College of Entertainment

Bards of the College of Entertainment have spent less time studying stories, songs and tales of old than most other bards, instead favouring the more physical disciplines. Refered to as Entertainers, though most bards are anyway, many will flock together in circuses or perform on the street, busking or for festivals. Though many bards may study under the same tutelage, each one expresses their training in a miriad of different ways. Some may become tumblers and comedians, while others use their magic training to create and manipulate the world as mimes and fire eaters.

Regardless of what they do with their training, the main aim for all Entertainers is, funnily enough, to entertain, whether through their death defying acts, their comedic pratfalls, their incredible feats, or their manipulation of magic. Depite this, circus life can be dangerous, so a majority of Entertainers know how to use their skills to defend themselves and, if needed, attack others, which can be a brilliant performance in its own right.

Bonus Proficiencies

Starting when you join this College at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with two skills of your choice.

Entertaining Discipline

Starting at 3rd level, you begin your practice to find your place within the circus that is life. You choose two disciplines. These disciplines represent the types of performances you prefer. Many Entertainers incorporate multiple disciplines in their performances, while others like the security of being able to perform in a variety of ways.

You learn one additional discipline when you reach 6th level and another at 14th level. Each time you learn a new discipline, you can also replace a a discipline you know with another one.

Acrobat/Tumbler

Your dexterity and flexibility make you incredibly beautiful to watch, and incredibly annoying to hit. Sometimes you use this finesse for beauty and grace, but other times you use this to effectively tumble and fall for comedic effect.

You gain a bonus to your Acrobatics skill equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0). Additionally, you can use the disengage action as a bonus action, when you do so your movement speed is increased by 10 feet until the end of your turn.

Escapist

You have trained to become adept at escaping from things that others would be completely trapped by, whether for the thrill, the danger, the near death experiences, you never really feel trapped by anything.

You gain proficiency with Thieves' Tools. You can attempt to use your Thieves' Tools even if you could otherwise not move, as long as you can move your fingers. Additionally, you gain advantage on any skill check or saving throw made to escape from or avoid being restrained or grappled.

Fire Eater

You have trained your body and mind to withstand the ferocity that is flame.

You learn the produce flame cantrip, it counts as a bard spell for you and does not count against the number of cantrips you know. When you take fire damage, you can use your reaction to Eat Fire, expending a use of your Bardic Inspiration and reducing the damage you take by two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die. If you reduce the damage of an area of effect spell or other effect, the damage is reduced for all other creatures in the area affected by the spell or effect.

Knife Juggler

Your dexterity has never been in doubt, but since you started practicing throwing knives it became even less so, and then when you started throwing larger weapons, well, no one can doubt that.

Finesse weapons you wield gain the Thrown property with a range of (20/60) unless it already has a higher Thrown range. Additionally, when you make a ranged attack with a Thrown Finesse weapon, you can make an additional Thrown weapon attack with a Finesse weapon as part of that same action. 

Magician/Swindler

Your ability to manipulate objects so dexterously with your fingers is almost infamous among communities, as well as being able to sequester things in places that they will never be found make you a powerful performing magician, or an equally powerful swindler.

You gain a bonus to Sleight of Hand checks equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0).

Additionally, as an Action, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to Sequester an object in your hands, that weighs no more than 5 pounds, into an extradimensional space within your sleeves, causing it to disappear instantly. You can only have one object Sequestered and the object can be no larger than can fit in your hand. You can cause the Sequestered object to reappear in a free hand as an Action, otherwise the Sequestered object will drop out of your sleeves after 1 minute. Sequestering an object is usually very subtle, but may require a Sleight of Hand check depending on the situation.

Mime

Your ability to pretend is often used for comedic effect, and now, through a combination of your imagination and magic, you can spread your pretending to other creatures. 

As an action, you can Mime an invisible object in your hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that you can see within 10 feet of you. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, and its form must be that of a nonmagical object that you have seen. The Mimed object is invisible to all creatures except for you and passes through any other creature with no effect but cannot pass through inanimate objects or walls. The Mimed object is invisible even to creatures or effects that would normally see or reveal invisible items. The object appears magical and can be detected by spells and effects that would detect magic or magical items. You can have up to two objects created at a time. If you attempt to create a third, one of the previously created objects vanishes (your choice). The objects last until dispelled (no action required) or until you lose concentration (as if concentrating on a spell).

