College of the Red Lotus

Bards of the Red Lotus practice the mesmerizing and dangerous art of fire dancing. Whether wielding a fire dart, dragonstaff, burning swords, or juggling torches, these bards tend to be passionate thrill-seekers who live life on the edge. Many of its members worship fire in some form, showing respect towards its destructive beauty. The art of manipulating fire requires deep concentration and presence in the moment, and some practitioners view it as a spiritual experience.

Mechanically, the College of the Red Lotus is an aggressive subclass that both gives you access to high-damage fire spells, and empowers the attacks of you and your companions. With short-range attacks and a lack of defensive features, it often leads to a risky and precise playstyle.

Pyromancy

Members of the College of the Red Lotus gain access to additional spells. When you adopt this subclass at 3rd level, you learn the control flames, burning hands, and pyrotechnics spells. They are considered bard spells for you, and don't count against your number of known bard spells.

In addition, the following spells are considered bard spells for you: create bonfire, green-flame blade, produce flame, absorb elements, scorching ray, fireball, wall of fire, and immolation. When you adopt this subclass, you can replace one of your known Bard cantrips by a cantrip from this list.

Burning Inspiration

Beginning at 3rd level, you can infuse your bardic inspiration with fire magic. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made. When a creature adds your Bardic Inspiration die to their attack roll, the attack deals an additional fire damage equal to the result on the die.

Fire Dancing

Also at 3rd level, you learn to use fire dancing instruments. Fire dancing instruments are quarterstaffs, scimitars, whips, and torches. You gain proficiencies in these weapons if you don't have it, and can use them as your spellcasting focus for bard spells. In addition, you can treat torches as simple weapons that deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a hit and have the finesse, light, and thrown properties, with a range of 20/60.

As a bonus action, you can ignite flammable materials you touch, or extinguish a flame smaller than the size of your fist. While wielding a fire dancing instrument, you can use this bonus action to light the weapon on fire for as long as you are wielding it. While on fire, the weapon sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet, and deals additional fire damage equal to the value of your Bardic Inspiration die on a hit.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, if you are wielding fire dancing instrument, you can cast one of your bard cantrips in place of one of the attacks.

Fire Flow

Starting at 14th level, you learn to control and redirect fire attacks. When you or a creature within 30 ft. of you takes fire damage, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die as a reaction to reduce the damage by the result on your die + your charisma modifier + your bard level. You can then make a spell attack against a creature within 60 ft. On a hit, you deal damage equal to the amount of fire damage you prevented.