Otherworldly Patron

The beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are mighty inhabitants of other planes of existence—not gods, but almost godlike in their power. Various patrons give their warlocks access to different powers and invocations, and expect significant favors in return.

The Bard

Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English history, the talent of William Shakespeare lives on through his plays, which are still being read, studied, and performed 400 years after his death. Your passion for the arts, in some way or another, has drawn the attention of this great literary spirit, who has offered to grant you powers that could allow you to affect your life and the lives of those around you with the finesse of a master playwright. However, it is up to you to decide whether your story will be a comedy or a tragedy...



Expanded Spell List

The Bard lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

The Bard Expanded Spells

Spell Level Spells 1st dissonant whispers, Tasha's hideous laughter 2nd augury, spiritual weapon 3rd feign death, speak with dead 4th confusion, death ward 5th legend lore, mislead

Trippingly on the Tongue

At 1st level, you learn the vicious mockery cantrip. It counts as a warlock cantrip for you, but doesn't count against your number of cantrips known. Additionally, even when a creature succeeds on its saving throw against the cantrip, they take half damage instead of none.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen

Starting at 1st level, you can draw upon the literary genius of your patron to inspire others. On your turn, you can use a bonus action choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die.

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.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) . You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain warlock levels. The die is a d6 at 1st level, a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.





Words, Words, Words

At 6th level, your mastery of language gives you additional ways to use your Bardic Inspiration. You gain one of the following features of your choice.

Get thee to a nunnery! You learn how to use your appearance to confuse and distract others. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself an flamboyant appearance. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or ability check you can use your reaction to impose advantage or disadvantage on the roll, as you distract it or its target. The effect ends after 1 minute.

Blood will have blood: You learn how to act so compellingly that others feel the same suffering you do. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to choose a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. The next time the creature damages you with a weapon attack, they take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier + the damage you suffered. The effect then ends. If the target does not deal damage you for 1 minute, the effect also ends.

Dost thou prate, rogue? You learn how to use your wit to distract and sap the competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you deals damage, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and subtract the number rolled from the total damage. Unless you roll a 1, you also cause the attacking creature to take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) .