Bard, 3rd Variant (5e Class)
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Bard
***This is extremely experimental, feel free to critique*** (this is another rendition of the 1st bard variant with full spellcasting, a new spell list, and a simpler, but better bardic inspiration as well as some new stuff, enjoy!)
Humming softly as she traces her fingers over an ancient monument in a long-forgotten ruin, a half-elf in rugged leathers finds the ancient runes matching with her tune. Knowledge of the people who constructed the monument and the mythic saga it depicts become clear.
A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically against his scale mail, setting the tempo for his war chant, embodying the bravery and strength of heroes of old.
Laughing as she tunes her cittern, a gnome gives her ally the confidence of a commanding king which immediately demands the noble's attentions.
Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic and words to tap into past potential, inspiring allies, demoralizing foes, manipulating minds, creating illusions, and healing wounds.
Creating a Bard
You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Secondly, choose the entertainer background. Third choose the dancing lights and vicious mockery cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells: comprehend languages, dissonant whispers, healing word, and feather fall.
Class Features
As a Bard you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Bard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, whips
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) rapier or (b) longsword or (c) any simple weapon
- (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack
- (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
- leather armor and a dagger
Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Cantrips Known | Features | Spells Known | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |||||
1st | +2 | 2 | Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2nd | +2 | 2 | Perennial Saga, Restorative Summation | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3rd | +2 | 2 | Bard College, Narrative Scholar | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4th | +2 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5th | +3 | 3 | Bardic Inspiration (d6) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6th | +3 | 3 | Countercharm, Bard College Feature | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7th | +3 | 3 | — | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
8th | +3 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
9th | +4 | 3 | Perennial Saga Improvement | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
10th | +4 | 4 | Inspiring Presence | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
11th | +4 | 4 | Bardic Inspiration (d8), Countercharm Improvement | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
12th | +4 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
13th | +5 | 4 | Bard College Feature | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
14th | +5 | 4 | Aegis of Brotherhood | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
15th | +5 | 4 | — | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
16th | +5 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
17th | +6 | 4 | Bardic Inspiration (d10) | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
18th | +6 | 4 | Gleaming Arcana | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
19th | +6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 21 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
20th | +6 | 4 | Bard College Feature | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Spellcasting
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in accordance with your perceptions of reality and history. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations.
- Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.
- Spell Slots
The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.
- Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the Bard Spell List.
The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 4th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
- Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into your performance. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Ritual Casting
You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
- Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument (see “Equipment”) or other tool aiding your performance as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
Bardic Inspiration
You can inspire others through words, music, and other inspiring actions. To do so, you use an action on your turn to choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, including yourself, who can hear you. Those creatures gain one Bardic Inspiration die, a d4.
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 DM 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. If no one uses their die, you regain that use of Bardic Inspiration.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier + 1 (a minimum of twice). You regain any uses when you finish a long rest.
Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d6 at 5th level, a d8 at 11th level, and a d10 at 17th level.
Perennial Saga
Starting at 2nd level, you gain visions of feats of those from history and stories who lend you their talents to continue the story. After a long rest, you may change a number of skills you’re trained in equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of one). At 9th level, you are able to change your skills in this manner when you finish a short or long rest.
Restorative Summation
Beginning at 2nd level, you can retell recent events and inspire new strength and courage in yourself and your allies. You may take one minute when there are no hostile creatures nearby to tell a story of your party’s recent actions. This will cause up to 7 friendly creatures - including yourself if you choose - will regain some their expended abilities. Each creature is allowed to choose what they gain from this. Once done, you cannot do this again until you take a long rest. Each creature affected may choose one of the following options to regain:
- A number of hit dice equal to a quarter your bard level (min 1).
- One rage. This option is only accessible to barbarians only.
- A number of uses for Bardic Inspiration equal to half your Charisma modifier rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to bards.
- One use of channel divinity. This option is only accessible to clerics.
- One use of beast shape. This option is only accessible to druids.
