Athasian Bard (5e Subclass)

Athasian Bard

Roguish Archetype

Note that this subclass is designed for use within the Dark Sun campaign setting.

The Athasian bard is a member of a bizarre class of entertainers and storytellers prized by the aristocratic city dwellers. Freemen all, the Athasian bards tour through cities in groups or individually, then travel on, making a living with their wits. It is also widely accepted that many Athasian bards lead double lives as notorious blackmailers, thieves, spies, and even assassins.

Athasian bards are first and foremost entertainers. Each has some skill as a singer, actor, poet, musician, and juggler. Among the nobility of the cities, Athasian bards are tools. They are commonly hired by one house of nobles and sent to another as a gift. The Athasian bards are sent to entertain, and usually to perform some other subtle task (such as robbery, assassination, espionage, etc.), as well. It is considered rude to turn down the gift of an Athasian bard or Athasian bard company. However, when presented with a troop of Athasian bards from one's worst enemy, sometimes they are turned away. To get around this, the hiring party sometimes disguises their approach by using a third party to send the Athasian bards—it can turn into a very complicated collage of intrigue and deceit.

Restriction: Performance

A rogue must have proficiency in Performance to be an Athasian bard.

Master of Poisons

At 3rd level you gain proficiency with a poisoner’s kit if you didn’t already have it. You are also able to apply poison to your weapon as a move action. Select two poisons from the 3rd-level poisons list for mastery. With your mastery of these poisons and the basic poison found in the adventuring gear section, each day you are able to make a single dose of any one of these poisons (or an effective facsimile thereof), using easily obtained materials (negligible cost to you) and without the need for downtime. Due to the improvised nature of these poisons, their potency only lasts a number of days equal to your rogue level. Poisons with longer shelf-life may still be crafted using the normal crafting rules. The cost of this poison mastery is that your sneak attack damage from this point on no longer increases and stays at 1d6.

At 9th level you may select three more poisons from either the 9th-level or 3rd-level poisons list. At 13th level, you may select two more poisons from the 13-level poisons list or below. At 17th level, you may select two more poisons from any of the lists.

3rd-Level Poisons

• Truth Serum
• Serpent Venom
• Crawler Mucus

9th-Level Poisons

• Drow Poison
• Burnt Othur Fumes
• Oil of Taggit
• Pale Tincture

13th-Level Poisons

• Wyvern Poison
• Essence of Ether
• Malice
• Torpor

17th-Level Poisons

• Assassin's Blood
• Midnight Tears
• Purple Worm Poison

Bardic Inspiration

At 3rd level, you can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain rogue levels. The die becomes a d8 at 9th level, a d10 at 13th level, and a d12 at 17th level.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 3rd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Countercharm

At 9th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

Font of Inspiration

Beginning when you reach 13th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Superior Inspiration

At 17th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

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