College of Nature

A Bodaciously Botanical Bard College

by: Missing-Peace

College of Nature

People say that plants grow when you sing or talk to them. Well what if there was a way to strengthen that fact with magic?

That question is answered by bards who follow the teachings of the College of Nature. Instead of using their magic and sheer charisma to influence people, these bards use their talents to charm nature itself to assist them and their comrades. These entertainers are known for traveling from place to place and enriching land before leaving for their next venture. The more powerful practitioners of this type of magic are known for being able to communicate with plant life itself.

Most say that the beginnings of this particular college stemmed from those who take to the woods using the universal language of music to help shape and protect their home. Sometimes its said that this brand of magic originated from retired adventurers accidentally affecting the flora they take care of. On rare occasion, people will say that this college started from a simple druid with a penchant for music.

Accompaniment

Inspiring your allies convinces nature to lend a helping hand.

Starting at 3rd level, while a creature has one of your Bardic Inspiration die, they are not affected by difficult terrain.

If a creature succeeds with the following rolls while using your Bardic Inspiration die, the following effects happen:

Ability check. They gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Attack. The attack deals additional piercing or poison damage (their choice) equal to your Charisma modifier.

Saving throw. They regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Botanical Beats

Your chords causes plant life to grow exponentially.

Whenever you play music or use an artisan tool for more than 1 minute, you can make the plant life around you in a radius equal to five times your proficiency bonus in feet grow as if a number of weeks equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die has passed. After you do this, you can't use this effect in the same area until the next dawn.

Additionally, as a bonus action, you can spend one of your Bardic Inspiration die to manifest one of the following effects within 60 feet of you. Its effects immediately activate when they're summoned. Whatever effect you create, it lasts up to 1 minute or unless you dismiss it as a bonus action. These effects automatically end if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

Whichever effect you create, it has an AC of 13 and has a number of hit points equal to double your bard level + your Charisma modifier. It resists cold and poison damage, and is immune to all conditions. If it's forced to make an ability check or saving throw, treat all its ability scores as 10 (+0). You can use your bonus action to move the created effect up to 15 feet.


Accelerando. A medium-sized shrubbery will sprout at the chosen point and throw its fruit at a creature as a ranged spell attack with a maximum range of 30 feet. On a hit, it deals your Bardic Inspiration die of bludgeoning or piercing damage (your choice) + your Charisma modifier. You can use your bonus action to use this effect again as well as moving it.
Pesante. A medium bush or tree will sprout from the chosen point and provide half cover to whoever is using it to hide.
Pizzicato. A small bush will grow at the chosen point. It will have 1d6 berries growing from it. Eating one as a bonus action will cure the blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned conditions. If a creature is under more of one of those conditions, they choose which one to cure.
Sospirando. A small plant will grow close to the ground and spread a cloud of dangerous spores or capsaicin. When a creature is within 10 feet of it, they must roll a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, they are poisoned until the start of your next turn.
Trattenuto. A flurry of vines erupt from the chosen point. An up to large-sized creature in that area must make a a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice) or be restrained and take a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die of bludgeoning or piercing damage (your choice) + your Charisma modifier. While restrained by the vines, the creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On a success, they free themself. On a failure, the restrained condition continues and it takes the aforementioned damage again. Until the restrained condition ends, you cannot move this effect. You can start or end the restraint in the same bonus action as moving it. You can also use this as a reaction if a creature enters a space within 5 feet of this effect.

Cambiare

You can call forth new plants as easily as changing a note.

Starting at 6th level, as a bonus action, you can change the Botanical Beats effect you currently have active to another of your choosing. You can do this in the same bonus action as moving and activating the effect. If you've already activated an effect this turn, you cannot activate another one.

Additionally, the bludgeoning and piercing damage from Accelerando, Accompaniment, and Trattenuto. count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Also, you add half your Charisma modifier (rounded down) to any ability check or saving throw the plants created by Botanical Beats make as well as their AC.

Scatenato Garden

The charisma you've forged through your adventures shapes the world around you.

Starting at 14th level, you can communicate with plants and creatures of the plant creature type and vice versa. You can question plants about events within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances. Plants might be able to perform other tasks on your behalf, at the DM's discretion. This feature doesn't enable plants to uproot themselves and move about, but they can freely move branches, tendrils, and stalks. This feature also affects plants created by spells or other magical effects.

Additionally, you also add your Charisma modifier to any ability check or saving throw the plants created by Botanical Beats make as well as their AC.

Furthermore, when you use the first effect of Botanical Beats, you can choose to turn the area into a Scatenato Garden instead. Alternatively, as an action, you can expend a spell slot of 4th-level or higher to create this effect. Upon creating the Scatenato Garden, the affected area becomes difficult terrain except for you and any allied creatures. You also summon one of each effect of Botanical Beats within the affected range. The Scatenato Garden's version of the effects are altered in the following ways:

Accelerando. The maximum range is now 60 feet and deals an additional die of damage.
Pesante. This now provides three-quarters cover.
Pizzicato. The berries can now cure the charmed, incapacitated, paralyzed, and stunned conditions as long as the creature is able to consume them. A creature eating one of these berries can also choose to reduce their level of exhaustion by one.
Sospirando. The affected area is increased to 20 feet. Additionally, if any creatures fails the saving throw for this effect, they also take poison damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Trattenuto. This can affect up to huge-sized creatures and deals an additional die of damage.

The Scatenato Garden lasts for up to 1 hour, unless you dismiss it as a bonus action. It automatically ends if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. You can only have one instance of this effect active at a time.

Music terminology used:

• Accelerando: "Accelerating."

• Pesante: "Heavy."

• Pizzicato: "Pinched, plucked."

• Sospirando: "Sighing."

• Trattenuto: "Held back."

• Cambiare: "To change."

• Scatenato: "Unchained, wild."

Credits

Made by Missing-Peace of Reddit, Tumblr, GM Binder, and Homebrewery.

Made with GM Binder.

Thank you to The Playtest Dungeon Discord server for helping me make and playtest this.