Farland: College of Naming

Elves are generally credited with the invention of languages, but this is not strictly true. There was another language that far predated the coming of the elves or indeed of any species to Nurion: The Primordial Tongue. It is said to be the language that the gods themselves first spoke, and it is said that they did not invent it but that they simply knew it. In the Primordial Tongue, everything has its own Name, and to know this Name and invoke it is to gain power over that thing.

All bards have an understanding of the power of language generally, but bards of the College of Naming understand that power far better, for such bards know of the existence of the Primordial Tongue. These bards don’t speak that language—none save the gods do—but they each have an uncanny ability to look at a creature and discern what it is called in the Primordial Tongue: they can determine a creature’s True Name. Each individual bard of the College of Naming has developed this ability in a different way. Some have come upon ancient tomes discussing the existence of the Primordial Tongue. Others have had brushes with fiends or celestials and been changed by that contact. Still others have no idea how they gained the power of Names; they simply did. Yet all those in the College of Naming have a strange power over others.

Credit: Farlandworld.com

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Naming at 3rd level, you gain Proficiency in the Arcana, Insight, and Persuasion skills.

True Name

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to determine the True Name of a sentient creature. Perhaps you see its name in the play of light off its iris. Perhaps you see its name in raindrops in the dust. If you have observed a creature for at least one round and are currently within 30 feet of it, you may use a Bonus action to determine its True Name. If you are trying to determine the True Name of a creature when its name would give you special power over it beyond what is described here—for example, a creature such as a fiend—that creature gets a saving throw against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, you can’t use this power to determine its True Name. True Names are so powerful that you may only remember one at a time. When you use this ability to determine a True Name, you forget all other True Names you learned with this ability. You also forget all True Names you learned with this ability after you complete a long rest. You may not use your True Name ability again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Name of Vulnerability

Also at 3rd level, if you have determined the True Name of a creature, you may speak its True Name as part of a spell you cast or as part of an action that involves an opposed skill check against you. The creature has disadvantage on its saving throw against the spell or disadvantage on its opposed skill check against you. You may not use your Name of Vulnerability again until you complete a short or long rest.

 

Power of Names

At 6th level, you gain additional power over creatures of which you know the True Name. If you learned the True Name of a creature using your True Name ability, you may speak it as an action to cast one of the following spells on the creature without components (except for the verbal component of speaking the True Name) and without using a spell slot. The spells on the list are treated as bard spells for you, but you must be of a level where you would normally have access to the spell to use it. You may not use the Power of Names again until you have completed a long rest.
    Banishment
    Bestow Curse
    Charm Person
    Compulsion
    Confusion
    Dominate Person
    Locate Creature
    Slow
    Suggestion

Ultimate Name

At 14th level, you gain ultimate power over creatures of which you know the True Name. If you learned the True Name of a creature using your True Name ability, you may speak it as an action to cast one of the following spells on the creature without components (except for the verbal component of speaking the True Name) and without using a spell slot. The spells on the list are treated as bard spells for you, but you must be of a level where you would normally have access to the spell to use it. You may not use the Ultimate Name again until you have completed a long rest. You may not use Name of Vulnerability and Ultimate Name at the same time.
    Dominate Monster
    Finger of Death
    Gate
    Maze
    Power Word Kill
    Regenerate
    True Polymorph