Songsaber (5e Subclass)

Work In Progress

This content deviates from D&D 5th Edition standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the D&D 5th Edition rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

This subclass uses and is dependent upon rules stipulated in the Strixhaven unearthed arcana, primarily those pertaining to gaining levels in a subclass available to more than one class. For the relevant rules, turn to the At Higher Levels subheader beginning on page 1.

Songsaber

By Yanied

Fighter, Bard, and Druid Subclass

The use of music to fight is has been strictly claimed by bards for the longest time. However, there sings a sweet tune not even they have a monopoly on. The song of battle is not dependent on bardic arts. There are fighters, as well as hermitic druids, who are known to be able to clash seamlessly as though to the tune of a dance. The rhythm of battle is mysterious and spontaneous, guiding the movements of those who fight with it. Few can say where it comes from, though some believe it to be an ancient and natural force that can only be tapped by a few sensitive to its pull. While there are certainly bards who know of this art, it seems to be instilled within the art of battle and even found within the sanctuaries of nature. Those who wield this form of combat are known as songsabers.

Using This Subclass

Upon selecting the songsaber subclass, you gain two features: Ancient Song and Song Conduit. In this subclass’s features, any reference to your class refers to the class from which you gained the subclass. If you’re a bard, songsaber counts as your college; if you’re a fighter, the style of the songsaber serves as your martial archetype; and if you’re a druid, the ancient art of the songsaber represents your druidic circle. When you subsequently reach a level in your class that gives you a subclass feature, you gain one feature of your choice from the options presented here. Each feature has a class level prerequisite, as noted beneath its name. You must meet that prerequisite to gain the feature.

Primordial Song

Level 1+ Songsaber feature

You learn a series of songs that, when played, replicate the basic and oldest primal effects of the energies in the world around you. These songs are the song of earth (mold earth), song of air (gust), song of fire (control flames), and song of water (shape water). When you use these songs, their effects are considered nonmagical. In order to play these songs, you must use your Song Conduit. Songs that grant you the use of spells similarly require you to have your conduit at hand. Your spellcasting modifier for these spells is either your Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom. You choose this when taking the subclass.

Song Conduit

Level 1+ Songsaber feature

The song conduit is the core instrument of a songsaber. Contrary to the conventional idea of an instrument, songsabers can use weapons as the channeling tool for their music. The song conduit itself is infused with ancient energy wielded by the songsaber, and so it is considered a sort of focus for all their music. You can transform one weapon into your song conduit by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short or long rest. Creating a new conduit dispels the previous conduit. You are proficient in attacks made with your song conduit. You can only have one song conduit at a time.

Battle Beat

Level 6+ Songsaber feature
Going by the beat, your strikes seem to hit with an amazing accuracy just naturally when you're in the zone. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Additionally, as a bonus action, you can tune your mind and body to the primordial tune and let it guide your strikes. Your next attack roll has advantage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all use when you finish a long rest.

Reverberating Pulse

Level 10+ Songsaber feature
The movement of the ancient songs that cannot be heard conventionally pulsate nonetheless, and you channel them in your movements. You learn three Ancient Songs of your choice from the list below. You learn an additional song at 14th and 18th level. Some of the songs are based on which core class you took with this subclass, and any prerequisites they have must be filled for you to take them. In order to play these songs, you must use your Song Conduit. If the songs allow you access to spells, the casting times are the same as the base spell unless otherwise stated.

Synchronized Tempo

Level 14+ Songsaber feature

Your incredible grace and tune allow you to fuse and meld tunes that would be a cacophony into a symphonious melody that would otherwise be unthinkable. When you have an active song, you can use a second song, so long as the second song's effects are instantaneous in duration.

Ancient Songs

These songs are unique effects that songsabers invoke from the world around them. Druids, fighters, and bards will sometimes have songs specialized for their own groups.

War Song

Prerequisite: Fighter or Bard base class
Duration: Instantaneous
As an action, you spin a rousing melody, replete with fierce cries for rallying, from your conduit. You can choose up to 3 creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear your song. They gain advantage on their next attack roll. Once you use this song, you can't use it again until you make an attack roll on one of your turns.

Song of Ensnarement

Prerequisite: None
Duration: N/A
You can cast the following spells at will, without expending any material components or spell slots. Depending on your base class, your selection of spells that you can cast changes.

