College of Nature (5e Subclass)

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Design Note: This bardic college is based off of the variant bard from the revised 3rd edition's Unearthed Arcana.

College of Nature

Bard Subclass

A rare bard might display a special link to nature and the mysterious world of the fey. Such characters tend to be more aloof and less inspiring than standard bards. Normally studying under druids and other practitioners of the wilds than other bards.

Bonus Proficiencies

You gain proficiency in the Nature skill. If you are already proficient in the nature skill, you gain proficiency in one other skill of your choice. You also gain proficiency with medium armor, but like a druid, you do not wear metal armor. Additionally, you can use a druidic focus as your spellcasting focus.

Druid's Tongue

You're not a druid, but you've spent enough time with them learning their magic, so you've learned their language. You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check but can't decipher it without magic.

Nature Magic

By the time you choose this bardic college at 3rd level, you have formed a mystical connection with nature. You gain the druidcraft cantrip and can cast it at will. This counts as a bard cantrip for you and does not count against the number of cantrips known. Also, you gain additional spells for your list of spells known that are connected to the land you studied as shown on the tables below.

Arctic

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	hold person, spike growth
5th	sleet storm, slow
7th	freedom of movement, ice storm
9th	commune with nature, cone of cold

Coast

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	mirror image, misty step
5th	water breathing, water walk
7th	control water, freedom of movement
9th	conjure elemental, scrying

Desert

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	blur, silence
5th	create food and water, protection from energy
7th	blight, hallucinatory terrain
9th	insect plague, wall of stone

Forest

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	barkskin, spider climb
5th	call lightning, plant growth
7th	divination, freedom of movement
9th	commune with nature, tree stride

Grassland

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	invisibility, pass without trace
5th	daylight, haste
7th	divination, freedom of movement
9th	dream, insect plague

Mountain

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	spider climb, spike growth
5th	lightning bolt, meld into stone
7th	stone shape, stoneskin
9th	passwall, wall of stone

Swamp

Bard Level	Nature Spells
3rd	acid arrow, darkness
5th	water walk, stinking cloud
7th	freedom of movement, locate creature
9th	insect plague, scrying

Land's Stride

Starting at 6th level, you ignore difficult terrain costs and you are immune to damage taken from plant-based hazards such as those described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws imposed on you by creatures with the plant creature type and against any spell that utilizes plants, vine and other nature-based matter such as the entangle spell.

Thorns of Nature

Starting at 14th level, as a reaction to being targeted by an attack or spell by a creature you can see within 60 feet, vines and similar plants native to the area you studied spring up from the ground, forcing them to make a Dexterity saving throw or become restrained for 1 minute and take piercing damage equal to your level. Creatures restrained this way take this piercing damage at the start of each of their turn and can use their action to attempt a Strength saving throw to escape. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain all expanded uses when you complete a long rest.

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