# 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 weaves 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 armor. 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 firsthand. 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 of 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 w ere 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 of a hag, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost? #### 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*. \pagebreakNum <div class='classTable wide'> ##### The Bard | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6) | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 2nd | +2 | Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest (d6) | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 3rd | +2 | Bard College, Expertise | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 4th | +2 | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 5th | +3 | Bardic Inspiration (d8), 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 | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | | 9th | +4 | Song of Rest (d8) | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | | 10th | +4 | Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | | 11th | +4 | ─ | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | | 12th | +4 | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | | 13th | +5 | Song of Rest (d10) | 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 | Bardic Inspiration (d12) | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | | 16th | +5 | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | | 17th | +6 | Song of Rest (d12) | 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 | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | 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 | </div> ## 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 ___ - **Armor:** Light armor - **Weapons:** Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords - **Tools:** Three musical instruments of your choice ___ - **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma - **Skills:** Choose any three \columnbreak #### 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 armor and a dagger ### 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 of the *Player's Handbook* for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this document for the bard spell list. \pagebreakNum #### Cantrips You know either the *Friends* cantrip or the *Minor Illusion* cantrip (this cantrip does not count against your cantrips known) and two other 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. #### Cantrip Versatility Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one cantrip you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another cantrip from the bard spell list. #### 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 of a level for which you have spell slots. #### Spell Versatility Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another spell from the bard spell list. The new spell must be the same level as the spell you replace. #### 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 of the *Player's Handbook*) 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 dl2 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 revitalize 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 from the list provided: * College of Creation * College of Eloquence * College of Glamour * College of Lore * College of Swords * College of Valor * College of Whispers All are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level. \pagebreakNum ### 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 / Feat 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. Alternatively, you can chose to take a Feat from one of the options found [here](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LMhPMjnL5LIDK4kuOSw). ### Proficiency Versatility Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature from your class, you can also replace one of your skill proficiencies with a skill proficiency offered by your class at 1st level (the proficiency you replace needn’t be from the class). This change represents one of your skills atrophying as you focus on a different skill ### 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. \columnbreak ### Countercharm At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required). ### 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 of 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. ### **Endless Inspiration** **At 20th level, when you have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you can still inspire others and grant them a Bardic Inspiration die. This die is a d8 instead of your normal Bardic Inspiration die.** ## 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. \pagebreakNum ### College of Glamour The College of Glamour is the home Of bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant realm of the Feywild or under the tutelage Of someone who dwelled there. 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. These bards 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, misusing their magic to turn their hosts into thralls. Heroic bards of this college instead use this power to gladden the downtrodden and undermine oppressors. ##### College of Glamour Features | Bard Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Mantle of Inspiration, Enthralling Performance | | 6th | Mantle of Majesty | | 14th | Unbreakable Majesty | #### Mantle of Inspiration When you join the College of Glamour at 3rd level, you gain the ability to weave a song of fey magic that imbues your allies with vigor and speed. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures you can see and that can see you within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of them gains 5 temporary hit points. When a creature gains these temporary hit points, it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks. The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 8 at 5th level, 11 at 10th level, and 14 at 15th level. \columnbreak #### 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 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 talks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it avoids 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 saving throw, 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 cast command, without expending a spell slot, and you take on an appearance of unearthly beauty for 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell). During this time, you can cast *Command* as a bonus action on each of your turns, without expending a spell slot. Any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the command you cast with this feature. 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. \pagebreakNum ### 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 of 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. ##### College of Lore Features | Bard Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Cutting Words | | 6th | Additional Magical Secrets | | 14th | Peerless Skill | #### 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. \columnbreak #### 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. \pagebreakNum ### College of Swords Bards of the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and juggling, and mock combats. Though they use their weapons to entertain, they are also highly trained and skilled warriors in their own right. Their talent with weapons inspires many blades to lead double lives. One blade might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful. Most troupes are happy to accept a blade’s talent for the excitement it adds to a performance, but few entertainers fully trust a blade in their ranks. Blades who abandon their lives as entertainers have often run into trouble that makes maintaining their secret activities impossible. A blade caught stealing or engaging in vigilante justice is too great a liability for most troupes. With their weapon skills and magic, these blades either take up work as enforcers for thieves' guilds or strike out on their own as adventurers. ##### College of Swords Features | Bard Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Fighting Style, Blade Flourish | | 6th | Extra Attack | | 14th | Master's Flourish | #### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Swords at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and the scimitar. If you're proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your hard spells. #### Fighting Style At 3rd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if something in the game lets you choose again. **Dueling.