College of Champions

A proud Dragonborn shoots flames from his mouth into the air as a crowd chants his name, his latest challenger unconscious at his feet. A masked Human pins down a Goliath twice her size while berating his sloppy technique. A grinning Dwarf leaps off a hill into a horde of Goblins, using all manner of flashy techniques to break their morale and send them scattering.

Just as much as performers as they are hardened warriors, Bards of the College of Champions see the art of combat itself as a performance and use their dramatics to their advantage in combat.

Some may think the College of Champions Bard to simply be a strong-man archetype, but there are some traveling troupes made up exclusively of Champs who take their performance art to the next level, boasting a wide variety of characters performing mock battles with their own ongoing storylines; mixing the drama of a play with the thrill of gladiatorial combat, along with the added theatrics of extremely convincing illusions to enhance the action.

Champion Bards have many reasons to become adventurers, but most often they see their talents being wasted on scripted fights and ache for some real action. This drive to be something greater is the core of a Champion Bard’s identity, as they ever strive to be the mightiest warrior.

Fighting Style

When you join the College of Champions at 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

• Superior Technique. You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice.)
  • You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
• Unarmed Fighting. Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8.
  • At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

Unarmored Defense

Starting at 3rd level, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Strength modifier while not wearing armor or holding a shield.

Kayfabe

At 3rd level, you have mastered your performance art, and can now magically manipulate the damage you deal. Whenever you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you may reduce the total damage to any number value lower than the total rolled (including any modifiers), to a minimum of 0 damage. To anyone watching you, they believe your attacks are genuine and very painful, and can only see through it by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check against your Spell Save DC. Anyone who sees you make the attack can make this ability check immediately. (No actions required)

Showstoppers

At 6th level, your blend of showmanship and combat can cause excitement and confusion in those around you. Once per turn when you succeed on a melee attack roll against a creature, you may expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to use a Showstopper of your choice. Roll your Bardic Inspiration die and add that amount of force damage to the attack, then choose one of the following magical effects:

• Awesome Strike: You unleash an explosion of lights or other fantastic illusory imagery with your attack, dazzling your allies. Pick any number of non-hostile creatures who saw you land the attack within your 10 foot radius. The chosen creatures can add the number you rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die to one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw they make before the beginning of your next turn.
• Devastating Blow: You unleash a savage magical attack that makes onlookers cringe. Any hostile creature that saw you land the attack within your 10 foot radius must make a Charisma saving throw vs your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
• Dramatic Monologue: You deliver a blow while taunting and distracting your foes with enchanted insults or inspiring words of power. Any hostile creatures that can see and hear you within your 10 foot radius must make a Wisdom Saving throw vs your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the creature subtracts the number you rolled on your Inspiration Die to the next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes until the start of your next turn.

You can also use your Showstoppers in tandem with your Kayfabe ability. If you use Kayfabe to reduce damage to 0 after using a Showstopper, you forgo the usual saving throw (if it forces one) and instead have the Showstopper's effect apply to all those in its radius who failed their Wisdom (Insight) ability check to see through your Kayfabe. (Excluding the attacked creature.)

Signature Move

At 14th level, you have gained a fondness and familiarity with one of your Showstoppers, and your ability with it has improved greatly. Choose 1 of your Showstoppers to be your Signature Move. Its effect radius is increased to 30 feet. Also, if you use your Signature Move to reduce a creature to 0 HP, you regain 1 use of Bardic Inspiration.

You may choose a different Showstopper to be your Signature Move whenever you gain a level in this class.