Bard
Humming as she traces her fingers over an ancient monument in a long-forgotten ruin, a half-elf in rugged leathers finds knowledge springing into her mind, conjured forth by the magic of her song—knowledge of the people who constructed the monument and the mythic saga it depicts.
A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically against his scale mail, setting the tempo for his war chant and exhorting his companions to bravery and heroism. The magic of his song fortifies and emboldens them. Laughing as she tunes her cittern, a gnome w eaves her subtle magic over the assembled nobles, ensuring that her companions’ words will be well received. Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create illusions, and even heal wounds.
Music and Magic
In the worlds of D&D, words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence; that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers.
The greatest strength of bards is their sheer versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armour. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do almost anything well. Bards become masters of the talents they set their minds to perfecting, from musical performance to esoteric knowledge.
Learning from Experience
True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent wandering across the land gathering lore, telling stories, and living on the gratitude of audiences, much like any other entertainer, but a depth of knowledge, a level of musical skill, and a touch of magic set bards apart from their fellows.
Only rarely do bards settle in one place for long, and their natural desire to travel—to find new tales to tell, new skills to learn, and new discoveries beyond the horizon—makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic, decipher old tomes, travel to strange places, or encounter exotic creatures. Bards love to accompany heroes to witness their deeds first hand.
A bard who can tell an awe-inspiring story from personal experience earns renown among other bards. Indeed, after telling so many stories about heroes accomplishing mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart and assume heroic roles themselves.
Creating a Bard
Bards thrive on stories, whether those stories are true or not. Your character’s background and motivations are not as important as the stories that he or she tells about them. Perhaps you had a secure and mundane childhood. There’s no good story to be told about that, so you might paint yourself as an orphan raised by a hag in a dismal swamp. Or your childhood might be worthy o f a story. Some bards acquire their magical music through extraordinary means, including the inspiration of fey or other supernatural creatures.
Did you serve an apprenticeship, studying under a master, following the more experienced bard until you were ready to strike out on your own? Or did you attend a college where you studied bardic lore and practiced your musical magic? Perhaps you were a young runaway or orphan, befriended by a wandering bard who became your mentor. Or you might have been a spoiled noble child tutored by a master. Perhaps you stumbled into the clutches o f a hag, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost?
The Bard
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Bard College, Expertise | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Font of Inspiration | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Countercharm, Bard College Feature | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | — | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Expertise, Magical Secrets | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | — | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | — | 4 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | Magical Secrets, Bard College Feature | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | — | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | — | 4 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Magical Secrets | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Superior Inspiration | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Quick Build
You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the entertainer background. Third, choose the dancing lights and vicious mockery cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells: charm person, detect magic, healing word, and thunderwave.
Class Features
As a bard, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armour: Light armour
- Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
- Tools: Three musical intruments of your choice
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
- Skills: Choose any three
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
- (a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer's pack
- (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
- Leather armour and a dagger
Alternatively, you can purchase your starting equipment with a starting wealth of 5d4 x 10gp.
Spellcasting
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the bard spell list.
Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.
Spell Slots
The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be o f a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration.
You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
Bardic Inspiration
You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
Jack of All Trades
Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
Song of Rest
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalise your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
Bard College
At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice: the College of Lore, the College of Satire, the College of the Maestro or the College of Valour, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Font of Inspiration
Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
Countercharm
At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As a reaction when a creature that you can see within range must make a saving throw against the charmed condition, you can use your reaction to grant that creature advantage on the save. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit.
You can use this feature twice before you must complete a short rest to regain any expended uses. Once you reach 14th level, you can use this feature up to three times instead.
Magical Secrets
By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be o f a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table.
You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.
Superior Inspiration
At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have less than 2 uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain enough uses so that you have 2.
Bard Colleges
The way of a bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other out to swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions.
College of Lore
Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound.
