Bard

*Official Class – Player's Handbook*

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, demoralise 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 vocalisations 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 armour. 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 and 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 were 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.

## Bard Levelling Table

*The Spells Known column of the Bard table includes spells gained from the Magical Secrets feature.*

## Class Features

### Basic 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

* **Armour:** Light armour
* **Weapons:** Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
* **Tools:** Three musical instruments of your choice
* **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma
* **Skills:** Choose any three

#### 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 armour 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.

#### 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 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 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

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 revitalise your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

### Bard College

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.

* College of Broken Songs *(Homebrew Subclass – Stories for Eeve)*
* College of Celebration *(Homebrew Subclass – Journey Back Home)*
* College of Eloquence *(Unearthed Arcana)*
* College of Fables *(Homebrew Subclass – Project Tandenovis)*
* College of Glamour *(Xanathar's Guide to Everything)*
* College of Lore
* College of Satire *(Unearthed Arcana)*
* College of Superstars *(Non-W7 Homebrew Subclass – All the Lights in the Sky are Stars)*
* College of Swords *(Xanathar's Guide to Everything)*
* College of Tactics *(Homebrew Subclass – Abellán's Anecdotes from the Scarlet World)*
* College of Valour
* College of Whispers *(Xanathar's Guide to Everything)*

### 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

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.

### 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.

### 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.

### Superior Inspiration

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

## Bard Colleges

The way the 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.

#### Past Talents

When you take this Collage at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in 3 instruments of your choice. By using a particular instrument you can spend a use of bardic inspiration to instead unlock hidden talents within a creature, doubling their proficiency bonus in any ability check.

#### Improved Vicious Mockery

Starting at 3rd level, your Vicious Mockery can target a creature and give them an additional 1d4 to their next attack and damage roll.

#### Future Hold

Beginning at 6th level. you can chose a willing creature within 60 feet of you. As a part of bardic inspiration, you deal 1d10 psychic damage to them and give them advantage on their next attack roll, ability check or saving throw. Additionally they may roll an additional 1d4 when rolling damage.

#### Chorus

Upon reaching 14th level ,your musical proficiency reaches its highest with an audience present. When using your bardic inspiration, you can chose to roll up to 6d10s in damage to yourself. For each d10 rolled, you can give a creature that can hear you advantage on their next attack roll, ability check or saving throw as well a number of temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage you have taken due to this feature.

### College of Celebration

*Homebrew Subclass – Journey Back Home*

Bards of this college tend to deviate from the traditional schools - choosing instead to live life to the fullest by attending all manner of parties, and living a truly wild life.

Celebration Bards are often cool, smooth, able to act as both a chill influence and the life of the party.

Sure, all bards can make music, but the real question is, can you make a party?

#### Beat of Song

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you have learnt how to instill a sense of excitement in an audience.

You gain proficiency in two more instruments of your choice.

Additionally, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Performance, Persuasion, or Deception.

If you are already proficient in it, your proficiency bonus is doubled for the skill.

#### Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Also at 3rd level, your constant partying has built muscle in your legs. In order to keep up with your dancing and energetic performances, your body has learnt to move at a heightened speed.

Your base walking speed increases by 10 ft, and you can take the Dash action as a bonus action.

#### The Party Must Go On

At 6th level, you have become firm in your belief that life is a party - and parties must never stop.

Once per day, if an ally is knocked unconscious by taking damage, you may use a reaction to play a catchy song and stabilise them.

You may also choose to transfer health to them through the power of music. To do so, you roll one of their largest hit die. However, this is very difficult to do and you will suffer psychic damage equivalent to the amount of health you gave them.

#### Soul of Rhythm

At 14th level, your soul becomes tied to the very essence of what it means to be a musician, and can pursue your craft tirelessly. So strong is your dedication that you can push aside effects that may impair you.

You gain advantage on saving throws when consuming alcohol or illicit substances.

Additionally, when you are required to take an exhaustion point, you may roll 1d20. On a roll of 14 or higher, you do not suffer the exhaustion point.

### College of Eloquence

*Unearthed Arcana*

Adherents of the College of Eloquence master the art of oratory. Persuasion is regarded as a high art, and a well-reasoned, well-spoken argument often proves more powerful than objective truth. These bards wield a blend of logic and theatrical wordplay, winning over skeptics and detractors with logical arguments, and plucking at heartstrings to appeal to the emotions of entire audiences.

#### Universal Speech

At 3rd level, you have gained the ability to speak and reason with any creature. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration. When you do so, roll your Bardic Inspiration die, and choose a number of creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see equal to the roll. For 10 minutes, the chosen creatures can magically understand you, regardless of the language you speak, and you have advantage on Charisma checks made to influence them. This feature works even on a creature that doesn’t speak any languages.

#### Soothing Words

Also at 3rd level, you can now cast Calm Emotions without expending a spell slot. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain all expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.

