Assorted Bard Colleges

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# Assorted Bard Colleges
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> ##### **Homebrew Material**
>
> This document presents homebrew materials by [Weirdo Whoever](https://weirdowhoever.blogspot.com). These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by design iterations or full game development.
>
> If you have any comments or suggestions concerning the materials, please contact Weirdo Whoever ([weirdowhoever@gmail.com](mailto:weirdowhoever@gmail.com)).

At 3rd level, a bard chooses the Bard College feature. Here are a number of homebrew options for your bards.

### College of Macabre

*"Once upon a midnight dreary, as I spit this weak and weary,*

*I will choke this joker with a trochee 'til his cheeks are teary!"*

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Bards of the College of Macabre are the masters of all stories and songs that are dark, ghastly, and horrendous. They would recount the tales that involves terror and grotesque; they would sing the songs of how the spectral remnants of life roams the earth and haunts the living; and exactly *what* has happened in that secluded villa in that stormy summer night of 1816.

Bards of the College of Macabre usually travels alone, and seldom stays at the same place for long enough. On a few occasions when they are actively invited, they might be paid to tell the tales that keep the kids away from the woods (or up all night). But none of them were too afraid to ask them, *how much of their tales are true...*

#### Bonus Cantrip
When you join the College of Dirge at 3rd level, you learn the *toll the dead* cantrip. This cantrip counts as bard cantrip for you, and it does not count against the number of bard cantrip you know.

#### Grim Inspiration
Also at 3rd level, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action to weaken a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die, and subtract the number rolled from the target's Armor Class until the start of your next turn.

Additionally, whenever a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you would restore its hit points or gain temporary hit points, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration as a reaction to interfere the process. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die, and subtract the number rolled from the amount of hit points the creature would restore, or from the amount of temporary hit points the creature would gain.

The creature is immune to any of this feature's effects if it cannot hear you or it is immune to being frightened.

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#### Gallows Humor
When you reach 6th level, your musical words or power unsettles your enemies as they disrupts their mental defenses and resistances. When you use your Countercharm feature, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you suffers the following penalties frightened during your Countercharm's duration.

- It has disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
- Whenever it is hit by an attack, the attack also deals an extra psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

A creature is immune to this feature's effects if it is deafened or otherwise cannot hear you.

#### The Marching Dead
At 14th level, you can expend two Bardic Inspiration dice to cast the *danse macabre* spell as a 5th-level spell. This spell counts as a bard spell for you when you cast it.

When you cast the *danse macabre* spell this way, the undead raised from this spell gains the following benefits:

- Its hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to half your bard level.
- It gains a bonus to its Armor Class and all saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
- When you use your Countercharm feature while the undead is within 60 feet of you, the undead also performs a grave tune. Each creature within 10 feet of the undead is also affected by your Countercharm and Gallows Humor features.

Once you cast the spell with this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

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### College of Legerdemain

*"Nunc id Vides, Nunc ne Vides"*

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Bards of the College of Legerdemain practices what is more often referred as "stage magic," honing their talents with quick hands and subtle tricks to perfection. The audience expects their performances to be nonmagical, yet extremely precise and quick, and entertain themselves as the bard pulls out a rabbit out of a top hat.

What they often neglect is, however, that sometimes there really *is* nothing up the performer's sleeves, and the rabbit really *was* conjured out of thin air. Combining the cunning skills with occult knowledge, bards of the College of Legerdemain are arguably among the most devious infiltrators in the multiverse. After all, the first rule of stage magic is being *the* smartest guy in the room.

#### Bonus Proficiency
Starting at 3rd level when you join this college, you gain proficiency in thieves' tools, if you do not have it already.

#### Mage Hand Legerdemain
Also starting at 3rd level, you learn the *mage hand* cantrip, if you do not know it already. The cantrip does not count against the number of cantrips you know.

When you cast *mage hand*, you can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can control it with a bonus action instead of an action.

Furthermore, you can perform the following additional tasks with the spectral hand conjured with the *mage hand* cantrip:

- You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.
- You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
- You can use thieves' tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.
- You can perform one of these tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature's Wisdom (Perception) check.

