College of Anima

Stories and tales of the past are powerful; they hold lessons of history, philosophy, and magic. You took this College because you wanted to take your storytelling prowess to the next level. Legends and stories are something passed down from generation to generation to be kept and cherished, and you take this principle to a newer height by channeling the true potential of these tales from entities in faraway planes. An unconventional way of presentation and performance, you are regarded for this uniqueness among other bards, trading the traditional focus on musical and rhythmic entertainment for a sense of mystery and intrigue as you weave your narrative in telling these tales.

Your way of storytelling helps bring these tales to life, by calling these ethereal spirits to your aid.

The thing is, you never know what you might uncover.

Wraith's Cry

You can reach out to spirits to assist you in a fight. At 3rd level, you learn the Word of Radiance cantrip, which counts as a bard cantrip to you, and doesn’t count against the number of bard cantrips you know. For you, you can cast it without using a material component, it has a range of 10 feet, it deals necrotic damage, and its saving throw becomes Wisdom instead of Constitution.

Spiritual Focus

Your practice of contacting spirits can employ special tools. At 3rd level, you can use the following objects as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells: a candle, a crystal ball, a talking board, a tarokka deck, or a skull.

Ethereal Recital

At 3rd level, while you are holding your Spiritual Focus, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll on the Ethereal Recitement table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the story told. Until the story has been recited, it remains in the back of your mind until you use its ethereal ability or take a short or long rest.

You can use an action to choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you (including yourself) to be the target of the story's effect. Afterward, the effect of the tale cannot be used again unless you roll it again on the chart.

Especially during battle, you can only keep focus and memory of a few things at a time, and this would especially apply now. You can only retain one story at a time this way, and rolling again on the Ethereal Recitement table immediately ends the effect of the story told beforehand prematurely. If the tale's effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals your spell save DC.

 

Bardic Inspiration Die	Tale
1	Beast. You recite the tale of an unnaturally inquisitive creature. For 1 minute, the target has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and advantage on attack rolls against a creature if another enemy is within 5 feet of it, and that enemy isn’t incapacitated.
2	Warrior. You recount the story of a renowned brawler of his time. Make a melee spell attack against the target as an attacking spectral warrior briefly appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target before vanishing. On a hit, the target takes magical bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier
3	Everlasting Lovers. You recite the tale of two lovers who found each other in the afterlife. The target and another creature of its choice it can see within 10 feet of it regains hit points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier.
4	Escapee. You tell the tale of an especially crafty individual that could escape any confinement with the greatest of ease. The target can immediately use its reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. When the target teleports, it can choose a number of creatures it can see within 30 feet of it up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) to immediately use the same reaction, but without the secondary effect.
5	Avenger. You recount the tale of an avenging knight. For 1 minute, whenever a creature the target can see within 30 feet of it is damaged by a creature, the target can use its reaction to deal radiant or necrotic damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die to the attacker.
6	Hero. You speak the story of a legendary hero of his time. Choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target gains temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your bard level. While it has these temporary hit points, the target’s walking speed increases by 10 feet.
7	Fey. You recount the tale of a mischievous fey. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you until the end of its next turn. The charmed target must use its action to make a melee attack against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The target can act normally on its turn if you choose no other creature.
8	Dark Spirit. You speak a dreadful tale of a slayer in the dark. The target becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or until it hits a creature with an attack. If it hits a creature with an attack during this invisibility, that creature takes necrotic damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die and is frightened of the target until the end of its next turn
9	Giant. You speak of the deeds of a mighty giant. Each creature of the target’s choice it can see within 30 feet of it must make a Strength saving throw, taking force damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save and is knocked prone. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone.
10	Dragon. You breathe a poem of a wrathful dragon. The target magically spews fire from their mouth in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking fire damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one
11	Celestial. You speak of the exalted deeds of a celestial. The target regains hit points equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die + your bard level, and you end one disease or a condition from the following list affecting the target: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned.
12	Unknown. You utter an incomprehensible fable from a being beyond the stars. Choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take psychic damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die, and the target is unable to speak any language for 1 minute.

Otherworldly Connections

Starting at 6th level, your connection to the spirits whose tales you recall has made you become favorable to them. When you roll on the Ethereal Recital chart to choose your tale, you can decide to reroll the result. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (min. 1). You regain all uses of this ability on a long rest.

Spiritual Prowess