College of Barristers

### College of Barristers

The College of Barristers is an exclusive and hard-nosed school of bards which sets itself apart in both practice and attitude. While most barristers would scoff at the idea of being compared to a "mere" minstrel or jester, it is an indisputable fact barristers draw their power from the same source as other bards: performance.

The barrister's power lies in spoken word - rigorous, analytical arguments that cut to the heart of a matter, and impassioned advocacy that invigorates allies and befuddles foes. Noble bards of this College are tremendous dealmakers and mediators, while more unscrupulous members tend to be cutthroat negotiators and persecutors.

#### Opening Statement

At 3rd level, as a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to make your case to another party. You may add the full value of your Bardic Inspiration die to your next Charisma ability check against a non-hostile creature. Alternatively, a hostile creature that can understand you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed for 1 minute.

In addition to the above, whenever you expend a Bardic Inspiration die in this manner, you may choose to gain the booming voice ability described in the *Thaumaturgy* spell.

#### Sharp Practice

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use your analytical skills towards the practice of law, and adapt it to your tactical thinking. You add twice your proficiency bonus to Intelligence ability checks involving knowledge and practice of the law.

While unarmored, your Armour Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. Additionally, you may cast the spell *Zone of Truth* as if it were a ritual a number of times per long rest equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

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#### Prerogative Writ

At 6th level, as a bonus action, you can invoke ancient laws to enforce your will upon another creature. You target a creature with one of the writs listed below. If the creature fails on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC, it must comply with the writ or suffer 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage each time it disobeys, up to a maximum once per round.

* **Certiorari.** the creature must subtract the value of your Bardic Inspiration die from ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls, except on saves against this effect.
* **Habeas Corpus.** the creature must move towards a point of the barrister's choosing (within sight) on its turn. It may stop before causing itself damage, and may take any action it wishes except Dashing;
*  **Prohibition.** the creature cannot take one particular action defined by the barrister. For the purposes of this ability, a melee attack, ranged attack, and spell attack are different kinds of actions.

The creature may make a new saving throw at the start of each of its turns to end the effect. You may also end the effect voluntarily at-will. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) per long rest.

#### Amicus Curae

At 14th level, your peerless legal acumen entitles you to a fair amount of deference in proceedings. You may be called to act as judge or arbiter of disputes by parties without such a figure already, even without a formal judicial appointment. Once per short rest, you may use your Opening Statement feature for free in a court of law or commercial negotiation.

In addition to the above, as an action once per short rest, you may solicit the intercession of greater powers aligned with the resolution of disputes. You summon a lawful outsider such as a celestial, devil, or hierarch modron. For 1 minute, each time you spend a Bardic Inspiration die, you may make an Intelligence (Performance) or Charisma (Performance) check DC 15; the DM selects the check based on the outsider you have chosen to summon.

On a success, the creature you give Bardic Inspiration adds the maximum value of that die to the roll they choose. On a failure, there is no effect, and on a critical failure, the outsider departs immediately.

> ##### Flavour: Rules Lawyer
> With the approval of your DM and fellow players, your character may loudly object to anomalies in the fabric of reality, i.e. an improper rule call. If you and your character correctly identify the rule that was broken and what the rules actually say, you gain Inspiration and a permanent bonus to smugness. Great job, hero.

*Art Credit.* Veronique Meignaud, "Timsh", Key art for the Dishonored's final DLC (Arkane Studios / Bethesda). 2012. https://www.artstation.com/artwork/qkPN

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### Spell Options

#### Binding Terms
*3rd Level Divination (ritual); Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Warlock or Wizard.*
___
- **Casting Time:** 10 minutes
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S, M (fine ink and parchment worth 100gp, which is consumed by the spell)
- **Duration:**  Special
___
You enchant a written agreement between any number of parties. The agreement need not be legally enforceable, but must represent a good faith bargain made freely and without coercion, magical or otherwise.

Signatories become aware of the magic, all breaches of the contract, identity of breaching parties, and how the contract was breached. This spell is ended by completion of the contract, an impossible term such as a perpetual agreement, magic of the 5th level or higher, or the *Wish* spell.

***At Higher Levels.*** If you cast this spell with a spell slot of 5th level or higher, a creature attempting to breach this contract must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 30) to do s, and all parties are notified of the attempt.

#### Privileged Conversation
*3rd Level Illusion (ritual); Bard, Sorcerer Warlock, Wizard*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 minute
- **Range:** 10 feet
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:** 1 hour
___
The caster and all creatures in range of can speak a secret language which cannot be understood by the *Comprehend Languages* spell. The language can only be deciphered by use of the *Wish* spell, or by making an Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC equal to 15 + the caster's spellcasting modifier + the caster's proficiency bonus.

