College of Folk

Bards of the College of Folk are a welcome visitor to any settlement. They deal in legends, cautionary tales, histories of the people of the land, and the plight of the low against the mighty. They are called folk heroes, rabble-rousers, banner carriers. They give their fellow folk a feeling of camaraderie and collective strength.

While these bards are masters of rousing folk songs, inspirational speeches, and lost legends, they are more than just musicians or orators and are equally at home putting their words into action on the battlefield. Surrounded by their loyal allies they are at the heart of any fighting unit, providing support, encouragement, and acting as a rally point.

Folk bards can be hedge knights, wandering minstrels, or local legends but the thing that binds them is their ability to inspire their allies, settle disputes, and motivate change.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Folk at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and shields. You also gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

Banner carrier

3rd-level College of Folk feature

You are able to manufacture and equip a banner infused with magical energy which can be used as a spellcasting focus for your Bard spells when held. All allies within 30 feet of your banner gain a +1 bonus to their AC and advantage on wisdom saving throws as long as they can see the banner and it is attached to or held by you.

Your banner can take many forms but it must consist mainly of a sturdy pole with an object attached. It can be held in one or both hands, must be something you could reasonably hold, and must be at least as tall as half your height. Alternatively, it can be equipped by being attached to your back, but doing so prevents it from being used as a spellcasting focus. It can be adorned with a holy symbol, a flag, words inscribed on thick cloth, a long flowing pennant, a skull, chains or any other appropriate object of your choice.

If damaged you can repair a banner with the most appropriate artisan’s tools over the course of a short or long rest, or with the mending spell. If your banner is destroyed or lost you can create another by spending 1 hour and 50gp worth of materials appropriate to the banner’s construction. These materials are consumed in the process of manufacturing the new banner.

Rally to me

3rd-level College of Folk feature

You can rally your allies around you and reinforce their resolve temporarily. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to hold your banner aloft and make a rallying cry. You must take the banner in your hand to do this.

Choose any number of creatures you can see and that can see or hear you within 60 feet of you. Each of them regains hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus. When a creature regains these hit points, it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks. Your rallying cry suppresses any effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened until the end of their next turn at which point any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

At 6th level, affected creatures regain the maximum number of hit points possible from any healing until the end of their next turn.

At 14th level, affected creatures lose one level of exhaustion. Once a creature benefits from this specific effect, they cannot do so again until after their next long rest.

I am with you

3rd-level College of Folk feature

You learn the Warding Bond spell, and it is added to your class spell list. You can cast the spell without material components or expending a spell slot, and you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Common ground

6th-level College of Folk feature

After you have spoken with one or more creatures that can understand you for at least 1 minute, choose a number of them within 60 feet of you who have been listening to you talk, 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 feels a strong sense of kinship with all living creatures. It avoids violence, and tries it’s best to reach a peaceful agreement with any other creature it previously held animosity towards, including you. It will willingly make compromises even if doing so contradicts it’s core ideals, but it will not disobey direct orders it has been given. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, or if it witnesses any other creature attacking or damaging any of its allies. If a target succeeds on its saving throw, it has no hint that you tried to charm it.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Dissent in the ranks

14th-level College of Folk feature

Whenever you roll for initiative against a group that contains 2 or more creatures which share the same bestiary entry, have an obvious leader present, and can hear and understand you, you can immediately issue a short impassioned plea, argument, or command charged with magical intensity.

Choose a number of them within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target tries it’s best on each of it’s turns to leave the area. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage or if you or any of your allies attack it. After the duration, it becomes hostile to you again.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.