College of Rings
Bards who follow the College of Rings most certainly focus on entertaining others... in their own way. Like swords, they entertain through the wondrous song and dance of combat, but unlike swords, a Bard of the College of Rings entertains by hurling crude yet creative insults at their opponents, hurling the opponent itself, being a bastion of humor in the thick of things, and helping those who throw down with them stay off the mat. Skilled members of this college play a character who folds clothing whilst others wear it, either as an antagonistic "heel" or a beloved "face", and often enjoy doing both on separate occasions in a fascinating mixture of theater and fisticuffs.
College of Rings Features
| Bard Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 3 | Machismo, Strong Style |
| 6 | Explosive Entrance, Enhanced Technique |
| 14 | Champion of the Ring |
Machismo
When you join the College of Rings at 3rd Level, your bravado becomes your sword and shield. On your turn, as a bonus action, you can spend one use of Bardic Inspiration and enter your wrestling persona for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits while you are either wielding a melee improvised weapon or no weapon, and not wearing armor or wielding a shield:
- All for Show Your Armor Class becomes 12 + your Charisma modifier, you gain resistance to psychic damage inflicted through any form of verbal communication(for example, the Vicious Mockery cantrip), and gain advantage on saving throws against spells that do psychic damage.
- Technical Fighter When you take the attack action on your turn, you may make a single additional grapple or shove attack as a part of that action. Additionally, you may use your Charisma modifier in place of Strength for Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- In Character As a part of the bonus action you take to activate Machismo, choose which character you play, either Heel or Face. You gain one of these features during Machismo, your choice.
- Heel Your words cut deep, and you were born to play a villain. You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, and it doesn't count against your total cantrips known. As a bonus action, you can cast the Vicious Mockery cantrip. If the creature fails the saving throw for this spell, they take additional psychic damage equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die, and you gain advantage on the next Athletics(Strength) check made as part of the attack action against that creature.
- Face No good guy is complete without a loving crowd behind him. When you take the attack action on your turn and make an unarmed attack, attack with an improvised weapon, grapple attack, or shove attack, as a bonus action, you can grant a number of creatures(including yourself) equal to your charisma modifier within 30 feet of you temporary hit points equal to half your bard level, rounded down(minimum of one), plus your charisma modifier. These temporary hit points are dispelled when Machismo ends, you die, or you are incapacitated.
Strong Style
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with improvised weapons and the Athletics skill. Additionally, all unarmed or improvised weapon attacks can do bludgeoning damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die, plus your Strength modifier.
Explosive Entrance
You know how to make a flashy entrance. At 6th level, you learn the Pyrotechnics spell. It is always prepared for you and does not count against your total spells known. Once per day, as a reaction, you can cast Pyrotechnics at 2nd level without consuming a spell slot on the first round of an encounter during your turn. When cast in this way, Pyrotechnics does not need to be cast on a 5 foot cube of fire in order to successfully cast. Additionally, as part of this reaction, you can choose to activate Machismo at the cost of one use of your Bardic Inspiration.
Enhanced Technique
At 6th level, your attacks with unarmed and improvised weapon attacks are now considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance to nonmagical weapon damage. At 14th level, this extends to your Finishing Moves as well.
Champion of the Ring
At 14th level, your mastery of the squared circle reaches it's peak. While under the effects of Machismo, you gain the following benefits:
- When you take the attack action, you may made 2 additional grapple or shove attacks, instead of one. Additionally, you may add your strength modifier to the distance you shove an enemy, if you choose to do so.
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Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from nonmagical attacks is reduced by an amount equal to your charisma modifier(minimum of 1).
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You develop your style and learn "finishing moves" depending on which "character" you choose to play, heel or face. As an action, you can spend 3 uses of Bardic Inspiration to use the respective move of your chosen role, as detailed below:
- Heel Backbreaker: As an action, you lift up and smash the back of a creature you have grappled against your knee. The target creature must make a constitution saving throw, taking 5d10 plus your strength modifier bludgeoning damage on a failure, and half damage on a success. Additionally, if the target fails this save, they are paralyzed until the end of your next turn.
- Face Piledriver: As an action, you flip a creature you have grappled upside down, and drop to a prone position. The target creature must make a dexterity saving throw, and take 5d12 plus your constitution modifier bludgeoning damage on a failure, half that on a success. Additionally, if the target fails this save, they are stunned until the end of your next turn. Once this action is complete, both you and the target creature are prone.
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Should you kill the target or cause the target of these moves to fall unconscious, you regain 2 uses of your Bardic Inspiration.