College of Sports

“ Welcome to the grand cup!” the announcer yells over the crowd. The bard faces off with the opposing team, staring eye to eye with their top player. 

 “HEY.. tall, dark and dumb.” he chirps as they get ready for the ball to drop.

“ Your mother called last night!... I mean..made a house call last night, hope I didn’t keep you up.” 

The ball hits the ground and the bard scoops it up as the other player whiffs his attempt.

While his adventuring party searches the town for supplies, the bard takes a moment to kick a ball with the local kids. A small group forms to watch as cheers of delight echo down the streets. Later, autographs.

Night falls and the party prepares for a night of rest and recovery. The bard starts up a delightful story of how his team rose from bottom tier of the finals to second place. Some of his party finds the story find it thrilling and inspirational. The other members that have heard it a thousand time, it gets boring but at least it puts them to sleep.

THE BARD of the College of Sports is the local hero of the game. Be it a team or single competition, his ability to rally the crowd, boost his teams moral or trash talk the other team is legendry to his fans. However, it is not just athletics that wins the game; solid knowledge of tactics (and a little magical interference), as well as a heroic persona that would rival any kingdoms knightly Champion,  is a must.

Part of this bards fun is their ability to use chirps and taunts to perform his spells and Bard Inspiration. For an example when the Bard uses a cantrip (know by them as CanCHIRP) they do so by speaking insults (vocal) and or with physical (often rude) gestures (somitic). Role-playing the character with a colourful vocabulary is encouraged. For inspiration on how to play check out hockey movies like 'Snapshot', 'the Goon' and the likes. Feel free to also start singing " We are the Champians" or " Another one bites the dust (both by Queen) mid-turn.

In-game terms and to add some fluff to the College of Sports, the below changes have been made. It can be seen as a mixture of College Lore and Valor with a focus on sports. these changes are at 1.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Tools: Once musical instruments and two Sports Equipment

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma

Skills: Choose athletic plus any two 

Equipment; You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

 

(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon

(a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack

(a) sports equipment or (b) any other musical instrument

Leather armor and a dagger

 

Spellcasting

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the bard spell list.

 

Cantrips

 This Bard uses a cantrip (know by them as CanCHIRP) they do so by speaking insults (vocal) and or with physical (often rude) gestures (somitic). 

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.

 

Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

 

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.

 

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.

 

The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

 

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

 

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

 

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

 

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

 

Ritual Casting

You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

 

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a piece of sports equipment(see the Tools section) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. I.e. a hockey stick with runes carved in it.

 

Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire others through stirring words of your past sport accomplishments. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6. (l.e. “ Hey Jonesy, this reminds me of the time we played against the …..”)

 

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

 

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

 

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

 

Player of all Games

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Stories of the Champions

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use encouraging sports stories to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest, making Don Sherry proud. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Bonus Proficiencies and Stats

When you join the College of Sports at 3rd level, you gain proficiency at Athletics, and +1 Strenght or Dexterity

Slinging Insults

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit, chirp, taunt or otherwise get in the face of the other team, to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Inspirational Player

Page 55 in the PHB.

Top Scorer

Starting at 14th level, you gain +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with a ranged weapon. Alternatively, you can spend a Barbic Inspiration die and give it to an ally