Bard
In Dungeons & Dragons, a bard is a versatile arcane spellcaster who uses artistic performance, such as music, song, or poetry, to cast magic. They are often a "jack of all trades" class, excelling in supporting allies with buffs and hindrances, controlling the battlefield, and having a wide range of skills and knowledge. Bards use their abilities to inspire their party, debuff enemies, and serve as a charismatic and knowledgeable member of the group.
Bard
Bards in D&D weave magic through words and music, using their songs to inspire allies, manipulate foes, and heal wounds. Their magic taps into the primordial power of creation, and their greatest strength lies in their versatility, able to support from a distance or defend themselves in combat. Unlike ordinary entertainers, true bards possess deep knowledge, exceptional musical skill, and magical abilities gained through hard study and natural talent. Bards are wanderers, constantly seeking new stories, skills, and discoveries, making adventuring a natural fit for them. Over time, many bards take on heroic roles, inspired by the tales they tell of great deeds.
Novice
Skills
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Proficiency in saving throws +2 Dexterity and +2 Charisma
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Proficiency in Performance, Persuasion +4 (expertise) Acrobatics +2
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Proficiency in light armour
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Proficiency in simple weapons.
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Health increase of 8 per rank.
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Spellcasting Attribute: Charisma
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Spell Save DC: 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Charisma modifier
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Spells
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4 spell slots 1st level
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2 spell slots 2nd level
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Bardic Inspiration:
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Bardic inspiration = 3
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Use a bonus action to choose one creature other than yourself within 12 tiles of you who can hear you. For the next turn, the creature adds +3 to their attack rolls. It consumes 1 bardic inspiration per use.
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Jack of All Trades:
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+1 on every other ability check that isn’t performance, persuasion, or acrobatics
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Song of Rest:
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Outside combat, can heal 1d6 up to 5 people in 5 tiles. Once per long rest
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Adept
Skills
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Countercharm:
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As an action, you can start a performance that lasts your whole turn. You may not use a reaction or bonus action. During that time, up to 10 creatures within 6 tiles +3 saving throw against frightened or charmed for two turns
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Spells
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4 spell slots 1st level
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3 spell slots 2nd level
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3 spell slots 3rd level
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Expert
Skills
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Bardic Inspiration Improvement: 5 bardic inspiration per long rest
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Spells:
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4 spell slots 1st level
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3 spell slots 2nd level
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3 spell slots 3rd level
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3 spell slots 4th level
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1 spell slots 5th level
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Specialist
Skills
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Song of Rest Improvement:
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Thrice per long rest
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Jack of All Trades:
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Improves to +2 on every other ability check that isn’t performance, persuasion, or acrobatics
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Magical Secrets:
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Add spells from another class to your list:
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Absorb elements
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Fireball
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Spells:
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4 spell slots 1st level
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3 spell slots 2nd level
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3 spell slots 3rd level
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3 spells slots 4th level
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2 spell slot 5th level
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Glamour
The College of Glamour was a bardic college whose members mastered the songs of the Feywild. They were considered among the most wondrous and awe-inspiring bards of the Realms, often instilling a feeling of wonder and excitement, along with a hint of fear, in the hearts of their audiences.With their unique powers, these bards could calm the minds of ferocious beasts or bend others to their will. They each adopted a 'wondrous appearance' that bolstered the life force of anyone who took witness to this new glorious form.
They learned the secrets of entrancing fey magic, which instilled intense feelings of adoration within the hearts of listeners. Anyone who beheld these performances felt entirely obliged to share the magnificence of the performing bard's talents and would intervene against any being that wished them harm.
Novice
Skills
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Mantle of Inspiration:
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As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. Choose 5 characters within 12 tiles that can see you. Each of them gains hit points equal to 3 + charisma mod, and can immediately move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. It consumes 1 bardic inspiration per use.
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Enthralling Performance:
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When you perform, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience by singing, reciting a poem, or dancing. This takes all your actions, free actions, bonus action and reactions. Choose 5 humanoids within 12 tiles of you who watched and listened to all of it. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be *charmed by you. The charmed speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it avoids violence unless it was already inclined to fight on your behalf. This effect ends after the current scene, or if the targets take any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies. Usable once per long rest.​
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*Charmed:​
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A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects.
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The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature.
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Adept
Skills
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Mantle of Majesty:
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Once a long rest, as an action, you can cloak yourself in a fey magic that makes others want to serve you. You can cast Command as a bonus action, without expending a spell slot. Any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the Command you cast with this feature.