#### Now You See It, Now You Don't
*Also* starting at 3rd level, you learn the basic principles of stage magic and perform it with great precision.

When you make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hands) check to steal an object from other creature's person, or a Dexterity (Stealth) check to conceal a small object on your person, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number to the check.

Additionally, when you make an attack roll to knock a weapon or another item from other creature's grasp, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number to the attack roll. (See page 271 at *Dungeon Master's Guide* for the rules concerning disarming a creature.)

You can use this feature before or after rolling the d20, but you must use it before the DM decides whether the roll succeeds or fails.

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#### Nothing Up My Sleeve
Beginning at 6th level, when you cast a bard spell of 1st level through 5th level that does not deal damage, you can ignore the spell's material components, if it has any, provided that a cost is not indicated for a component.

Additionally, when you cast a bard spell of 1st level through 5th level that has a casting time of 1 action and does not deal damage, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration use to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

#### Improbable Theft
At 14th level, when you would use your Now You See It, Now You Don't feature, you can roll a d6 and add the result to the d20 roll, instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die.

Additionally, when you successfully steal an object from other creature's person, or knock a weapon or another item from other creature's grasp, you can store it into a pocket dimension for 10 minutes, or until you end this effect on your turn (no action required). This duration ends early when you fall unconscious or die. At the end of this duration, the item reappears in either of your empty hands, somewhere on your person, or in an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of you (your choice).

You cannot store an artifact or a sentient magic item this way. Once you store an item this way, you must finish a short rest or long rest before you can do so again.

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### College of Hard Epic

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*Before the universe began, there was a sound.*

*It went:*

*"One, two, ONE, two, three, four..."*

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Bards of the College of Hard Epic dedicates their life in learning, savoring, and spreading the greatest of all tales, or as they call it, the *epic* tales. They would sing, of the fearless duo who never flinched at the shiny devil as they played what is later praised as the best song in the world; of a tragic warrior who was trapped in a violent magical storm only to become the doom he tried to prevent; and of the mysterious king and his court, each in a shade of peculiar colors.

The bards of the College of Hard Epic never forget the best part of being an epic-singer is to entertaining those who steps to listen, and as such, they would often take more aggressive and violent attitudes in their performing, much to the dismay of the more elderly part of the community.

#### Bonus Proficiency
Starting at 3rd level when you join the College of Hard Epic, you gain proficiency in medium armors.

#### Music with Rocks In
Also starting at 3rd level, you pick up the attitude of the epic-singers. You gain the following benefits:

***Smash Hit.*** You can use a musical instrument you are proficient in as a weapon. For this purpose, the instrument counts as a melee weapon that has the *heavy* and *two-handed* properties. The instrument deals bludgeoning damage, and its damage die is a d6. This die changes as your Bardic Inspiration die changes as you gain bard levels.

***Face Melter.*** Once on each of your turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your musical instrument, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to cause a roaring noise that "melts face" off the hostile creatures within 5 feet of the original target. If the original attack roll would hit the affected creature, it takes thunder damage equal to your Charisma modifier + the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die (minimum of 1).

#### Power Epic
Starting at 6th level, you can maintain your performance for an extended duration with less efforts. When you cast a bard spell of 1st level and higher while you are performing for your Countercharm feature, you can extend the duration of your Countercharm until the end of your next turn.

Additionally, when you cast a bard spell that targets only one creature and does not have a range of self during your performance from your Countercharm feature, you can target a second creature in the area of your Countercharm with the same spell. The spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level, and the spell ends early for the second target when your Countercharm ends, when the target moves out of your Countercharm's area, or when the target is deafened or otherwise no longer able to hear you.

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#### Mosh Pit
Beginning at 14th level, whenever you use your Face Melter feature, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die.

Additionally, when you start the performance for your Countercharm feature, you can choose to inspire awe or fear (your choice). As long as you are maintaining the performance, when a hostile creature first enters your Countercharm's area of effect or starts its turn there, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is charmed (if you chose awe) or frightened (if you chose fear) of you until your Countercharm ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

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### College of Hymn

*"Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will,*

*shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness,*

*for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children."*

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Bards of the College of Hymn devotes themselves on performing a chant or choir that is dedicated to the divinity they follow and serve. To a bard of the College of Hymn, their talents are a gift granted from the gods, and as such, they see fit that they do whatever they can to express their gratitude to the bestowers from higher planes.

