The Puppeteer's Lair: A Macabre Performance

Medium Difficulty

Recommended Level

2-4

Encounter Type

Mixed (Combat, Exploration, Puzzle)

Setting

A once-grand theater, now dilapidated and twisted into a macabre puppet stage. Strings crisscross the space, while eerie wooden constructs litter the area. The air is thick with the scent of sawdust and dark magic.

Creatures

Madame Frelia, the Puppeteer (Boss, C4)
Enchanted Puppets (C2) x6
Wooden Constructs (C1) x4

Terrain

Maze-like layout with shifting walls and platforms controlled by pulleys and levers. Strings cover the area, acting as difficult terrain and potential hazards.

Weather

None

Time of Day

Perpetual twilight, with flickering lanterns providing eerie illumination.

Environment

Interactable Elements

Levers and pulleys (DC 12 Strength check) to manipulate the layout. Strings can be cut (DC 14 Dexterity check) or tied (DC 12 Sleight of Hand check) to create new paths or traps.

Traps

Tripwire strings (DC 15 Perception to spot, DC 13 Dexterity to avoid) that trigger swinging blades or falling debris. Pressure plates (DC 16 Investigation to detect) that summon puppets or constructs.

Conditions

Low visibility in certain areas due to shadows and dim lighting (DC 12 Perception to navigate safely).

Objectives

Primary Objective

Navigate the shifting maze, disable the puppet constructs, and confront Madame Frelia in her control booth to stop her twisted performance.

Secondary Objectives

Discover the source of Madame Frelia's power and sever her connection to the puppets. Locate any captives or victims she may be using as part of her show.

Narrative

Lore

Madame Frelia was once a renowned puppeteer, but her obsession with control and perfection led her to delve into dark magic. She now uses enchanted strings to manipulate living beings as her twisted puppets.

Rails

"The eerie sound of creaking wood and jangling strings echoes through the decrepit theater as you approach. Suddenly, the doors slam shut behind you, and the stage comes to life with a macabre performance. Wooden puppets dance across the boards, their movements jerky and unnatural, as a sinister voice booms from the control booth: 'Welcome to my show, where the strings pull you!'"

Potential Outcomes and Consequences

Defeating Madame Frelia will free any captives and break her hold over the puppets. However, if she escapes, her twisted performances may continue elsewhere, and her dark magic could spread. Discovering the source of her power may lead to further adventures.

Puzzles and Riddles

The Puppeteer's Code

Clues scattered throughout the theater hint at a sequence of lever pulls and string manipulations needed to reach Madame Frelia's booth (DC 16 Investigation to decipher the code).

NPCs and Allies

Trapped Performers

Former actors or stagehands, now enslaved by Madame Frelia's magic, may offer assistance if freed from her control.

Key Elements

The Puppet Master's Strings

Madame Frelia's source of power, these enchanted strings allow her to control constructs and living beings. Severing or disrupting them could weaken her hold.

The Grand Finale Lever

A hidden lever that, when pulled, triggers a spectacular (and potentially deadly) stage effect meant to be Madame Frelia's grand finale.

Dynamic Elements

Shifting Stages

As the players progress, Madame Frelia will manipulate the layout, opening new paths or separating the party to divide and conquer.

Escalating Performances

If the players take too long, Madame Frelia will escalate her performance, summoning more powerful constructs or unleashing more dangerous traps and effects.

Marionette Menaces

Medium construct, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)

Speed 30 ft.

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9

Languages —

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Actions

Multiattack.

The Marionette Menace makes two melee attacks with its wooden limbs.

Wooden Limb.

Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Tactics

Swarming Assault

The Marionette Menaces often attack in groups, swarming their targets with their jerky movements and wooden limbs. They prioritize surrounding and overwhelming weaker foes, relying on their numbers to overwhelm stronger opponents.

