Bard

**Bards** are among the most versatile of adventurers, capable in combat, art, and magic alike. Bards use their artistic talents to induce magical effects that either bolster their allies or hinder their enemies, typically through charms and illusions. In addition to their magical skills, bards are artistically talented and extraordinarily well-learned, possessing knowledge in a wide range of fields.

## Class Feature

### Level 5

Bardic Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration

### Level 10

Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets

### Profiencies

* **Armor:** Light
* **Weapon:** Simple, Martial (Hand crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords)
* **Skills:** Choose any three
* **Tool:** Three musical instruments of your choice

### Equipment and Wealth

Bard start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) a rapier or (b) any simple weapon

* (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
* (a) a backpack, 2 costumes, a disguise kit, a soap or (b) a chest, a set of fine clothes, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, 5 sheets of paper
* a bedroll, 5 candles, 5 days of rations, a waterskin

Alternatively, you can start with 5d4 × 10 gold pieces.

You decide how your character came by this starting equipment or wealth. It might have been an inheritance, or goods that the character purchased or stole during his or her upbringing.

## Feature

### **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.

#### Spell Slots

To cast a spell, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

#### Spells Known

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.

Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

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. Use your CHA whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, use your CHA modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

 Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your CHA 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. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can use the Bardic Inspiration 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, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your CHA modifier (minimum 1). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Bardic Inspiration 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 revitalize your wounded allies. By using a Bardic Inspiration die during a short rest, you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance, gain a temporary 1d6 HP that lasts one hour.

The temporary HP increase to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

### **Bard College (Archetype)**

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**

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 classes, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you are included in the number in the Spells Known.

You learn two additional spells from any classes 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.

## Archetype

The way of a 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.

### College of Lore

Bards of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. 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 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 use 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 or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you but don’t count against the number of Spells Known.

#### **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.