- One use of second wind. This option is only accessible to fighters.
- A number of ki points equal to half your bard level rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to monks.
- A number of points for lay on hands equal to 5 x half your bard level rounded down (min. 5). This option is only accessible to paladins.
- A number of sorcery points equal to half your bard level rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to sorcerers.
- One usage of a secondary “once per short or long rest” patron ability. This option is only accessible to warlocks.
- A number of spell slots with a combined level equal to or less than half your bard level (min 1).
- Lose one level of exhaustion.
- One charge on a magic item that has charges and gains charges at dawn or after a long rest.
Bard College
At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice: the College of Lore, the College of Valor, the College of Glamour, the College of Swords, or the College of Whispers, each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you the option of new Tales and other features when you choose at 3rd level as well as other features at 6th, 11th, and 14th levels.
Narrative Scholar
You are so attuned to the structure of stories that you’re knowledge and magic can give you an insight into certain details about any piece of writing. If you spend 10 minutes reading something during a short or long rest in a language that you understand, you may instantly know 3 of the following:
- Fiction v. Nonfiction v. Hazy (Supernatural)
- If it is written in a code, but not necessarily which words are coded and what they actually mean
- Mental state of the writer of the original piece at the time of writing
- What an illustrated picture of the writer of the original piece at the time of writing would look like
- Where the original version was written in a general area of 300 foot radius as long as it’s on the same plane of existence
- Any symbolism or historical parallels relating to real life
- What instruments, materials, and methods the original piece was created with
You may only do this once with any one document.
Countercharm
At 6th level, you gain the ability to use your skills to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you may perform in such a way, that all friendly creatures within 120 feet of you are no longer frightened or charmed if they currently are. The friendly creatures must be able to see or hear you in order to be affected by this. This extends to ending the paralyzed and stunned effects at 11th level.
Inspiring Presence
At 10th level, any minor action you make can become a font of inspiration for nearby comrades. Whenever you roll a 20 on a d20 for an attack roll or ability check, you may use Bardic Inspiration without expending a use of Bardic Inspiration as a reaction. If the targets of this Bardic Inspiration already have a Bardic Inspiration die, they may have an additional Bardic Inspiration die, but they cannot use multiple Bardic Inspiration dice on one roll.
Aegis of Brotherhood
At 14th level, you are able to synchronize with those around you, making you more resilient against any barrage or obstacle you may encounter. When at least one friendly creature, including yourself, within 30 feet must make a saving throw, you may take a reaction to give you and each creature of your choice (min. 1) within 30 feet an additional d4 on that saving throw. The targets must be of size small or larger or have an intelligence of 6 or above. You may choose to make this reaction after one of the creatures rolls the d20, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.
Additionally, any creatures targeted by this ability may use their reaction to add an additional d4 to that saving throw for all previously targeted creatures, including themselves. Creatures understand the effects of using their reaction in this way and that they are capable of taking their reaction. These creatures are also able to make this reaction after one of the creatures rolls the d20 and the additional d4s, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.
If a targeted creature has a Bardic Inspiration die, they may use their reaction to expend their Bardic Inspiration die and add it to the collective bonus of the saving throw instead of the d4.
If a friendly creature has one of your Bardic Inspiration dice it may be targeted by this ability as long as it is within 120 feet.
(feel free to critique this one in particular, I'm quite uncertain of this one.)
Gleaming Arcana
Beginning at 18th level, when you give a creature Bardic Inspiration, you may allow them to comprehend the feeling and understanding of your magic, in essence giving them a spell. You may use a spell slot of 3rd level or lower and loan a spell of that spell level to a creature within the range of Bardic Inspiration. Within the next 10 minutes, that target may cast that spell as if they were proficient with it. If they have the ability to cast spells, they use their spellcasting modifier to cast the spell. If they do not, they use charisma as their spellcasting modifier. They do not get a bardic inspiration when you use this feature on them.
You may give any number of spells to any number of creatures during a bardic inspiration as long as you expend the appropriate spell slots and they forgo taking the Bardic Inspiration die.
