Lay Sister (Tales from Thedas)

*"It is the Chant of Light, not the Aria of Light. There is no one singer. It is a chorus of a thousand thousand voices, each grown in power by the others. From the Grand Cathedral of Val Royeaux to the farthest reaches of the Anderfels, it is still the same song. Its melody is the truth of the Maker—its rhythm the exalted marching of his children."*

— Divine Theodosia III

Until the Maker's return, the faithful believe that the Maker watches, a patient observer rather than an absent god. The Lay Sisters and Brothers of the Chantry are the footsoldiers of the Maker's will, affirmed but not ordained. Thus, they are able to mix with the common folk while still maintaining an official position in the Chantry. They are tasked with spreading the teachings of Andraste even as they act as the eyes and ears of the Divine.

The Chantry is the social glue that binds together the various nations of Thedas, and thus the Lay Sisters are as much diplomats and spies as they are missionaries. You have been trained much as a Bard would have been, to serve at the agency of the Grand Clerics and the Divine.

Note: Lay Sister abilities are in-universe explicitly nonmagical. Kindly ignore the fact that all the Acts of Faith are just re-flavored spells.

Adapted from the base D&D 5E Bard, College of Eloquence subclass, and Monk.

(Back to Character Creation)

* **Hit Dice:** 1d8
* **Saving Throws**: Charisma, Wisdom
* **Proficiencies:** Simple weapons, light and medium armor, longswords, maces, bows, shields
* **Skills:** Choose any three

### **Equipment**

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

* (a) a longsword or or (b) a mace
* (a) a spear and shield or (b) a longbow and 20 arrows
* a priest's pack
* vestments of the Chantry, amulet depicting Andraste

## **Chanter's Inspiration**

You can inspire others through sung verses of the Chant of Light. 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 Chanter's 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 Chanter's Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Chanter's Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Chanter's 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 Chanter's 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.

## **Acts of Faith**

Your training enables you to apply your skills as Acts of Faith. Your ability to use these acts is determined by your supply of faith points. Your Lay Sister level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Faith Points column of the Lay Sister table.

You can spend these points to fuel various acts of faith. You start knowing four such acts: Guidance, Exhortation, Encouragement, and Ceremony. You learn more acts as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a talent point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest. Some of your talents require your target to make a saving throw to resist the talent's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

**Faith save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

## **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 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.

## **Features**

### **Silver Tongue**

Starting at 3rd level, you are a master at saying the right thing at the right time. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

### **Admonishment**

Also at 3rd level you can threaten divine retribution that unsettles a creature and causes it to doubt itself. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Chanter's Inspiration and choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Roll the Chanter's Inspiration die. The creature must subtract the number rolled from the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn.

### **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 Chanter's Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

### **Inspiring Fervor**

At 6th level, your inspiring words are so persuasive that others feel driven to succeed. When a creature adds one of your Chanter's Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll fails, the creature can keep the Chanter's Inspiration die.

### **Extra Attack**

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### **Maker's Favor**

Starting at 10th level, You regain one Chanter's Inspiration whenever you land a critical on an attack, skill check, or saving throw.

### **Zealous Inspiration**

At 14th level, when you successfully inspire someone, the power of your zeal can now spread to someone else. When a creature within 60 feet of you 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 Chanter's Inspiration die without expending any of your Chanter's 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.

### **Superior Inspiration**

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