College of Daring

To be a Bard at the College of Swords is one thing, but to truly become a Blade, is another. To entertain, not only through the arts but through daring displays of deadly skill and precision. Dancing, singing, and playing are great feats of showmanship, but can you truly make an audience hold their breath as you jump ropes with mortality itself?

Can you swallow a sword without drawing your blood? Can you throw a knife at a moving target with pinpoint precision? Can you hold off a pride of lions with nothing but your trusty whip?  To not only entertain, but to shock and inspire awe.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Swords at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and a one-handed melee weapon or your choice.

If you’re proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Stage Combat

At 3rd level, you adopt a form of combat as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if something in the game lets you choose again.

Knife Thrower

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. Also, when you make a successful attack with a thrown weapon, you gain a free attack to be performed with a thrown weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

Choosing this option allows you to juggle as a performance, giving you proficiency with the Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) skill.

Sword Swallower

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. Additionally, you gain resistance to non-magical piercing damage. Choosing this option also gives you proficiency with Constitution saving throws.

(This ability can not be combined with the Dueling Fighting Style)

Whip Cracker

You gain proficiency with whips.

When you use a whip, you may roll one extra weapon damage die. Also, when you hit a target with an attack using a whip, you may forgo the damage and instead, if the target is size medium or smaller, pull the creature up to 10 ft. closer to you. Additionally, you can use the whip to handle or move small objects, such as pulling a lever, opening a door with a handle, or grasping for an item.

Choosing this option also gives you proficiency with the Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill.

Steel Flourish

At 3rd level, you learn to perform impressive displays of martial prowess and speed.

Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.

Defensive Flourish. You can cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Slashing Flourish. You can cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit and to any other creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you. The damage equals a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.

Mobile Flourish. You can cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die. You can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you, plus a number of feet equal to the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus between long rests.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Master’s Flourish

You can use a Blade Flourish option when you make a spell attack against a single target within weapon reach using your weapon as a focus. Additionally, a critical hit lets you perform a Flourish without expending one of their uses.