Bard Subclass
College of Requiems [v1.1]
Bards of the College of Requiem are not peddlers of entertainment to the living, but those that play to a far more more challenging audiance - the dead. Laying them rest or inciting them a last act of retribution, these bard's weave a Performance that enthralls the souls of the departed.
Some such souls are filled with compassion and can grant succor to the living, while others are filled with wrath existing only to violent rebuke those that have not yet joined their lifeless ranks; this college's members weave and ply those spirits to act, tormenting their foes and bringing salvation to their allies.
College of Requiems Features
Bard Level | Feature |
---|---|
3rd | Requiem's Call, Death's Lullaby |
6th | Dance of Souls |
14th | The Final Verse |
Requiem's Call
When you join the College of Requiems at 3rd level, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action to draw a soul of the departed to your side until the end of your next turn. You can have a number of souls by your side equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up).
The souls by accompying you from this feature grant you several benefits:
- When you roll damage for Psychic or Necrotic damage, you can add a d4 for each soul by your side to the damage dealt for one target.
- You gain 1 temporary hit point at the start of your turn for each soul accompying you.
- The souls form an aura with a radius of 5 feet for each soul following you. As a reaction to a creature entering or starting their turn in this radius, you can cast bane on that creature without expending a spell slot. This effect does not require concentration to maintain, but this effect ends if the creature ends their turn outside of the radius.
While you have at least one soul by your side, you can make a Charisma (Performance) check as a bonus action to maintain the presence of the souls until the end of your next turn. The DC is 10 + the number of souls at your side. As part of this action, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to draw a new soul to you side.
Death's Lullaby
Additionally at 3rd level, you learn the spell gentle repose and can cast it without expending a spell slot.
Dance of Souls
At 6th level, you gain additional service from the souls that gather to your call. While you have at least soul by your side from Requiem's Call, you can cast healing spirit or spirit guardians as Bard spells. When cast this way, you deal necrotic damage with spirit guardians regardless of your alignment.
Additionally, while you have at least two souls by your side from Requiem's Call you gain advantage on Concentration saving throws to maintain healing spirit or spirit guardians.
The Final Verse
At 14th level, the requiem you wield is eventually conducts to shuffle from this mortal coil, and it's final verse takes a toll upon those that would hear its true nature. The third time expend a use of Bardic Inspiration on Requiem's Call or you pass a check to maintain souls with it on consecutive turns, you can complete the final verse as an action.
A number of creatures of your choice (up to your Charisma modifier) within 60 feet must make a Charisma Saving throw. On failure, they take 4d6 + your Bard level psychic and become frightened of you until the end of their turn. Undead creatures make this save with disdavantage, and do not benefit from any resistance immunity to psychic damage from this effect.
All souls currently following you depart after you deal damage, but if this damage kills any target, their soul's are added to your Requiem's Call.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Created By:
College of Requiem Quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this College
d6 | Quirk |
---|---|
1 | The living are unworthy, you perform for them only begrudgingly. |
2 | You insist on sending off any who die, friend or foe. |
3 | You hum mournful dirges. Particularly when people annoy you. |
4 | You perform best at night. Preferably with a full moon. While sitting on a gravestone. |
5 | Lesser souls often swirl about your feet, awaiting your next performance. |
6 | You are frequently mistaken for undead. |
Supported By
Creation is made possible by generous patrons:
- Andrew Hoertt
- Ara Enzeru
- Austin Fox
- Christoph Haaß (Rune)
- Code Ghoul
- Ethan Reinhart
- Garion Pankievich
- GMBinder
- HerdSheep
- Ihileath
- James Sant
- Jau
- Kybernetes
- Lawrence Eger
- Mercutiorty
- Nannette Groft
- Quentin Padilla
- Rory Collier
- Russel Hobson
- Spenser Birney
- Thortron
- Thought-Knot
- Unlikely Alpaca
- Vaelin
- Verixa Okblek
...and many more!
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