College of the Necrodancer

If you tell a Bard of the College of the Necrodancer that "Dead men tell no tales", they'd give you a funny look and say, "perhaps you haven't been speaking the right language". For bards of this college, the loss of knowledge and art through death is a horrible tragedy which they seek to avoid at all costs. As such they weave necrotic power into their arts, allowing them to learn and preserve the knowledge and stories of our ancestors in their own unique way.

Macabre Dance

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose a number of humanoid corpses or bones within 60ft of you equal to your proficiency modifier; they are animated as zombies or skeletons respectively. Roll your Bardic Inspiration Die + your Charisma Modifier (minimum 1) to determine their HP. You may use your action to command them. If no command is given they will continue to follow your previous command else they will spend their turn dancing. They last for a minute and collapse to the ground inanimate when the duration ends. You cannot animate more corpses with this ability while you have some already animated.

Ghost Stories

During a short rest you can attempt to inspire a number of willing creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). They must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw, on a success they gain temporary hit points equal to your bard level and advantage on saving throws against effects that cause fear for the next 8 hours. On a failed save, they only gain half the temporary hit points and do not gain advantage on saves against being frightened. If done during a long rest, the temporary hit points are equal to double your bard level and on a successful save they also gain advantage on saves against spells of the necromancy school for 8 hours as well as advantage on saves against being frightened.

Necrodancer Secrets

You learn the Spare the Dying Cantrip and the Animate Dead Spell if you do not know them already, they do not count against the the number of spells you know and are bard spells for you. In addition, your spells that charm creatures can target and affect undead creatures as well. Regardless of whether or not you share a language. If the undead you charm is under the control of another. The controller can make an intelligence saving throw against your spell save at the end of their charmed undead's turn to wrest back control.

Phantom Waltz

As an action, you and up to 2 willing creatures you touch can enter and exit the ethereal plane as a bonus action for the next minute as if they were under the effect of the Etherealness Spell.