Bard

Bard.webp

Bard Features

Level Proficiency Bonus Features Cantrips Known Spells Known
1st +2 Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6) 2 4
2nd +2 Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest (d6), Magical Inspiration (Optional) 2 5
3rd +2 Bard College, Expertise 2 6
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) 3 7
5th +3 Bardic Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration 3 8
6th +3 Countercharm, Bard College feature 3 9
7th +3 3 10
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) 3 11
9th +4 Song of Rest (d8) 3 12
10th +4 Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets 4 14
11th +4 4 15
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) 4 15
13th +5 Song of Rest (d10) 4 16
14th +5 Magical Secrets, Bard College feature 4 18
15th +5 Bardic Inspiration (d12) 4 19
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) 4 19
17th +6 Song of Rest (d12) 4 20
18th +6 Magical Secrets 4 22
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) 4 22
20th +6 Superior Inspiration 4 22
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st 2 - - - - - - - -
2nd 3 - - - - - - - -
3rd 4 2 - - - - - - -
4th 4 3 - - - - - - -
5th 4 3 2 - - - - - -
6th 4 3 3 - - - - - -
7th 4 3 3 1 - - - - -
8th 4 3 3 2 - - - - -
9th 4 3 3 3 1 - - - -
10th 4 3 3 3 2 - - - -
11th 4 3 3 3 2 1 - - -
12th 4 3 3 3 2 1 - - -
13th 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 - -
14th 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 - -
15th 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 -
16th 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 -
17th 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
18th 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
19th 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
20th 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1
Core Bard Traits
Primary Ability Charisma
Hit Point Die D8 per Bard level
Saving Throw Proficiencies Dexterity and Charisma
Skill Proficiencies Choose any 3 skills
Weapon Proficiencies Simple weapons
Tool Proficiencies Choose 3 Musical Instruments
Armor Training Light armor
Starting Equipment Choose A or B: (A) Leather Armor, 2 Daggers, Musical Instrument of your choice, Entertainer’s Pack, and 19 GP; or (B) 90 GP

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.

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 bard 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.

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

2nd-level Bard feature
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

2nd-level Bard feature
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 by spending one or more Hit Dice, 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.

Magical Inspiration (Optional)

2nd-level Bard feature
At 2nd level, if a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die from you and casts a spell that restores hit points or deals damage, the creature can roll that die and choose a target affected by the spell. Add the number rolled as a bonus to the hit points regained or the damage dealt. The Bardic Inspiration die is then lost.

Bard College

3rd-level Bard feature
At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

Expertise

3rd-level Bard feature
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

4rd-level Bard feature
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.

Bardic Versatility (Optional)

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change in focus as you use your skills and magic:

  • Replace one of the skills you chose for the Expertise feature with one of your other skill proficiencies that isn't benefiting from Expertise.
  • Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Spellcasting feature with another cantrip from the bard spell list.

Font of Inspiration

5th-level Bard feature
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

6th-level Bard feature
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

10th-level Bard feature
By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any classes, 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 classes at 14th level and again at 18th level.

Superior Inspiration

20th-level Bard feature
At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

Subclasses

College Source
Creation Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Eloquence Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Glamour Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Lore Player's Handbook
Spirits Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
Swords Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Valor Player's Handbook
Whispers Xanathar's Guide to Everything

College of Dance

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Music is the creative magic that flows through the air like shared blood among all living creatures. As new methods of art and music emerge, so too do the bardic colleges in which to teach them. Music and art takes on new meaning in the hands of these characters, becoming more beautiful, powerful, and at times, deadly.

Across a multiverse of diverse and unique creatures and cultures, it can only be expected to harbor an equal number of new and imaginative creators. How they choose to inspire their allies is up to them, and is limited only by their boundless creativity.

Bards of the College of Dance tell stories and perform music without making a sound, choosing to instead move with feylike grace and magic to evade harm and inspire others. These dances originate from the Festerwood, whose radiant spores and light made for miraculous performances and deadly hazards. These bards can be found anywhere from the local tavern to the highest levels of theater moving crowds to tears as quickly as rebellion. At every turn, they inspire others to be brave, move, and join in.

Fast movement

3rd-level College of Dance Feature
When you join the College of Dance at 3rd level, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. When you reach 6th and 14th level in this class, your walking speed increases by an extra 5 feet.

