College of the Player

As a Bard of the Player, you feel at home stepping into the shoes of another, and excel in particularly lofty theatrics that other bards do not. You instantly lose yourself in the con and the theft of identities to suit your needs, good or ill intentions notwithstanding. You alter the perceptions of those around you with voice impressionism, cunning use of physical guile, and a well practiced and deceptive grift.

In combat, you know how to make yourself seem more or less threatening, controlling the actions of your foes to suit your needs. How good it is to be an actor, when you know all the players, and all the world is the stage that you control.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose your Expertises at this same third level, you also gain expertise in Performance, even if you aren’t proficient. In addition you also gain proficiency with the Disguise Kit

Donning the Mask

You can use your particular skills for the dramatic arts to change the perceptions of your foes. You can don the Mask of Cowardice, to feign weakness where none exists, making you seem like less of a threat. You can use your bonus action and spend a use of Bardic Inspiration to target a foe, making a Charisma (Performance) check against that foe’s Wisdom (Insight) check. On a failure, that foe has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until you next deal damage to it, until you’re it’s only foe, or until 1 minute has passed.

You can instead don the Mask of Heroics to enact the posture of a much more imposing or vexing foe. You can use your bonus action and spend a use of Bardic Inspiration to target a foe, making a Charisma (Performance) check against that foe’s Wisdom (Insight) check. On a failure, that foe has disadvantage on attacks rolls against anyone except you until you end your turn without dealing damage to that foe, until you fall unconscious, or until 1 minute has passed.

Imposter

At the 6th level, you gain the ability to unerringly mimic another person's speech, writing, and behavior. You must spend at least three hours studying these three components of the person's behavior, listening to speech, examining handwriting, and observing mannerisms.

Your ruse is indiscernible to the casual observer. If a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.

All the World’s a Stage

At 14th level, your ability to use the performance arts takes on a surprisingly potent supernatural edge.

You can cast Alter Self at will

You can cast Mirage Arcane once per long rest.