Bard College
At 3rd level, a bard gains the Bard College feature, which offers you the choice of a subclass. The College of Gambling is available to you when making that choice.
College of Gambling
College of Gambling is a name given by those who observe its adherents, not one given by its founders. The nature of those following this tradition is often seen as thrill seeking and ultimately addicted to the game of chance.
While for some bards of this college this may be true, added onto by their mantra "Higher the risk, bigger the reward", others see their abilities in a different light. Their concern being with decisions and whether they should be left to emotions and fickle thought, instead passing it onto the unbiased and ultimately fair coin flip.
College of Gambling Coin
Bards of this college usually carry a single coin of great sentimental value. They use this coin to make decisions which lead them through their lives. You can use this table to flesh out your bard's coin and what it means to them.
| d8 | Coin Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | This gold piece is the first coin I earned with honest work. I keep it to remind myself of those days. |
| 2 | Someone once flipped a coin to determine whether I should live or die. This is that very coin. |
| 3 | I found this coin of unknown currency in an old ruin. No one I asked could tell me its origin. |
| 4 | My family/caretaker abandoned me, leaving nothing but a single coin for me to make my way. |
| 5 | This little piece of metal stopped an arrow headed for my heart. It's been my lucky charm since. |
| 6 | After a fire that destroyed my home I found this single coin piece. Only one side of it was caught by flame. |
Spellcasting Focus Alternative
A bard of this college uses a coin for almost all of their abilities which signifies their bond with the item. With the permission of your DM, your bard of this college may use a coin as their spellcasting focus. This coin should hold great sentimental value to your character and shouldn't be any ordinary piece of currency.
College of Gambling Features
| Bard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3 | Run the Table, Heads and Tails |
| 6 | Life's a Gamble |
| 14 | Up the Ante |
Run the Table
When you join this college at 3rd level, you learn how to bend the odds in your favor. You learn the guidance cantrip which becomes a bard spell for you and doesn't count against the number of cantrips you can know.
Additionally, you gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and with one gaming set of your choice. You can add double your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make when using either of the two proficiencies.
Heads and Tails
Starting at 3rd level, when you cast a spell that requires the target to make a saving throw, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to roll a d2 (flip a coin). On a roll of 1 (tails) the target has disadvantage on its saving throw, and on a roll of 2 (heads) it has advantage.
Life's a Gamble
At 6th level, you get one more chance to try your luck when your very life is on the line. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can roll a d2 (flip a coin) and let the coin decide your fate. On a roll of 1 (tails) you drop to 0 hit points and receive one failed death saving throw. On a roll of 2 (heads) you drop to 1 hit point instead and are immune to all damage until the start of your next turn.
You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Rigged Game
At 14th level, you learn to manipulate the outcome of your gambler's magic in dire times. When you are required to roll a d2 (flip a coin) by the Heads and Tails or Life's a Gamble features, you can instead choose the result of the roll.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use it again.