Defensive Maneuvers

While not particularly durable, the Marionette Menaces' erratic movements make them difficult to pin down. They use their Jerky Movement ability to their advantage, constantly shifting positions and provoking opportunity attacks to disrupt their enemies' tactics.

Society and Culture

Puppets of Madness

The Marionette Menaces have no society or culture of their own, existing solely as extensions of Madame Frelia's twisted will. They are mindless constructs, animated by her dark magic and bound to serve her whims.

Corrupted Artistry

In regions where Madame Frelia's influence has spread, the once-beloved art of puppetry has become tainted. Performances are now viewed with suspicion and fear, as the line between entertainment and dark sorcery has become blurred.

Marionettes of Malice

Medium construct, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 36 (8d8)

Speed 30 ft.

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages understands the languages of its creator but can't speak

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Actions

Multiattack.

The Marionette of Malice makes two melee attacks.

Stringed Strike.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the Marionette's strings until the start of the Marionette's next turn.

Tactics

Swarming Attacks

The Marionettes of Malice prefer to overwhelm their foes with sheer numbers, swarming them from multiple angles and using their Stringed Strike to restrain and immobilize their targets. They often work in tandem, with some Marionettes restraining while others attack the helpless foes.

Defensive Maneuvers

While not particularly durable, the Marionettes of Malice can use their unsettling movements to their advantage, causing foes to become frightened and potentially hindering their attacks. They may also attempt to flee and regroup if faced with overwhelming force, only to strike again when their foes least expect it.

Society and Culture

Madame Frelia's Puppets

The Marionettes of Malice have no society or culture of their own, existing solely as extensions of Madame Frelia's will. They are her tools, her instruments of performance, and her enforcers, carrying out her twisted visions without question or hesitation.

Echoes of Humanity

Despite their construct nature, the Marionettes of Malice occasionally display remnants of the humanity they once possessed. These fleeting glimpses, whether in their movements or the expressions frozen on their faces, serve as a haunting reminder of the fate that befell Madame Frelia's former performers.

Madame Frelia, the Stringbinder

Medium Humanoid (Human), Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)

Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)

Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +6

Skills Deception +7, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +6

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

Senses passive Perception 11

Languages Common, Abyssal

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Special Abilities

Puppeteer's Control.

Madame Frelia can use her bonus action to manipulate the strings attached to her puppets and constructs within 60 feet. She can command them to move up to their full speed or perform one action on her turn.

Binding Strings.

Madame Frelia can cast the spell Evard's Black Tentacles at will, without expending a spell slot. The tentacles are made of her enchanted strings, and she can manipulate them as part of her Puppeteer's Control ability.

Actions

Multiattack.

Madame Frelia makes two attacks with her Stringlash.

Stringlash.

Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) by Madame Frelia's enchanted strings. Until this grapple ends, Madame Frelia can use her bonus action to deal an additional 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage to the grappled target.

Tactics

Divide and Conquer

Madame Frelia prefers to separate her opponents, using her Puppeteer's Control ability to maneuver her constructs and enslaved minions as distractions or barriers. She then focuses her attacks on isolated targets, attempting to grapple them with her Stringlash and deal continuous damage while they struggle to break free.

Defensive Maneuvers

If overwhelmed, Madame Frelia will use her Binding Strings ability to entangle foes, creating a barrier of writhing tentacles to protect herself. She may also command her puppets and constructs to interpose themselves between her and her enemies, using them as temporary shields.

Society and Culture

The Puppeteer's Legacy

Madame Frelia's twisted performances have become the stuff of urban legends, with tales of her enchanted strings and living puppets striking fear into the hearts of nearby communities. Some misguided individuals seek her out, hoping to learn her dark secrets and gain control over others.

Cult of the Stringbinder

A small but devoted cult has formed around Madame Frelia, worshipping her as a dark mistress of the strings. These deranged followers seek to please her by capturing new "performers" for her twisted shows, often kidnapping travelers or even entire families to offer as sacrifices to the Stringbinder.