College of Stars: Bard College Option

Two cards lay face-up on the table in front of a weary traveler. The half-elven bard sits across from her, deck in hand, ready to reveal the final fortune. With a gesture to the heavens, the bard lays the final card. Skull. The card of death.

The traveler grimaces, sweat running down the side of her neck. "Is...Is the Skull bad?"

The half-elf's lips curl into a knowing smile. "Death is not the end of all things. To many, it also symbolizes imminent rebirth. The passing on to another stage of life, shedding one's old identity and being born anew." He sees it, the tears suddenly flowing from the traveler's eyes. Knowingly, he extends his hand towards her. "You are safe now. They no longer know you are here."

The traveler breathes a sigh of relief, handing him a few silver as a gesture of goodwill, for she has been blessed by the stars. She wipes her tears and disappears into the crowd.

Bards from the College of Stars are bestowed the gift of divination from the heavens. The infinite mysteries of the stars and beyond reveal themselves to a studious bard, who practices day and night honing their ability to read fortunes from a deck of cards.

While the College's most gifted fortune tellers come to learn how to pluck magic from the very heavens and turn them into spells, the powers they are granted are ultimately determined by Fate itself.

Deck of Fates

When you join the College of Stars at 3rd level, you are granted a mystical deck of cards known as the Deck of Fates, which consists of thirteen cards indicated in the Deck of Fates table.

Deck of Fates Card Fate's Spell Cosmic Secrets Sun chromatic orb daylight Moon faerie fire magic circle Star magic missile fly Throne sanctuary spirit guardians Key comprehend languages sending Knight shield crusader's mantle The Void arms of hadar hunger of hadar Flames burning hands fireball Skull false life animate dead Ruin thunderwave sleet storm Euryale charm person meld into stone Rogue jump gaseous form Jester mage armor protection from energy

The Deck of Fates is kept inside an ornate box or pouch (your choice), and its cards are made of ivory or vellum (your choice). While inside the container, it resides in a secure extradimensional plane. The deck can be used as your spellcasting focus, and is considered a magical item due to its special properties.

As a bonus action, you may either dismiss the deck into its container, or summon it to your grasp from inside it. If you lose the deck or the container that holds it, you may undertake an hour-long ritual that destroys the previous Deck of Fates and its container, and you summon a new one.

You may also use the deck to tell fortunes, which reveal a cosmic truth when demonstrated on a willing humanoid. Refer to the appendix for how to read fortunes with the deck. As a seasoned diviner, you gain proficiency with the Insight skill, and you can read, write, and speak Celestial.

Fate's Hand

Also at 3rd level, the cosmic power of your Deck of Fates allows you to tap into the magic of the universe and cast a variety of predetermined spells. The Deck of Fates also enhances your magical abilities as a bard. When you finish a long rest, draw cards from the deck at random equal to your Charisma modifier. You gain the ability to cast the corresponding spell on the Deck of Fates table as a first level spell at any time, but only once, before the end of a long rest.

You may cast the spell by spending a usage of Bardic Inspiration, and presenting and announcing the card as the spell's verbal and somatic components. The spell counts as a bard spell for you.

Cosmic Secrets

At 6th level, the secrets of the universe reveal themselves to you through your Deck of Fates. Draw four cards at random from the Deck of Fates. Cards drawn this way permanently gain additional magical effects The card's face glows when revealed or placed face-up while telling a fortune. The card's art becomes magically animated as its movements respond to its surroundings.

In addition, you gain the ability to cast the card's corresponding spell from the Deck of Fates table at any level by presenting the card and using up the appropriate spell slot for that level, and presenting and announcing the card as the spell's verbal and somatic components. The spell counts as a bard spell for you.

Finally, your Fate's Hand feature no longer requires the expenditure of usages of Bardic Inspiration.