College of Fine Arts

Of all the different kinds of Bards in the world, those who express themselves through paints, carvings, and crafts tend to be the quietest. They don't often make themselves the center of attention, and when they do it's always to tell a story, not to tell you about themselves. They lack the gift of song and don't really care for a silvery tongue. They can't make a crowd stand and cheer after a speech or hush a busy tavern with a few well-placed notes. What a Bard of the College of Fine Arts does is make the people around them stop for a moment and contemplate. A moment of peace to admire a work of art in an otherwise busy day. At least, that's what they do when they aren't out adventuring.

When a Bard of the College of Fine Arts takes to the open fields of the world, they do so with the same careful, contemplative eye that served them well back home. Spells are prepared every morning, statues are animated with singular purpose, and icons and images that inspire all around them are raised. Quick with a blade as any other bard, they use their unique skill sets to suddenly cast spells their adversaries could not see coming, or signal a loyal construct to charge in. And all this is done with the same kind of perspective that allows them to provoke that unique feeling of a still moment.

Bonus Proficencies

When you join the College of Art at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Potter's and Woodcarver's Supplies. Anyone will tell you that a Bard is a master of their instrument, and a Fine Arts Bard is no different. Though painting is a past time of many, carving, creating, and molding something is when many a Bard will tell you they are content.

Painted Sigils

Upon reaching 3rd level, you gain access to the ability to store your spells ahead of time. After you finish a long rest, you can use this ability to cast a number of spells of 3rd level or less equal to your Charisma modifier and store them for later use. These spells are stored in postcard-sized sketches you draw that depict you casting the spell you are placing within the sketch. Each sketch takes 10 minutes to complete. The postcard consumes any material components necessary while the sketch is being drawn.

Later on, when you want to use each stored spell, you can throw the postcard out as a bonus action. The spell will then be cast as normal. Any stored spells not used before you finish your next long rest crumble into ash and vanish.

Realistic Sculptures

At 6th level, you gain the ability to create a life-sized sculpture of a Medium-sized or smaller non-magical beast you have seen at the cost of 100 gp and three days of work. The beast must have a challenge rating less than 1/4th of your Bard level, rounded up.

When the three days are complete, your statue animates and comes to life. It retains all of its statistics, but its alignment becomes yours, it is completely loyal to you, and its type changes to Construct.

Only one of your statues may be animated at any time. When you make a new statue, your old one immediately reverts back to a statue. If your statue is destroyed, you cannot re-animate an old statue for at least one hour, and must sacrifice 50 gp to successfully re-animate a statue.

Inspiring Art

At 14th level, you can design a banner so inspiring it encourages your allies to fight even when all the odds are against them. You can create the banner after working on it for one week and spending 500 gp in making it.

On your turn you can unfurl your banner, which requires one hand to be holding it up the entire time it is unfurled. While your banner is visible it casts heroism at 1st level on friendly creatures within 30 ft of itself. In addition, you can use your reaction to expend a Bardic Inspiration to cast shield from the banner as long as you are holding it aloft.