College of the Grand Maestro

# College of the Grand Maestro

### Short Description
> *"The Company of the Raven's Song demands that every Maestro knows how to wear a mask. The difference lies in how you use the stage: to shape minds in the light, or to extinguish lives in the dark."*

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### Description
Bards of the College of the Grand Maestro belong to the executive core of the Raven's Song Company—a continental network of elite performers in Elyria using theater, opera, and roadside shows as a facade for high-level espionage, political balance, and covert operations.

Whether commanding a royal audience from the center of the stage or conducting a silent execution backstage, a Grand Maestro views every conflict as a performance, every person as an actor, and the world itself as their playhouse.

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### 3rd Level: Maestro's Path
When you join this college at 3rd level, you choose your primary operational path within the Company: **Path of the Stage** or **Path of the Final Act**.

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#### Path 1: Path of the Stage
*Specialists in social infiltration, identity theft, magnetic oratory, and spotlight control.*

* **Stage Presence:** You gain proficiency with the Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, and the Persuasion and Deception skills. Additionally, while you are wearing fine clothes and no armor, your Armor Class equals $10 + \text{your Dexterity modifier} + \text{your Charisma modifier}$.
* **Arts of Illusion and Mimicry:** You learn the *Friends* cantrip and the *Disguise Self* spell. *Disguise Self* doesn't count against your number of bard spells known, and you can cast it without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest. Additionally, when the *Friends* cantrip ends, the target does not realize magic was used on them.
* **Absorb Identity:** If you observe a humanoid's gestures, speech patterns, and posture for at least 1 minute, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration. For the next 8 hours, you gain Advantage on Charisma (Performance) and Charisma (Deception) checks made to impersonate that individual, and you can subtract your Bardic Inspiration die from the Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Investigation) check of anyone attempting to see through your disguise.
* **Dramatic Reaction:** As a Reaction when a creature within 30 feet that you can see makes an attack roll against you or an ally, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to project a swift vocal command or hypnotic flourish. The attacker must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC.
* **On a Failure:** The attack automatically misses, and the creature is **Charmed** by you until the end of its next turn.

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#### Path 2: Path of the Final Act
*Specialists in silent execution, race anatomy, poisons, and covert removal from the shadows.*

* **Field Training & Anatomy:** You gain proficiency with the Poisoner's Kit, and the Medicine and Stealth skills. If you are already proficient in Stealth, you gain Expertise in it instead. You can use Rapiers, Shortswords, and Daggers as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, and you can draw or conceal a dagger on your body as a Free Action on your turn.
* **Surgical Insight:** You have Advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks made to examine corpses, analyze wounds, or identify poison components. Additionally, you have Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against restrained or isolated targets.
* **Final Act Strike:** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack (or a thrown dagger attack up to 20 feet), you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to strike a vital point.
* **Extra Damage:** The attack deals extra Psychic or Poison damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
* **Deadly Silence:** The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become **Poisoned** and **Silenced** (unable to cast spells with verbal components, scream, or make vocal sounds) until the start of your next turn.

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### 6th Level: Advanced Operations

#### Path 1: Path of the Stage — Scene Director
* **Dramatic Redirection:** When a creature fails its saving throw against your Dramatic Reaction, you can force the attacker to redirect that attack against another creature of your choice within its reach.
* **Tale of Discord:** As an Action, choose two creatures within 30 feet of each other that can see or hear you. Each must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or immediately use its Reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the other. You regain the use of this feature when you finish a Short or Long Rest.

#### Path 2: Path of the Final Act — Operative Operations
* **Extra Attack:** You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
* **Elusive Step & Extraction:** As a Bonus Action, you can take the Disengage action. You can use this feature to also become **Invisible** until the end of your turn a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. Additionally, carrying or dragging a grappled, incapacitated, or unconscious target during this movement does not halve your speed.

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### 14th Level: Master of the Order

#### Path 1: Path of the Stage — Unquestionable Will
* **Absolute Presence:** Your Enchantment spells and subclass features ignore immunity to the Charmed condition for humanoids.
* **Director's Command:** Whenever a humanoid becomes Charmed by your Dramatic Reaction, your *Friends* cantrip, or an Enchantment spell you cast, you can immediately issue a one-word command (such as Halt, Drop, Flee, or Approach) that the target must obey on its next turn.
* **Flawless Understudy:** While impersonating a target using Absorb Identity, you gain Advantage on saving throws against spells and harmful effects originating from creatures who personally know the individual you are impersonating.

#### Path 2: Path of the Final Act — Master Executioner
* **Lethal Precision:** The extra damage of your Final Act Strike increases to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die. Additionally, your weapon attack rolls achieve a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20 against any creature that is Poisoned, Surprised, or Incapacitated.
* **Dance of the End:** Once per turn, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points using Final Act Strike, you immediately regain your expended Bardic Inspiration die and can move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

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### Legendary Feature: Root of the Order

**The Power of Khynos (Absolute Mastery)**
As the founder and living embodiment of the Order in Elyria, Khynos inherently possesses all features of both Paths (Path of the Stage and Path of the Final Act) active simultaneously. Furthermore, whenever he expends a Bardic Inspiration die, he can trigger the effects of both paths in a single action.