Bard Colleges
The way of bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other to swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions.
College of Lore
Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held to be true, from their faith in the priesthood of the local temple to their loyalty to the king.
The loyalty of these bards lies in the pursuit of beauty and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic.
The college's members gather in libraries and sometimes in actual colleges, complete with classrooms and dormitories, to share their lore with one another. They also meet at festivals or affairs of state, where they can expose corruption, unravel lies, and poke fun at self-important figures of authority.
- Cutting Words
At 3rd level you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. You can use an action on your turn to choose any creatures within 20 feet of you by expending a use of Bardic Inspiration. Each creature chosen subtracts a Bardic Inspiration die from an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll within the next 10 minutes (your choice). The creature is immune if it can’t hear you of if it’s immune to being charmed.
- Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Lore at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.
- Expertise
At 6th level, choose three of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses any of the chosen proficiencies.
If these skills would be changed using Perennial saga, you gain expertise in whichever skill or skills that you replaced them with.
- Magical Secrets
Starting at 13th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose four spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, but don’t contribute to your spells known.
- Painful Truths
At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies knowledge and quick cunning. When you use a normal Bardic Inspiration, you may choose a type of damage.
If a creature with your Bardic Inspiration Die hits a creature with that damage type and the hit creature has resistance to the chosen type of damage, they may deal damage as if the creature didn’t have resistance to it.
Additionally, if the hit creature has immunity to that type of damage, the attacker may deal damage as if it only had resistance to it.
College of Valor
Bards of the College of Valor are daring skalds whose tales keep alive the memory of the great heroes of the past, and thereby inspire a new generation of heroes. These bards gather in mead halls or around great bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past and present. They travel the land to witness great events firsthand and to ensure that the memory of those events doesn't pass from the world. With their performances, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.
- Combat Inspiration
At 3rd level, you learn to inspire others in battle. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number to a weapon damage roll it just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.
- Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Valor at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
- Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
- Battle Magic
At 13th level, you have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your action to cast a bard spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
- Heroic Passion
At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies courage. As long as a creature has a Bardic Inspiration Die from you, it gains 15 temporary hit points. At the start of each of its turns, if it has less than 15 temporary hit points, its temporary hit points are restored to 15.
Additionally, while they have that Bardic Inspiration Die, it may deal an extra amount of damage on its first hit each turn equal to 3 x your Charisma modifier. It also has advantage on Strength saving throws and may make an additional reaction once per round.
College of Glamour
The College of Glamour is the home of bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant realm of the Feywild or under the tutelage of someone who dwelled there. Tutored by satyrs, eladrin, and other fey, these bards learn to use their magic to delight and captivate others.
The bards of this college are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of legend. These bards are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency. The same magic that allows them to quell beasts can also bend minds. Villainous bards of this college can leech off a community for weeks, misusing their magic to turn their hosts into thralls. Heroic bards of this college instead use this power to gladden the downtrodden and undermine oppressors.
- Mantle of Inspiration
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to weave fey magic that imbues your allies with vigor and speed.
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier plus one (minimum of two). You may be included in these creatures. Each of them gains 5 temporary hit points. When a creature gains these hit points it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 8 at 5th level, 11 at 10th level, and 14 at 15th level.
- Enthralling Performance
Starting at 3rd level, you can charge your performance with seductive fey magic.
If you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience by performing. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, it speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it avoids violence unless it was already inclined to fight on your behalf. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies.
If a target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Mantle of Majesty
At 6th level, you gain the ability to cloak yourself in a fey magic that makes others want to serve you. As a bonus action, you cast command, without expending a spell slot, and you take on an appearance of unearthly beauty for 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell). During this time, you can cast command as a bonus action on each of your turns, without expending a spell slot.
