College of Bows

Bards of the College of Bows are called arrows, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Arrows perform stunts such as target shooting, juggling, and mock combats. Though they use their weapons to entertain, they are also highly trained and skilled warriors in their own right.

Their talent with weapons inspires many arrows to lead double lives. One arrow might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other arrows strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful. Most troupes are happy to accept a arrow's talent for the excitement it adds to a performance, but few entertainers fully trust a arrow in their ranks.

Arrows who abandon their lives as entertainers have often run into trouble that makes maintaining their secret activities impossible. An arrow caught stealing or engaging in vigilante justice is too great a liability for most troupes. With their weapon skills and magic, these arrows either take up work as enforcers for thieves’ guilds or strike out on their own as adventurers.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Bows at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the heavy crossbow and the longbow.

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

Fighting Style

At 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Trick Shots

Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.

Defensive Aiming

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

Maiming Shot

You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. Reduce the movement speed of the target by 5 feet plus the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to that same distance away from the target, without provoking an attack of opportunity from the target.

Split Shot

You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to 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 the target. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.

Extra Attack

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

Master's Shot

Starting at 14th level, whenever you use a Trick Shot option, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die.