You cannot speak while Miming an object. If you do speak, all Mimed objects are dispelled.

While you have an object Mimed, you can use an action to expend a Bardic Inspiration die and roll it. One Mimed object of your choice becomes tangible to a number of other creatures equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die, your choice, though it is still invisible to those creatures. This effect lasts up to 1 minute or until the Mimed object is dispelled.

A Mimed object can be dispelled by spells and effects like dispel magic. For such effects it is treated as a 1st level spell.

Strong-Person

You are strong, but unlike other strong people who use their brutish physicality to fuel their strength, you use the thrill of the applause, the energy of the crowd, and the rush of the danger to fuel your feats. 

Your carrying capacity increases by a number of pounds equal to your total Charisma ability score multiplied by 5. Additionally, when you make a Strength check or a Strength saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration, roll your Bardic Inspiration die and gain a bonus to the check or saving throw equal to the number rolled.

Tamer

You have trained with animals and trained animals, you have some understanding of how they think and act and can use this knowledge to intice and, in some ways, control beasts around you.

You gain a bonus to Animal Handling checks you make equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0). Additionally, you can cast the spells animal friendship and animal messenger once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so at the end of a long rest.

Ventriloquist

You have trained yourself in the fine arts of ventriloquism, an art many are unable to understand, which you use to great effect, throwing your voice, making it appear from a different source, and even stifling it almost completely.

You can speak without moving your lips. You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check. 

You can cause your voice to originate from a space up to 30 feet away from you. Any creature who attempts to determine you as the source of the sound have disadvantage. Additionally, when you cast a spell, you can ignore any verbal component the spell might have.

Additional Discipline

At 6th level, you have trained yourself in a wider array of performance skills, upgrading your arsenal.

You gain an additional Entertaining Discipline. You gain an additional Entertaining discipline at 14th level. When you learn a new discipline, you can also replace a discipline you know with a different one.

Ringmaster

Starting at 14th level, your skills and performance arsenal have become beyond compare, expanding even further but also becoming significantly adept at everything you do.

You learn an additional Entertaining Discipline. Additionally, choose one of your already chosen Disciplines, this discipline is improved gaining additional abilities, as detailed below.

Acrobat/Tumbler

Your finesse has improved to the point that you can fall great distances with little real danger, and climbing to those points to fall is easier as well.

When you take fall damage, you can use your reaction to roll and reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your bard level. You can substitute your Strength with your Dexterity for any checks you make to climb or jump and gain a climbing speed equal to your walk speed. Additionally, your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.

Escapist

Your expertise at escaping things has made you adept at all things captivating. Nothing can keep you contained, not chains, not locks, not the maws of a deadly beast.

You gain a bonus to any checks you make using Thieves' Tools equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0). 

You learn the spell freedom of movement, it does not count against the number of spells you know. You can cast it on yourself without expending a spell slot, you can do this once and regain this ability at the end of a long rest.

Fire Eater

Your body has become accustomed to the heat and the burn of fire, so much so that you barely notice it rushing down into your lungs, nor when you push it back up in a powerful display. 

You gain resistance to fire damage. During your turn after you used your Eat Fire reaction, you can use your action to expell the fire. Each creature in a 15 foot cone in front of you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes fire damage equal to four rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die, or half as much on a success. You can use this feature without using the Eat Fire reaction by expending a spell slot of 4th level or higher. 

Knife Juggler

You have learnt something that many others would rather be seen kept secret; if it can be lifted, it can be thrown. And throw it you can, with expert aim and, in most cases, deadly accuracy.

All weapons you wield gain the Thrown property with a range of (30/60) unless it already has a higher Thrown range. When you make a Thrown weapon attack, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier. 

Additionally, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.

Magician/Swindler

Your deft fingers can be used to incredible magnitude, allowing you to cast your spells with hardly a movement and sequester many items at once.

When you cast a spell, you can disguise any somatic component into your normal movements, effectively allowing you to ignore the somatic component of any spell you cast, as long as you can move your fingers.

