College of Flames (Bard)

<div class='descriptive'>
 
 ##### Art Credit
 "Sanguine River Tarot Card", RagingAviator, https://twitter.com/RagingAviator
 
 </div>

</div>

# College of Flames

Fire is an everpresent force in the world, one of the universe's most basic concepts. And as a force revered and feared in equal measure by all, so are there fields of art and performance dedicated to it. Entire emotions can be expressed and communicated through movement and light alone. Beyond fear and reverence, the flame is symbolic in many ways: a representation of passion, of change, of destruction and the eventual rebirth of new life and experiences, all from which storytellers and performers alike can draw their craft. From acrobats, to daredevils, to those that want to spruce up a revel: for these artists, fire plays an important role in their routines.

Fire dancers aren't themselves magical, even if they may use magic in their performances or their audience thinks of them as such. Those within the College of Flames, however, have learned how to access a vein of the Elemental Plane of Fire to augment their performances, and themselves, with arcane fire. Your very willpower manifests as flame that  gives your audience something beautiful and deadly to behold.

### Bonus Proficiencies
When you enter this College at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies, the whip, and your choice of Acrobatics, Arcana, or Performance.

## Pyromantic Performer
Starting at 3rd level, the tools of your trade become effortless to wield in your hands, and you can control them better than most. For you, the club and the quarterstaff gain the finesse property, and the whip uses a d6 for its damage die.

As well, your artistry can manifest in an arcane form. When you would learn a bard cantrip, or a bard spell of a level that is less than your proficiency bonus, you can instead learn a spell of the same level from any class's spell list that can deal fire damage, and it becomes a bard spell for you.

Finally, bard features and spells that require creatures to hear you still affect creatures as long as they can see you.

## Conflagrant Dance
Also at 3rd level, you can use your bonus action and expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to enter an acrobatic dance, laced with arcane fire. Roll your Bardic Inspiration die. Until the start of your next turn, your AC and Dexterity saving throws are increased by that amount, as long as you aren't wearing medium or heavy armor. If a creature misses you with a melee attack while you are in this dance, you can choose to deal fire damage to them equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.

\pagebreak

\columnbreak

## Light Up the Stage
At 6th level, when you cast a spell that requires concentration, you can cause your hands or an item you are holding to glow with a fiery light until you lose concentration on that spell or until you drop the item. The light radiates bright light out to 10 feet, and dim light out to 20 feet. While in this light, you gain the following benefits:
* ***Arcane Spectacle.*** You have advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks involving fire.

* ***Bedazzling Display.*** Creatures hostile to you and within the light have disadvantage on attacks against creatures other than you as long as they can see you, unless the creature is immune to the charmed condition.

* ***Spreading Flames.*** Once per turn, when a creature within the light either fails a saving throw against a bard spell you cast or is hit by your attack, choose the same creature or a different creature within the light. It takes fire damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.

## Summer Breeze
Also at 6th level, creatures affected by your Countercharm have advantage on saving throws against effects that deal fire damage or as a result of extreme heat, and ignore the obscuring effects of fire, fog, or smoke.

## Burning Sensation
Starting at 14th level, you can push yourself beyond your limits to put on a show to remember.

Whenever your Conflagrant Dance would end, you can instead take damage equal to half your level to maintain the dance until the start of your next turn without expending your Bardic Inspiration die. This damage can't be reduced in any way, but it doesn't trigger concentration checks. Each time you maintain the dance, you reroll your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the bonus to your AC and Dexterity saving throws.

> ##### Many Thanks
> The Discord of Many Things community, especially:
> * Izzy, Hippogriff Enthusiast
> * Taenebras
> * Almightycricket
> * Tatob910

</div>