Bard, 3rd Variant (5e Class)

Bard

***This is extremely experimental, feel free to critique*** (this is another rendition of the 1st bard variant with full spellcasting, a new spell list, and a simpler, but better bardic inspiration as well as some new stuff, enjoy!)

Humming softly as she traces her fingers over an ancient monument in a long-forgotten ruin, a half-elf in rugged leathers finds the ancient runes matching with her tune. Knowledge of the people who constructed the monument and the mythic saga it depicts become clear.

A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically against his scale mail, setting the tempo for his war chant, embodying the bravery and strength of heroes of old.

Laughing as she tunes her cittern, a gnome gives her ally the confidence of a commanding king which immediately demands the noble's attentions.

Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic and words to tap into past potential, inspiring allies, demoralizing foes, manipulating minds, creating illusions, and healing wounds.

Creating a Bard

You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Secondly, choose the entertainer background. Third choose the dancing lights and vicious mockery cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells: comprehend languages, dissonant whispers, healing word, and feather fall.

Class Features

As a Bard you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Bard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, whips
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) rapier or (b) 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 armor and a dagger

Table: The Bard
Level	Proficiency Bonus	Cantrips Known	Features	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
Level	Proficiency Bonus	Cantrips Known	Features	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	2	Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	2	Perennial Saga, Restorative Summation	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	2	Bard College, Narrative Scholar	5	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	3	Ability Score Improvement	6	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	3	Bardic Inspiration (d6)	7	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	3	Countercharm, Bard College Feature	8	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	3	—	9	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	3	Ability Score Improvement	10	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	3	Perennial Saga Improvement	11	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	4	Inspiring Presence	12	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	4	Bardic Inspiration (d8), Countercharm Improvement	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	4	Ability Score Improvement	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	4	Bard College Feature	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	4	Aegis of Brotherhood	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	4	—	17	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	4	Ability Score Improvement	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	4	Bardic Inspiration (d10)	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	4	Gleaming Arcana	20	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	4	Ability Score Improvement	21	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	4	Bard College Feature	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Spellcasting

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in accordance with your perceptions of reality and history. 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 three 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 4th 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 your performance. 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 (see “Equipment”) or other tool aiding your performance as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire others through words, music, and other inspiring actions. To do so, you use an action on your turn to choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, including yourself, who can hear you. Those creatures gain one Bardic Inspiration die, a d4.

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. If no one uses their die, you regain that use of Bardic Inspiration.

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

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d6 at 5th level, a d8 at 11th level, and a d10 at 17th level.

Perennial Saga

Starting at 2nd level, you gain visions of feats of those from history and stories who lend you their talents to continue the story. After a long rest, you may change a number of skills you’re trained in equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of one). At 9th level, you are able to change your skills in this manner when you finish a short or long rest.

Restorative Summation

Beginning at 2nd level, you can retell recent events and inspire new strength and courage in yourself and your allies. You may take one minute when there are no hostile creatures nearby to tell a story of your party’s recent actions. This will cause up to 7 friendly creatures - including yourself if you choose - will regain some their expended abilities. Each creature is allowed to choose what they gain from this. Once done, you cannot do this again until you take a long rest. Each creature affected may choose one of the following options to regain:

- A number of hit dice equal to a quarter your bard level (min 1).

- One rage. This option is only accessible to barbarians only.

- A number of uses for Bardic Inspiration equal to half your Charisma modifier rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to bards.

- One use of channel divinity. This option is only accessible to clerics.

- One use of beast shape. This option is only accessible to druids.

- One use of second wind. This option is only accessible to fighters.

- A number of ki points equal to half your bard level rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to monks.

- A number of points for lay on hands equal to 5 x half your bard level rounded down (min. 5). This option is only accessible to paladins.

- A number of sorcery points equal to half your bard level rounded down (min. 1). This option is only accessible to sorcerers.

- One usage of a secondary “once per short or long rest” patron ability. This option is only accessible to warlocks.

- A number of spell slots with a combined level equal to or less than half your bard level (min 1).

- Lose one level of exhaustion.

- One charge on a magic item that has charges and gains charges at dawn or after a long rest.

Bard College

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice: the College of Lore, the College of Valor, the College of Glamour, the College of Swords, or the College of Whispers, each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you the option of new Tales and other features when you choose at 3rd level as well as other features at 6th, 11th, and 14th levels.

Narrative Scholar

You are so attuned to the structure of stories that you’re knowledge and magic can give you an insight into certain details about any piece of writing. If you spend 10 minutes reading something during a short or long rest in a language that you understand, you may instantly know 3 of the following:

- Fiction v. Nonfiction v. Hazy (Supernatural)

- If it is written in a code, but not necessarily which words are coded and what they actually mean

- Mental state of the writer of the original piece at the time of writing

- What an illustrated picture of the writer of the original piece at the time of writing would look like

- Where the original version was written in a general area of 300 foot radius as long as it’s on the same plane of existence

- Any symbolism or historical parallels relating to real life

- What instruments, materials, and methods the original piece was created with

You may only do this once with any one document.

Countercharm

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use your skills to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you may perform in such a way, that all friendly creatures within 120 feet of you are no longer frightened or charmed if they currently are. The friendly creatures must be able to see or hear you in order to be affected by this. This extends to ending the paralyzed and stunned effects at 11th level.

