College of the Haunted

At 3rd level these bards are able to call in combat assistance from the ethereal plane by expending a bardic inspiration die, this levels up as time goes on as the bard is able to summon more and more spirits for assistance. Later, at 6th level, members of the College of the Haunted are able to receive information from ghostly apparitions, giving them some insight into situations from the opinions of certain ghosts. At 6th level they also gain access to the Augury spell without having to expend spell slots to use it, this still requires the material components. At 14th level, bards can unlock the skill: Breach of the Planes. This skill allows a bard to enter the ethereal plane for a short while and interact with the material plane from an extraplanar position, be this in combat or in roleplay situations.

This College is about internal struggle and trying to prevent themselves from ebing drawn into the ethereal plane forever more.

(College of the Haunted Trait) Tremble

Too much interaction with the ethereal realm has led to the development of a physical tremble or shiver. This causes them to have a poor ability to perform with instruments or generally onstage. Their interaction with the ethereal realm has however decreased their empathy for others giving them a greater ability to give thinly veiled fully intended threats. This bard has disadvantage in performance checks and sleight of hand checks but has advantage with Intimidation checks.

(3rd level College of the Haunted skill) Spectral blades

This skill is gained at the third level when a bard joins this college. By expending a bardic inspiration die, the bard can summon the ghost of a monster to assist them in a combat situation. This effect lasts for 2 turns and bolsters the damage the bard is able to deal in combat. Whenever the Bard lands an attack after the ghost has been summoned, the ghost also successfully makes an attack, mimicking the damage die used by the bard in necrotic damage. (for example, a physical attack from the bard using a 1D8 rapier will be copied with the ghost dealing 1D8 necrotic damage). Whenever the bard scores a critical hit on an attack roll whilst they have at least one ghost summoned, each ghost also rolls an extra damage die, extending damage further as the ghosts continue to mimic the attacks of the bard. At later levels the bard is able to summon more ghosts, at level 6 they summon 1/2D4 ghosts, at level 10 they summon 1/2 D6 ghosts and at level 15, they can summon 1D4 ghosts to assist them. This skill can be used twice before a long rest.

(6th level College of the Haunted skill) Ghostly apparitions

This ability allows the bard to access new, fairly vague (At DM's discretion) information about the situation they find themselves in. This can be drawn from specific NPC characters or can be drawn from a generalised form which can assist the bar5d and the party in general. This is a skill that requires one minute of concentration and a set of verbal and somatic components to activate. The ghost can then answer up to three questions with basic answers such as yes or no with a small amount of explanation, or can explain who they are in greater detail. It is up to each individual player as to whether they would like these ghosts to be visible to everybody or just to their character.

(14th level College of the Haunted skill) Breach of the Planes

In order to use this skill you must expend a bardic inspiration die and remove any spirits you have summoned using the spectral blades skill. This skill allows the user to enter the ethereal realm alone, from here they may spend up to 2 turns moving around and witnessing the material realm in clouds of foggy dust like ghosts, this includes both living beings and objects or walls. It is as if reality is flipped, creating a plane where you can interact with the material plane as well. within this realm you have one use per turn of a similar skill to a rogue's sneak attack. At fourteenth level this allows you to add an extra 4D6 damage in necrotic damage to each attack from within the ethereal realm, this increases to 4D8 at lvl18. Your target appears to have be stabbed by and unseen blade whenever you use this ability as their body is physically punctured as if by a real sword whilst no sword can be seen to exist in the material plane, it simply seems as if the target is taking damage from nowhere. This realm of the ethereal plane has the same space as the material plane so distances are similar to those in the material plane , As you occupy the realm of the dead you are able to move through what would be solid objects on the material plane as though they are formed of mist. After two turns you are ejected from this plane and forced into the material plane. If you exit the material plane whilst occupying the same space as an object or barrier, you take 15D10 force damage when being ejected. Whenever you exit the ethereal plane via this ability, you are unable to move apart from 5ft of crawling and have disadvantage on saving throws you make for two turns of combat, all attacks against you have advantage and you are unable to make attacks for this duration. These are the effects as the ability takes its toll on your body. You can use this ability once and only once in between long rests or else your character becomes lost in the ethereal plane with no obvious way to return home. Your vision in this plane is complete darkness with only the immediate 30ft of the material realm (including objects and living beings) shown in a harshly light blue mist, convulsing slightly as you move through it. The visions that affect you in this state should be discussed with your DM before you use this college.