### Background: Scrivener

A scrivener is trained to read and write court and legal documents. They typically earn gold performing secretarial and administrative duties such as keeping business, judicial, and historical records for kings, nobles, temples, and cities. A scriviner may also hold some lesser public office, and may be the reeve of a thorp or hamlet under a feudal lord.

**Skill ProficienciesL** History, Investigation.
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**Tool Proficiencies:** Calligrapher's Supplies.
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**Languages:** One of your choice. 
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**Equipment:** a book of local laws and customs, a juridical robe, calligrapher's supplies, 10 pages of paper, a bottle of ink and quill, common clothes, and 5 gp.

#### Specialty

Determine the nature of your employment as a scrivener.

| d8  | Specialty |
|:----:|:----------- |
|    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ 1 ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎   ‏‏‎   | Dictation of verbal statements and records |
|  2  | Copyist of written documents and books|
|  3  | Researcher of legal precedents and records |
|  4  | Keeper of town or city history and records |

*Art Credit.* Wizards of the Coast, D&D Beyond. https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/classes#Wizard

| d8  | Specialty |
|:----:|:----------- |
|  5  | Scribe for a business owner |
|  6  | Lawspeaker of a small tribe |
|  7  | Reeve or magistrate of a hamlet|
|  8  | Chamberlain to an official or noble |

#### Feature: The Ancient Law

You are aware of an ancient and forgotten precedent, hidden away in some dusty old tome. Although largely forgotten and no longer enforced, you remember a single unusual piece of law, such as a crime that has fallen off the books or a legal defence which has been disused in modern times.

Work with your DM to determine the details of this forgotten law and its impact on your campaign.

#### Suggested Characteristics

| d8  | Personality Trait |
|:----:|:----------- |
|    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ 1    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎   ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ | I prefer communicating by leaving memos for others to read rather than speaking with them. |
|  2  | I speak slowly and methodically when explaining a concept to others.|
|  3  | I almost always know a law or custom which applies to a given situation. |
|  4  | I compulsively take detailed notes whenever someone else is speaking. |
|  5  | I trace out words with a finger and speak them out loud when reading. |
|  6  | My workspace is always meticulous and tidy. |
|  7  | I am obsessed with the neatness of my penmanship.|
|  8  | I exhaustively search for caveats, provisios, and other minute details in peoples' words. |

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| d6  | Ideal |
|:----:|:----------- |
|    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ 1 ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎   ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ | **History.** The past should never be forgotten, so it is my duty to record it. (Any) |
|  2  | **Service.** I take my duties with deadly seriousness and meticulous precision. (Lawful)|
|  3  | **Aid.** I enjoy assisting and guiding people to the answers they seek. (Good)  |
|  4  | **Justice.** I must set an example through my judgments for others to be fair and just.  (Lawful or Neutral) |
|  5  | **Avarice.** Knowlege of the law is a powerful tool in bending it to your advantage. (Evil)|
|  6  | **Open-Mindedness.** Law and custom can only evolve if we are open to new interpretations. (Chaotic)|

| d6  | Bond |
|:----:|:----------- |
| ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ 1  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ | I am bound to the service of a noble, guild master, or temple prelate. |
|  2  | All books I come across have some value, and so I shall preserve and record them.|
|  3  | I will endeavour to always be fair and impartial when making a decision.  |
|  4  | It falls to me to resolve and mediate any and all disputes I encounter. |
|  5  | In a world where so much of the old law has been forgotten, it is up to me to teach others what has been lost. |
|  6  | I am committed to compiling the varied and myriad laws, rules and customs across the land. |

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| d8  | Flaw |
|:----:|:----------- |
|    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ 1     ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎    ‏‏‎  ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎‏‏‎  ‏‏‎   ‏‏‎  | I immediately assume that people lack my prodigious memory and forget what they don't write down.|
|  2  | My handwriting is idiosyncratic and difficult to read if you haven't seen it before. |
|  3  | I sometimes drone on about law and customs, even if nobody really seems to care. |
|  4  | There isn't a day that I don't misplace some important document. |
|  5  | I cannot help but fall prey to my own biases when expressing scholarly opinions.|
|  6  | All other systems of law besides my own seem quaint at best, and seriously deficient at worst.  |

### Feat: Grey Eminence
You have a sharpened sense for reading the intentions of parties in dispute and how to resolve their conflict.

* Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You have advantage on Persuasion or Performance checks to resolve a formal dispute between parties. 
* You gain proficiency in Insight, and may make a Wisdom (Insight) check DC 10 as an action to accurately read the intentions of parties in a dispute.

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*Art Credit.* Pyne, William Henry; Combe, William (1904) [1809] "Heralds' Office" in The Microcosm of London or London in Miniature, Volume II, London: Methuen and Company, pp. Plate 43 Retrieved on 13 July 2011.