** When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. **Two-Weapon Fighting.** When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. **Additionally, when you reach 14th level you can make a second off-hand attack.** \columnbreak #### Blade Flourish At 3rd level, you learn to perform impressive displays of martial prowess and speed. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn. **Defensive Flourish.** You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn. **Slashing Flourish.** You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit and to any other creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. **Mobile Flourish.** You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you, plus a number of feet equal to the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target. #### Extra Attack Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. #### Master's Flourish Starting at 14th level, whenever you use a Blade Flourish option, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die. \pagebreakNum ### College of Valor Bards of the College of Valor 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 firsthand 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. ##### College of Valor Features | Bard Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Combat Inspiration | | 6th | Extra Attack | | 14th | Battle Magic | #### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Valor at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, 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 Starting 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. \pagebreakNum ### 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 other bards, 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 a bard’s reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, members of this college rarely reveal their true nature. They typically claim to follow some other college, or they keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power. ##### College of Whispers Features | Bard Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Psychic Blades, Words of Terror | | 6th | Mantle of Whispers | | 14th | Shadow Lore | #### 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. #### Words of Terror At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror. If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in 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 of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged. If the target succeeds on its saving throw, 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 or long rest. #### Mantle of Whispers At 6th level, you gain the ability to adopt a humanoid's persona. When a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest. You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. This disguise lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action. While you're in the disguise, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn't include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories. Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. 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. #### Shadow Lore 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 cant 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. \pagebreakNum ## Bard Spell List <div class='spellList'> ##### Cantrips (0 Level) - ***Aural Decoy*** - Blade Ward - ***Blessed Weapon*** - ***Cast Light*** - Dancing Lights - Friends - Light - Mage Hand - Mending - Message - Minor Illusion - Prestidigitation - Thunderclap - True Strike - Vicious Mockery ##### 1st Level - ***Age*** - Animal Friendship - Bane - **Bless** - ***Bone Read*** - **Cause Fear** - Charm Person - Color Spray - Command - Comprehend Languages - Cure Wounds - Detect Magic - Disguise Self - Dissonant Whispers - Earth Tremor - Faerie Fire - Feather Fall - Healing Word - Heroism - Identify - Illusory Script - Longstrider - Silent Image - Silvery Barbs - Sleep - Speak with Animals - Tasha's Hideous Laughter - Thunderwave - Unseen Servant - ***White Corona*** ##### 2nd Level - Aid - ***Aldebaran's Palm*** - Animal Messenger - Blindness/Deafness - Borrowed Knowledge - Calm Emotions - ***Chilling Scythe*** - Cloud of Daggers - Crown of Madness - Detect Thoughts - ***Emit Force*** - Enhance Ability - Enlarge/Reduce - Enthrall - Heat Metal - Hold Person - ***Hush*** - Invisibility - Kinetic Jaunt - Knock - Lesser Restoration - Locate Animals or Plants - Locate Object - Magic Mouth - **Mind Spike** - Mirror Image - Nathair's Mischief - ***Misty Warding*** - Phantasmal Force - Pyrotechnics - See Invisibility - Shatter - **Shadow Blade** - Silence - Skywrite - ***Star Dust*** - Suggestion - **Warding Bond** - Warding Wind - Zone of Truth ##### 3rd Level - ***Acid Breath*** - ***Allegro*** - ***Battle Hymn*** - Bestow Curse - ***Blade Storm*** - Catnap - Clairvoyance - Dispel Magic - Enemies Abound - Fear - Feign Death - Glyph of Warding - Hypnotic Pattern - ***Iron Maiden*** - Leomund's Tiny Hut - Linked Glyphs - Major Image - Mass Healing Word - Nondetection - Plant Growth - Sending - Slow - ***Soothing Sunlight*** - Speak with Dead - Speak with Plants - Stinking Cloud - **Tiny Servant** - Tongues - ***Tranquil Walk of Peace*** ##### 4th Level - ***Absolution*** - Charm Monster - Compulsion - Confusion - Dimension Door - ***Echoing Lance*** - Freedom of Movement - Greater Invisibility - Hallucinatory Terrain - Locate Creature - Phantasmal Killer - Polymorph - Raulothim's Psychic Lance ##### 5th Level - Animate Objects - Awaken - **Contact Other Plane** - Dominate Person - Dream - ***Entomb*** - Geas - Greater Restoration - Hold Monster - Legend Lore - Mass Cure Wounds - Mislead - Modify Memory - Planar Binding - Raise Dead - Rary's Telepathic Bond - Scrying - Seeming - Skill Empowerment - Synaptic Static - Teleporatation Circle ##### 6th Level - Eyebite - Find the Path - Guards and Wards - Heroes' Feast - Mass Suggestion - **Mental Prison** - Otto's Irresistible Dance - Programmed Illusion - **Scatter** - **Tenser's Transformation** - True Seeing ##### 7th Level - Dream of the Blue Veil - Etherealness - Forcecage - Mirage Arcane - Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion - Mordenkainen's Sword - **Power Word Pain** - Prismatic Spray - Project Image - Regenerate - Resurrection - Symbol - Teleport ##### 8th Level - Antipathy/Sympathy - Dominate Monster - Feeblemind - Glibness - **Maze** - Mind Blank - Power Word Stun ##### 9th Level - Foresight - Mass Polymorph - Power Word Heal - Power Word Kill - Prismatic Wall - Psychic Scream - True Polymorph - **Weird** </div> \pagebreakNum # Homebrew Changes ### Spellcasting * Added *Friends* or *Prestidigitation* as a free cantrip. * Added **Spell Versatility** and **Cantrip Versatility** ### Spell List * See the table above; bolded items are spells that do not appear on this class's Player's Handbook Spell list, italicized items are homebrew spells. ### Ability Score Increase * Added the **Proficiency Versatility** from the [Class Features UA](https://media.wizards.com/2019/dnd/downloads/UA-ClassFeatures.pdf) ### Endless Inspiration * Replaced Superior Inspiration with Endless Inspiration