Song of Ensnarement Spells

Class	Spell
Fighter	snare
Druid	entangle
Bard	ceremony

Bestial Tune

Prerequisite: Druid or Bard base class
Duration: N/A
You can cast the following spells each once, without expending any material components or spell slots: animal friendship, beast bond, animal messenger, beast sense. You regain use of these spells after you finish a short or long rest.

Song of the Elements

Prerequisite: Druid or Bard base class
Duration: N/A
You can now augment your Primordial Songs in the following ways:

• The song of air can push creatures and objects away from you up to twice as far as the normal range of the spell.
• The song of water can now animate or move ice to the same extent that it can to water. It can also be used to change ice into water.
• The songs of water, earth, and fire can now affect an area equal to a (5 × your chosen spellcasting modifier)-foot cube, and they can direct/move/spread their element a distance of up to (5 × your chosen spellcasting modifier) feet.

Song of Friends

Prerequisite: Druid base class
Duration: N/A
You can cast find familiar at will. You can also cast flock of familiars once, regaining use after you finish a short or long rest.

Song of Attack

Prerequesite: Fighter class
You gain 6 style points to use for the attacks listed below for this song. A style point is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended style points when you finish a short or long rest.

• Wind Blast - Choose a creature that you can see within a range of 30ft. After a split second delay, they are struck with a powerful blast of compressed wind. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes take 2d10 bludgeoning damage, is pushed up to 20 feet away from you, and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and is not pushed away from you or knocked prone.

• Water Whip - Using at least a gallon of water that you can see within 30ft you, you create a near-freezing cold, rubbery whip to lash out at a creature or object that you can see that is also within 30ft of you. The target creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d10 cold damage and becomes chilled. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not chilled.

• Earthen Blow - You levitate an appropriately sized chunk of earth or stone that you can see within 30ft of you, and throw it at a creature that you can see that is also within 30ft of you. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes take 2d10 bludgeoning damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and is not stunned.

• Lurid Flames - You launch a streaking ball of fire at a point you can see within a range of 30ft. On contact, it explodes and ignites all creatures and flammable objects that aren’t being worn or carried within a 10ft radius sphere centered on the point of impact. Also, any creature within the 5ft cube belonging to the point of impact must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 fire damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one.

Speak for the Trees

Prerequisites: 5th level

You ignore difficult terrain. You can cast Speak with Plants at will without expending a spell slot. You can expend a spell slot to cast Entangle. Also, the following spells are added to the Songsaber spell list for you:

• Plant Growth, Conjure Animals, Meld Into Stone, Gaseous Form
• Grasping Vine, Conjure Woodland Beasts, Faithful Hound, Giant Insect, Conjure Minor Elemental

Song of the Ancients

Prerequisite: Bard/Fighter base class
Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute

You weave ancient melodies into your strikes. Choose one of the following effects:

• Echoing Strike: Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d6 psychic damage.
• Harmonious Shield: You or an ally within 30 feet gains a +2 bonus to AC for the duration.

Once you cast this spell, you cannot cast it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Tune of Calm

Prerequisite: Druid or Bard base class
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You create an aura of serenity. Choose a number of creatures up to your spellcasting ability modifier within 30 feet. They must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are calmed and cannot attack or cast spells for the duration. On a success, they are unaffected. You can maintain concentration on this spell while performing other actions.

Swan Song

Prerequisite: Druid base class, 3rd level
Duration: Instantaneous
As you perform a final, graceful melody, choose a number of creatures within 30 feet. Each creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d8 radiant damage and are blinded until the end of their next turn. On a success, they take half damage and are not blinded. After casting this spell, you have disadvantage on concentration checks until the end of your next turn.

Sparrow Strike Dance

Prerequisite: Fighter base class, 2 level
Duration: instantaneous
As part of the spell, you make a weapon attack with an object you are wielding. If the attack hits, the damage is tripled, and you can immediately move up to your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. This movement represents the graceful steps of the song shadow, leaving behind an illusory afterimage.

Transfer Tune

Prerequisite: 9th level

You have learned the secrets of transmutation through a magical stone. You gain the ability to cast Transmute Rock as a spell, allowing you to change a nonmagical object into a different material for up to 1 hour.

• Bonus Action Transformation: As a bonus action, you can change the damage type of an attack you make to another type (magical or non-magical) by expending a 1st-level spell slot or higher.
• Polymorph Addition: At 10th level, you can add the Polymorph spell to your spellbook if it isn’t already there. You can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

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