Base Class: Bard
Note: this is a work in progress, any comments or criticisms are more than welcome. When designing this subclass I wanted to incentivize prolonged battles, and especially battles against stronger monsters or beasts. My inspiration for this subclass comes from the wonderful LitRPG series "He Who Fights With Monsters" by Shirlatoon.
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
The Bards who study under the College of Malediction are frequently taught the common arts of being a Bard in hopes that doing so the populace will bear their presence long enough that their work in darkness and against evil may continue in perpetuity. They learn to smile while their magics corrode evil down to it's last breath.
Affliction and Purgation
3rd-level College of Malediction feature
When a spell you cast achieves one of the following effects listed, the target or targets of that spells gain a mark of affliction. Spells or abilities that last for a longer duration only apply one affliction.
- Reduces movement speed of a target or targets
- Paralyze, Blind, Deafen, Stun, Poison or Fear a target or targeted creatures.
- When a spell you cast forces a target to make an attack roll, ability check or saving throw at disadvantage.
Affliction is removed when a target rests or receives lesser/greater restoration or is subject to remove curse or regains hit points. As a bonus action, you may activate one of the effects listed on the table below if you meet the requirements and purge all instances of affliction from the target or targets. The maximum amount of affliction that can be on the target is equal to Proficiency Bonus. When taking purge as a bonus action, the caster may use any purge ability equal to or lower than the level of affliction on the target or targets, however all instances of affliction are purged from the target or targets, regardless of level of purge. The caster may use purge on a number of creatures equal to his proficiency bonus +1 within sixty feet of them as a apart of the same bonus action, unless specific purge effects state otherwise. Finally purge effects cannot stack on the same target and targets do not gain affliction by the effects of purge.
Affliction and Purge Table
| NUMBER OF AFFLICTIONS | PURGE EFFECT |
|---|---|
| 1 | Claim: The target has their movement speed reduced by 10 ft. |
| 2 | Ruin: The target takes radiant damage equal 1d4 per affliction. i.e. 3 afflictions would deal 3d4 radiant damage. |
| 3 | Stubborn Dirge: Consuming 3 charges of affliction from a target grants you one use of your bardic inspiration. |
| 4 | Blackfire Burst: The target must make a Dexterity Saving throw against your spell save DC. If the target fails they suffer 2d6 points of necrotic and 2d6 points of fire damage, taking half damage on success. For every level of affliction above this, an extra 1d6 is added to both the necrotic and fire damage. |
| 5 | Guillotine: The inevitability of destruction lingers over the target. The next attack roll, ability check or saving throw the target makes suffers disadvantage. |
| 6 | Vindication: Turning the afflictions into searing absolution a target makes a Wisdom saving throw or takes 8d6 radiant damage. If the target dies as a result of this damage it's body is destroyed, and it cannot be resurrected by anything except Wish. |
Song of Destruction
3rd-level College of Malediction feature
You gain the option to use the power of inspiration as an omen of downfall. Whenever a creature attacks or damages someone possessing your Bardic Inspiration, they gain an instance of Affliction once per turn. At 6th level, Song of Destruction's effect is also permanently applied to you.
Sin Eater
6th-level College of Malediction feature
When using the purge ability you can instead choose to cleanse the target, this removes all non-magical poisons and diseases from the target and heals the target equal a roll of your Bardic Inspiration Dice + your Charisma modifier. After the target has received this healing you regain a spell slot of third level or lower.
Curse of the Void
14th-level College of Malediction feature
Once per short or long rest as an action you may lock a creature you can see within a Curse of the Void. The Curse of the Void lasts for one minute, at the beginning of the targets turn they gain 1 stack of affliction. At the end of the targets turn they must make a Wisdom Saving throw, on a failure, the creature suffers a random effect on the purge table. With the exception of Purge 3, which will only take effect if you are within sixty ft of the target. This effect lasts the full minute unless the target succeeds three times.
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