College of Invocations

After training as a bard for some time, one may go beyond the veil that is the bard's magical and ethereal powers. To delve into the college of invocations, a bard must begin practicing darker, more unorthodox arts or magic, or accept a pact from a higher being. The level of dedication and practicing may range from practicing dark arts religiously, to accepting a pact from an overworldly patron. The powers gained from accepting a pact or practicing dark arts can vary from patron to patron. 

Otherworldly Patron

When you take this subclass at 3rd level, you gain the favor of one overworldly patron.  Choose one of the following patrons, of which you gain its benefits at this level and later levels. 

The Archfey

Your patron is a fey being, a creature of legend. When you choose this patron, you gain the ability for when a creature within 60 feet of you makes an ability check or saving throw, as a reaction you may expend a use of bardic inspiration to aid them in an instant. Roll the bardic inspiration die and add the number rolled to the ability check or saving throw. You can do this after they make the roll, but before the DM says the outcome. 

The Celestial

Your patron is a powerful being of the Upper Planes. When you choose this patron, you can use your bardic inspiration to heal your allies. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to heal a creature you can see within 60 feet. The chosen target heals the number rolled+your charisma modifier.

The Fiend

Your patron is a demon or devil which grants you hellish powers. When you choose this patron, you gain a blessing from your patron of increased power and blessing. You gain one extra bardic inspiration die on top of your regular pool.

The Great Old One

Your patron is a mysterious entity who has no place in this world. When you choose this patron, you gain the ability to use your Bardic Inspiration to manipulate space and time to debuff your enemies. As a bonus action, you may expend one use of your bardic inspiration to attempt to disrupt a creature you can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, or feel its find blanken and have disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks until the start of your next turn.

The Hexblade

Your patron is a mysterious entity from the Shadowfell. When you choose this patron, you gain abilities to use your Bardic Inspiration to enhance you and your allies' skills in combat. A creature who has your Bardic Inspiration die may add the die to any damage roll they make. As well, they may expend their Bardic Inspiration die as a reaction when they take damage to reduce the damage taken by the number rolled.

 

 

Overwordly Blessing

After choosing your patron after selecting this subclass, you gain certain magic and skills associated with it. You gain proficiency in two of the following skills: Stealth, Arcana, Religion, Deception. Your patron also lends you a part of its magic to empower you. You learn the Eldritch Blast cantrip, which counts as a Bard spell for you and does not count against your amount of cantrips known. You also learn a spell based on your Otherwordly Patron. You always have this spell prepared, and it does not count against your amount of spells known.

The Archfey: Suggestion

The Celestial: Prayer of Healing

The Fiend: Scorching Ray

The Great Old One: Crown of Madness

The Hexblade: Magic Weapon

 

Pact Superiority

At 6th level, your powers granted by your patron grow even stronger. You gain additional features depending on which Otherwordly Patron you previously selected.

The Archfey

Bewitching Aura: You gain a When you have a friendly creature within 5 feet of you, once per turn, you may impose disadvantage on any attack targeting only you. Enemies are aware of this effect.

Bonus Spell: You learn the Hypnotic Pattern spell.

Unearthly Resilience: You gain resistance to cold damage.

The Celestial

Higher One's Radiance: The power of the Celestial runs through your veins, shining. As an action, you may enable a corona of light that shines around you. You may dismiss this effect as a bonus action. While this beacon of light is active, you emit bright light 15 feet around you, and dim light 15 feet further you. Any creature in the bright light shed by this cannot become invisible, and creatures of your chance receive a bonus to any healing they receive equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1).

Bonus Spell: You learn the Beacon of Hope spell.

Unearthly Resilience: You gain resistance to radiant damage.

The Fiend

Hellish Reprisal: When you are in dangers, your fiendish powers that run through you increase in strength when you are in danger. Whenever you are below one third of your maximum hit points, all of your attacks do extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Bonus Spell: You learn the Fireball

Unearthly Resilience: You gain resistance to fire damage.

The Great Old One

Exploit Weakness: Using the powers of the Great Old One, you may probe into a creature's defenses, and learn their inner workings. As an action, you may focus on a creature you can see within 60 feet. You immediately learn either what, if any, resistances, vulnerabilities or immunities or saving throw proficiencies the target may have. You may use this feature as many times as your proficiency bonus halved(rounded down).

Bonus Spell: You learn the Fear spell.

Unearthly Resilience:  You gain resistance to psychic damage.

The Hexblade

Marked for Death: You can call upon the powers of the Hexblade to mark a creature to be struck upon. As a bonus action, you may mark a creature you can see within 30 feet. Until the end of your turn, you can attack it twice, rather than once when you take it the Attack action. Additionally, if you kill a marked target your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Bonus Spell: You learn the Bestow Curse spell.

Unearthly Resilience: You gain resistance to thunder damage.

 

Eldritch Mastery

At 14th level, your invoking powers from your patron have peaked, and you gain additional features based on the Patron you previously chose. 

The Archfey

Beguilling Prescence: Your Aura increases to 10 feet, and while you are conscious within range of an ally all attacks targeting you have disadvantage. Enemies are only aware of this after their first attack.

Bonus Spell: You learn the Awaken spell, and you can cast it once per long rest at 5th level without expending a spell slot.

Superior Defenses: You gain resistance to thunder damage, and your spells bypass resistance to cold damage. 

The Celestial

Shining Star: Your light increases to 20 feet of bright light, and a further 20 feet of dim light. You can now activate it as a bonus action. The area of bright light is lightly obscured, which creatures of your choice are exempt from.                                                                                                                                     

Bonus Spell: You learn the Greater Restoration spell, and you can cast it once per long rest at 5th level without expending a spell slot.

Superior Defenses: You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and your spells bypass resistance to radiant damage.

The Fiend

Feral Viciousness: Your damage bonus activates when you are below half of your maximum hit points, and while you are below half your maximum hit points, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet.

 Bonus Spell: You learn the Dominate Person spell, and you can cast it once per long rest at 5th level without expending a spell slot.

Superior Defenses: You gain resistance to acid damage, and your spells bypass resistance to fire damage. 

The Great Old One

Exploit Downfall: When you have used your Exploit Weakness feature on a creature, until the end of your next turn, that creature takes a penalty to all its Attack Rolls, Ability checks and Saving throws. This penalty is half your proficiency bonus(rounded up).

Bonus Spell: You learn the Contagion spell, and you can cast it once per long rest at 5th level without expending a spell slot.

Superior Defenses: You gain resistance to force damage, and your abilities bypass resistance to psychic damage.

The Hexblade

Surge of Power: When you use your Marked for Death feature, you may choose to do another attack on top of your other two. Should this attack hit, the target takes an extra 1d8 force damage. You may use this as many times as your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Bonus Spell: You learn the Destructive Wave, and you can cast it once per long rest at 5th level without expending a spell slot.

Superior Defenses: You gain resistance to poison damage, and your abilities bypass resistance to thunder damage.