**The Ritual of the Root (Bestowing the Legacy)**
To pass down this adaptability to his regional leaders or direct apprentices, Khynos conducts the Ritual of the Root:

* **Prerequisite:** The candidate must be a member of at least 14th level belonging to the College of the Grand Maestro and have demonstrated absolute loyalty to the Company of the Raven's Song.
* **The Seven Nights of Penumbra:** Over 7 consecutive days, the apprentice undergoes a process of ego detachment, deep psychological trials facing moral dilemmas in light and shadow, and stages the symbolic death of their former identity.
* **Free Aptitude (The Benefit):** Upon completing the ritual, the apprentice receives the invisible mark of the Root. Whenever they finish a Long Rest, they can swap their active features from 3rd, 6th, and 14th levels for the equivalent features of the other Path, shaping their capabilities exactly for the mission required by the Company.

Mastery of the Order

At 14th level, you reach absolute mastery over your operational path within the Order (Path of the Stage or Path of the Final Act).

Master Executioner (Path of the Final Act)

* Lethal Precision: The extra damage of your Final Act Strike increases to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die. Additionally, your weapon attack rolls achieve a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20 against any creature that is Poisoned, Surprised, or Incapacitated.

* Dance of the End: Once per turn, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points using Final Act Strike, you immediately regain your expended Bardic Inspiration die and can move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Unquestionable Will (Path of the Stage)

* Absolute Presence: Your Enchantment spells and subclass features ignore immunity to the Charmed condition for humanoids.

* Director's Command: Whenever a humanoid becomes Charmed by your Dramatic Reaction, your Friends cantrip, or an Enchantment spell you cast, you can immediately issue a one-word command (such as Halt, Drop, Flee, or Approach) that the target must obey on its next turn.

* Flawless Understudy: While impersonating a target using Absorb Identity, you gain Advantage on saving throws against spells and harmful effects originating from creatures who personally know the individual you are impersonating.

Maestro's Path

When you join this college at 3rd level, you choose your primary operational path within the Company: Path of the Stage or Path of the Final Act.

Path of the Final Act

Specialists in silent execution, race anatomy, poisons, and covert removal from the shadows.

Field Training & Anatomy: You gain proficiency with the Poisoner's Kit, and the Medicine and Stealth skills. If you are already proficient in Stealth, you gain Expertise in it instead. You can use Rapiers, Shortswords, and Daggers as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, and you can draw or conceal a dagger on your body as a Free Action on your turn.

* Surgical Insight: You have Advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks made to examine corpses, analyze wounds, or identify poison components. Additionally, you have Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against restrained or isolated targets.

Final Act Strike: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack (or a thrown dagger attack up to 20 feet), you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to strike a vital point.
* Extra Damage: The attack deals extra Psychic or Poison damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
* Deadly Silence: The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become Poisoned and Silenced (unable to cast spells with verbal components, scream, or make vocal sounds) until the start of your next turn.

Path of the Stage

Specialists in social infiltration, identity theft, magnetic oratory, and spotlight control.

* Stage Presence: You gain proficiency with the Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, and the Persuasion and Deception skills. Additionally, while you are wearing fine clothes and no armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

* Arts of Mind and Illusion: You learn the Prompter's Whisper cantrip and the Perceived Irrelevance spell. Neither counts against your number of bard spells known. You can cast Perceived Irrelevance without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

* Absorb Identity: If you observe a humanoid's gestures, speech patterns, and posture for at least 1 minute, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration. For the next 8 hours, you gain Advantage on Charisma (Performance) and Charisma (Deception) checks made to impersonate that individual, and you can subtract your Bardic Inspiration die from the Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Investigation) check of anyone attempting to see through your disguise.

* Dramatic Reaction: As a Reaction when a creature within 30 feet that you can see makes an attack roll against you or an ally, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to project a swift vocal command or hypnotic flourish. The attacker must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a Failure: The attack automatically misses, and the creature is Charmed by you until the end of its next turn.

Advanced Operations

At 6th level, your operational capabilities expand based on the path you chose at 3rd level (Path of the Stage or Path of the Final Act).

Operative Operations (Path of the Final Act)

* Extra Attack: You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

* Elusive Step & Extraction: As a Bonus Action, you can take the Disengage action. You can use this feature to also become Invisible until the end of your turn a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. Additionally, carrying or dragging a grappled, incapacitated, or unconscious target during this movement does not halve your speed.

Scene Director (Path of the Stage)

Your ability to command the stage expands, allowing you to manipulate attacks and perception directly.

* Dramatic Redirection: When a creature fails its saving throw against your Dramatic Reaction, you can force the attacker to redirect that attack against another creature of your choice within its reach.

* Tale of Discord: As an Action, choose two creatures within 30 feet of each other that can see or hear you. Each must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or immediately use its Reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the other. You regain the use of this feature when you finish a Short or Long Rest.