Any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the command you cast with this feature.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Unbreakable Majesty
At 13th level, your appearance permanently gains an otherworldly aspect that makes you look more lovely and fierce
In addition, as a bonus action, you can assume a magically majestic appearance for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. For the duration, whenever any creature tries to attack you for the first time on a turn, the attacker must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it can't attack you on this turn, and it must choose a new target for it's attack or the attack is wasted. On a successful save, it can attack you on this turn, but it has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against your spells on your turn.
Once you assume this majestic presence, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Flights of Fancy
At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies whimsy and celerity. When you use a normal Bardic Inspiration, you may choose either teleportation or flight.
As long as a creature has a normal Bardic Inspiration Die from you, they may choose to use any amount of their movement to move in the way chosen. If you choose flight, they are considered proficient in it and may take all actions they could normally on the ground, unless it is an action which specifically requires being on the ground. If they would use their Bardic Inspiration Die while flying and do not have another die prepared, they would begin falling at a rate of 60 feet per second and take falling damage as normal.
If you choose teleportation, they are considered proficient in it and will not become disoriented by it. Additionally, teleporting does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
College of Swords
Bards of College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing, and mock combats. Through they use their weapons to entertain, they are also highly trained and skilled warriors in their own right.
Their talent with weapons inspires many blades to lead double lives. One blade might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against cruel and powerful. Most troupes are happy to accept a blade's talent for the excitement it adds to the performance, but few entertainers fully trust a blade in their ranks.
Blades who abandon their lives as entertainers have often run into trouble that makes maintaining their secret activities impossible. A blade caught stealing or engaging in vigilante justice is too great a liability for most troupes. With their weapon skills and magic, these blades either take up work as enforcers for thieves' guilds or strike out on their own as adventurers.
- Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the college of Swords at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and the scimitar.
If you’re proficient with a simple or martial weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
- Blade Flourish
At 3rd level, you learn to perform impressive displays of martial prowess and speed.
Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this turn hits a creature, you can use one of the Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish per turn.
- Defensive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.
The extra damage done increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
- Slashing Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit and to another creature you can see within 5 feet of you.
The extra damage done increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
- Mobile Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit. You can also push the target up to 5 feet of you, plus the number you rolled on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.
The extra damage done increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
- Evasive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to 15 feet away from the target without taking an attack of opportunity.
The extra damage done increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
- Toppling Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit. They must then make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or become prone.
The extra damage done increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 18th level.
- Fighting Style
At 3rd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if something in the game lets you choose again.
Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
- Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
- Master's Flourish
Starting at 13th level, whenever you use a Blade Flourish option, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a use of Bardic Inspiration.
- Entertainer's Second Edge
At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies speed and agility. As long as a creature has a Bardic Inspiration Die from you, it gains a bonus to their armor class equal to your Charisma modifier, gains 15 feet of movement speed, and has advantage on all Dexterity (acrobatics) checks.
Additionally, they also gain the ability to evade certain area effects, such as a green dragon’s poison breath or a lightning bolt spell. When they are subjected to an effect that allows them to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, they take no damage if they succeed, and only half damage if they fail.
College of Whispers
Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards,sharing news, singing songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats.
Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses a bard's reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, members of this college rarely reveal their true nature. They typically claim to follow some other college, or they keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.
- Psychic Blades
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage to that target. The target must also succeed a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC with advantage or become frightened. You can only do so only once per round on your turn.
The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.
- Words of Terror
At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.
If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.
If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint you tried to frighten it.
- Mantle of Whispers
At 6th level, you gain the ability to adopt a humanoid's persona. When a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest.
You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. This disguise lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action.
While you're in disguise, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn't include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.
Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. You gain a +5 bonus to your check.
Once you capture a shadow with this feature, you can't capture another one with it until you finish a short or long rest.
- Shadow Lore
At 13th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature's deepest fears.
As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn't share a language with you of if it can't hear you. On a successful saving throw your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.
On a failed saving throw, the target is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack it, damage it, or force it to make a saving throw. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret. You gain no knowledge of this secret, but the target is convinced you know it.
