Bardic college:
Harlequins
Harlequins are mirthful jesters, expressing their emotions through myriad dances and performances. Their theatrics are elaborate, deftly crafted and executed. To the uninitiated, theirs look like acts of chaotic whimsy beaded through a string of impossible luck.
To a harlequin, the swing of a scimitar is as much of an art form as the stroke of a feathery quill. One might sing the songs of heroes past, or enact the plays of mortal men all the while slicing through a dozen men. Through steel and spell, they weave the most enthralling of performances, inciting joy or anger or more.
Enacting these plays, a harlequin often bears myriad masks. On donning a mask, the person takes a step back and lets the character take center stage. You might have a mask for every occasion, but who are you, really? Is the porcelain smile on your lips yours or someone else's?
Harlequin Features
| Bard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Theater of War, Mystic Masquerade |
| 6th | Extra attack, Masque of the phantasms |
| 14th | Fervent Finale |
Theater of war
3rd level Harlequin feature
You gain proficiency with medium armor and a melee weapon of your choice. You can use this weapon as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
Mystic Masquerade
3rd level Harlequin feature
You gain proficiency in carpenter's tools, and you can use them to craft an elaborate harlequin mask. As a bonus action, you can transform your mask to one of its forms, or to any other visual of your choice. You gain additional features depending on the mask's form:
Mask of Joy.
When you cast a spell that charms or heals a creature, you can expend a bardic inspiration die and target an additional creature within range to be affected by the spell.
Mask of Anger.
When you cast a bard spell that frightens or damages a creature, you can expend a bardic inspiration die and make a weapon attack as a bonus action.
Extra attack
6th level Harlequin feature
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Masque of the phantasms
6th level Harlequin feature
While wielding a musical instrument, you can cast an illusion spell you know as a ritual. If the illusion spell has a duration of one minute or longer, you can keep performing to maintain it. The spell lasts until you end the performance or take another action.
You can use this feature once, and regain expended uses on a short or long rest.
fervent finale
14th level Harlequin feature
When you would be reduced to 0 hit points while wearing your mask, you can use your reaction to perform one final flourish. Once you perform a finale, you don't any benefits from that mask until you finish a short or long rest.
Finale of Joy.
You are instead reduced to a number of hit points equal to your bard level, and you can move upto half your movement speed without provoking an opportunity attack.
Finale of Anger.
You can make a weapon attack against the creature that reduced you to 0 hit points. On a hit, the attack deals additional damage equal to your bard level.
College of the Harlequins by Lucifer
Art by Michael Angelo Dulay