Additionally, you can Sequester a number of objects equal to your Charisma modifier and can keep those objects Sequestered for up to 1 hour. Causing a Sequestered object to reappear requires a Bonus Action instead of an Action.

Mime

Sometimes you feel trapped in an invisible box, sometimes others do. Your mime trickery has evolved to new heights, allowing you to create much larger objects and use them in much greater ways.

You can now Mime objects up to 10 feet long in any direction and no longer has a weight restriciton. You can use your reaction to make the object real to other creatures, following the same rules as normal. Additionally, you can expend an additional use of your Bardic Inspiration to make this object treated as a spell of a level equal to half your Bard level rounded down (maximum of 9th).

Strong-Person

Your strength is a spectacle to behold, defying all logic and lifting entire carts with ease, you can perform feats of strength even the toughest can't.

You gain a bonus to Strength checks you make to lift things equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0). You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. This is applied after the Charisma bonus provided by the base Strong-Person feature and stacks with other similar features. Additionally, you gain the ability to cast the enlarge/reduce on yourself, choosing only the Enlarge effect, without expending a spell slot. You can use this ability once and regain the ability to cast it in this way at the end of a short rest.

Tamer

Beasts heed your call, your voice has great power to them and commands incredible respect, such that even those beasts warped by magics have a chance of being affected.

Spells you cast that would normally only affect Beasts can also affect Monstrosities. You gain the spell dominate beast which counts as a bard spell for you and does not count against your number of spells known.

When a Beast creature attacks you, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

The creature is aware of this effect before it makes its attack against you.

Ventriloquist

The voices seem to come from everywhere, they sound like your voice, but your lips aren't moving, then they shift and change and start screaming, but still your lips remain closed, you are adept at this form of trickery, so much so that you can even invade the minds of other creatures.

You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. An unwilling creature can attempt to block out your voice, making a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC, blocking out your telepathy for 24 hours on a success.

You learn the spell major image which does not count against the number of spells you know, and you can cast it without expending a spell slot or requiring material components.

Changelog

1.1 - Basic language editing, addition of key words in disciplines as well as clarification of some functioning. Added Produce Flame spell to 3rd level Fire Breather discipline.

2.0 - Minor overhaul of Mime and Magician disciplines. Simplified the wording, made the key words even clearer and refined the functionality, especially around the Bardic Inspiration interactions.
Acrobat/Tumbler adjustments; moved movement speed bonus during disengage from Ringmaster feature to base feature. In practice this makes the feature more interesting and appealing.
Strongperson buff; changed carrying capacity increase to be based on total Charisma score. It was found that the bonus originally gained was negligable at best and didn't really help fill the strongperson niche that it was supposed to, as it only granted an average maximum of 25 additional pounds. This change should hopefully fix that issue.
Ventriloguist buff. Added the ability to mimic sounds and voices. The ventriloquist discipline was incredibly underwhelming, even the Ringmaster effect, hopefully this buff will add more variability and practicality to it. Additionally, removing the Bardic Inspiration use to ignore verbal components will free up Bardic Inspiration for use in other disciplines or abilities.
Changed Ringmaster disciplines improvement to only one discipline. Having each and every chosen discipline improve upon gaining this feature was found to be quite overcharged and convoluted. 
Minor changes to Ringmaster; Acrobat/Tumbler, Magician/Swindler, and Mime. Simple changes to match changes to base abilities.
Removed bonus damage from Knife Juggler, added 5 feet disadvantage removal. The damage was found to convolute the ability, especially since it only applied to certain weapons, the removal of 5 feet disadvantage should prove more beneficial in more circumstances.
Changes to Ringmaster Tamer; removed disadvantage to Beasts, removed Dominate Beast free use, added Sanctuary effect against Beasts. The ability felt a little convoluted so was simplified, then it was found to be underwhelming so it was buffed with the Sanctuary effect to make it more appealing and potent while sticking with the tamer theme.
Changes to Ringmaster Ventriloquist; added the ability to resist the telepathy effect. Being able to communicate telepathically within a party is powerful and useful so that aspect did not require changes, however the ability to communicate with enemies or party members that don't want to could lead to abuse of power or other unwanted side effects from what should be a simple ability.