Inspirational Dance

3rd-level College of Dance Feature
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use the universal language of dance. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration to dance and reinvigorate a creature other than you who can see you. When you do, roll a Bardic Inspiration die. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the number rolled plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). When a creature gains temporary hit points in this way, it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks or take the Dodge action.

Entrancing Movement

6th-level College of Dance Feature
At 6th level, your movements become so graceful that even the most cold-hearted enemies are filled with remorse for having stopped your dance. Whenever a creature hits you with an opportunity attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier + half your bard level.

In addition, you can use your dance to cast the charm person spell, without expending a spell slot. When cast in this way, the target doesn’t have advantage on the saving throw if you’re currently fighting it. When you reach 14th level in this class, you can cast the irresistible dance spell in this way as well. A spell cast with this feature requires only somatic components. After you cast a spell in this way, you can’t use this feature to cast it again until you finish a long rest.

Endless Dance

14th-level College of Dance Feature
By 14th level, your dance has become so invigorating that it can inspire an ally to attack. A creature that gains temporary hit points from your Inspirational Dance can choose to use its reaction to make one weapon attack.

In addition, your endless dancing allows you to more easily avoid being hit. You can use a bonus action to take the Dodge action, and whenever you use a bonus action to expend a Bardic Inspiration die, you can take the Dodge action as part of that bonus action.

College of Cuisine

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Bard - College of Cuisine.webp
Food: it fuels thought, builds bones, and delights the senses. But more than that, breaking bread with a foe can be the beginning of a lasting peace, sculptures of sugar glass can inspire architects to design soaring cities, and the fusion of disparate culinary traditions can tie cultures together. Though we see food every day, it is truly the epitome of inspiration.

Bards from the College of Cuisine are as prized in the kitchens of nobles as in the mess halls of the
rank and file. While peace treaties might be signed over hoisin-glazed duck with sides of spiced jackfruit and crispy shallots, it is the well-fed army that will win the war on a hearty oat and raisin porridge. Such bards never struggle to find employment; they travel where their work is appreciated, be their diners highborn or down-to-earth.

Culinary Exploration

3rd-level College of Cuisine feature
Years spent adapting recipes allows you to try unheard-of combinations of ingredients. You gain proficiency with cook’s utensils, which you can use as a spellcasting focus, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability checks you make that uses these utensils to prepare food. In addition, whenever you craft a food (see page 137), you can add one additional ingredient to the recipe, conferring the benefits of that ingredient to the dish on a successful Cooking check.

Petit Fours

3rd-level College of Cuisine feature
During a short or long rest, you can create a number of magical treats equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one). Choose one of the flavours from the list below with which to imbue these treats, which remain magical until you finish a short or long rest.

A creature can use an action or bonus action to eat a treat, gaining a benefit based on the treat’s
flavour which, unless otherwise stated, lasts until the end of its next turn.

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, teleporting any number of treats on your person next to creatures you can see within 60 feet of you, where they remain, hovering near the creature’s mouth. Such a creature can use its reaction to eat the treat, or it can do so on its next turn as a bonus action. Otherwise, the treat falls to the ground.

  • Bitter. The creature gains resistance to poison damage and has advantage on saving throws made to resist the poisoned condition.
  • Salty. The creature gains advantage on Wisdom saving throws and is immune to the charmed condition.
  • Sour. The creature’s weapon attacks deal bonus acid damage equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.
  • Sweet. The creature gains temporary hit points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) that last for 1 hour.
  • Umami. The creature gains a +2 bonus to its AC.

Culinary Specialisation

6th-level College of Cuisine feature
You pursue a particular style of cuisine, choosing from the list below and gaining its feature.

  • Slow Cooking. You gain proficiency with medium armour, heavy armour, shields, and martial weapons. At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Fast Food. You gain proficiency with medium armour and you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
  • Patissier. You learn two spells of your choice from any spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. These don’t count against the number of bard spells you know. In addition, when you finish a short rest, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, rolling the die and recovering a number of levels of spell slots with a combined value equal to or less than the value rolled, and none of the spell slots can be 6th level or higher. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Executive Chef

14th-level College of Cuisine feature
Your confidence and authority in the kitchen translates to battlefield command. When a creature that can hear you rolls one of your Bardic Inspiration dice or eats one of your Petit Fours, you can shout authoritative, verbal encouragement (no action required). The creature can immediately use its reaction to either make one weapon attack or move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. A creature that eats a Petit Fours can attack or move as described as part of the same reaction, action, or bonus action used to eat the Petit Fours.