When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held to be true, from their faith in the priesthood of the local temple to their loyalty to the king. The loyalty of these bards lies in the pursuit of beauty and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the tenets o f a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic.
The college’s members gather in libraries and sometimes in actual colleges, complete with classrooms and dormitories, to share their lore with one another. They also meet at festivals or affairs of state, where they can expose corruption, unravel lies, and poke fun at self-important figures of authority.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Lore at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.
Cutting Words
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.
Additional Magical Secrets
At 6th level, you learn two spells of your choice from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you but don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.
Peerless Skill
Starting at 14th level, when you make an ability check, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roil the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells you whether you succeed or fail.
College of Satire
Bards of the College of Satire are called jesters. They use lowbrow stories, daring acrobatics, and cutting jokes to entertain audiences, ranging from the crowds in a rundown dockside pub to the nobles of a king’s royal court. Where other bards seek forgotten lore or tales of epic bravery, jesters ferret out embarrassing and hilarious stories of all kinds. Whether telling the ribald tale of a brawny stable hand’s affair with an aged duchess or a mocking satire of a paladin of Helm’s cloying innocence, a jester never lets taste, social decorum, or shame get in the way of a good laugh.
While jesters are masters of puns, jokes, and verbal barbs, they are much more than just comic relief. They are expected to mock and provoke, taking advantage of how even the most powerful folk are expected by tradition to
endure a jester’s barbs with good humour.
This expectation allows a jester to serve
as a critic or a voice of
reason when others
are too intimidated to
speak the truth.
The Best Medicine
At 3rd level, you learn how to infuse your inspiring songs not just with the magic of creation, but your very life essence as well.
When you share your good humour and reassuring optimism with your allies, they share in that life essence as well, gaining temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Tumbling Fool
Also 3rd level, you master a variety of acrobatic techniques that allow you to evade danger. As a bonus action, you can tumble. When you tumble, you gain the following benefits for the rest of your turn:
- You gain the benefits of taking the Dash and Disengage actions.
- You gain a climbing speed equal to your current speed.
- You take half damage from falling.
Fool’s Insight
At 6th level, your ability to gather stories and lore gains a supernatural edge. You can cast detect thoughts up to a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain any expended uses of this ability after completing a long rest.
If a creature resists your attempt to probe deeper and succeeds at its saving throw against your detect thoughts, it immediately suffers an embarrassing social gaffe. It might loudly pass gas, unleash a thunderous burp, trip and fall, or be compelled to tell a tasteless joke.
Wait for the Punchline
Even if a joke falls flat at first, you know how to get your audience laughing – it’s all in the timing.
When you reach 14th level, a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die twice and take the higher result.
College of Valour
Bards of the College of Valour are daring skalds whose tales keep alive the memory of the great heroes of the past, and thereby inspire a new generation of heroes. These bards gather in mead halls or around great bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past and present. They travel the land to witness great events first hand and to ensure that the memory of those events doesn’t pass from the world. With their songs, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Valour at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armour, shields and martial weapons.
Combat Inspiration
Also at 3rd level, you learn to inspire others in battle. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Battle Magic
At 14th level, you have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your action to cast a bard spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
College of the Maestro
A subclass designed by Matthew Mercer
The College of the Maestro calls to those who enjoy enabling their companions to become even more adept, working in unison with your sonata. It refines those of raw talent into majestic performers who can pluck the thoughts from a mind like a musical note, amplify the fears of lesser beings through source-less, ominous tones, and seemingly stretch time by commanding the tempo of a heartbeat. Maestros become heroes who can take the chaos of the world and carve it as they see if by controlling the vibrations of music that subtly guide the realm.
Battle Muse
Starting when you choose this Bardic College at 3rd level, you gain two additional uses of your Bardic Inspiration feature.
This feature grants you one additional use of Bardic Inspiration at 6th level, and again at 14th level.
Symphony of Conflict
You’ve been trained in the bardic art of magically manipulating the sounds of combat into a concert of powerful melodies that can alter the very battlefield around you.