Inspiring Presence

At 10th level, any minor action you make can become a font of inspiration for nearby comrades. Whenever you roll a 20 on a d20 for an attack roll or ability check, you may use Bardic Inspiration without expending a use of Bardic Inspiration as a reaction. If the targets of this Bardic Inspiration already have a Bardic Inspiration die, they may have an additional Bardic Inspiration die, but they cannot use multiple Bardic Inspiration dice on one roll.

Aegis of Brotherhood

At 14th level, you are able to synchronize with those around you, making you more resilient against any barrage or obstacle you may encounter. When at least one friendly creature, including yourself, within 30 feet must make a saving throw, you may take a reaction to give you and each creature of your choice (min. 1) within 30 feet an additional d4 on that saving throw. The targets must be of size small or larger or have an intelligence of 6 or above. You may choose to make this reaction after one of the creatures rolls the d20, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Additionally, any creatures targeted by this ability may use their reaction to add an additional d4 to that saving throw for all previously targeted creatures, including themselves. Creatures understand the effects of using their reaction in this way and that they are capable of taking their reaction. These creatures are also able to make this reaction after one of the creatures rolls the d20 and the additional d4s, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

If a targeted creature has a Bardic Inspiration die, they may use their reaction to expend their Bardic Inspiration die and add it to the collective bonus of the saving throw instead of the d4.

If a friendly creature has one of your Bardic Inspiration dice it may be targeted by this ability as long as it is within 120 feet.

(feel free to critique this one in particular, I'm quite uncertain of this one.)

Gleaming Arcana

Beginning at 18th level, when you give a creature Bardic Inspiration, you may allow them to comprehend the feeling and understanding of your magic, in essence giving them a spell. You may use a spell slot of 3rd level or lower and loan a spell of that spell level to a creature within the range of Bardic Inspiration. Within the next 10 minutes, that target may cast that spell as if they were proficient with it. If they have the ability to cast spells, they use their spellcasting modifier to cast the spell. If they do not, they use charisma as their spellcasting modifier. They do not get a bardic inspiration when you use this feature on them.

You may give any number of spells to any number of creatures during a bardic inspiration as long as you expend the appropriate spell slots and they forgo taking the Bardic Inspiration die.

Bard Colleges

The way of bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other 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 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.

Cutting Words

At 3rd level you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. You can use an action on your turn to choose any creatures within 20 feet of you by expending a use of Bardic Inspiration. Each creature chosen subtracts a Bardic Inspiration die from an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll within the next 10 minutes (your choice). The creature is immune if it can’t hear you of if it’s immune to being charmed.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Lore at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.

Expertise

At 6th level, choose three of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses any of the chosen proficiencies.

If these skills would be changed using Perennial saga, you gain expertise in whichever skill or skills that you replaced them with.

Magical Secrets

Starting at 13th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose four 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, but don’t contribute to your spells known.

Painful Truths

At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies knowledge and quick cunning. When you use a normal Bardic Inspiration, you may choose a type of damage.

If a creature with your Bardic Inspiration Die hits a creature with that damage type and the hit creature has resistance to the chosen type of damage, they may deal damage as if the creature didn’t have resistance to it.

Additionally, if the hit creature has immunity to that type of damage, the attacker may deal damage as if it only had resistance to it.

College of Valor

Bards of the College of Valor 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 performances, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.

Combat Inspiration

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 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.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Valor at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

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 13th 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.

Heroic Passion

At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies courage. As long as a creature has a Bardic Inspiration Die from you, it gains 15 temporary hit points. At the start of each of its turns, if it has less than 15 temporary hit points, its temporary hit points are restored to 15.

Additionally, while they have that Bardic Inspiration Die, it may deal an extra amount of damage on its first hit each turn equal to 3 x your Charisma modifier. It also has advantage on Strength saving throws and may make an additional reaction once per round.

College of Glamour

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, misusing 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

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to weave fey magic that imbues your allies with vigor and speed.

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier plus one (minimum of two). You may be included in these creatures. Each of them gains 5 temporary hit points. When a creature gains these 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 performing. 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 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 on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, 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 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 13th 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 appearance 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 it's 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 turn.

Once you assume this majestic presence, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Flights of Fancy

At 20th level, you have found a way to fill your allies with a continual form of inspiration that embodies whimsy and celerity. When you use a normal Bardic Inspiration, you may choose either teleportation or flight.

As long as a creature has a normal Bardic Inspiration Die from you, they may choose to use any amount of their movement to move in the way chosen. If you choose flight, they are considered proficient in it and may take all actions they could normally on the ground, unless it is an action which specifically requires being on the ground. If they would use their Bardic Inspiration Die while flying and do not have another die prepared, they would begin falling at a rate of 60 feet per second and take falling damage as normal.

If you choose teleportation, they are considered proficient in it and will not become disoriented by it. Additionally, teleporting does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

College of Swords

Bards of 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 mock combats. Through 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 cruel and powerful. Most troupes are happy to accept a blade's talent for the excitement it adds to the 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 weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Blade Flourish

At 3rd level, you learn to perform 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 turn hits a creature, you can use one of the Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish per turn.

- Defensive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 to the target you hit. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.