Bard Colleges

College of Tales

Some bards tell stories through music, dance or song. Some bards tell tales of their own adventures, embellished with a strum of their lute. Not those of the College of Tales. These bards don't need a quaint tune or little jig to summon power from stories; they can conjure it from the raw words themselves.

Armed with their imaginations and knowledge that the pen is mightier than the sword, these bards adventure for many a reason. Whether they seek inspiration, fame, answers to the big questions of the multiverse or simply a broadened vocabulary, these bards share their wordsmithing in comon. They know how powerful stories can become, and they intend to harness that power for themselves.

Wordsmith

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to employ the witty repartee of literature's greatest banterers. You gain the Vicious Mockery cantrip if you don't already know it. If you already knew it, select one extra cantrip.

In addition, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt.

Storyteller

When you join the College of Tales at 3rd level, you can give yourself Expertise on a Charisma or Intelligence-based skill check that you would not normally have Expertise in. You can do this only if you are proficient in the skill, and telling or recounting a story is involved. For example, making up a woeful sob story for your Deception check to have the town guard let you in; recounting several different myths for your Arcana check to figure out a monster's weakness; or recalling a religious story or fable for your Religion check.

Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again until you have completed a long rest. You can use this ability twice per long rest at 5th level, three times 10th level, and four times at 15th level.

Author of Fate

At 6th level, you know when a tale is playing out before your very eyes, and can influence its course. As an action, you can expend a number of uses of your Bardic Inspiration to perform one of the following effects. You cannot perform an effect that requires more than your maximum number of Bardic Inspiration die to perform.

Turn the Tide. You can turn the tides of a fight that appears lost. If an ally withing 60ft of you that you can see is below half their hitpoint maximum, you may expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to give that ally advantage on their next attack roll or ability check. If the attack roll they make hits its target, that attack counts as a critical hit

I Know You're In There. You make an impassioned plea to one creature plagued by foul mind-altering magic. You expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, targeting one creature under the effects of any Enchantment or Illusion magic. The creature must share a language with you, be able to hear you and consider you at least an ally or acquaintance. Immediately they can make a saving throw against the spell's defence with advantage, adding your Charisma bonus (minimum of one) to the roll made.

Last Stand. You call out to a fallen ally, willing them to rise and continue the fight. You expend two uses of your Bardic Inspiration, targeting an unconsious or dying allied creature within 60ft. At the start of their turn, they are healed with a number of hitpoints equal to your Bard level and gain the effects of the spell haste. After the creature take three turns, the spell's effect ends and they lose a number of hitpoints equal to your Bard level - 1.

Ultimate Sacrifice. You ignite the fires of resolve and strength after an ally falls, swearing not to allow their sacrifice to be in vain. As a reaction when one ally dies within 60ft of you, you can expend three to five uses of Bardic Inspiration. You and every other allied creature within 30ft gains a bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks and saving throws dependent on the number of dice spent. You gain a +1 for three, a +2 for four and a +3 for five. This benefit lasts for a minute.

If the ally is resurrected while this ability is in play, the benefit is immediately lost. When the ally is resurrected, you and all other allies that had the benefit placed on them gain an equivalent penalty; if you had a +1 benefit, a -1 penalty, and so on.

The Final Act

Starting at 14th level, you become the architect for your era's great legends. You can designate one allied creature as the 'hero' and one hostile creature as the 'villain' within 120ft. For one minute, they gain the following effects;

Both have disadvantage in attack rolls against any creature but the other.

Both have a +1 to AC.

Both have advantage on death saving throws.

The hero gains the effects of the spell heroism. If the hero's proficiency bonus would be less than that of the villain, the hero is an underdog. They can choose one of the following benefits; they roll a critical hit on a 19 or 20, or gain a +3 to their spell attack bonus and spell save DC.

You can choose to end this effect early. After you use this abillity you cannot use it again until after a short rest. A creature can only be designated the 'hero' once per your long rest.