When you select this bardic school at 3rd level, you learn 3 conducting techniques of your choice, which are detailed under “Conducting Techniques” below. All techniques require at least one free hand, baton, or wand to utilize. For techniques to function, you must be able to see your target, and they must be able to hear you.
You learn 1 additional conducting technique of your choice at 6th and 14th level. Each time you learn a new technique, you can also replace one technique you know with a different one.
Frenetic Crescendo
At 6th level, you can harness the beat of battle, whipping it into a frenzy of drums, chants, and glory. You can use your action to expend any number of uses of your Bardic Inspiration feature. For each expended use, you can immediately grant a bardic Inspiration die to a creature other than yourself within 60 feet that you can see. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. At 14th level, you regain use of this feature after a short or long rest.
Virtuoso of Captivation
Upon reaching 14th level, you can begin conducting a mystical symphony as an action, distracting and capturing the minds of nearby creatures. For up to 5 minutes, any number of creatures you choose within 60 feet who can hear you have disadvantage on any saving throws against being charmed and against magical sleep.
In addition, affected targets have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that rely on sight or sound to detect targets other than you.
In combat, you must spend your action each turn to continue the performance or the effect ends. Once you use Virtuoso of Captivation, you must take a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Conducting Techniques
Aria of Suspense (Ansia). You build an air of tension and paranoia with subtle, droning tones. As an action, you expend a use of Bardic Inspiration. For the next 10 minutes, any creatures of your choice within 60 feet cannot be surprised, and gain advantage on saving throws against traps.
Crash (Marcato). You learn how to harness and amplify the roar of a well-placed blow into a violent explosion of sound. When a creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you hits with an attack, you can use your reaction to expend and roll a Bardic Inspiration die. The target of the triggering attack must make a Strength saving throw against your Spell save DC or take force damage equal to the number rolled and be knocked prone.
Dirge of Dread (Finale). You play a terrifying dirge to accompany a deathblow, striking fear into the hearts of your nearby enemies. When an ally brings a creature within 60 feet to 0 hitpoints, you can use your reaction and expend a use of Bardic Inspiration. All enemies within 15 feet of the fallen creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell save DC or become frightened of your ally until the end of your next turn. A target that succeeds a saving throw against Dirge of Dread cannot be affected by the feature for the next 24 hours.
Dissonance (Discordia). Summoning a harsh, discordant tone, you muddle the mind of an opponent, lessening their reflexes. When a creature within 60 feet is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction and expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration to increase the DC of that single saving throw by 2. You can use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines a success or failure.
Guiding Tone (Fermata). You drag a sharp, powerful chord through the mind of a creature, forcing it to suddenly stumble. As a bonus action, you expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration and select a creature other than yourself within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell save DC or be pushed 15 feet in a direction you choose.
Hasten Tempo (Accelerando). Your manipulation of tempo and song can inspire others to act more quickly. Use can use a Bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet. Expend and roll a Bardic Inspiration die, adding the number rolled to the creature’s initiative and moving them up the initiative order accordingly. If this would move them higher than you, they immediately take their turn after you this round.
Hymn of Harmony (Armonia). The melodies surrounding your allies promote rapid recovery. As a bonus action, you can target any number of creatures that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you. That creature can then expend it and regains hitpoints equal to the number rolled.
Majestic Anthem (Maetoso). Pulled from the chaos, you muster an uplifting melody that bolsters the resolve of your allies. You can expend and roll a Bardic Inspiration die as an action, and all other creatures you choose within 60ft gain temporary hitpoints equal to the number rolled plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). These temporary hitpoints last until the end of your next turn.
Resonance (Risonanza). You concentrate and shape the harmonic vibrations of a weapon’s movements into a dangerous, cutting enhancement. Using an Action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration and choose one weapon within 60 feet of you to imbue with sonic power. Until the end of your next turn, all attacks with that weapon deal additional force damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.
