College of Coercion

Hiding on the underbelly of any great adventure lurks the long-forgotten graduates of the College of Coercion, Bards who longed for more than to play the side-kick or story-teller. Bards from the College of Coercion are masters of dark words, relying on their threats and rumors to influence the world at large. Relying on both their magic, wit, and the slightest hint of leverage, these bards can turn any situation in their favor. Whether or not its for the greater good, these charming characters use fear as their art form.

Black Tongue

3rd-level College of Coercion feature

You are a master of deceit, compulsion, and the language of spies. When you make a Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Intimidation) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Additionally, you learn to speak, read, and write Thieves' Cant.

Twisted Leverage

3rd-level College of Coercion feature

You can spin words laced with magic that unsettle a creature and cause it to doubt its circumstances. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Roll the Bardic Inspiration die. The creature must subtract the number rolled from the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn.

Cruel Punishment

6th-level College of Coercion feature

Your threats become as dangerous to the body as to the mind. When a target creature you can see within 60 feet, currently under the effect of your Twisted Leverage feature, fails its saving throw, you can use your reaction to deal psychic damage to that creature equal to the number rolled on the inspiration dice + half your level in this class rounded down. If the creature succeeds on a saving throw, it instead takes psychic damage equal to the number rolled on the inspiration die + your level in this class.

Boundless Discourse

6th-level College of Coercion feature

You have gained the ability to make your speech intelligible to any creature. As an action, choose one or more creatures within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). The chosen creatures can magically understand you, regardless of the language you speak, for 1 hour.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot to use it again.

Pride via Pain

14th-level College of Coercion feature

When you successfully threaten someone into submission beyond their own will, the power of your influence energizes you. When a creature within sight of you under the effect of Twisted Leverage subtracts your inspiration die from their saving throw and then fails the save only due to the reduction (as if they would have saved otherwise), roll a Bardic Inspiration die. If the number you rolled is higher than the Twisted Leverage roll, you regain one use of Bardic Inspiration.