College of Danse Macabre

No mortal, dead or alive, can resist the call of the dance. Try as they might, their tombstones will shake, their crypts will quake, and the dreaful voices of the dead will vocalize.

- Cesare, Founding Bard of the Danse Macabre

 

Adept in songs that even the dead need to respond to, the Danse Macabre is a troupe of bards that specialize in communing with the dearly departed. Bards of this college are few and far between, for not all can stomach the act of speaking with the dead. They are easily identifiable through their attire, which could consist of smiling skulls, flowing capes, feathered caps, and maybe even some bells. Some of the more somber bards of this following prefer a simple dressing gown used for funerals. In either case, these bards can be found dwelling near battlefields and crypts, busking coin from passersby that want to speak with their loved ones. Others still, prefer to go adventuring, using their unique talents as a means to pry for information. You never know, that burnt skeleton near the fire pit might know a way around it...or perhaps not. 

Dirge of the Dead

When you join the College of Danse Macabre at 3rd level, you gain the unique ability to commune with the dead through song and dance.

You may perform at any place that has dead humanoid remains nearby like a battlefield, a crypt, a tomb, a cemetery, or maybe even a fresh corpse on the ground. Your performance takes an hour and can only be done at night. After performing, make a Charisma (Performance) check (DC=15-Charisma Modifier) to see if any spirit heeded your call. The DC increases by 3 if you were responsible for the deaths of the humanoids in the area. If successful, a number of ghosts equal to your Charisma modifier arise, given that there are enough remains to support them. These ghosts have the ghost stat block but cannot attack or be attacked. These ghosts retain any alignment and allegiance they had in life and can only divulge information they knew while they were alive. These ghosts can be commanded by all allied creatures but are incorporeal and cannot fight or carry things.

The ghosts dissipate once an hour has passed, the ghosts travel more than 1 mile from their body, or if you are incapacitated.  

Ethereal Instrument

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to play ghostly instruments at will. Using a bonus action, you may summon a ghostly instrument of your choice. These instruments are incorporeal for all creatures except you. You may only summon instruments that you are proficient with.

Using a ghostly instrument grants you the following benefits:

• The music, but not your voice, can still be heard through magical silence and underwater.
• You gain an advantage with Charisma (Persuasion) checks with undead creatures.
• Creatures always understand what you are saying, but you cannot understand them unless you can speak their language.

The ghostly instrument immediately vanishes once you let go of it or if you are incapacitated.

Among the Dead

At 6th level, you have spent enough time speaking with the dead that some of them consider you as one of their own. 

You gain darkvision with a range of 30 feet. If you already have darkvision, extend its range by 30 feet. Additionally, undead creatures with an Intelligence score of 9 or lower do not consider you hostile until you or your party provokes them first. Possible ways to provoke the undead include attacking them, making too much noise, creating too much light, or interacting with them in most manners. 

Join the Dance!

At 14th level, you gain the ability to invite the newly departed into your band. When a humanoid creature dies within 30 feet of you, you may use a reaction to attempt to add them to your ghostly band through a Charisma (Performance) check (DC=15-Charisma Modifier). If successful, it rises at any point within 30 feet of you. The ghost has hit points equal to your current bard level, is resistant to all forms of damage, and cannot attack or cast spells.

Having these ghosts with you will grant the following bonuses:

• As long as you have at least 1 ghost in your band, you are resistant to necrotic damage.
• Each ghost can carry up to 15 lbs. of weight. Anything they carry turns invisible and incorporeal but will vanish with them if they are dispelled.
• The DC for the "Dirge of the Dead" feature lowers by 1 for each ghost in your band.
• the ghosts can carry out menial tasks to the best of their ability but will be dispelled if they do anything directly threatening to their existence.

The number of ghosts in your band cannot exceed your Charisma modifier. Any additional ghosts will dispel the oldest existing ghost in the band. These ghosts will remain until they are dispelled through damage or through any of the aforementioned conditions.