	6	6	4	—		5	4	3	2
10th	+6	+7	+3	+7	Puppet Mastery		6	6	6	5	3		5	4	3	2	1
Class Skills (3 + Int modifier per level) Appraise(Int), Bluff(Cha), Concentration(Con), Craft(Wis), Diplomacy(Cha), Disguise(Cha), Forgery(Int), Gather Information(Cha), Perform(Cha), Sense Motive(Wis), Speak Language(none), Spellcraft(Int), Use Magic Device(Cha), Use Rope(Dex) .

Table: The Epic Puppet Master

Level	Special
11th	Army of Minions
12th	Gigantic Minion
13th	Geas
14th	Constructed Life
15th	Who's the Dummy
16th	Standing Together
17th	Life is so Pathetic
18th	Touch of Control
19th	Minion's Spells
20th	Puppet's Minion

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Puppet Master.

Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Puppet Master, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Spells: To cast a particular spell, you must have an Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Your bonus spells are based on your Charisma. Saves to avoid the effects of your spells have a DC of 10 + the spell's level + your CHA bonus (if any).

You cast spells as a Sorcerer does. Table: Puppet Master Spells Known, below, details how many spells you can learn at each level. An epic Puppet Master’s number of spells per day does not increase after 10th level. Choose your spells from the following list:

1st—Animate Rope,Change Self,Charm Person,Comprehend Languages,Enlarge,Expeditious Retreat,Grease,Hypnotism,Mage Armor,Message,Nystul's Magical Aura,Nystul's Undetectable Aura,Obscuring Mist,Unseen Servant,Ventriloquism

2nd—Alter Self,Blur,Glitterdust,Hypnotic Pattern,Knock,Minor Image,Mirror Image,Misdirection,Rope Trick,Spectral Hand,Tasha's Hideous Laughter

3rd—Displacement,Illusory Script,Major Image,Nondetection,Suggestion,Tongues

4th—Confusion,Geas, Lesser,Illusory Script,Hallucinatory Terrain,Minor Creation,Phantasmal Killer,Polymorph Other,Polymorph Self,Shadow Conjuration,Shout,Stoneskin,Summon Monster IV

5th—Dominate Person,Fabricate,Hold Monster,Major Creation,Mirage Arcana,Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound,Permanency,Persistant Image,Telekinesis

The Puppet Master's Puppet: The Puppet Master's Puppet is a Tiny Construct. It has all the features of a Tiny Animated Object.

Puppet Manipulation(Su): You, and your Puppet gain beneficial abilities depending on what it was made from:

Material | Master Gains | Puppet Features

Cloth | 1.5x Damage from Fire | Double Damage from Fire, Electricity Immunity

Flesh | Mobility Bonus Feat | Depends on Flesh used

Stone | -2 Swim, DR 2/- | Immune to Spells(as stone golem)

Metal | Lightning Rod(All Electricity based spells/ranged attacks immedietly strike you), -2 Swim, +2 AC | Rust Vulnerability

Bone | +2 Open Lock, Disable Device | Cold Immunity, Half Damage from Piercing/Slashing

Wood | 1.5x Damage from Fire, +1 to AC, +2 Swim | Double damage from Fire, Half damage from Piercing

Wax | 1.5x Damage from Fire, +2 Swim | Double Damage from Fire

Clay | Endurance Feat, +2 AC vs. Piercing/Slashing | no Damage from Piercing/Slashing

Glass | +2 Spot, +1 CL for Divinations | All-Around Vision

Mind of it's Own: (just summerizing, no long description, sorry) Treat Puppet as a Familiar(with the exception that it does not count against if you can have a Familiar or not), you may also 'see through its eyes' as the spell Arcane Eye 3/day

Ventriloquism(Sp): as the spell, at will, through the Puppets mouth only.

