College of the Departed

The bards of the elite College of The Departed obtain deep ties to the afterlife, and thus gain the ability to communicate with those who have passed on from the ethereal plane and into the afterlife. They have a dutiful obligation to help wandering souls find peace with themselves, helping them take care of unfinished business. The communication of the dead comes most prevalently through necromancy, raising the dead to speak with them before finally putting them to rest and using powerful magic to guide their souls to the great beyond. These bards often create songs and performances to remember the legacies of fallen heroes, great kings, or monstrous beast alike; their powerful music sometimes call upon the dead themselves to aid them in times of great need.

Morbid Tongue

Starting at first level, you are able to communicate with and see the dead wandering amongst the living. You can cast Speak with Dead once per Long Rest. You may also cast this ability to speak with spirits. Roll a D20. If the roll is odd, you can see and speak with a wandering spirit that is nearby. The spirit cannot speak to others or materialize itself, and cannot possess any object. This action takes up a Spell Slot.

Guide the Undead

Starting at third level, you can reanimate the dead to guide them to their eternal rest. You learn the Animate Dead spell. In combat, you may use a bonus action to cast this spell and immediately raise 2 undead humanoids. Control over these humanoids will cease after one hour and you will not be able to use this feature again until you complete a short rest. You may also use your supernatural abilities to heal minor wounds. You learn the Healing Word spell.

Deathmaster

You have honed your supernatural abilities to their peak and are able to cross into the Ethereal Plane. You learn the Etherealness spell. During combat, you can use this spell as a bonus action on your turn, without expending a spell slot, but the spell ends at the end of your turn. Once you use this feature, you can't do it again unless you complete a short or long rest.

You have also mastered your hold over life and death. You learn the Raise Dead spell and may use it once per five long rests.