Bard College Option: College of Stars

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.

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 without using a spell slot, 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.

Scry the Heavens

At 14th level, you become a timeless diviner of the Deck of Fates, and are able to peer beyond the stars with your cards. You no longer draw cards with your Fate's Hand feature. Instead, you may cast any spell on the Deck of Fates list with your Fate's Hand feature once per long rest. You must present and announce the corresponding card when casting a spell this way.

In addition, as an action, you may draw a card at random from the deck to create a magical effect, which instantly takes place when the card is drawn. If the effect is a spell, it doesn't require concentration and lasts for the full duration.

You may use this feature once per long rest.

Sun. You cast sunbeam as a 6th level spell. For the duration of the spell, you create new sunbeams each of your turns if there are hostile creatures within range.

Moon. You cast heal as a 6th level spell on yourself.

Star. You cast planar ally, summoning a celestial. The celestial will perform any one task for free, but it will not assist you in combat.

Throne. A crown worth 1,000 gp appears on top of your head. The crown's design is reflective of your race's culture.

Key. You cast scrying on a location you have seen before.

Knight. A knight appears in a space within 30 feet of you that you can see. The knight is of the same race as you and serves you loyally until they die or disappear after 1 minute. You control this character.

The Void. You cast contact other plane, contacting a mysterious entity from the abyssal planes. You automatically succeed on the saving throw.

Flames. A fire elemental appears in a space within 100 feet of you that you can see. The fire elemental is hostile, and attacks the creature closest to it that it can see. It attacks relentlessly until it dies or disappears after 1 minute.

Skull. Your hit points drop to 0 and you fall unconscious.

Ruin. You cast insect plague as a 6th level spell centered on yourself.

Euryale. You transform into a medusa for 1 minute.

Rogue. You cast greater invisibility on yourself.

Jester. No effect happens.

Appendix: Fortune Telling

If you are in possession of a Deck of Fates, chances are you have the ability to perform divinations with the deck. Even if you are not in the College of Stars (or if you're not a Bard, for that matter), the readings reveal a cosmic truth, ultimately affecting any willing humanoid whose fortune is told.

To read an individual's fortune, draw three cards at random from your Deck of Fates and lay them on a flat surface, face-up. In order from left to right, the cards represent the divination target's past, present, and future, respectively. Refer to the table below.