College of Damnation

Many bards specialize in musical talents, but some select few pursue more dastardly feats. The College of Damnation instructs bards how to conjure up magical contracts modeled after those that devils employ. These contracts grant the fiendish bards who write them a certain level of influence over those foolish enough to sign away their souls.

Townsfolk are smart to be wary of these "performers" as they utilize deceit and charm to find naïve creatures who may unknowingly be prepared to do a deal with the devil. Other bards tell cautionary tales of Damnation bards who steal the souls of the innocent to use as their sacrificial play things when they find themselves in a sticky situation. Cunning and conniving are understatements for these devilish minstrels; DO NOT TRUST THEM!

Forked Tongue

3rd-level College of Damnation feature

You are a master of manipulation and deceit. You have advantage on all Charisma (Deception) checks you make. You lose this advantage when interacting with devils. Additionally, you can speak, read and write Infernal.

Bardic Contract

Also at 3rd level, you have learned how to craft infernal contracts which you can share with those around you when they are in need. When another creature within 15 feet of you that you can see fails an ability check, attack roll or saving throw, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to magically conjure a crude version of an infernal contract, a Bardic Contract, and share it with that creature.

The creature can sign the contract (no action required) and automatically succeed the triggering ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it failed (this fails if used on a natural 1). You lose the Bardic Inspiration die whether the contract is signed or not. Once the Bardic Contract is signed, you gain a fragment of the signer's soul. While you possess a soul fragment you can use it in one of the following ways:

• As an action, you siphon life from the soul fragment, restoring 2d4 hit points to yourself. The signer loses an amount of hit points equal to what you are restored. The soul fragment is then destroyed.
• As a reaction, when you make a saving throw or skill check, you can substitute your bonus to the roll with that of the signer's. If the signer normally has advantage on the roll you are making, apply the advantage to your roll. Do not apply any temporary bonuses the signer is influenced by. The soul fragment is then destroyed.

You can only possess one soul fragment at a time. If another creature signs your Bardic Contract while you already possess a soul fragment, you lose your current soul fragment and gain the soul fragment of the most recent signer.

Infernal Insurance

Your fiendish skills have evolved to a point where you can now avoid danger by sacrificing those who signed your Bardic Contract. You can use a reaction when you become blinded, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned or stunned and are in possession of a soul fragment to force the signer of your Bardic Contract to make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. If the signer fails, they become afflicted by the condition instead of you. The soul fragment is destroyed after you use this feature.

Rejection Retribution

Your forceful presence has become so prevalent that you now strike anguish into creatures who refuse to make deals with you. When a creature refuses to sign your Bardic Contract, they automatically take psychic damage equal to your bard level. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, you regain 1 Bardic Inspiration.