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Returning 35 results for 'before bards down college role'.
Magic Items
Dungeon Master’s Guide
An Instrument of the Bards is superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. Seven types of these instruments exist, each named after a bard college. The Instruments of the Bards table lists the
the next dawn. The spells use your spellcasting ability and spell save DC.
Instruments of the Bards
Instrument
Rarity
Spells
All
—
Fly, Invisibility, Levitate, Protection
Instrument of the Bards
Legacy
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Magic Items
Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
An instrument of the bards is an exquisite example of its kind, superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. Seven types of these instruments exist, each named after a legendary bard college. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
Bard In Ravnica, bards are commonly found among the Azorius Senate, the Cult of Rakdos, and the Selesnya Conclave, serving in a variety of capacities as lore keepers and entertainers. Bard Subclass
Guild College of Glamour* Selesnya College of Lore Azorius, Selesnya College of Swords* Rakdos College of Valor Rakdos College of Whispers* Dimir *Appears in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Subclass Options At 3rd level, a bard chooses a Bard College and a paladin chooses a Sacred Oath. This section offers the College of Eloquence for bards and the Oath of Glory for paladins, expanding their options for that choice.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
tradition fell when the colleges went into decline, but some bards dream of restoring it. College of Fochlucan The original College of Fochlucan once stood on the northeastern edge of Silverymoon. Many years
, yielded a faculty able to revive the college, and the House of the Harp adopted the Fochlucan name once again. Most of its bards study and practice the methods of the College of Lore, as described
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Bards Bards hold a special place of responsibility and respect in the Forgotten Realms. They are bearers of news, gossip, and messages in their travels from place to place, in addition to being
living storehouses of history and folklore. Bards know a great deal, and they tend to be willing to share what they know, or at least barter for it. The arrival of a renowned bard is a special occasion
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Glamour The College of Glamour is the home of bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant realm of the Feywild or under the tutelage of someone who dwelled there. Tutored by satyrs
, eladrin, and other fey, these bards learn to use their magic to delight and captivate others. The bards of this college are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads
in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads
in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
Harmony with the Cosmos Bards of the College of Dance know that the Words of Creation can’t be contained within speech or song; the words are uttered by the movements of celestial bodies and flow
Short or Long Rest. College of Lore MIKE PAPE College of Lore Subclass Plumb the Depths of Magical Knowledge Bards of the College of Lore collect spells and secrets from diverse sources, such as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
exist, each named after a bard college. The Instruments of the Bards table lists the spells common to all instruments, as well as the spells specific to each one and its rarity. A creature that attempts
Instrument of the Bards Wondrous Item, Rarity Varies (Requires Attunement by a Bard) An Instrument of the Bards is superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. Seven types of these instruments
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Whispers Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing
songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
? Ah, then what manner of music they would bring to this world!
— Fletcher Danairia, master bard
Bards bring levity during grave times; they impart wisdom to offset ignorance; and they make the
ridiculous seem sublime. Bards are preservers of ancient history, their songs and tales perpetuating the memory of great events down through time — knowledge so important that it is memorized and passed
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Bard: College of Eloquence Adherents of the College of Eloquence master the art of oratory. Persuasion is regarded as a high art, and a well-reasoned, well-spoken argument often proves more
persuasive than facts. These bards wield a blend of logic and theatrical wordplay, winning over skeptics and detractors with logical arguments and plucking at heartstrings to appeal to the emotions of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
their traditions. This section presents the College of Lore subclass. College of Lore Plumb the Depths of Magical Knowledge Bards of the College of Lore collect spells and secrets from diverse sources
Bard Subclass A Bard subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Bard levels, as specified in the subclass. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to preserve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
Creating a Bard Bards thrive on stories, whether those stories are true or not. Your character’s background and motivations are not as important as the stories that he or she tells about them
a story. Some bards acquire their magical music through extraordinary means, including the inspiration of fey or other supernatural creatures. Did you serve an apprenticeship, studying under a master
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
Creating a Bard Bards thrive on stories, whether those stories are true or not. Your character’s background and motivations are not as important as the stories that he or she tells about them
a story. Some bards acquire their magical music through extraordinary means, including the inspiration of fey or other supernatural creatures. Did you serve an apprenticeship, studying under a master
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Bard: College of Spirits Bards of the College of Spirits seek tales with inherent power—be they legends, histories, or fictions—and bring their subjects to life. Using occult trappings, these bards
number on both dice, you can ignore the number and choose any effect on the table. SPIRIT TALES
Storytellers, like bards of the College of Spirits, often give voice to tales inspired by some greater
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
counselors to students, view it as their role to disagree with each other and guide the college by way of their arguments. Furthermore, rivalries among the deans only exacerbate this combative attitude
owlin guidance counselor who takes first-year students under her wing, and Gyome, the troll chef of Witherbloom College. In addition to legions of people who devote their lives to the university’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
give them a broad range of knowledge to support their schemes. Bards, rogues, and wizards are often drawn to this role. Safecracker. The “breaking” part of “breaking and entering” is the Safecracker’s
, and Persuasion. The charlatan background is perfect for Talkers, but criminals, urchins, and others can fill the role with the right skills. Bards are a natural fit for the job as well.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata
on a damage roll, does a College of Lore Bard’s Cutting Words apply to any kind of damage roll including an auto-hit spell like Magic Missile? You can use Cutting Words to reduce the damage from any
effect that calls for a damage roll (including Magic Missile) even if the damage roll is not preceded by an attack roll. Which Spell Scrolls can Bards understand—spells from the Bard list only, or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Instrument of the Bards Wondrous item, rarity varies (requires attunement by a bard)
An instrument of the bards is an exquisite example of its kind, superior to an ordinary instrument in every way
. Seven types of these instruments exist, each named after a legendary bard college. The following table lists the spells common to all instruments, as well as the spells specific to each one and its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
College of Creation One bard’s song of creation is the score to another person’s nightmares.