Sprint (Presto). The song you conjure can stir the winds, pushing along those who require expedient travel. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can expend their inspiration during their turn to increase their speed by 20 feet for that turn.
College of Glamour
The College of Glamour is open to those bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant, deadly realm of the Feywild. Tutored by satyrs, eladrin, and other fey, these bards learn to use their magic to delight and captivate others.
The bards of this college are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of legend. The bards of this college are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency.
The same magic that allows them to quell beasts can also bend minds. Villainous bards of this college can leech off a community for weeks, abusing their magic to turn their hosts into thralls.
Captivating Visage
When you join the College of Glamour at 3rd level, you gain the ability to weave a song of fey magic that enthrals your allies with vigour and speed.
As a bonus action, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous, otherworldly appearance. When you do so, choose a number of allies you can see and who can see you within 60 feet of you, up to a number of them equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target gains 2d4 temporary hit points.
When a target gains these temporary hit points, it can also use its reaction to move up to its speed toward you, without provoking opportunity attacks. It must take the shortest, safest path to you. The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d6 at 5th level, 2d8 at 10th level, and 2d10 at 15th level.
Enthralling Performance
Starting at 3rd level, you can charge your performance with seductive fey magic.
If you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience by singing, reciting a poem, or dancing. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number of them equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, it speaks glowingly of you to anyone who speaks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, avoiding violence unless it was already inclined to fight on your behalf. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies.
If a target succeeds on its save against this effect, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Mantle of Majesty
At 6th level, you gain the ability to cloak yourself in a fey magic that makes others want to serve you. As a bonus action, you take on an appearance of unearthly beauty for 1 minute. During this time, you can cast command as a bonus action on each of your turns, without using a spell slot. This effect lasts for 1 minute, and any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the spell.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Unbreakable Majesty
At 14th level, your appearance permanently gains an otherworldly aspect that makes you look more lovely and fierce.
In addition, as a bonus action, you can assume a magically majestic presence for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. For the duration, whenever any creature tries to attack you for the first time on a turn, the attacker must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it can’t attack you on this turn, and it must choose a new target for its attack or the attack is wasted. On a successful save, it can attack you on this turn, but it has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against your spells on your next turn.
Once you assume this majestic presence, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
College of Whispers
Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like any other bard, sharing news, singing songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats.
Many other bards hate the College
of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite
that uses the bards’ reputation to acquire
wealth and power. For this reason, these bards rarely
reveal their true nature unless they must. They typically claim to follow some other college, or keep their true nature secret in order to better infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.
Psychic Blades
When you join the College of Whispers at 3rd level, you gain the ability to make your weapon attacks magically toxic to a creature’s mind.
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.
The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.
Venomous Words
At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent seeming words with an insidious magic. A creature that hears you speak can become plunged into fear and paranoia.
If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened for the next hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged. While frightened in this way, the target is paranoid and tries to avoid the company of others, including its allies. The target seeks out what it considers the safest, most secret place available to it and hides there.
If the target succeeds on its save, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
Thief of Shadows
At 6th level, you gain the ability to adopt a creature’s persona. When you slay a creature with an attack or a spell or a creature dies within 5 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You can capture only the shadow of a creature that is your creature type, such as humanoid, and your size (you can capture a Small or Medium shadow if you’re Small), and you can have only one shadow captured at a time.
After you capture a creature’s shadow, you can use your magic to weave it into a disguise that allows you to take on its appearance and gain access to its surface memories. As an action, you take on the creature’s appearance for 1 hour or until you end this effect as a bonus action.
During that hour, you gain access to all information that the creature would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Information includes general details on its background and personal life, but does not include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the creature by drawing on its memories.
Another creature can see through this disguise by making a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check, though you gain a +5 bonus to your check.
Once you capture a shadow with this feature, you can’t capture another one with it until you finish a short or long rest.
Terrible Whispers
At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.
As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.
