Bard College
College of Illumination
Bards of this college masterfully manipulate light and dark to embolden their allies and demoralize their foes. Their shining spotlights can highlight one's strengths to boost their confidence or draw full attention to their weaknesses to cripple their resolve. With their shadowy minions, they can cloak and encourage their allies while blinding and berating their enemies. For better or worse, these bards can expose all one's strengths and weaknesses, and no shadow escapes their scrutinizing light.
Lightscribe
3rd Level College of Illumination feature
You learn the darkness spell. It counts as a bard spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of spells your know.
Additionally, when your spellcasting feature lets you learn a bard cantrip or a bard spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose any spell from any spell list that creates light or deals radiant damage. If the spell deals damage, it must only be capable of dealing radiant damage. You must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell, and it becomes a bard spell for you.
Dramatic Spotlight
3rd Level College of Illumination feature
You can summon a spotlight that can embolden an ally with praise and adoration or cripple an enemy with scorn and scrutiny. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your bardic inspiration to conjure a magical spotlight focused on a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The spotlight’s size always matches the target creature’s, and it will follow the target wherever it moves. The spotlight lasts for 1 minute, until you use this feature again, or until you dismiss it (no action required).
While a spotlight is active, you can use your bonus action to move it to another creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Additionally, if the spotlight’s target drops to 0 hit points before the effect ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to refocus it on a new creature.
An allied creature targeted by the spotlight gains the following benefits:
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It can see through magical and non-magical darkness out to 120 feet.
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It has advantage on Charisma checks
An enemy creature targeted by the spotlight suffers the following effects:
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It loses all abilities that would allow it to see through darkness or turn invisible.
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It has disadvantage on Charisma checks
The first time on a turn, when a creature targeted by the spotlight deals damage, you can increase or reduce the damage dealt to a single target by an amount equal to a roll of your bardic inspiration die. If you increase the damage, the additional damage is radiant.
You can modify damage this way up to three times per use of this feature.
Inkling Summoning
6th Level College of Illumination feature
You learn to summon an elemental being formed from the psychic energy of scorn and praise known as an inkling. You can use your action to summon an inkling in an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet of you. It lasts for 1 hour, or until you dismiss it (no action required). See this creature's game statistics in the Inkling stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, the inkling shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the inkling can take any action of its choice, not just dodge.
You can command your inkling as part of the same bonus action you use to control the light of your Dramatic Spotlight feature or to use your Bardic Inspiration feature.
Once you summon an inkling you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to use this feature again. You can have only one inkling active at a time.
Beaming Defiance
14th Level College of Illumination feature
The potency of your spotlight is significantly increased, and it gains the following additional effects based on whether it is focused on an enemy or an ally:
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Allied creatures gain a 30-foot fly speed.
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When an enemy is first targeted by your spotlight, you can force it to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, its move speed is reduced by 15 feet, and it is subjected to the effects of the earthbind spell (described in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion).
Inkling
Small elemental, any alignment
- Armor Class 10
- Hit Points Five times your bard level
- Speed 10 ft, fly 30 ft. (hover).
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 10 (0) 14 (+2)
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10.
- Languages any that you know
- Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Amorphous. The inkling can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Darkness Aura. A 10-foot radius of magical darkness extends out from the inkling, moves with it, and spreads around corners. Darkvision can't penetrate this darkness, and no natural light can illuminate it. If any of the darkness overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 1st level or lower, the spell creating the light is dispelled.
Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the inkling's darkvision.
Actions
Lash of Malice Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + PB psychic damage.
College of
Illumination NPCs
The following stat blocks can be used to describe
non-player character bards who are from the
college of illumination or have abilities similar
to a bard of that college. You can choose the stat
block that best aligns with the power level of the NPC.
To further customize your NPC, apply the racial
traits of whichever humanoid race you’ve chosen for it. You can also replace any of its known spells with spells of an equivalent level that are either from the bard spell list, deal radiant damage, or have a light radius.
