College of Gastromancy

I made this class after binging too much Food Wars, and thinking "bards would definitely want to charm people with their food!" in lieu of clothes exploding off of enemies (which is a powerful ability in-and-of-itself) I tried to make something that could benefit but not replace or rely on the Chef Feat.

Credit to Nattycatpins for the art I used.

College of Gastromancy

Lvl 3 

College of Gastromancer bards gain their core features; Proficiency with Cook's utensils, Good Silverware and the Table of Spices

Good Silverware allows College of Gastromancer bards to use any light bladed weapon as a spellcasting focus without restricting spells that require somatic components, benefit as if it were a silvered weapon, and change the damage type of bladed finesse weapons to be piercing or slashing. It also allows them to cast Purify Food and Drink once per day without expending a spell cast, without it counting towards their number of spells known.

The Table of Spices is the core feature of the College of Gastromancer bard, and contains 14 different Spices that can be prepared each long rest (equal to the users charisma modifier) that have different effects and can be utilised in place of a bardic inspiration. Some of these spices grow stronger at level 10, while others only become available at level 6. This subclass's higher level features all heavily rely on the Table of Spices.

Lvl 6

The level 6 feature expands on the Table of spices by allowing an additional spice to be prepared per day, with one spice being able to be changed per short rest. It also provides the user with the Create Food and Water which can be cast once per day without expending a spell slot to better utilise the main feature of the level 6 class feature. At level 6 a College of Gastromancer bard can apply any one spice, whether or not it is prepared, to a meal without expending a bardic inspiration. Whether they sneak it onto their rivals plate, or bolster their party on freshly created food and drink before a big battle, level 6 is designed to give more chances to use the core subclass feature without draining your ingredients.

Lvl 14

For the capstone feature for a food based bard it is only right to provide the spell Heroes' Feast to the bards known list of spells, allowing for the casting of it without the material cost once every d4 days. Lvl 14 also expands the lvl 6 features, allowing all spices to be re-prepared every short rest and for lvl 6 spices to be applied to a meal. The final feature allows a bard to utilise their reaction to maintain a spice when it is used by an ally, whether to pass it off to the next combatant in the turn order or to bolster yourself before a big attack.

Level 3: Bonus Proficiencies

You gain proficiency with Chef’s Utensils, or another tool if already proficient.

Level 3: Good Silverware

A good chef needs good tools to prepare a meal, and a chef’s knife is but an extension of their limbs.

You learn the spell Purify Food and Drink as a first level spell that does not count towards your total number of spells known. You may cast this spell once per day without expending a spell slot.

Starting at 3rd level you can use any bladed weapon with the light property as a spell-casting focus and can cast spells that require somatic components while wielding this weapon.

Bladed weapons with the finesse property can have their damage type changed to slashing when you perform a melee attack and count as silvered weapons in terms of resistance and immunity.

Level 3: Spice up Your Life

You always go into battle with a collection of handy spices, that bring new fragrances to the table. As a bonus action you can expend one of your bardic inspirations to utilise one of your spices, you can prepare a number of different spices equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

All Spices last 1 minute and are expended on use, unless another time is specified in the spices description.

Lvl 3 Healing Turmeric	When you use your action, you can also heal one ally within 15 feet of you equal to your Bardic Inspiration Die + Your charisma modifier
Lvl 3 Spicy Ginger	Target you or an ally within 15 feet, when they perform the attack action they can replace one of their attacks with a 15ft cone exhalation that deals fire damage equal to your charisma modifier + 1 roll bardic inspiration die. DC = your spellcasting save DC Lvl 10 = 2 rolls + your charisma modifier
Lvl 3 Sweet Onion Powder	Target a creature – they have disadvantage on saves against the charmed condition until the end of your next turn. Lvl 10 – target all non-hostile creatures within 30ft
Lvl 3 Sour Zest	Target you or an ally – the next time they deal damage to an enemy, deal extra lightning damage equal to one roll of your bardic inspiration die Lvl 10 1 roll + your charisma modifier
Lvl 3 True Salt	Target you or an ally within 15 feet, their weapon/unarmed attacks count as magical for the purposes of resistance and immunity for 1 minute Lvl 10 – their weapon damage can be changed to force and deal an extra die of damage
Lvl 3 Wise Sage	Target you or an ally within 15 feet, they gain a bonus to their next saving throw equal to your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier
Lvl 3 Overbearing Garlic	Target you or an ally within 15 feet, undead have disadvantage on all attacks while within 5 feet of them until the start of your next turn – Lvl 10 – all creatures.
Lvl 6 Melodic Rosemary	Target an enemy within 30ft – they have disadvantage on their attacks against all creatures except you until the end of their next turn. Lvl 10 - Allies have advantage on attacks against them if they are within your range to opportunity attack
Lvl 6 Faulty Basil	Target an enemy within 30ft – they have disadvantage on maintaining concentration until the start of your next turn Lvl 10 - They take 1 roll of your bardic inspiration die when afflicted by this spice (this procs a concentration check)
Lvl 6 Swift Nutmeg	Target you or an ally within 15 ft – they do not provoke attacks of opportunity until the end of their next turn Lvl 10 - They can move up to half their movement as part of this action
Lvl 6 Lucky Cloves	Target you or an ally, until the start of your next turn the next instance of damage they take that would render them unconscious, they instead survive at 1hp (this occurs before all other similar effects such as Half Orcs Relentless Endurance) Lvl 10 - They gain advantage on death saving throws until the end of their next turn
Lvl 6 Revitalising cinnamon	Expend 2 bardic inspiration die to cast lesser restoration without a spell slot, this does not count towards the number of leveled spells cast in one turn Lvl 10 - Expend half your total bardic inspiration dice to cast Greater Restoration instead
Lvl 6 Minty fresh	Target you or an ally within 15 feet, as a reaction they can gain a bonus to their AC equal to your charisma modifier until their next turn.
Lvl 6 Aromatic Oregano	All allies within 15 feet have resistance to poison – this spice lasts for 1 minute Lvl 10 – and necrotic and radiant damage

 

Level 6: Free Samples

At 6 Level you have extracted a wider variety of spices to present and can prepare 1 additional spice from your spice table per day, you can also change out one of your prepared spices per short rest.

You learn the spell Create food and Water as a third level spell, this does not count towards your number of known bard spells and can be cast once per day without a spell slot.

During a short or long rest, so long as food is consumed, you can apply the effect of 1 lvl 3 spice to the meal without expending a bardic inspiration die. The effect of this spice applies to all who consume it and lasts 1 hour or until it is expended.

Level 14: Stairway To Flavour Town

At 14 level you have advanced into the realms of Gastronomical legend

You learn the spell Heroes’ Feast, this spell does not count towards the number of spells known and you can forgo the material cost to cast it once per d4 days.

You also prepare an additional spice per long rest and can change all your prepared spices whenever you short rest. Your free samples feature may now allow the application of a lvl 6 spice to a meal and whenever you or an ally utilises an active spice, you may use your reaction to re-apply the spice to yourself or an ally within 15 ft of you or the one using it, without expending an additional bardic inspiration die.