College of the Grave

Most bards embody merriment, performing beautiful and energetic songs to bring joy and happiness to their audiences. However, as with most things in life, there are exceptions; bards of the College of the Grave do not play songs of happiness, but ones telling tales of grief and sorrow.

These bards have an intimate relationship with death, and seek to honor the spirits of the dead, either through sombre melodies or by reciting grim poems. These bards can often be found at graveyards and other places where death is prevalent, playing a mournful tune with only the restful dead as their audience.

Songs of the Dead

Beginning when you choose this college at 3rd level, your dreams are plagued by the spirits of the dead, who in turn bestow you with their knowledge. At the end of a long rest, you can choose to gain proficiency with one skill or tool of your choice. You retain this proficiency until you choose to exchange it as part of another long rest. Additionally, you learn the Chill Touch cantrip, which counts as a bard cantrip for you and does not count against your total number of cantrips known.

Reaper's Melody

Also at 3rd level, your power grows as death approaches. As a bonus action, you can target a creature that is currently at 0 hit points within 30 feet of you and expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration. When you do so, choose between one of the following effects:

Haunting. You cause the spirit of the dying creature to unleash a burst of necromantic magic. Any creature within 10 feet of the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage equal to the result of one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage.

Rejuvenation. You repair the link between spirit and body, and restore the dying creature's health. The target immediately regains a number of hit points equal to the result of one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier.

Dreadful Performers

At 6th level, you’ve learnt how to summon perfect backing performers for your sinister musical numbers. You learn the Animate Dead spell, which counts as a bard spell for you and does not count against your total number of spells known. You can cast it once per long rest as a 3rd-level spell, without requiring a spell slot. Alternatively, you can cast it using any of your bard spell slots.

When an undead creature is summoned by you, it gains a number of additional hit points equal to your bard level, and can add your Charisma modifier to the damage of any attack it makes. Additionally, whenever you use your Bardic Inspiration feature, you can use it as if you were standing in the space of a summoned undead.

Lullaby of the Grave

At 14th level, you’ve learnt how to infuse your music with necromantic magic to send a creature into a death-like slumber. As an action, you can begin playing a magical song for up to 1 hour. You must maintain concentration on this feature as if you were concentrating on a spell. Any creatures of your choice that start their turn within 60 feet of you while the song is active must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature falls unconscious for the duration, or until it takes damage. While unconscious in this way, a creature is considered to be at 0 hit points for the purposes of your Reaper’s Melody feature, and appears dead to all outward inspection or spells used to determine its status.

Creatures with the undead or construct creature types are immune to this feature. A creature that succeeded on their saving throw, or for whom the feature ended, are immune to the song's effects for the next 8 hours.

You can use this feature once per long rest.