"Listen, an idol's job isn't to show people their smiles, it is to make people smile. Never forget that!" -- Yaza Niconi, legendary bardic idol
College of the Idol
While some bards pursue the study of magical secrets, and others devote themselves to the rakish audacity of swordplay, there are some bards who prefer to focus on what they see as the true heart of their calling: music. Rather than becoming what they see as discount-rate fighters or knockoff wizards, these bards seek to harness the true power of music and performance.
These bards, called idols, believe that music is a driving force in the world, and that it can bring people together and inspire them, and not in the way you roll an extra die for. To an idol, performing is the way they leave their mark on the world.
This college's members can be found in performance halls, taverns, and amphitheaters, and often form close personal organizations called groups or units.
Idol bards tend to be broadly good-aligned and well-meaning, and are often, though not exclusively, women.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose the College of the Idol at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you already have this proficency, you can add twice your proficiency modifier to any Performance ability checks. You also gain proficiency with two additional musical instruments of your choice and two languages of your choice. You always know the dancing lights cantrip. It does not count against the number of spells you know.
Listen to My Song!
Also at 3rd level, you can infuse an entire performance with your power to inspire others. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to begin a performance of singing, dancing, or playing an instrument. On subsequent turns, you can continue the performance as a bonus action, and can grant Bardic Inspiration as part of the same bonus action. As long as you maintain this performance, all creatures you choose within 60 feet add damage equal to half the maximum of your Bardic Inspiration die the first time they deal damage every round.
When you take damage while performing, you must make a Concentration check to continue performing. However, performing does not prevent you from concentrating on spells that require it.
You can cast spells while performing, provided they have a cast time of 1 action, and do so ignoring either verbal or somatic components, but not both, as you work the other one into your performance.
A combat performance can be freely sustained for up to 10 minutes. During this window, you can stop and resume your performance at any time without needing to expend another use of your Bardic Inspiration. However, if your performance ends due to failing a Concentration check, you must expend another Bardic Inspiration die to begin it again.
Maintaining the performance past this limit requires a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you can maintain the performance for an additional 5 minutes. Every further attempt raises the DC by 5. On a failure, the performance ends and you gain one level of Exhaustion.
Our Feelings As One
Starting at 6th level, you begin to understand how you can use your music to understand others. As an action, you can cast detect thoughts as a Bard spell without expending a spell slot. You can do this once, regaining your ability to do so after finishing a long rest.
If you are singing or dancing while you cast the spell, you ignore verbal, somatic, or material components. You use your Charisma score for detect thoughts instead of Intelligence, and as long as you only read surface thoughts, a creature does not know that you have read its mind.
This Is Our Miracle
Also at 6th level, when you use a bonus action to start or maintain the performance, you can choose to inspire resiliency instead of potency. Creatures who benefit from your magical performance gain half the maximum of your Bardic Inspiration die as temporary Hit Points at the start of each of their turns. You can switch between performance types at will when you use a bonus action to continue the performance.
A creature can only benefit from one effect of an idol performance at once, even if multiple idols are performing.
The Show Must Go On
At 14th level, your Bardic Inspiration performances (as detailed in the college's 3rd level feature) become even more potent. While performing in this manner, the range of this feature, and the range of your Bardic Inspiration feature, increases to 300 feet. You no longer need to make Concentration checks to maintain the performance if you take damage.
Whenever you grant another creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you gain one that you can use yourself. This die is always a d6, regardless of your bard level. You can only have one of these Bardic Inspiration dice at a time.
Idol Magical Items
Niconi's Charm of Smiles
Wondrous item, uncommon
This small, heart-shaped charm seems like a child's toy at first glance. Once per day, recharging every dawn, you can invoke its power with a command gesture. The target must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 14) or be charmed by you for up to one hour, regarding you as a friend. Even on a successful save or after the spell fades, the target does not know they were charmed by you.
Yohane's Mantle of Descent
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
This cloak covers the wearer's shoulders with thick dark feathers. As a bonus action, you can harness the mantle's power to surround yourself in a dark majesty. All creatures hostile to you within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15) or be frightened of you for 1 minute. While frightened of you, all creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against spells you make. For the next minute, you have a flying speed of 30 feet.
You can use this property once, recharging every day at midnight.
Curse. This mantle is cursed, a fact which is not revealed until you attune to it. After attuning to this mantle, you become cursed with terrible luck. When you use a d20 to make an attack roll or saving throw, you automatically fail if you roll a 1 or 2 on the die.
You do not know the darkness spell, but you think you do.
Wraps of Hatsune
Wondrous item, rare
These tubelike pieces of cloth fasten over your upper arm, because detached sleeves are considered stylish by many College of the Idol bards. While wearing them, you can have your voice appear to originate from a point within 60 feet that you can see.
Minmei's Shining Rod
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a bard)
This silver rod is about two feet in length and lined with small precious stones, including opals, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. Any gem pried out of the rod immediately shatters into nonmagical dust.
The rod has 12 charges, and regains 1d6+2 charges every sunrise. While holding and attuned to this rod, you can have your voice be heard up to 10 miles away, though it does not sound any louder than normal to nearby creatures. When you grant another creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you can expend up to 3 charges from the rod to grant the same number of additional creatures Bardic Inspiration dice at no extra cost (a maximum of 4 creatures in total, including the original target). A creature can still only possess one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
You have advantage on all Charisma ability checks.
Basara's Lute
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a bard)
This purple-bodied, long-necked lute is twice as loud as a normal lute, and is designed after the instrument played by a legendary power-lutist, one of the few famous male idols.
While holding and attuned to this lute, any Bard spell you cast that deals damage deals an extra 2d6 thunder damage. Creatures who hear music you play on this lute have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist Charm effects caused by spells you cast.
While attuned to this lute, consuming plant matter such as tree leaves will fulfill all your nutritional requirements. Basara was a strange man.
Sher'ryll Shimmerweave
Wondrous item, uncommon
Why plan complicated costume changes when you can just change the costume? Designed after the magical costumes worn by the famed Eladrin idol Sher'ryll, these garments initially appear as a plain, if nicely made, white dress. You can use an action to change the appearance of the dress, turning it into any type of clothing you wish.
Rather than being an illusion, the outfit itself changes, even able to change types of fabric. It can be a bathing suit, or it can be a fur coat. While this can lead to some protection from the elements, it can never be anything but clothing. It can duplicate the appearance of magical items, but cannot duplicate their functionality.
As part of the same action, you can also change your appearance in minor ways, such as eye color, hair color, or hair length and style.
If a bard is using their action to perform, they can invoke the power of the Shimmerweave as part of the same action.
Cygnus Circlet
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a bard)
This golden tiara, featuring a small single gemstone in the front, is modeled after those worn by the Valkyries, a unit of idol bards sent to pacify conflicts with their music.
While wearing and attuned to the circlet, you can have your music emanate calming mental waves to steady emotions of those who hear it. Any creature of your choice within 60 feet who can hear you has advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened. If they are already Charmed or Frightened, they can make a saving throw against these effects at the end of your turn.
Additionally, if a creature who hears you is in a berserk or enraged state, you can choose to have your music pacify them. If they would be unwilling to end this enraged state, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell DC. On a failure, their enraged state ends.