Void Puppet
Patron: Prince of the Slumbering Strings
You did not call the Puppeteer. He drifted into your soul like smoke into an empty bottle. The Slumbering Puppeteer is a Void Prince of indulgence and regret, a being of immense potential who chose not. Once a being of greatness, now a shadow curled in velvet lounges, toasting to what might have been. He moves not through violence but through subtle strings, pulling lives into melodrama, pleasure, and guilt.
Your power is born of his vices, your will, the hand that dances on strings.
(1st Level)
Patron Feat: Eye of Regret
You gain proficiency in Insight. If already proficient, double your proficiency bonus for it.
Once per short rest, you may activate the Eye of Syn, a shimmering pupil-like glyph that opens across your forehead or over one eye for 1 minute.
While active, you gain the following benefits:
- You can see Aṣé energy as colored threads around creatures.
- You learn whether each creature you see is a martial, caster, or hybrid.
- You may cast Detect Thoughts (no components, no slot) once while active.
- As a bonus action, touch a creature and force a Charisma saving throw. On a fail, you gain advantage on the next Persuasion, Intimidation, or Insight check made against them within 1 minute.
Ritual: “Echo’s Thread”
“Every puppet begins as a shadow.”
Components: Your reflection in a still bowl of wine, one finger dipped in ash, and a whispered apology
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Effect: You summon your Shadow Echo familiar (initially an amorphous humanoid outline).
To complete the ritual, you must press your own shadow into a surface and willingly give up a memory of joy, symbolized by burning a beloved item or trinket. You are haunted by a Shadow Duplicate, stitched from souls you've harvested. It mimics you in uncanny ways and grows as you pull more strings.
- You share telepathic communication (60 ft) with it.
- It levels up at class levels 1, 5, 10, and 15, gaining new powers and actions.
- This familiar links you to your patron and powers
Stage I: Echoform
Small Aberration, Neutral
AC 13 | HP 11 (2d8+2) | Speed 30 ft
STR 4 | DEX 14 | CON 12 | INT 6 | WIS 12 | CHA 8
Skills: Stealth +4, Insight +3
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft
Languages: Understands Common, speaks via eerie mimicry
Proficiency: Equal to your PB
Traits
- Soul Echo: May copy your voice and repeat any phrase heard in the last 24 hrs.
- Puppet Link: As a bonus action, you can see through its senses (60 ft range).
- Harvest Thread (1/day): After a creature dies within 10 ft, the Hollow Double may attempt to harvest their soul. Make a Charisma check vs DC = 10 + creature’s CR. On success, it stores a fragment of that soul.
Actions
- Mimic Lash: Melee Spell Attack, +4 to hit, 1d6 + 2 psychic. On hit, target has disadvantage on its next saving throw.
(5th Level)
Common Deeds: Strings of Indulgence
| Deed | Unlock Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Spilled Cup of Syn | Brew and share a drink in Syn’s name that causes peace or confession. | Once per long rest, cast Calm Emotions without a spell slot. Add +5 to Persuasion checks for 1 hour. |
| Drink with the Damned | Drink with a known villain and survive the meeting. | Gain resistance to poison and psychic damage for 1 hour. Once during this time, you may reroll a failed saving throw. |
| Mother’s String | Save a child, parent, or caregiver from a tragic fate. | Once per long rest, cast Warding Bond without a spell slot. Lasts 1 hour. |
| Last Performance | Survive an unwinnable battle through wit or surrender. | Once per long rest, when dropped to 0 HP, you instead drop to 1 HP and vanish for 1 turn. Reappear in shadow within 30 ft. |
| Syn’s Sip of Memory | Craft a brew from a creature’s emotional memory. | Drink it to gain advantage on all Insight, Deception, and Persuasion checks for 1 hour. The next failed Charisma save is auto-passed instead. |
Stage II: Cordtwist
Medium Aberration, Neutral
AC 15 | HP 40 | Speed 30 ft
STR 8 | DEX 16 | CON 14 | INT 10 | WIS 14 | CHA 12
Traits
- Soul Fragmentation (1/day): Spend a harvested soul to gain one trait or feature of the deceased for 1 hour (DM determines what is gained).
- Stringed Mimicry: Can duplicate your gestures and verbal components for spells you cast (cosmetic).
