College of Companionship

Bards in the College of Companionship study the psyche and the ties between all creatures. A Companionship bard's friendship is unrivaled and can be made with anyone or anything. 

Bonus Proficiencies

You gain proficiency with Martial Weapons, you gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill if you do not already have it, and you gain proficiency with Medium Armor and Shields.

Beginnings of Kinship

Along your travels, you may find a creature that really strikes your fancy or tugs your heartstrings, and you may want to keep that creature close by. A college of Companionship bard knows just the trick to do that. Starting at third level, when you take this subclass, you may attempt to make a magical bond with a creature you find on your track. You spend one hour performing a song using an instrument with which you are proficient. If the creature you are attempting to bond with is hostile, you will need to convince it to partake in the ritual. An unwilling creature must pass a Charisma saving throw, or become charmed for the duration of the ritual, or until it takes damage from an attack or spell targeting the creature. If the creature is immune to the charmed condition, it can still be affected by this ritual. The chosen creature must have a CR equal to or less than one third of your Bard level rounded down and cannot be another person. You may only have one companion at a time and completing this ritual with a second creature will end your connection to the first. If the creature was hostile before the ritual, it may or may not continue to be after it's connection to you is severed, as determined by the DM, however no creature will gain any benefits of Bardic Companionship after it's connection to you has ended. 

3rd-level College of Companionship feature

You learn the Find Familiar spell. It is a Bard spell for you and does not count against the number of spells you can learn. You may cast this spell once per day without using a spell slot or material components. You may also cast this spell with any spell slots you have, or as a ritual.

You may perform a one-hour ritual to bind yourself to a creature of your choice, making them your Bardic Companion.

You may command your companion telepathically on your turn, and it does not cost an action or bonus action.

When the creature becomes your companion, it gains certain benefits

Armor of Inspiration: When the creature is within your melee reach, it gains a bonus to its armor class and saving throws equal to half of your proficiency bonus, rounded down.

Eye for Eye, and Tooth for Tooth:  Your companion gains the benefit of any spells you cast that target only yourself as long as they are within 5ft. of you when the spell is cast, and you can channel your magic through your companion while they are affected by a spell in this way. While under the effect of a spell cast by you or your bardic inspiration you may cast your spells as though you were in your companion's space instead of your own as long as they are within 30ft. of you.

Come Back to Me!: If your companion drops to zero hit points it falls unconscious and makes death saving throws just as a character would. Should it die, do not fret! By performing a ritual as a part of a short or long rest, you can compose a song infused with bardic magic to bring your companion back from the great beyond! The materials needed for this composition are simply paper and ink, however the bigger they are, the harder they fall. For each challenge rating, you must use 50gp worth of materials. (a CR 0 creature would cost 0gp, a CR 1/8 creature would cost 12gp, a CR 1/2 creature would cost 25gp, a CR 1 creature would cost 50gp, a CR 2 creature would cost 100gp, and so on.) 

Binding Inspirartion

3rd-level College of Companionship feature

Your inspiration is unique and can be used in a few extra ways.

Look Out!: When targeted with an attack, a creature may use the inspiration granted by you to roll one of your bardic inspiration die, giving them a bonus to their armor class equal to the result of the roll.

I Could Use a Hand Here!: A creature can expend the inspiration given to them to call for your companion's aid. As a bonus action, a creature may use its inspiration to command your companion to use its movement and take one action, which cannot be a multiattack action. Your companion then returns to its position before this command without provoking opportunity attacks.

 

Perfect Harmony

6th-level College of Companionship feature

The time you have spent with your Companion vastly increases the fluidity of your movements as well as your teamwork capabilities. When you take the attack action on your turn, you may make a second attack as a part of that action. You may also replace one of your attacks with an attack made by your companion. This cannot be a multiattack action. 

 

Three's a Party!

14th Level College of Companionship feature 

You have spent more than enough time training and fighting alongside your companion, and you both feel confident enough to add a third member to the band. You may now choose to complete your ritual on a second creature without losing the bond to your first. Your magical strength has also increased drastically along your journey. The Challenge Rating of your two companions must add up to half of your Bard level rounded down or less. You may now make a third attack as a part of the attack action. This attack may be made by a companion instead of yourself; however, each companion may only make one attack in this way. The attack cannot be a multiattack action.