Bard College: College of Mockery
Comedy and Camraderie
A cantrip known, or at least heard of, among all those who carry the tradition of the arcane arts, is the infamous Vicious Mockery. A scorn so scathing, it can rend a foe's mind and fill their heart with shame. Unfortunately, most Bards eventually find themselves moving away from petty tricks and move on towards greener pastures.
You are not most Bards, however, and you have committed your heart and soul to the art of viciously mocking. You'll show them the true strength of a good joke. You'll show them all.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Mockery at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in improvised weapons, and you can use your Charisma modifier for the attack and damage rolls.
Improved Vicious Mockery
When you join the College of Mockery at 3rd level, you learn the Improved Vicious Mockery cantrip. If you already knew Vicious Mockery, replace it with another cantrip from the Bard spell list.
Improved Vicious Mockery
cantrip enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
You unleash an enchanted string of insults and jokes that rip apart the self-esteem of a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. Additionally, if the creature makes a critical failure on its saving throw, the damage dice doubles.
This spell's damage dice changes when you reach 5th Level(1d8), 11th Level(1d10), and 17th Level(1d12).
Styles of Mockery
At 6th level, your studies of the art of the insult have granted you new and powerful ways to cripple your foes. You gain two Styles of Mockery of your choice. At 11th level, you gain two more.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Styles of Mockery you know and replace it with another Style.
Master of Comedy
At 14th level, your foes' minds succumb to the scalding force of your wit. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws if you did not already have it, and when a creature makes a Wisdom saving throw to resist the secondary effect of Improved Vicious Mockery, you can roll your Bardic Inspiration die and subtract it from the creature's roll.
Styles of Mockery
Roast
You have mastered the style of a continued verbal assault, spitting insults so scathing it burns your foes. If a creature fails its Wisdom saving throw to resist Improved Vicious Mockery, you deal additional fire damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.
Deep Cut
You know how to cut right into your target's deepest insecurities, which can cripple their ability to fight. If you score a critical hit on the spell attack roll for Improved Vicious Mockery, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls during its turn.
Comeback
Your immediate disapproval of another creature's actions can stop it dead in its tracks. Improved Vicious Mockery can be cast as a reaction. If the creature fails its Wisdom saving throw, the target creature cannot perform the action that triggered the reaction until the start of its next turn. It suffers no other effects of a failed save if the spell is cast in this way.
Prop Comedy
You've mastered the use of inanimate objects as a focus for your jokes. When you deal damage with a melee or ranged weapon, you can add psychic damage equal to the damage dice of Improved Vicious Mockery to the weapon damage.
Practical Joke
You understand the key to comedy is manipulating your victim's stupidity. As an action, you can imbue a 10ft square within 15 feet with the power of arcane shame. When a creature passes through that space, you can use Improved Vicious Mockery against them with advantage. If the creature is forced into the triggering space, they automatically succeed the Wisdom saving throw. If they walk into the space on their own accord, they automatically fail.
Random
A common theory of comedy is that intentional randomness is the funniest tactic of all. When you cast Improved Vicious Mockery, choose any damage type from Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Psychic, Poison, Radiant, or Thunder. You can change the stat used for its associated saving throw, choosing from Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.