College of Fleshweaving

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If leather is a material, then why not skin itself? Students of the College of Fleshweaving
make works of art out of weeping wounds, transform disfigurement into displays of transcendent beauty, and mould flesh into innovative adaptations inspired by the flora and fauna around them. A fleshweaver bard down on their luck might find employment as a battlefield surgeon, while the epitome of a fleshweaver’s career is to be the chief facemaker to royalty, altering their visage
and physiology through biomantic rituals and deft needlework.

Malleable Visage

3rd-level College of Fleshweaving feature
Years spent mending, shaping, and adapting flesh have given you a preternatural ability to modify your own body. You are proficient with surgeon’s tools, which you can use as a spellcasting focus, and you know the alter self spell, which counts as a bard spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of bard spells you know. Over the course of 1 minute, you can cast the spell without expending a spell slot, choosing only the Change Appearance option. When you cast the
spell in this way, it doesn’t require concentration.

In addition, over the course of 10 minutes, you can use your surgeon’s tools to change the appear-
ance of a willing creature. It magically gains the benefits of the Change Appearance effect of the alter self spell, which lasts until it finishes a long rest. After you use your surgeon’s tools in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Suturer

3rd-level College of Fleshweaving feature
You know the spiritual weapon spell, which is a bard spell for you, but doesn’t count against the number of spells you know. You can cast this spell once without expending a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in this way when you finish a long rest. When you cast it as a bard spell, the weapon takes the form of a giant needle and thread, and deals piercing damage instead of force damage.

You also learn different ways to use this spiritualweapon. You gain the Suture benefit below, and you gain an additional benefit below when you reach 5th level and 10th level in this class.

  • Suture (3rd Level). As a bonus action or an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to move the weapon up to 20 feet and grant temporary hit points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die to one creature within 5 feet of the weapon. If the creature has 0 hit points, you can stabilise it, instead.
  • Unspool (5th Level). As an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to move the weapon up to 20 feet and force one creature within 5 feet of the weapon to make a Strength saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failure, magical threads wrap around the creature, which is restrained for 1 minute. The target can use its action to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
  • Acupuncture (10th Level). As an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to move the weapon up to 20 feet and make a melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of it. On a hit, the creature takes piercing damage equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier, and must make a Constitution saving throw against yourbard spell save DC. On a failure, the creature is paralysed until the end of its next turn

Ritual Reskin

6th-level College of Fleshweaving feature
Over the course of 10 minutes, you can perform a surgical ritual on creatures that you can see within 60 feet of you (including yourself), up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). The creatures gain one of the following adaptations for the next hour. You choose one adaptation to affect all creatures:

  • Bull’s Buns. The target has advantage on Strength checks, and counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.
  • Cactus Skin. The target is covered in razor-sharp spikes. At the end of each of the target’s turns, each creature grappling it must make a Constitution saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes piercing damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die and releases the target from its grapple. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and doesn’t have to release the target.
  • Cat’s Paws. The target has advantage on Dexterity checks. It also doesn’t take damage from falling 20 feet or less if it isn’t incapacitated.
  • Fish Form. The target can breathe underwater and gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed.
  • Owl’s Sight. The target has advantage on Wisdom checks and initiative rolls.
  • Rhino’s Hide. The target has advantage on Constitution checks and gains temporary hit points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), which are lost when the effect ends.
    After you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to use this feature again.

Soulsew

14th-level College of Fleshweaving feature
When a creature uses one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, or fails a saving throw against your Suturer feature’s Unspool or Acupuncture effects, it becomes ‘soulsewn’ to you for 1 minute. While soulsewn, an ethereal thread connects you to this creature via a straight line that only you and creatures with truesight can see. This thread breaks if the creatureis ever more than 100 feet away from you.
Spool. You can use a bonus action to teleport to the nearest unoccupied space of a soulsewn creature of your choice, or attempt to switch places with a soulsewn creature. If the creature is unwilling to switch places, you must succeed on a contested Charisma check against the creature. On a success, or if the creature is willing, you and the target teleport, switching places with one another. If there is not enough space for either of you to switch places, you automatically lose the contest.