Throughout the small towns and hamlets, where people cannot afford a separate church or temple, travels the bards of the College of Hymn. The songs that praises the divine glory and the fables associated with religious morales are what instigates the belief among the mass.

#### Divine Choir
Starting at 3rd level when you join this college, you learn one cantrip of your choice from the cleric spell list. This cantrip counts as bard cantrip for you, but it does not count against the number of bard cantrips you know.

Additionally, choose a domain from your chosen deity's list of eligible domains. The following domains are especially appropriate for a bard who joins the College of Hymn: Knowledge, Life, Trickery.

When you gain a bard level and learn a new bard spell, you can choose the new spell from the cleric domain spell for your chosen domain, in addition to the bard spell list. You must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell.

If you have learned all of your domain spells, you can subsequently learn any spell from the cleric spell list instead. The spell must still be of a level for which you have spell slots, but you cannot learn a cleric spell of 6th level or higher this way.

Any cleric spell you gain from this feature is considered a bard spell for you.

#### Channel Divinity
Also starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to channel your deity's divine energy to manifest a number of magical effects. You know two such effects: Hymn of Inspiration and the Channel Divinity option granted at 2nd level by your chosen domain. You manifest that Channel Divinity option by using your Channel Divinity ability.

When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short rest or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.

Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect, the save DC equals your bard spell save DC.

##### Channel Divinity: Hymn of Inspiration
As a bonus action, you can use a musical instrument to play a piece of magical tunes that inspires a friendly creature that can hear you within 60 feet of you. The music lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or silenced, or until you voluntarily end it on your turn (no action required).

When you use this Channel Divinity option, and as a bonus action of each of your subsequent turns, you can grant a d4 to the inspired creature. The creature must be within 60 feet of you and able to hear to to gain a die from you. The creature can then use the die granted this way as a Bardic Inspiration die from you. You and the creature must obey all other restrictions for your Bardic Inspiration.

The creature loses the die granted this way when the music of this feature ends, if it has any.

#### Fervent Chant
When you reach 6th level, when a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you regains hit points, it can roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add that number to the amount of hit points it regains.

Additionally, when a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you takes damage, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + the number rolled, which absorbs as much as the triggering damage as possible. The creature loses any temporary hit points gained this way at the start of its next turn.

#### Zealous Inspiration
By 14th level, the die granted by your Hymn of Inspiration becomes a d8.

Additionally, when a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you would drop to 0 hit points, it can roll the Bardic Inspiration die and regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + the number rolled.

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### College of Skald

*"Oh, there once was a hero name Ragnar the red,*

*Who came riding to Whiterun from ol' Rorikstead..."*

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Bards of the College of Skald collect and recount the oral traditions from the corner of the multiverse, where the civilization is at its primal shapes. Poets and historians, they would search for the tales of the heroic battles, the deeds of the revered leaders, and the folklores that are lost in words but remembered in songs.

It is safe to assume that a bard of the College of Skald is a seasoned adventurer and explorer, due to their nature of studies and discovery. They know and learn that the words have power, and words from the heroic tales can empower themselves to survive in wilderness and combat.

*"...and the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no more...*

*When his ugly red head rolled 'round the floor!"*

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#### Bonus Proficiencies
Starting at 3rd level when you join this college, you gain proficiency in martial weapons and medium armors.

#### Raging Song
Also starting at 3rd level, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action to enter the trance for 1 minute. For this duration, you gain the following benefits if you are not wearing heavy armor:

- Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.
- While you are not wearing armor, your Armor class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. If you are proficient in shields, you can wield a shield and still gain this benefit.
- Whenever you grant other creatures a Bardic Inspiration die, you also gain a d6. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can roll this die and add the number rolled to the d20 roll. You can do this before or after you roll the d20, but you must use it before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. You can have only one die gained this way at the same time, and you lose any unspent die at the end of your next turn, when you use it, or when your trance ends.

You cannot cast a spell or concentrate on a spell while you are in the trance.

