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 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 songs, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.  

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Valor at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, 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 Voidharmony(Homebrew WIP)

Bards of the College of Voidharmony are daring individuals who delve into the mysteries of the Void, channeling its enigmatic and dangerous energies into their performances and spells. They embrace the chaotic nature of their craft, using their own life force as a conduit to wield the raw, violent power of the Void. These bards flirt with the boundaries of existence, pulling haunting melodies and potent magic from the brink of the abyss.  

Voidtouched Melody

When you join the College of Voidharmony at 3rd level, your Baric Inspiration can be intertwined with the potent and eerie energies of the Void. Upon receiving your Bardic Inspiration, a creature can also roll a Void Die of the next larger size alongside the Bardic Inspiration die (d10 for d8, d12 for d10, and d20 for d12). If the Void Die's result is higher, they may use that number for the Bardic Inspiration effect. However, choosing the Void Die's result inflicts psychic damage on the creature equal to the Bardic Inspiration die's result, due to the strain from the Void's chaotic energies.  

Abyssal Dissonance

Also at 3rd level, your music can tap into the dissonance of the Void, unsettling foes and warping reality around them. As an action, you can perform a piece that forces enemies within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be disoriented, granting advantage on the next attack roll against them. However, channeling such chaotic energy backlashes against you, causing psychic damage equal to the number of enemies affected.  

Harmony of Chaos

At 6th level, you learn to channel the unpredictable nature of the Void into your spells. Whenever you cast a bard spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to draw from the chaos of the Void to attempt to amplify its effects. Roll a d6; on an odd number, the spell's potency is increased (as determined by the DM, but effects can include increased damage, duration, or area of effect). On an even number, the spell backfires in some way, and you take psychic damage equal to twice the spell's level.  

Cacophony of the Void

At 14th level, you can unleash the chaotic energies of the Void to envelop yourself in a dissonant aura for 1 minute. As a bonus action, activate this aura, which grants you resistance to all damage types. At the start of each of your turns while the aura is active, you take psychic damage equal to half your Bard level. Additionally, any creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 psychic damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is not pushed. This feature can be used once, regaining use after a long rest. You can end this effect as a bonus action.