The charmed creature obeys your commands for fear you will reveal its secret. It won't risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.
When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Shadow of Doubt
At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies menace. As long as a creature has a Bardic Inspiration Die from you, it can choose to make an area of 20 feet around them or smaller. Within this area, bright light becomes dim light, dim light becomes darkness, and darkness becomes magical darkness. They may choose to shape this darkness in any manner of their choosing as long as it doesn’t extend beyond that 20 foot radius. They may also change the shape of the darkness as a bonus action.
When you give the Bardic Inspiration Die, you may choose to make the shadows noticeable or inconspicuous. If the shadows are noticeable, then other creatures will actively perceive the shadow area.
If the shadows are inconspicuous, the first time a creature would see the shadow, they would make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If they fail, they fail to perceive the shadow as unnatural and believe nothing is out of place concerning the shadow area, including that which is in it. They may repeat this saving throw every time they see something enter the area. They may also reroll the saving throw with advantage if they themselves enter the area.
Creatures who are immune to the charm effect automatically succeed the saving throw against inconspicuous shadows. Additionally, anyone who has one of your Bardic Inspiration Dice automatically succeeds the saving throw.
Bard Spell List
You may choose from any spells on the Bard spell list.
- Cantrips
blade ward, dancing lights, friends, guidance, gust, light, mage hand, mending, message, minor illusion, poison spray, prestidigitation, produce flame, thaumaturgy, thunderclap, true strike, vicious mockery
- 1st-Level
bane, beast bond, burning hands, cause fear, charm person, chromatic orb, color spray, command, comprehend languages, cure wounds, detect magic, disguise self, dissonant whispers, earth tremor, expeditious retreat, faerie fire, false life, feather fall, find familiar, guiding bolt, healing word, heroism, identify, illusory script, jump, longstrider, protection from evil and good, sanctuary, shield, silent image, sleep, speak with animals, hideous laughter, thunderwave, witch bolt
- 2nd-Level
aid, blindness/deafness, blur, calm emotions, cloud of daggers, crown of madness, darkvision, detect thoughts, earthbind, enhance ability, enthrall, flame blade, gust of wind, hold person, invisibility, knock, lesser restoration, levitate, locate object, magic weapon, mind spike, mirror image, phantasmal force, pyrotechnics, rope trick, see invisibility, shatter, silence, skywrite, suggestion, warding bond, warding wind, zone of truth
- 3rd-Level
beacon of hope, bestow curse, catnap, clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel magic, enemies abound, fear, fireball, flame arrows, glyph of warding, haste, hypnotic pattern, tiny hut, lightning bolt, magic circle, major image, phantom steed, plant growth, protection from energy, sending, speak with dead, speak with plants, tiny servant, tongues
- 4th-Level
charm monster, compulsion, confusion, conjure woodland beings, dimension door, dominate beast, fabricate, freedom of movement, guardian of nature, hallucinatory terrain, phantasmal killer, polymorph, wall of fire
- 5th-Level
animate objects, awaken, arcane hand, circle of power, conjure elemental, control winds, creation, dream, greater restoration, hold monster, legend lore, mislead, modify memory, negative energy flood, telepathic bond, reincarnate, scrying, seeming, skill empowerment, synaptic static, wall of force, wall of light, wrath of nature
- 6th-Level
blade barrier, contingency, eyebite, forbiddance, guards and wards, investiture of flame, investiture of ice, investiture of stone, investiture of wind, Otto's Irresistible Dance, programmed illusion, tenser’s transformation, true seeing
- 7th-Level
etherealness, mirage arcane, magnificent mansion, power word pain, prismatic spray, project image, reverse gravity, symbol, teleport
- 8th-Level
antimagic field, antipathy/sympathy, demiplane, dominate monster, earthquake, feeblemind, glibness, illusory dragon, mind blank, power word stun, telepathy
- 9th-Level
foresight, mass polymorph, power word kill, psychic scream, time stop, true polymorph, weird, wish
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