The trance ends early if you are knocked unconscious, or if your turn ends and you have not attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your trance as a bonus action on your turn.

#### Martial Performance
When you reach 6th level, you can make two melee weapon attacks using Strength, instead of one, whenever you take the Attack action while you are in the trance from your Raging Song feature. (You ignore this benefit if you already have another feature, like Extra Attack, that grants you extra attacks.)

Additionally, when you use your action to take the Attack action, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to make one melee weapon attack using Strength as a bonus action. If the attack hits, you gain a d6 and can use it with your Raging Song feature.

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#### Skald of Ages
At 14th level, you gain resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while you are in the trance from your Raging Song feature.

Additionally, when a creature that gained a Bardic Inspiration die from you would make an ability check or saving throw and the d20 roll is less than your Charisma score, it can expend the Bardic Inspiration die to use that score in place of the d20 roll.

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## Credits
All contents are created by [Weirdo Whoever](https://weirdowhoever.blogspot.com) unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to [D&D Wiki](https://www.dandwiki.com), [NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com), and [GM Binder](https://www.gmbinder.com) for providing the templates for my imaginations.

***College of Macabre.*** The concept of summoning undeads and weakening the enemies are partially inspired by the Necromancer class in the videogame *Diablo II.* Throw in [the *Thriller* music video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V90AmXnguw) and you get the macabre bard.

The quote is, oddly enough, [the first verse of *Epic Rap Battles of History* S3E9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56R3hU-fWZY), which in turn is a clever variation of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven".

Some of you might ask, what *did* happen in that secluded villa in that stormy summer night of 1816? Well, a nobleman, his friend, *his* friend (and future wife), and a physician stayed for about five month, reading horror stories that would end all horror stories. The scariest part is that [*I'm not making this up.*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Diodati#Summer_of_1816)

Gallows Humor feature is inspired by Lúcio's Reverse Amp talent from the videogame *Heroes of the Storm*.

The Marching Dead feature name is an obligatory *The Walking Dead* reference, but honestly, I tried to do either the ["Dead Man's Party"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhN8SdulOFc) or ["Welcome to the Black Parade"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8) reference and couldn't fit either of them.

***College of Legerdemain.*** I was watching *Now You See Me* when I wrote this particular brew. (And honestly, the sequel was a big let-down. Sorry, Daniel.) The bit with the first rule of stage magic is directly quoted from the film as well.

The latin phrase at the top of the subclass description is the motto of Unseen University in the *Discworld* series. (Incidentally, it means "Now You See It, Now You Don't.")

***College of Hymn.*** Originally posted in ["Genuine Contest: Old Faithful"](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LUB28pB8bpblVLX9iPA). While I'm at it, very special thanks to [Genuine Fantasy Press (LCC)](https://www.genfantasypress.com/) for their [Genuine Homebrew Contest](https://www.genfantasypress.com/single-post/2018/10/19/The-Genuine-Homebrewing-Contest), for which this particular brew as created.

The quote is directly from the bible verse Ezekiel 27:15, or at least according to Jules in the film *[Pulp Fiction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2WK_eWihdU)*.

***College of Hard Epic.*** A rework of [my old brew](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LOvyGd6aCDz8RvdaD4W). And [hoo boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPRDBifQ0EY), did I get carried away with it.

The forewords and the feature name "Music with Rocks In" are shamelessly stolen from *Soul Music* by Sir Terry Pratchett (mayherestsinpeace).

The "epics" the bards would sing in the description are all references from rock and metal pieces:
- The bit with the shiny devil and the best song in the world is a reference to ["Tribute" by Tenacious D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lK4cX5xGiQ).
- The bit with the misadventure of a tragic man who became the doom he tried to prevent is a reference to ["Iron Man" by Black Sabbath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s7_WbiR79E).
- The bit with the court is a reference to ["The Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukgraQ-xkp4). (The entire album is available on YouTube. What a time to live in.)

***College of Skald.*** Very, very loosely inspired by the [skald class from the Pathfinder SRD](https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/skald/). (Read: I only grabbed the name and ran away before the alarms went off.)

The quote is from the videogame *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*.