#### Undeniable Logic

At 6th level, you can spin words laced with magic into a knot of reasoning that can be encouraging or impossible to follow.

As a bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration. When you do so, choose a creature you can see within 60 feet of you that can hear you, then roll your Bardic Inspiration die and choose one of the following:

* The creature takes psychic damage equal to the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die, and the creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your spell save DC or have disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
* The creature regains hit points equal to the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die, and the creature has advantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.

#### Infectious Inspiration

At 14th level, when a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll fails, the creature can keep the Bardic Inspiration die.

In addition, when a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll succeeds, you can use your reaction to encourage a different creature (other than yourself) that can hear you within 60 feet of you, giving it a Bardic Inspiration die without expending any of your Bardic Inspiration uses. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

### College of Fables

*Homebrew Subclass – Project Tandenovis*

Bards of the College of Fables collect stories. They travel the world, spinning tales that they've heard – or maybe even experienced – along in their adventures.

These bards search for stories that lie in the heart of those they travel with and those that they pass along the way, looking into the parts of one's self that resonate the most with words both spoken and left unsaid.

#### The Book of Fables

Starting when you choose this college at 3rd level, you gain a ethereal book in which you record stories that you both hear and experience, lending themselves towards magic and storytelling.

When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class's spell list. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. They are considered bard spells for you, and they needn't be from the same spell list. They don't count against your number of cantrips known.

If you lose your Book of Fables, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from beyond the ethereal. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to mist when you die.

#### Treasury of Tales

Also at 3rd level, the stories you tell draw upon your vast knowledge and expertise. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the Deception, Performance, or Persuasion skill if you are proficient in that skill.

In addition, your wondrous words and vast reservoir of experiences have granted you great insight and reflex that may surpass your physical agility. When you roll initiative, it is either a Charisma check or a Dexterity check for you (your choice).

#### 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.

#### Ballad of Stars

Starting at 14th level, your inherent ability to weave tales of wonder and mysticism permeates through your voice and actions.

When you cast a cantrip using your Book of Fables, you can grant a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of one) a Bardic Inspiration die as part of the same action. This special usage of Bardic Inspiration only consumes a single use of the feature.

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

### College of Glamour

*Xanathar's Guide to Everything*

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, abusing their magic to turn their hosts into thralls. Heroic bards of this college instead use this power to gladden the downtrodden and undermine oppressors.

#### 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 who 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.

#### 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 speaks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, avoiding 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.

### 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.

#### 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.

#### 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 roll the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells you whether you succeed or fail.

### College of Satire

*Unearthed Arcana*

Bards of the College of Satire are called jesters. They use lowbrow stories, daring acrobatics, and cutting jokes to entertain audiences, ranging from the crowds in a rundown dockside pub to the nobles of a king’s royal court. Where other bards seek forgotten lore or tales of epic bravery, jesters ferret out embarrassing and hilarious stories of all kinds. Whether telling the ribald tale of a brawny stable hand’s affair with an aged duchess or a mocking satire of a paladin of Helm’s cloying innocence, a jester never lets taste, social decorum, or shame get in the way of a good laugh.

While jesters are masters of puns, jokes, and verbal barbs, they are much more than just comic relief. They are expected to mock and provoke, taking advantage of how even the most powerful folk are expected by tradition to endure a jester’s barbs with good humor. This expectation allows a jester to serve as a critic or a voice of reason when others are too intimidated to speak the truth.

For the duchess with a taste for strapping young laborers, such tales might serve to warn the targets of her affections and force her to change her ways for lack of willing partners. Striking back at the jester only ruins her already damaged reputation, and might provide the best evidence that the jester’s satires have hit their mark. But if she is kind and generous to her conquests, the jokes and stories cast her as a kind of folk hero, while drawing even more potential partners to her.

Jesters are loyal to only one cause: the pursuit and propagation of the truth. They use their comedy and innocuous appearance to break down social barriers and expose corruption, incompetence, and stupidity among the rich and powerful. Whether revealing a con artist’s treachery or exposing a baron’s plans for war as driven by greed and bloodlust, a jester serves as the conscience of a realm.

Jesters adventure to safeguard the common folk and to undermine the plans of the rich, powerful, and arrogant. Their magic bolsters allies’ spirits while casting doubt into foes’ minds. Among bards, jesters are unmatched acrobats, and their ability to tumble, dodge, leap, and climb makes them slippery opponents in battle.

#### Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Satire at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with thieves’ tools. You also gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and one additional skill of your choice. If you are already proficient with thieves’ tools or in Sleight of Hand, choose another skill proficiency for each proficiency you already have.

#### Tumbling Fool

At 3rd level, you master a variety of acrobatic techniques that allow you to evade danger. As a bonus action, you can tumble. When you tumble, you gain the following benefits for the rest of your turn:

* You gain the benefits of taking the Dash and Disengage actions.
* You gain a climbing speed equal to your current speed.
* You take half damage from falling.