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Expert
Skills
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Mantle of Inspiration Improvement:
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The temporary hit points granted by Mantle of Inspiration increase to 9 + charisma mod.
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Specialist
Skills
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Unbreakable Majesty:
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Your beauty is so overwhelming that others are hesitant to strike you. As a bonus action, you gain an aura of majesty for 5 turns and get +3 AC. Usable only once per long rest
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Lore
The College of Lore was a bardic college that focused on the accumulation of knowledge from any and all sources across the Realms.hese bards drew upon lore they uncovered far and wide, from esoteric scholarly works to local folk stories from rural communities. They used their expansive knowledge to create masterful works that fascinated and delighted their audiences. College of Lore bards were just as capable of influencing nobles attending a royal court as they were captivating audiences at local festivals or rowdy pub.These bards were so adept with the spoken word, they could cut down others with a mere few words. The targets of their quips and gibes were often left befuddled and blundering in their actions.
When not performing in front of an audience, these bards met together in places of learning to share the lore they had accumulated during their travels and studies.
Novice
Skills
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Bonus Proficiencies:
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You gain +2 in arcana, history and religion
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Adept
Skills
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Additional Magical Secrets:
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Add spells from another class to your list:
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Pass without trace
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Shield
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Expert
Skills
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Peerless skill:
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Permanent +2 persuasion
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Specialist
Skills
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Cutting Words:
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You can use your reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, and inflict vicious mockery damage (6d4 )
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It consumes 1 bardic inspiration per use.
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Whispers
The College of Whispers was a bardic college whose members mastered the disciplines of subterfuge and espionage. These bards spent their days uncovering closely-held secrets and manipulating others, often for profound personal gain.The College of Whispers did not typically attract those with a strong sense of morality. Fortunately, that was not at all a concern for its members.Members of the College of Whispers rarely if ever revealed their true identities, often claiming membership to other bardic colleges. Their anonymity was considered one of their most effective weapons, one that allowed closer access to centers of political intrigue and power.
They applied their skills judiciously, understanding that subtlety and restraint helped foster a sense of trust within the minds of their targets.
Novice
Skills
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Psychic Blades:
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When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.
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It consumes 1 bardic inspiration per use.
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Word of Terror:​
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If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in its mind.The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you for IRL 1 hour, or until it is attacked or damaged. Usable once per long rest. (Out of combat only)
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Adept
Skills
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Mantle of Whispers:
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You gain +4 stealth
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When a humanoid dies within 6 tiles of you, you can capture its shadow as a reaction. You retain this shadow until you use it or finish a long rest. You can use the shadow as an action to disguise yourself as the dead person. This disguise lasts for 24 hour, during which you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share. The disguise ends early if you dismiss it as a bonus action, are incapacitated, or die. YOU MAY NOT TURN INTO A PLAYER.
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Expert
Skills
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N/A
Specialist
Skills
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Shadow Lore:
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As an action, you can whisper a phrase that causes the target to become charmed by you for the end of the scene, until you or your allies do anything harmful to it, or for 2 rounds of roleplay. It can’t willingly move more than 6 tiles from you. If it fails on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, it doesn’t know that you tried to charm it.
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Valor
Valor Bards traveled and fought alongside great warriors, witnessing their battles and composing epic poems that proclaimed their exploits to all. They were just as renowned for their prowess as combatants as they were for their skill as orators.Unlike other bards, valor bards tended to focus more on the oratory arts rather than music. They believed their greatest contribution to the ages was the composition of an epic poem, detailing epic battles or military skirmishes.In battle, rather than sing, warrior bards would loudly and forcefully recite portions of an epic poem, inspiring their allies and infuriating and frightening their opponents. Enemy combatants were often befuddled and disheartened upon hearing the resonating stanzas of fabled tales brought to life by the warrior valor bards.
Novice
Skills
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Combat Inspiration:
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Use one reaction for bardic inspiration to add +3 AC for a turn to yourself or others within 2 tiles for two turns.
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It consumes 1 bardic inspiration per use.
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Bonus Proficiencies:
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You gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
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Adept
Skills
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Extra Attack:
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You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. It is only usable for melee attacks, not spells.
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Expert
Skills
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Song of war
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Spend your action to give up to 3 people +3 to hit once per long rest, for 5 turns, within 6 tiles of you. You can target yourself.
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Specialist
Skills
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Battle Magic
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You become able to cast Death Ward.
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