Marionette
About this class
The Marionette is a battlefield controller who manipulates enemies, allies, and fate itself through unseen threads of magic, blood, shadow, or spirit. Whether through cursed strings, spectral wires, or ritual bindings, a Marionette bends movement, actions, and outcomes—turning combat into a choreographed performance.
Domains
Blade
Starting stats
Hope feature
Class features
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Bound Conduit
The Puppet occupies its own space and is fully controlled by you. It is not a creature.
You may originate spells and class features from yourself or the Puppet.
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Puppet Zone
While active, the Puppet projects a Very Close-range zone. You are treated as present in this zone for spells, conditions, and class features.
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Shared Harm
Any damage, healing, or Stress the Puppet would receive is transferred to you.
Class items
- A dismantled prototype Puppet limbs
Character questions
Background prompts
- Who or what was the first target of your threads, and why did you bind them?
- What physical or emotional toll do you pay when you push your threads too far?
- Who once held your strings, and how did you break free?
Connection prompts
- When my magic almost consumed me in battle, how did you pull me back from the edge?
- I altered fate to help you, but it backfired on someone you care about. What went wrong?
- I can easily attach my spectral wires to you in combat. Do you find my control empowering or disturbing?
Subclass cards
Printable via header menu
Thread Warden
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Finesse
Grasping Strings: While a creature is inside your Puppet Zone, you may mark 1 Stress to pull it into melee with the Puppet.
The pull ignores difficult terrain.
Extended Threads: Once per short rest, you may reposition your Puppet anywhere within Far range.
Thread Warden
Specialization
Reel and Rend: When you pull a creature with Hooked Strings, you may deal +1d6 damage.
Pulled creature becomes Temporary Vulnerable.
Thread Warden
Mastery
Execution Strings: When a creature is pulled into melee within your Puppet Zone, you may:
Deal an additional d8 Physical damage with your profficiency, and
Knock it Prone or Restrain it Temporarily
If the target only have 1-2 hit points left, Execute the target instead.
Weaver of Woe
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Finesse
Tangled Fates: When an ally within Far range is targeted by an attack, you may mark 1 Stress to force the attacker to make their roll with Disadvantage as your spectral threads yank your ally out of harm's way.
If the attack still hits, you may reduce the damage your ally takes by an amount equal to your Spellcast Modifier.
Silk-Bound Shield: Once per short rest, when you or an ally takes physical damage, you can snap a thread to manifest a barrier of razor-wire. You or the ally reduce the threshold by 1 against that attack, and the attacker takes 1d6 physical damage from the snapping backlash.
Weaver of Woe
Specialization
Meat Puppet: Put a token in this card with your Spellcast Trait.
When an enemy within your Puppet Zone misses an attack against you or an ally, you may immediately force that enemy to repeat that same attack against another enemy of your choice within their melee range.
Regain the tokens on Rests.
Weaver of Woe
Mastery
Strings of Destiny: Once per long rest, you can unleash a web of fate across the battlefield. For the rest of the scene, your Puppet Zone expands to Far range around your Puppet.
Whenever an enemy inside this zone deals damage, you can Spend a Hope to split that damage evenly between that enemy and their original target. Furthermore, any healing received by your allies inside the zone is copied and applied to your Puppet.
Marionette
The Marionette is a battlefield controller who manipulates enemies, allies, and fate itself through unseen threads of magic, blood, shadow, or spirit. Whether through cursed strings, spectral wires, or ritual bindings, a Marionette bends movement, actions, and outcomes—turning combat into a choreographed performance.
Domains
Blade + Blood
Starting Evasion
10
Starting Hit Points
6
Class Items
- • A dismantled prototype Puppet limbs
Marionette’s Hope Feature
Perfect Synchrony : You can make a tag team move with your puppet.
Class Features
Bound Conduit
The Puppet occupies its own space and is fully controlled by you. It is not a creature. You may originate spells and class features from yourself or the Puppet.
Puppet Zone
While active, the Puppet projects a Very Close-range zone. You are treated as present in this zone for spells, conditions, and class features.
Shared Harm
Any damage, healing, or Stress the Puppet would receive is transferred to you.
Marionette Subclasses
Choose either the Thread Warden or Weaver of Woe subclass.
Thread Warden
Crowd Control, Burst Damage
Spellcast Trait
Finesse
Foundation Features
Grasping Strings: While a creature is inside your Puppet Zone, you may mark 1 Stress to pull it into melee with the Puppet.
The pull ignores difficult terrain.Extended Threads: Once per short rest, you may reposition your Puppet anywhere within Far range.
Specialization Feature
Reel and Rend: When you pull a creature with Hooked Strings, you may deal +1d6 damage.
Pulled creature becomes Temporary Vulnerable.
Mastery Feature
Execution Strings: When a creature is pulled into melee within your Puppet Zone, you may:
Deal an additional d8 Physical damage with your profficiency, and
Knock it Prone or Restrain it Temporarily
If the target only have 1-2 hit points left, Execute the target instead.
Weaver of Woe
Helping Allies
Spellcast Trait
Finesse
Foundation Features
Tangled Fates: When an ally within Far range is targeted by an attack, you may mark 1 Stress to force the attacker to make their roll with Disadvantage as your spectral threads yank your ally out of harm's way.
If the attack still hits, you may reduce the damage your ally takes by an amount equal to your Spellcast Modifier.
Silk-Bound Shield: Once per short rest, when you or an ally takes physical damage, you can snap a thread to manifest a barrier of razor-wire. You or the ally reduce the threshold by 1 against that attack, and the attacker takes 1d6 physical damage from the snapping backlash.
Specialization Feature
Meat Puppet: Put a token in this card with your Spellcast Trait.
When an enemy within your Puppet Zone misses an attack against you or an ally, you may immediately force that enemy to repeat that same attack against another enemy of your choice within their melee range.
Regain the tokens on Rests.
Mastery Feature
Strings of Destiny: Once per long rest, you can unleash a web of fate across the battlefield. For the rest of the scene, your Puppet Zone expands to Far range around your Puppet.
Whenever an enemy inside this zone deals damage, you can Spend a Hope to split that damage evenly between that enemy and their original target. Furthermore, any healing received by your allies inside the zone is copied and applied to your Puppet.
Background Questions
Answer any of the following, or create your own.
- • Who or what was the first target of your threads, and why did you bind them?
- • What physical or emotional toll do you pay when you push your threads too far?
- • Who once held your strings, and how did you break free?
Connections
Ask one of the following, or improvise.
- • When my magic almost consumed me in battle, how did you pull me back from the edge?
- • I altered fate to help you, but it backfired on someone you care about. What went wrong?
- • I can easily attach my spectral wires to you in combat. Do you find my control empowering or disturbing?
Discussion
Be thoughtful and kind.
Remember to be respectful. Comments are moderated and should add to the discussion.