You can teleport using this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

College of Mercantile

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Bard - College of Mercantile.webp
A good musician may be inspirational, but not to the same degree that a true bard can muster. Using sheer control over the simple magic of everyday comforts like music, song, and welcome conversation, bards are capable of twisting the world, and the people within it, to their liking. Bards are well-learned by trade, and as a result are capable of almost anything through gathered
knowledge and uncanny aptitude. Often lauded as much as they are reviled by those they encounter, these practicioners of clever enchantments and illusions do their best work from the sidelines of combat and at the heads of powerful tables.

Bards of the College of Mercantile are well versed in the artistry of cutting deals and enemies alike in order to come out ahead. Talented merchants, smugglers, and tradesmen alike all learn from this college in some form or another, using both silvered words and sharp cunning to inspire their allies and subvert competition. These calculated risk-takers travel the world to make their mark—and their fortune—by navigating treacherous landscapes, economies, and people. With even just a
copper to their name, these bards are always worth their weight in gold.

COIN FLIP

3rd-level College of Mercantile feature
Starting when you join the College of Mercantile at 3rd level, a creature that uses a Bardic Inspiration die from you can choose to forgo rolling the die to flip a coin instead. If it’s heads, the creature treats the Bardic Inspiration die as if it rolled its maximum number. If it’s tails, the GM takes the Bardic Inspiration die and can use it when another creature of the GM’s choice makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw instead. The GM can have multiple Bardic Inspiration dice at a time in this way, but can still only add one of them to a roll at a time. When you finish a long rest, the GM loses any of these taken Bardic Inspiration dice.

MAGIC COIN

3rd-level College of Mercantile feature
Also at 3rd level, you know that coins can be just as powerful as the most enthralling rhetoric. Whereas other bards may use words and song as their means for conjuring spells, you instead use a simple coin. You can use any coin worth at least 1 cp as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
In addition, you can use an action to magically fling a coin from your hand at a target within 60 feet of you.
Make a ranged spell attack with the coin, using your Charisma modifier for the attack roll. On a hit, the target takes 1 bludgeoning damage plus 1d12 thunder damage. Immediately after the attack, the coin returns to your hand. If you roll a 20 on the attack roll against a hostile creature using a nonmagical copper, silver, electrum, or gold piece, the coin is magically duplicated when it returns to your hand. The new coin can appear in your hand, at your feet, or in a coin pouch on your person (your choice).

The coin’s thunder damage increases by 1d12 when you reach 6th level (2d12) and 14th level (3d12).

MONEY TALKS

6th-level College of Mercantile feature
By 6th level, you’ve learned how to briefly enchant a coin with divination magic. You can enchant a mundane copper, silver, electrum, gold, or platinum piece that you’re holding in this way using an action. A creature holding the coin that knows at least one language can understand the meaning of any word you speak, and when it speaks, you understand what it says. In addition, you have advantage on the first Charisma (Persuasion) check you make when negotiating the value of a good or service with a creature that’s holding or carrying the enchanted coin.

Alternatively, you can use an action to see and hear through the enchanted coin until the start of your next turn as if you were in the coin’s space. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. The coin remains enchanted for 10 minutes or until you end the effect early (no action required).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma
modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

SHREWD CONSUMER

14th-level College of Mercantile feature
Starting at 14th level, whenever you cast a spell that consumes a material component, drink a potion, or use a spell scroll that’s worth no more than 500 gp, there is a 50 percent chance that the component, potion, or scroll isn’t consumed. In addition, you can use a bonus action to take the Use an Object action or drink a potion.