Art Credit
- Shaile, Dean of Radiance - Yongjae Choi, Wizards of the Coast
- Inkling Token - Scott Murphy, Wizards of the Coast
- Exhilarating Elocution - Randy Vargas, Wizards of the Coast
- Breena, the Demagogue - Simon Dominic, Wizards of the Coast
- Arrogant Poet - Billy Christian, Wizards of the Coast
Lightscribe
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
- Armor Class 13 (leather)
- Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
- Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Dex +4 Charisma +5
- Skills Persuasion +7, Performance +7, Insight+ 2
- Senses passive Perception 10.
- Languages - any two languages.
- Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Bonus Actions
Dramatic Spotlight (3/Day). The lightscribe conjures a magical spotlight focused on a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The spotlight’s size always matches the target creature’s, and it will follow the target wherever it moves. The spotlight lasts for 1 minute or until the lightscribe is incapacitated or dismisses it (no action required).
While a spotlight is active, the lightscribe can use its bonus action to move it to another creature it can see within 60 feet of it. Additionally, if the spotlight’s target drops to 0 hit points before the effect ends, it can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn to refocus the spotlight on a new creature.
An allied creature targeted by the spotlight gains the following benefits:
• It can see through magical and non-magical darkness out to 120 feet.
• The first time it deals damage on its turn, it deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage.
• It has advantage on Charisma checks
An enemy creature targeted by the spotlight suffers the following effects:
• It loses all abilities that would allow it to see through darkness or turn invisible.
• The first time it deals damage on its turn, that damage is reduced by 1d6.
• It has disadvantage on Charisma checks
Actions
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The lightscribe is a 3th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13 +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following bard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, minor illusion
1st level (4 slots): guiding bolt, faerie fire, sleep
2nd level (2 slots): darkness, enlarge/reduce, see invisibility
Radiant Professor
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
- Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
- Hit Points 149 (23d8+46)
- Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)
- Saving Throws Dex +6, Charisma +7
- Skills Insight +5, Performance +10, Persuasion +10
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages any two languages.
- Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Actions
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The professor casts one of the following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability spell (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks):
Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, light, minor illusion, sacred flame
1st level (4 slots): faerie fire, guiding bolt, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): darkness, enlarge/reduce, see invisibility
3rd level (3 slots): daylight, dispel magic
4th level (3 slots): polymorph
5th level (2 slots): mass cure wounds
6th level (1 slot): sunbeam
Bonus Actions
Dramatic Spotlight (4/Day). The professor conjures a magical spotlight focused on a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The spotlight’s size always matches the target creature’s, and it will follow the target wherever it moves. The spotlight lasts for 1 minute or until the professor is incapacitated or dismisses it (no action required).
While a spotlight is active, the professor can use its bonus action to move it to another creature it can see within 60 feet of it. Additionally, if the spotlight’s target drops to 0 hit points before the effect ends, it can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn to refocus the spotlight on a new creature.
An allied creature targeted by the spotlight gains the following benefits:
• It can see through magical and non-magical darkness out to 120 feet.
• The first time it deals damage on its turn, it deals an additional 1d10 radiant damage.
• It has advantage on Charisma checks
• It gains a 30-foot fly speed.
An enemy creature targeted by the spotlight suffers the following effects:
• It loses all abilities that would allow it to see through darkness or turn invisible.
• The first time it deals damage on its turn, that damage is reduced by 1d10.
• It has disadvantage on Charisma checks
When an enemy is first targeted by the spotlight, it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or have its move speed reduced by 15 feet and be subjected to the effects of the earthbind spell (described in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion).
1.0.1 Changes
- Updated College of Illumination Reference
1.0.2 Changes
- Updated College of Illumination Reference
1.0.3 Changes
- Updated College of Illumination Reference
1.0.4 Changes
- Updated College of Illumination Reference
Referenced Documents
- College of Illumination 1.0.3
- College of Illumination: NPCs 1.1.0