College of the Spheres

Inspiration does not always come easily. Those who find words and tunes slipping through their fingers must seek stimulus elsewhere, and while some delve into books, examining the work of earlier masters, others immerse themselves in natural beauty, or search for answers in bottles.

A scant few are mad enough to reach further, and such ambitious souls make up the College of Spheres.

The members of this college form no recognised community, though rumours speak of decayed noble houses whose manors are lined with blasphemous art, of secretive circles who share copies of plays that provoked inexplicable atrocities, of hidden concerts conducted from heretical music sheets that are equal parts acoustic and algebra.

These bards have discovered that art is not universal. It transcends universes, speaking to and spoken by minds far beyond mortal ken. They compose, and the void beyond our world offers its applause.

This is the true music of the spheres.

Eldritch Embrace

When you join this College at 3rd level, you have spent time paying artistic tribute to entities that defy mortal sanity. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Maestro of Madness

Also at 3rd level, when a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes a Wisdom check or saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature's roll.

You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether it succeeds or fails. You cannot use this feature if the creature cannot hear you or if it is immune to being frightened.

Sanity's Requiem

Beginning at 6th level, you gain resistance to psychic damage, and when you cast a spell that deals psychic damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll of that spell.

In addition, telepathic creatures are repulsed by the strange patterns of your mind. A creature which tries to read your thoughts must make a Wisdom save at your bard spell save DC or become frightened for 1 minute. Aberrations instead become charmed.

Whispers from Beyond

Starting at 14th level, you become attuned to mad whispers, granting a limited form of truesight. You can automatically identify noises created by illusions, perceive real noises concealed by magic, and hear sounds originating in the ethereal plane, all up to 60 feet away.

Incomprehensible Aesthetic

Image Credit: Philip Moriarty

Also at 14th level, your soul warps far past the point of mortal aesthetics, as the artist becomes the subject. You are still a humanoid, but you register as an aberration to effects that can detect your creature type. You no longer age, and you cannot be charmed or frightened.

When you use your Countercharm feature, you can also offer a brief glimpse of your true nature to any creatures of your choice within range. Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC or become frightened until the end of its next turn. Aberrations instead become charmed.