College of Hanabi

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Bard - College of Hanabi.webp
Since time immemorial, the College of Hanabi has produced the finest firework artisans. From craftspeople in workshops to conductors who orchestrate thousands of explosions in an intricate performance, bards from this college are celebrated throughout the Yokai Realms. They are more than simple artificers; they imbue each spark with a story, each explosion with emotion, and create an ephemeral tapestry of light and sound whose message moulds the mind of all who witness it.
Whether or not you attended the college itself or learnt the art from a backstreet alchemist is moot: you are an entertainer who uses bright colours and loud bangs as a medium. Perhaps you travelled with a carnival, bringing joy to a new town each evening. Maybe you are a fresh college graduate, seeking to conduct performances in the courts of the high and mighty. Or perhaps you were employed in the Silk Purse’s quarries, but turned mundane blasting operations into fantastical varicoloured displays, much to the chagrin of your foreman. Naysayers be damned, fireworks are a feast for the eyes, and besides, the explosions aren’t that loud anymore. Maybe you should get that checked out…

Burgeoning Inventor

3rd-Level College of Hanabi Feature
Your forays into the art of firework creation has granted you the skills of a journeyman craftsperson and experience wielding projectile weapons. You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies, one other set of artisan’s tools of your choice, and all magitech firearms. You can use a set of alchemist’s supplies as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
In addition, when you make an ability check using a tool you have proficiency with, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll your Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roll the die for the ability check, but before the GM tells you whether you succeed or fail.

Pyrotechnics

3rd-Level College of Hanabi Feature
During a long rest, you can create a number of small, magical pyrotechnics equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one). When you use one of the effects below, you expend one pyrotechnic. You can activate no more than one pyrotechnic per turn. Saving throws are always against your bard spell save DC.

  • Kodama Candle. As a reaction when you are targeted by an attack from a creature you can see within 15 feet of you, you can cause this pyrotechnic to emit a burst of light, imposing disadvantage on the triggering attack roll. A creature that doesn’t rely on sight is immune to this effect. In addition, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

  • Screaming Nue. As an action, you can throw this pyrotechnic to a point within 60 feet of you, where it creates smoke and lights in the form of a screaming nue’s head for the next minute. Each creature other than you within 30 feet of the point that can hear or see the effect must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of it. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself and becoming immune to the effect of any Screaming Nue for the next 24 hours on a success.

  • Raijū’s Rupture. As an action, you can throw this pyrotechnic to a point within 60 feet of you, where it explodes, creating a thundering boom that can be heard for 500 feet. Each creature within 10 feet of the pyrotechnic must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature is deafened until the end of its next turn and takes a number of d6s of thunder damage equal to your proficiency bonus. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t deafened.

  • Wanyūdō Wheel. As a bonus action, you can light this pyrotechnic, which propels you through the air. Until the end of your turn, you gain a flying speed equal to 30 feet plus ten times your proficiency bonus. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Firework Display

6th-Level College of Hanabi Feature
Your expertise with fireworks lets you craft moving stories capable of influencing peoples’ emotions and outlook.
Over the course of 1 minute, you can use 10 gp of fireworks to create an enrapturing display of sporadic bright lights and noise audible for 1,000 feet. You must use your action each round to imbue the light and smoke with your bardic magic, causing an enthralling story to manifest; if you fail to do this, the display ends with no effect.
At the end of the display, you can choose a number of creatures that witnessed it equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum one). Each creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC or be subject to the effect of the message with which you chose to imbue the display for the next 24 hours. Creatures that do not witness the whole display or that are immune to the charmed condition automatically succeed on this saving throw. Choose one of the following messages:

  • Anger. The message is one of injustice and exploitation, fomenting anger in those that watch it. With a mere spark, riots may ensue. Affected creatures are addled by their anger and prone to violence; Deception checks against them have advantage.

  • Fear. The world is a dangerous place, and to step outside one’s home is to invite disaster. People are unlikely to leave their home, let alone interfere in others’ matters, after watching this performance. Intimidation checks have advantage against an affected creature.
    In addition, the first time the target sees a creature it can’t identify or with whom it is not acquainted, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failure, the affected creature is frightened of that creature until the unknown creature reveals itself to be non-threatening, or is out of sight. While frightened, an affected target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on itself and becoming immune to being frightened by this effect for the duration.

  • Generosity. The act of giving and gratitude is epitomised as the paradigm of virtue. Observers are more likely to help others after seeing this display. Affected creatures are charmed by you. While charmed, these creatures help you where possible without large risks, and speak highly of your performance. A creature ceases to be charmed if you or your companions do anything harmful to it.