- Ethereal Anchor: You can switch places with your familiar as a reaction (1/long rest).
Actions
- Tether Strike: +6 to hit, 2d6 + 3 psychic. On hit, target must succeed DC 13 Wis save or have disadvantage on Insight and Charisma saves for 1 minute.
Voidblast Upgrades
Tether of Sloth
Your Voidblast wraps in intangible puppet strings. If a target fails a Strength or Dexterity save in the next round, they are restrained for 1 round (once per turn).
(9th Level)
Ritual: “The Eye Behind the Curtain”
“I don’t want to act. Just... watch.”
Components: A sealed flask of your own tears, a marionette or doll you’ve kept for 30 days, and the name of someone you failed
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Effect: You call upon the Puppeteer, who appears as a lounging, indifferent silhouette, his mouth moving slightly behind a theater mask.
He may grant insight into others’ souls, let you see “strings of failure” in enemies or allies, or share gossip from the dead. But sometimes, he just shrugs.
(10th Level)
Greater Deeds: Theater of Regret
| Deed | Unlock Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tavern of Tears | Open or bless a tavern in Syn’s name. | Once per long rest, while inside a tavern or friendly hearth, cast Aura of Vitality and Heroes’ Feast (1 hour prep). |
| Lifeline Thread | Save a dying ally using your familiar. | Once/long rest, when a creature within 30 ft would drop to 0 HP, your familiar may swap places and take the blow. It dies instead. |
| Soul Stitch | Revive a soul using only your touch and memories. | 1/day, cast Revivify without components. If the creature was killed by psychic, necrotic, or poison, DC is reduced by 5. |
| Addiction’s Grip | Help a creature overcome a cursed addiction or compulsion. | That creature becomes immune to being Charmed or Frightened for 24 hours. You gain temporary HP = your Warlock level. |
| Shared Slumber | Enter another’s dream to share their pain or joy. | 1/day, cast Dream without components. You may restore a spell slot or remove a condition from the dreamer upon success. |
Stage III: Marionshade
Large Aberration, Neutral
AC 16 | HP 70 | Speed 40 ft
STR 12 | DEX 18 | CON 14 | INT 12 | WIS 16 | CHA 14
Traits
- String Veil (1/day): Targets of your familiar’s attack must save or be silenced (verbal) and slowed until the end of their next turn.
- Umbra Walker: It can walk through dim light as difficult terrain and gains resistance to force and psychic.
- Mimic Reality: When you cast a spell, the familiar can cast a cantrip at the same target as a reaction.
Voidblast Upgrade
Regret Spiral
When Voidblast hits a creature below half HP, they must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned until the end of their next turn (1/long rest per creature).
(15th Level)
Mythic Deed: Syn’s Final Toast
| Deed | Unlock Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Glass Raised Alone | Save your entire party while near death yourself. | You gain access to the Mythic Shield of Strings: |
| 1/day, as a reaction, create a 20 ft radius void shield that nullifies all incoming damage or effects (including AOE) for 1 round. You are left Exhausted (Level 1). | ||
| While the shield is active, allies within may take reactions even while unconscious or paralyzed. |
Stage IV: Hollow King
Huge Aberration (Void), Chaotic Neutral
AC 18 | HP 150 | Speed 40 ft, teleport 30 ft
STR 16 | DEX 20 | CON 14 | INT 14 | WIS 18 | CHA 18
Saves: Wis +8, Cha +8
Senses: Blindsight 30 ft, Darkvision 120 ft
Traits
- Mythic Bond: Shares initiative with you. If slain, reforms after a long rest unless banished with radiant or divine force.
- Void Marionette: May copy a downed creature’s appearance and mimic their voice. DC 17 Insight to see through it.
- Puppet Theater (1/day): All creatures within 20 ft make Wisdom saves or become incapacitated for 1 turn as visions of regret flood them.
Legendary Actions (2/round)
- Shift Position: Teleports 30 ft.
- Soul Pluck (Costs 2): Target must succeed on a Cha save or lose their next reaction and take 3d8 psychic damage.
Voidblast Upgrade
Syn’s Thread Sever
Once per turn, when your Voidblast hits, you may force a creature to roll a d4. Until the end of their next turn, they subtract that number from all saving throws.
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