Psychic Strings(Sp): Manipulate objects as if by the spell Mage Hand at will, or as Telekinesis 1/day/3 Levels of Puppet Master

Hold Person(Sp): as the spell 2+CHA modifier/day

Puppet Horde(Su): as a Move Action, you can have your Puppet cast Mirror Image as a 5th level Sorcerer, 5/day

Larger than Life(Su): 2/day You may loose your Puppet(as if it were a +4 Dancing Weapon), it is automaticalky effected by the Spell Enlarge Person(or whatever, i may have used 3rd on this...)casted by a 5th Level Sorcerer, The Puppet can act on its own for 1+your CHA modifier rounds

Control is at Hand: You may, as a Move Action, throw ropes/strings/chains(or other similiar object) at any Bipedal Creature, that cannot Float or Fly, and is Corporeal, and Control it if they fail a Will Save(DC 10+your CHA modifier) for 1+your CHA modifier rounds

No Strings Attached The Puppet may now act on its own accord, wield weapons, and be the effect of any spell that effects you.

Puppet Mastery: You, and your puppet gain certain spell-like abilities depending on its material:

Cloth | Hideous Laughter 3/day(CL 5th)

Flesh | Animate Dead 3/day(CL 6th)

Stone | Meld into Stone 3/day(CL 6th)

Metal | Chill Touch 3/day(CL 7th)

Bone | Knock, Detect Secret Doors 3/day(CL 6th)

Wood | Tree Stride 3/day (CL 9th)

Wax | Daylight 3/day (CL 4th)

Clay | Wall of Force 3/day (CL 10th)

Glass | Scrying 3/day (CL 8th)

note: during the creation process many DMs will allow you certain special abilities for your Puppet if you include things in the creation(example, Shroom lets Mechelen's Puppet gain the following Spell-like Abilities 3/day: Scorching Ray(by adding two Fire Opals worth 50gp each as the Puppets Eyes), and Animate Dead(by placing a Black Onyx Gem worth 50gp in each of the Puppets palms. He also allowed it to cast Feather Fall at will, because during creation, Mechelen scribed the spell into the innards of his Puppet(obviously not using ink of course), and the ability to have two natural claw attacks(Mechelen sharpened the fingers to hooked needle-like points))

Ex-Puppet Master

If a Puppet Master becomes a nonchaotic alignment it automatically loses all abilities and cannot advance in levels of Puppet Master until they become chaotic and do some form of atonement.

Playing a Puppet Master

Combat: Control

Advancement: The Puppet Master although normally doesn't advance in other classes many campaigns that allow it see this class mix with Kurinitus' Base Class 'Puppet Master'. The normal "advancement" for Puppet masters would be Sorcerer,

Resources: As a Chaotic character, there's no true orginazation, however, One may be in a Crafter's Guild , Artisan's Guild, or Performer's Guild. You may find that any Mage's Guilds might tend to decline a Puppet Master entrance. Puppet Masters have been rumored to be spotted working with an Assasin's Guild or two, but these cannot be confirmed.

Puppet Master in the World

Puppet Masters work nest in campaigns based around an urban enviroment. However, they are fairly adaptable, given the material

NPC Reactions: Most act as they would around any performer, with the exception that the Puppet Master is also a Arcane Spellcaster and may be treated a bit higher amoungst commonfolk, and performers, but as a more or less disgrace to true Masters of the Arcane

Puppet Master Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(Arcana) can research Puppet Master to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge(Arcana)

DC	Result
11	A magic-powered Performer focused in the use of Puppets
16
21	.
26	.

Puppet Masters in the Game

PC characters fit in as a spellcaster, and comic relief, if anything. NPC Puppet Masters can be hired, but most charge for either their proffession as a normal hireling, or for their spellcasting services. if NPC Puppet Masters are in your Campaign, they most likely will play the role of Comedic Assasins, or, at the very least, a good distraction, while a rogue robs a crowd blind.

Adaptation: You should only allow Puppet Master in your campaign if you plan on utterly screwing with the player

Sample Encounter: The Performer that had just moments ago caused the entire room to laugh by causing his wooden mannequin to sing while he drank dwarven ale now unleashes his wicked minion as he tries to take your very lives.

EL whatever:

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