Tasha
Bards believe the cosmos is a work of art—the creation of the first dragons and gods. That
creative work included harmonies that continue to resound through existence today, a power known as the Song of Creation. The bards of the College of Creation draw on that primeval song through dance
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
in both Persuasion and Intimidation prove helpful in this role. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers have both the requisite talents and the ability to supplement their interrogations with magic
backgrounds such as criminal, sage, soldier, or urchin, regardless of the role they play in a group. Consider some or all of these roles for characters in your party: Client. When a routine investigation goes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
like these exist in your world. Wizards (and bards and druids) might be so rare that a player character learns from a single mentor and never meets another character of the same class, in which case
for organizations presented earlier in this chapter. A player character necromancer might cultivate renown within the Cabal of Thar-Zad, while a bard seeks increasing renown within the College of Mac-Fuirmidh.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. This chapter offers you, the player, the following tools and choices: Haunted Heroes. Explore your role in creating a tale of terror and how you might design a character that contributes to frightful
whether the Dark Powers of Ravenloft have exerted their influence upon you, granting you a double-edged supernatural gift. Subclass Options. Consider choosing the College of Spirits bard or the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
can be a crucial skill, which many characters in this role combine with magical means of scrying to learn about their enemies and objectives. Bards and wizards make natural Investigators, especially
cloak or disguise one’s appearance), and proficiency with skills such as Deception, Performance, and Sleight of Hand all greatly benefit the Chameleon. Bards and rogues, as well as characters with
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Silverquill Student You have spent years practicing your writing and oration in the hope of becoming a student of Silverquill College. Your studies focus on language, literature, and the power of
bards find a home in Silverquill, putting the power of their voices to use with Silverquill magic. Wizards (especially those who study the Schools of Illusion and Enchantment) are common in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Lorehold Student You have spent your youth preparing to be a student of Lorehold College, reading every book on the college’s recommended reading list for prospective students. Your academic passions
Lorehold. Bards thrive in Lorehold, and wizards (particularly those of the School of Divination) are numerous among its students. Clerics (often with the Knowledge or Light domains) are also quite common
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Swords Bards of the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and
. With their weapon skills and magic, these blades either take up work as enforcers for thieves’ guilds or strike out on their own as adventurers. College of Swords Features Bard Level Feature 3rd Bonus
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
between the past and the future. This night, we are one community, knowing no boundaries of role, college, or time.”
The hall bursts into applause.
“But be warned!” the statue of Kollema
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
firsthand experience with the creatures, cultures, forces, and histories being investigated, and the best way to get that is in the field. This role is similar to the Scholar, but the Field Researcher is
ballrooms, boardrooms, and seedy taverns, willing to do whats necessary to get what they need. Those in this role often exude Charisma and might be adept with the Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium
in the Spellcasting feature. Which spell scrolls can bards understand—spells from the bard list only, or spells from the bard list plus spells from Magical Secrets? A bard can use any spell scroll
that has a bard spell on it—including spells gained from the Magical Secrets feature, which are treated as bard spells for that character. Does using College of Valor’s Combat Inspiration add to the damage of an attack count as a damage die for purposes of critical hits? Yes.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
. You could break that down still further: bards of the College of Lore could be high elves, and bards of the College of War could be wood elves. Gnomes discovered the school of illusion, so all wizards
firmly in the world by associating the class with a particular race or culture. For example, you might decide that bards, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards represent the magical traditions of four
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Charisma to work in the service of the state. These characters often come from a noble background and bring proficiency in skills such as Intimidation and Persuasion to their work. Bards are natural fits in
this role, as are paladins—as long as they aren’t asked to do things that violate the tenets of their oaths. Marshal. Combat is the specialty of the Marshal, who focuses on enforcing the law of the