  • Peace. The story shows the utopia that awaits the world if all act with kindness and goodwill. Feelings of resentment are quelled and acts of violence are less likely after a community sees this display. Affected creatures are subject to the calm emotions spell.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Master of Illuminations

14th-Level College of Hanabi Feature
Your mastery of the art of hanabi can be seen in even your merest spark. Your Firework Display feature can affect up to three times as many creatures, and your Pyrotechnics are enhanced in the following ways:

  • Kodama Candle. The range increases to 30 feet, and the pyrotechnic sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius until the start of your next turn, causing all attacks against you to have disadvantage. A creature that doesn’t rely on sight is immune to this effect.

  • Screaming Nue. The radius of the effect increases to 40 feet, and creatures that fail the saving throw also take a number of d8s of psychic damage equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). Creatures that succeed on the saving throw take half as much damage and aren’t otherwise affected.

  • Raijū’s Rupture. The radius of the explosion increases to 20 feet, and the damage dice increase to d8s.

  • Wanyūdō Wheel. The flying speed granted lasts until the end of your next turn. Your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks for the duration.

College of Masks

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Bard - College of Masks.webp
Masking—the practice of using masks to play a variety of characters in a solo performance—is among the most ancient artistic traditions of the Yokai Realms. Conjuring masks to transform their persona, bards of this college bring tales of fallen heroes, nefarious villains, and epic confrontations to life. Whether on stage or in the heat of battle, such bards perform as a whirling kaleidoscope of character, emotion, and magic, shifting between personas of solitude, war, beauty, and hope. Some bards of this college see their masks as extensions of their true self, a magnification of their power in a specific direction. Others give themselves completely to the transformation, adopting totally fresh outlooks, personas, and even voices depending on the mask they wear. In either case, each mask grants its own special magic, and with the power to switch between them at will, bards of the College of Masks have the tools and talents to seize command of any situation.

Nōgaku Conjuration

3rd-Level College of Masks Feature
You have the power to conjure magical masks. As a bonus action, you can conjure one mask of your choice from the options below. It appears on your face or levitates in the air around you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to dismiss it or conjure another one.
While conjured, your mask grants you advantage on Performance checks, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. The type of mask you conjure also grants an additional benefit:

  • Mask of Beauty. When a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see makes a saving throw to resist the effects of an enchantment spell you cast, you can use your reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, imposing disadvantage on that roll.
  • Mask of Hope. When a creature within 60 feet of you that can see or hear you rolls a Bardic Inspiration die, you can use your reaction to add your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) to that roll.
  • Mask of Solitude. When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to release a blast of force from your mask, dealing 1d8 force damage to the creature and pushing it up to 15 feet away from you.
  • Mask of War. You can add your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage roll of a weapon attack you make or a bard spell you cast (no action required). You can use this benefit once per turn.
    You can create a mask in this way a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. If you have no uses of this feature remaining, you can create a mask by expending one use of your Bardic Inspiration.

Inspiring Performance

3rd-Level College of Masks Feature
You learn to empower others through the art of performance. If you perform for at least 10 minutes, you can choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) who witnessed your performance. Each creature gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus (minimum 1 temporary hit point) and has advantage on its next initiative roll before it finishes a long rest. Once you inspire a creature in this way, that creature can’t benefit from this feature again until it finishes a long rest.

Stagecraft

6th-Level College of Masks Feature
Your mastery of illusions and trickery grants you the power to move yourself and others through space. While you are on the ground or a surface that can support you, you can use a bonus action to target one creature that is no more than one size larger than you within 60 feet of you. That target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your bard spell save DC or you both teleport, swapping places. A creature can choose to fail this saving throw.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Grandiose Transformation

14th-Level College of Masks Feature
Your mastery of performance and magic enhances your masks with incredible power. You gain additional benefits depending on the mask you currently have conjured:

  • Mask of Beauty. You gain a bonus to all saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
  • Mask of Hope. When a creature you can see within 90 feet of you falls to 0 hit points but isn’t killed outright, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration. If you do so, the creature is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Once a creature benefits from this feature, it can’t do so again until it finishes a long rest.
  • Mask of Solitude. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
  • Mask of War. If you use your action to cast a spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action that turn.

College of Mixology

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A bard of the College of Mixology considers themselves every bit an artist as any painter or musician. After all, does the playful glint of a glass bottle pirouetting through the air in a perfect arc not compare to a graceful arabesque? Does the exquisite blend of carefully curated flavours not bring to mind the mixing of colours on a canvas? And does the feeling of a gentle buzz not relax the soul like the delicately plucked strings of a harp?
Adventurous experimenters and eccentric visionaries at heart, mixologists often clash in matters of palate and presentation with bards of the College of Cuisine. These sister colleges maintain a heated rivalry, periodically holding grand competitions that result in meals so sublime, they have been known to make seasoned connoisseurs cry at first taste.

