The Puppetmaster
  1. Characters

The Puppetmaster

In Kalorand, there is a standing order issued by the Church and enforced by civic authority:

The Puppetmaster is to be arrested on sight.

She is not charged as a heretic or criminal performer. She is classified as an external destabilization agent, accused of spreading coordinated misinformation, interfering with sacred infrastructure, and manipulating unauthorized actors beyond the city’s borders.

Official notices describe her as:

  • A foreign agitator

  • A coordinator of unsanctioned expeditions

  • A threat to civic stability

Her performances are explicitly forbidden. Harboring her is a serious offense.

Despite this, stories persist.

People speak of shadow plays that appear for only minutes and vanish. Of whispered conversations in doorways. Of questions asked by a woman whose face is always half-hidden by light and cloth. Of performances that seem less like stories and more like rehearsals.

Adventurers sometimes realize they are being watched after returning from strange places. Sometimes they are approached quietly, days later, by a woman who seems to know where they have been without being told.

She never appears when danger is immediate.
She never stays when attention lingers.

If she is real, she is careful.

Stats

The Puppetmaster

Bard (Arcane), Level 13
Female human, outlaw, classified destabilization actor

Armor Class: 16
(Dexterity + magic items)
Hit Dice: 13d6 (45 hp)
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Attacks: Dagger or staff +6 (1d4 or 1d6)
Saving Throws: As Bard 13
Morale: 11
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: Special (do not normally award)

Ability Scores

  • STR 9

  • DEX 17

  • CON 12

  • INT 18

  • WIS 14

  • CHA 16

Class Abilities

Bardic Lore (Master)

Treat her lore chance as effectively automatic for:

  • Standing stones and ley-bound magic

  • Ancient or pre-Church artifacts

  • Planar, astral, or transitive magic

She frequently identifies:

  • Relationships between artifacts

  • Missing components

  • Incorrect interpretations

She does not speculate publicly.

Spellcasting 

The Puppetmaster casts arcane bard spells,

Her spells are encoded as:

  • Performance scripts

  • Tonal notation

  • Puppet choreography

She requires voice, motion, or rhythm to cast. Silence or restraint meaningfully limits her.

Spells Memorized

1st Level

  • Charm Person

  • Detect Magic

  • Light

  • Read Languages

2nd Level

  • Invisibility

  • Levitate

  • Blur

3rd Level

  • Dispel Magic

  • Fly

  • Haste

4th Level

  • Dimension Door

  • Hallucinatory Terrain

She does not prepare destructive magic unless absolutely necessary.

Magic Items (OSE Core Only)

Cloak of Protection +1

  • +1 AC and +1 to all saving throws

Ring of Invisibility

  • Primary break-contact tool

  • Used sparingly and tactically

Ring of Protection +1

  • Stacks with cloak

  • Passive, non-flashy defense

Boots of Speed

  • Used briefly to exit danger zones

  • Never sustained for pursuit

Scrolls (1–3 at any time)

Chosen from:

  • Invisibility

  • Dimension Door

  • Dispel Magic

Scrolls rotate frequently to avoid pattern recognition.

Effective Defenses

  • Solid AC without armor

  • Strong saves

  • Multiple exit vectors

  • No reliance on illegal spell levels

  • All escapes are rules-legal

She survives because she disengages early.

Tactics

She never seeks combat.

If threatened:

  1. Break line of sight (Invisibility, terrain, crowds)

  2. Create distance (Boots of Speed, Fly)

  3. Exit (Dimension Door or prepared scroll)

If cornered:

  • Abandons possessions

  • Burns scrolls

  • Escapes alone

If captured:

  • Cooperates narrowly

  • Offers correct but context-free answers

  • Never reveals motivation

DM Guidance

  • She should escape unless the party plans exceptionally well

  • Her danger comes from correlation, not damage

  • Killing her early should collapse information flow, not “solve” anything

Final Note

The Puppetmaster does not break the rules.

She exploits the spaces between them.

January 8th, 2026 January 8th, 2026