College of the Seas

(Ideas taken from a few sources and combined together/balanced, at least in my mind. Credit goes to the danddwiki, gmbinder, and u/AngryBob13 on the r/UnearthedArcana subreddit. Thanks, guys, and I hope everyone else enjoys this as much as I do!)


There are bards that seek knowledge, there are bards that seek fame, and then there are those that seek the joy of jolly cooperation. Work crews of all kinds from peasants in the fields to sailors on the seas know that song can help make the work more pleasant and aid in having everyone pull together. Bards of the College of the Seas have taken this to heart.

Bards of this college know that they can accomplish more working together with others than they can on their own. Sea bards specialize in helping groups coordinate and work towards a common goal, and are often found in common taverns leading drinking songs are pitching in on communal projects.

Sea shanties bind crews together in camaraderie and help them work in tandem with one another. The sea itself is a source of inspiration, a call to adventure, and a longing for freedom that touches the hearts of all creatures.

Less a formal “college”, these are bards who work their magic into the formulaic nostalgia of these songs to empower their allies on the open waves.

Bonus Proficiencies

You have sailed ships, snuck into some of the most fortified strongholds, lied your way of trouble too many times to count, and figured out some of the most difficult treasure maps. When you take this college at 3rd level you gain proficiency with Vehicles (Water), Performance, Deception, and a musical instrument of your choice.

Beguiling Demeanor

Your beauty has protected you many times during battle for when people look upon you they wish not to hurt you. At 3rd level you can add your Charisma modifier to your AC when you are not wearing armor.

Jolly Cooperation

You can take the Help action as a reaction on an attack roll up to 30 ft away. You aid an ally in their rhythmic strikes by playing a tune, if the attack hits, roll an instance of your bardic inspiration dice and add that to the damage dealt by your ally. If the attack would fail, roll an instance of your bardic inspiration die and add the number to the roll. You can do this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once).

Song of the Sea

At 6th level, you learn to sing a song of empowerment that guides your crew to work in tempo. You may begin this song as an action, and it lasts up to a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 minute), as though you were concentrating on a spell. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, and you regain all expended uses on a long rest.

Based on which well-known Shanty (or fantasy cultural equivalent) song you sing, different effects occur:

Song	Shanty Effect
Derby Ram	All creatures of your choice that can hear your Shanty gain advantage on Perception checks.
Drunken Sailor	When a creature you can see, and that can hear your Shanty, makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you may use your reaction to roll 1d4 and subtract it from the creature’s result.
Running Down to Cuba	A number of creatures of your choice equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) that can hear your Shanty gain an additional 10 feet of movement speed.
Wellerman	All creatures of your choice that can hear your Shanty count as one creature size larger for determining their carrying capacity and the amount they can push, drag, or lift.

 

You may begin your Countercharm as part of the action to begin your Shanty; the duration of this separate effect remains unchanged. At 14th level, your Countercharm instead lasts the same duration as your Shanty. 

All Together Now!

When you reach 14th level you have learned to coordinate and aid groups of people towards their goals. When you use a bonus action to inspire others you can instead spend a use of your bardic inspiration die and choose creatures up to your Charisma modifier within range and give each of them a d6.