#### Fool's Insight

At 6th level, your ability to gather stories and lore gains a supernatural edge. You can cast Detect Thoughts up to a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain any expended uses of this ability after completing a long rest.

If a creature resists your attempt to probe deeper and succeeds at its saving throw against your Detect Thoughts, it immediately suffers an embarrassing social gaffe. It might loudly pass gas, unleash a thunderous burp, trip and fall, or be compelled to tell a tasteless joke.

#### Fool's Luck

Jesters seem to have a knack for pulling themselves out of tight situations, transforming what looks like sure failure into an embarrassing but effective success.

At 14th level, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration after you fail an ability check, fail a saving throw, or miss with an attack roll. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your attack, saving throw, or ability check, using the new result in place of the failed one.

If using this ability grants you a success on the attack, saving throw, or ability check, note the number you rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die. The DM can then apply that result as a penalty to an attack or check you make, and you cannot use this ability again until you suffer this drawback. When the DM invokes this penalty, describe an embarrassing gaffe or mistake you make as part of the affected die roll.

### College of Superstars

*Non-W7 Homebrew Subclass – All the Lights in the Sky are Stars*

The College of Superstars is home to the most ambitious performers, artists, singers, and dancers. Bards of this college seek to dazzle audiences with their brilliance and talent, competing endlessly with one another to become the world's brightest star.

#### Steal the Show

When you join the College of Superstars at 3rd level, you learn use your performance to cover for your allies. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll or ability check, you can use your reaction to steal the show. Make a Charisma (Performance) check and replace the original attack roll or ability check with the result, even if it is lower.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

#### Live Show

Starting at 3rd level, you hone your ability to shine as a performer.

If you perform for at least 10 minutes, you can attempt to inspire awe in your audience by singing, acting, dancing, or speaking. At the end of your performance, choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each creature gains a d4 Bardic Inspiration die. This die lasts for a number of hours equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one), instead of 10 minutes. Using this feature does not expend any uses of your Bardic Inspiration.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

#### Star Power

At 6th level, you learn to use your renown as a performer to your advantage. When you make an ability check using Charisma, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration as a reaction and add the die to the check.

#### Idol's Aura

At 14th level, your mere presence is enough to sweep most off their feet. As an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to exude an aura around you.

For 1 minute, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the roll equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

### College of Swords

*Xanathar's Guide to Everything*

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.

#### 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 bard spells.

#### Fighting Style

At 3rd level, you adopt a particular 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 you later get to choose again.

* **Duelling.** 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.

#### Blade Flourish

At 3rd level, you learn to conduct 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.

### College of Tactics

*Homebrew Subclass – Abellán's Anecdotes from the Scarlet World*

The College of Tactics trains the most seasoned and accomplished strategists, able to turn the tides of combat and think their way out of any and all situations with a flick of the wrist. Such bards have such a profound control over tricks and schemes, bringing forth new perspectives into the world.

#### Combat Tactician

When you join the College of Tactics at 3rd level, you have practiced countless strategies and planned out gambits for every situation.

**Gambits.** You learn three gambits of your choice. You learn two additional gambits of your choice at 6th and 14th level. Each time you learn new gambits, you can also replace one gambit you know with a different one.

**Critical Tactics.** While you may use most gambits at will, each comes with an additional effect that you can carry out if situations are dire. These are called Critical Tactics, and you may use them a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.

**Saving Throws.** Some of your gambits require a target to make a saving throw to resist the gambit's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

**Tactic Save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

#### Rousing Inspiration

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your charm and tactical prowess to bolster and embolden allies.

When a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you uses that die, it gains temporary hit points equal to your level + the number rolled.

Additionally, when you use your Bardic Inspiration feature, you may expend two dice to inspire up to two creatures at once instead of one.

#### Intuitive Reflexes

Starting at 6th level, your in depth study into strategy and battle has led to heightened reflexes, allowing you to thrust your allies quicker into the heat of combat.

When you roll for initiative, choose up to six friendly creatures apart from yourself within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature may roll a die equal to your Bardic Inspiration die and add it to their initiative roll.

#### Tactician's Tenacity

At 14th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of your Critical Tactics remaining, you regain 1 use.

### College of Valour

Bards of the College of Valour 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.

#### Bonus Proficiency

When you join the College of Valour at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armour, 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.

### College of Whispers

*Xanathar's Guide to Everything*

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 any other bard, 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 the bards’ reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, these bards rarely reveal their true nature unless they must. They typically claim to follow some other college, or keep their true nature secret in order to better infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.

#### 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 additional 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 and fear into 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 rest 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 can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.

If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret.

While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it. While charmed in this way, the 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.