On a failed saving throw, the target is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack it, damage it, or force it to make a saving throw. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret. You gain no knowledge of this secret, but the target is convinced you know it.
The charmed creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.
When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
College of the Coryphée
Adapted by Jack Weighill
The art of the dancer translates the skills and talents of the bardic schools into a more physical art. While word and song remain an integral part of a dancer’s art, they’ve incorporated the motion of the body to be an integral part of the performance. Trained dancers are renowned for their abilities to revitalize and reinvigorate their audience.
Originally employed to revitalize soldiers and guild members after difficult missions, it wasn’t long before bardic dancers joined the adventuring life themselves, finding their talents particularly well suited to it. For many dancers, the life of an adventurer embodies the free spirited nature of their dances.
Inspiring Dance
At 3rd level, you learn to inspire others in such a way that restores their vitality. The motions of your body creates effects profoundly different than those of the dances of laymen. Your dances can cause allies to forget their wounds and regain vitality.
As a bonus action, you can expend a bardic inspiration die and dance for an ally within 15 feet of you who can see you. They receive temporary hit points equal to your inspiration die roll plus your bard level. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. While your ally has these temporary hit points, their movement speed increases by 5 feet.
You are unable to dance in this manner if you are wearing medium or heavy armour, are restrained, or would be unable to use somatic spell components.
Dancer’s Duelling
Beginning at 3rd level when you select this archetype, your unpredictable yet flowing movements become an asset to your defensive abilities.
While wearing a costume, fancy clothes, or similarly high-end clothing, your AC is equal to 10 + your Charisma modifier + your Dexterity modifier.
In addition, you gain proficiency in one martial melee weapon with the finesse property of your choice.
Gavotting Gait
At 6th level, your mastery of dance has allowed you to incorporate it into your movement. Your movement increases by 10 feet, and opportunity attacks made against you are made with disadvantage.
Invigorating Dance
At 14th level, a dancer has learned to channel their restorative magics in a way which transcends simple revitalization. By performing a special dance they can invigorate an ally fighting by their side, inspiring them to action.
By spending a bardic inspiration die, you can use Invigorating Dance on an adjacent creature which is willing to receive the effect. As a bonus action, you transfer your energy to that creature. Your turn immediately ends and that creature gains a partial turn following yours. What they can do is outlined below, depending on what else the dancer had done on their turn.
- If you had not yet used your action, the target may use an action.
- If you have used your action, the target may make a single weapon attack, cast a cantrip, dodge, or disengage.
- The target has movement equal to your remaining movement or their own, whichever is higher.
You are unable to use this feature if you are wearing medium or heavy armour, are restrained, or would be unable to use somatic spell components.
College of Hymns
Bards of the College of Hymns are devoted to a god or goddess, often serving as monks or acolytes for several years before their ascension in status. Often a good aligned life god, Hymn bards are taught the mysteries of the faith and tasked with spreading their joy to others, with force, or with love.
Whether travelling preachers or temple priests, bards of this college seek to spread the word of their god to every corner of the world available to them, often by proving themselves as useful in high courts or previously non-religous cities.
Bards of this college would stop at nothing to help further their order's cause, and by extension, the cause of their god. Members of this college will likely jump at the opportunity to travel in a group of adventurers, seeing it as a chance to prove their faith and perhaps spread it to the masses with their future heroics.
Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this College at 3rd level, you learn the spare the dying cantrip, which counts as a bard cantrip for you.
Measured Sermon
Also at 3rd level, you learn to invoke the power of homile to strengthen those who listen to them. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration to grant a creature you can see within 30 feet 2d6 temporary hit points. This amount increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 2d10 at 10th level, and 2d12 at 15th level.
Hymnal Mass
At 14th level, you master the arts of communal worship. You can lead a 10 minute mass with at least 2 creatures that have one of your Bardic Inspiration die. If you do so, you can cast commune without expending spell slots, material components, or needing to know the spell.
