College of War

The College of War is the home of bards who have made an academic study of war and its history. They gain their tutelage through various military organizations throughout the realm and are often seen on battle fields inspiring troops with songs of heroism and glory. No strangers to martial training, they will also throw down their instruments and join in the fray when called upon, assisting allies with tactical knowledge gained from hours of study of military technique and history.

Military Historian

Due to your extensive academic work on the history of war, you have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks to recall historical information relating to military action.

Martial Training

When you join this college at level 3, you gain proficiency with Martial Weapons, medium armor, and Strength Saving Throws

Combat Superiority

Maneuvers. When you join this college at level 3, you learn 2 maneuvers of your choice, which are listed under “College of War: Maneuvers” below. You can use only one maneuver per attack. You learn one additional maneuver at 7, 10, and 15 level. Each time you learn a new maneuver, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.  Uses of Bardic inspiration expended for Maneuvers replenish whenever you take a short or long rest.

Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

Commander's Strike

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo your attack and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one use of bardic inspiration. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the bardic inspiration die to the attack’s damage roll.

Evasive footwork

When you move, you can expend one use of bardic inspiration, rolling the bardic inspiration die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.

Parry

When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one bardic inspiration die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your bardic inspiration die + your dexterity modifier

Rally

On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one use of bardic inspiration to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the bardic inspiration die roll + your Charisma modifier.

Riposte

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one bardic inspiration die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the bardic inspiration die to the attack’s damage roll.

War Cry

On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend a use of bardic inspiration to weaken the resolve of one of your enemies. When you do so, choose an enemy creature who can hear you and has an intelligence score of 3 or greater. That creature has disadvantage on it’s next attack roll against you or an ally.

Tales of Heroism

You recount a thrilling story of a glorious battle of ages past, where intrepid adventurers succeeded in battle against a terrible foe. The story may be real or imagined. It takes 1 minute to finish the tale. If you are recounting a story that you believe to be true, make a DC 15 Charisma(Performance) check. Upon success, creatures that heard the tale receive a +1 bonus to AC against one type of creature mentioned in the tale for 10 minutes. If the tale is one that you know to be fictional, make a Charisma(Deception) roll contested by the passive Wisdom (Insight) of any creatures that can hear you. Creatures that fail this check receive a +1 bonus to AC against one type of creature mentioned in the tale for 10 minutes.

At 14 level, your ability to weave a compelling and inspiring narrative has increased greatly, granting you advantage on your Charisma(Deception) roll when telling a story you know to be false.

Battle March

You begin a song detailing glorious and inspiring battles of ages long past. A friendly creature that can hear the song is imbued with bravery, becoming immune to being frightened and gaining temporary hit points equal to your spell casting ability modifier at the start of each of its turns. The song continues until you stop singing it as a free action or take damage and fail a DC 15 constitution saving throw. Friendly creatures may also add bonus damage to their attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier as long as they are within 30 feet of you and can hear you. At 20 level, the DC for the constitution saving throw drops to 10.