College of Distortion

Bards of the College of Distortion are unfairly misunderstood by those who fear the intensity of their art. The individuals that make up this college practice harnessing their emotions and passions, eventually learning to channel that rawness into physical and magical abilities. Typically, these bards only share tales and music among themselves, where they pass on uniquely powerful techniques from one to another. One harbored secret is the technique of the fused instrument; knowledge they guard closely.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Distortion at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and martial weapons.

Metal-fusion Magic

Also, at 3rd level, over a short rest, you can magically alter the relative shape and appearance of a musical instrument you are proficient with and have on-hand. The instrument adopts the damage and properties of a simple or martial melee weapon of your choice. This weapon is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity. When you attack with this weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.

Alternatively, you can fuse a non-sentient magical weapon with your instrument to gain its damage, properties, and features (if the magical item and/or instrument requires attunement, you still maintain your attunement with each item separately). You can only have one magical weapon fused this way. To unfuse a weapon, you must spend a short rest to remove its magic from the instrument.

Finally, the following spells are now added to your bard spell list for you to choose as you gain levels:

| Spell Level | Spells |
1st: Thunderous Smite, Searing Smite 
2nd: Branding Smite, Magic Weapon
3rd: Blinding Smite, Elemental Weapon 
4th: Phantasmal Killer, Staggering Smite 

Extra Attack

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

Death Metal Burst

At 14th level, you have mastered weaving the raw rage and emotion of your musical talent into the power of your attacks. Whenever you hit with a weapon attack using your fused instrument or a ranged spell that deals damage, you can expend one Bardic Inspiration to deal extra thunder damage equal to half your bard level + the bardic inspiration die roll.

If the target is a creature, other than a construct, it makes a Constitution saving throw (using your bard spell save DC). On a failed save, you choose which effect occurs:

• Deafened for 1 minute and suffers disadvantage on its next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

• Falls prone in its space.

• Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

• Pushed back 10 feet in a straight line.