Flair Bartending

3rd-Level College of Mixology Feature
With impeccable showmanship and nary a spilled drop, you’ve learned to dazzle audiences by dexterously manipulating your mixology tools. You gain proficiency with brewer’s supplies and can use them as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. As an action, you can begin a mixological show which lasts up to 1 minute. You must use your action at the start of each of your turns to continue this performance; if you don’t, it ends immediately. When the performance starts, make a Dexterity (brewer's supplies) check. Creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you whose passive Insight score is lower than the result of your check are distracted by your performance, gaining disadvantage on Perception checks for the duration of the show. If you roll a 1 on the d20, you drop some of your tools and the effect fails to occur. The threshold to drop your tools subsequently increases by 1 each time you make a Dexterity (brewer’s supplies) check using this feature, resetting to 1 when you finish a short or long rest.

Pick Your Poison

3rd-Level College of Mixology Feature
Expertly combining only the finest ingredients, you’ve learned to make delicious beverages that delight even the dourest dwarf. You can use a set of brewer’s supplies to prepare a special cocktail over the course of 1 minute. When you do, select up to two different ingredients from the table below, which you magically conjure to mix the cocktail. A creature can drink a cocktail as an action, gaining the effects of the chosen ingredients, which last for 10 minutes or until the creature drinks another cocktail. A cocktail that isn’t consumed loses its potency when you finish a long rest.

Ingredient Effect
Celestial citrus juice The creature regains 1d8 hit points, which aren’t lost after the effect ends.
Drow rum The creature gains darkvision out to a range of 30 feet. If it already has darkvision, its range is increased by 30 feet.
Dwarven whiskey The creature gains 2d6 temporary hit points.
Elemental gin The creature gains advantage on initiative rolls.
Sea elf seltzer The creature gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed.
Extraplanar vodka The creature gains a +1 bonus to the damage rolls of its weapon attacks.
Feyberry syrup The creature’s walking speed is increased by 5 feet.
Gnomish coffee liqueur The creature’s jump distance is doubled.

You can use this feature to create a cocktail a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Barside Therapy

6th-Level College of Mixology Feature
You are a seasoned expert at dealing with the inebriated and have a few tricks up your sleeve to make the sober become intoxicated. You have advantage on ability checks made to interact socially with poisoned creatures and, when you make a cocktail with your Pick Your Poison feature, you can overload it with magically potent alcohol instead of choosing ingredients. A creature that drinks this cocktail must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your bard spell save DC or be poisoned for 10 minutes.

Quick Fix

6th-Level College of Mixology Feature
Pain you as it might, you can rush your creative process to prepare one of your cocktails on the spot. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to prepare a cocktail with your Pick Your Poison feature, and either drink it or toss it to a willing creature you can see within 30 feet of you, who can immediately use its reaction to drink it.

Garnish

14th-Level College of Mixology Feature
Presentation matters, and you’ve learned to take your drinks to the next level with some tasteful embellishments, magical replicas of creature parts that you conjure out of thin air. Whenever you make a cocktail with your Pick Your Poison feature, you can select one of the ingredients from the table below as garnish, which provides an additional effect for the cocktail’s duration.

Ingredient Effect
Aberration eye The creature gains blindsight to a range of 30 feet.
Celestial feather The creature gains a flying speed equal to its walking speed.
Construct gear The effects of the cocktail last for 1d4 hours instead of 10 minutes.
Dragon scale Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison when you make the cocktail. The creature gains resistance to that damage type.
Fiend horn The creature gains advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Optional Rule: Cocktail Potions

Whenever you make a cocktail with a garnish using your Pick Your Poison feature, you can choose to substitute the garnish for an equivalent creature part harvested using the Harvesting rules in Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting, and expend a spell slot of 3rd-level or higher in the process. This expends the creature part, but the resulting cocktail doesn’t lose its potency when you finish a long rest. You can have a number of cocktails prepared in this way equal to your Charisma modifier. If making a new one would put you over this limit, the oldest cocktail loses its potency.

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