Additionally, when you use your Bardic Inspiration die as per your Measured Sermon feature, it restores hit points equal to half the result rolled, as well as gaining the temporary hit points.
College of Wanderlust
Your journey as a bard is one of constant of change and new experiences. You are driven by your love of freedom and the kind of adventure that can only be found in open spaces and in the challenges of delving into dark and mysterious places. You rarely stay in one place for long and find friends and companions among those who seek adventure.
Practical Magic
Starting when you choose this college at 3rd level, for you, magic is a means to an end, and anything that aids in your journey is worth picking up along the way.
You learn two additional cantrips from any spells list. These cantrips do not count against your number of cantrips known and count as bard spells when you cast them.
Axiom
At 3rd level, you develop a personal declaration or catch-phrase that you use to motivate yourself and your allies.
A creature that has a bardic inspiration die from you can roll that die and gain a number of temporary hit points equal to twice the number rolled. Alternatively, on its turn, it may roll the die and then move a number of feet equal to 5 x the roll in any direction without provoking opportunity attacks.
Wild Rover
Beginning at 6th level, nothing can easily stop your wandering. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain swimming and climbing speeds equal to your walking speed
- Moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement
- You may cast the spell fly on yourself once per long rest
Wanderer
At 14th level, your travels have granted you with imperviousness to certain effects. You have advantage on saving throws against being slowed, held in place, or stunned by any magical effect, and you can't be petrified. You have advantage on all checks made to escape physical bonds or restraints, including being grappled.
Additionally, once per long rest, you may loudly proclaim your Axiom, rousing yourself and your allies. Expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling the die. You and any number of creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you gain one of the benefits from your Axiom. All creatures gain the same benefit.
College of Fates
All bards are wanderers, traveling wide to gather tales and spread their legend but bards belonging to the college of fates take this to the extreme. Bards of the fates use this mystique to their advantage, treating their arrival as if they were a herald of fortune itself. These bards are more than mere fortune tellers. Whether their power is true, or they stand as elaborate ruses performed by a master con are your decision.
Peering into Truth
Starting when you choose this college at 3rd level, you can consult the fates for guidance on your actions. You learn the augury spell. The spell does not count against your number of spells known, but can only be cast as a ritual.
Once you have casted augury in this way, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
Reliable Fates
Also at 3rd level, your magics can help make the best of a bad situation. If a creature expends one of your inspiration die and still fails the ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, they retain that inspiration die until it is expended successfully, or expires as normal.
Forgone Conclusions
Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to predict the natural flow of fates throughout the day. When you complete a long rest, roll three d20s and record the numbers rolled.
You can replace any attack roll saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you with one of these foretelling rolls as a reaction, before the roll is made. Each foretelling roll can be used only once When you finish a long rest. you lose any unused foretelling rolls.
Forcing Fortune
Your understanding of the now of allows you to immediately seize control of it. Starting at 14th level you may take an action to bend fortune to your will until the beginning of your next turn, you may impose advantage or disadvantage on any 3 attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks made by a creature within 30 feet of you. Once you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum. Charisma 13
Proficiencies Gained. Light armour, one skill of your choice, one musical instrument of your choice
Jack Weighill's
Homebrew
Compendium
Hello players and GM Binder devs! You've found the back page of a class from my class compendium. Not all of this work is mine, in fact, most of it isn't! It is simply here for ease of access for the players, and isn't shared elsewhere.
The bard comes from the player's handbook, and a long time ago, was the most hated class in all of D&D. A big player in making the bard a favourite in the TRPG renaissance, is the roleplay potential, and the amazing Sam Riegel.
Regal is quoted multiple times by Matthew Mercer that, when making his legendary bard, Scanlan Shorthalt, he asked what was the "worst race, and the worst class;" and thus, a gnome bard was born. A gnome bard who grew to be the most beloved of bards, and Jack Lingo as an inspiration to bard players across the world.
BIGBY'S HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!