College of Speech

Bards of the College of Speech are the master of language, weaving phrases and words with such proficiency that they might convince anyone of anything. These bards can be seen in many walks of life, from con artists to influential diplomats. They hold the knowledge that simple words can shape the world.

 

Bards College of Whisper seek to further their own egotistical agenda while Bards of the College of Speech are inciting revolution against tyrants, giving speeches and rousing crowds to fight for freedom. Solving conflicts between rivals, settling generation old disputes. Using words to shape their view of a better world.

 

They are natural poets, writers and actors with the ability to conquer attention of crowds by projecting their voice with mastery. They can be found in libraries, courts, courtrooms, as leaders of local communities, allied to students of the College of Lore they can expose corruption, unravel lies, and poke fun at self-important figures of authority.

 

 

Build Alliance

At 3rd level, you learn to infuse your words with magic, so you can attract allies to your cause.

If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to earn their trust. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed of you or another creature of your choice. The target is charmed in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.

 

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Doing this on the same humanoid every day for a year makes this effect permanent.

 

 

Wordplay

 When you join the College of Speech at 3rd level, you learn magical Words that are fueled by your Bardic Inspiration dice.

 

Words. You learn two Words of your choice, which are detailed under “Words” below. All words can be used in two ways, when used during combat they can only be used once per round. Outside of combat they can be used at will but will consume a Bardic Inspiration for each use.

You learn one additional word of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new word, you can also replace one word you know with a different one.  

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

Word save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

 

Words

The words are presented in alphabetical order.

Attack!

In combat: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo your attacks 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 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.

 

Out of combat: You can call you're allies to combat, before a combat begins you call for an attack. Spend one Bardic Inspiration to choose a number of friendly creatures equal to your CHA modifier. That many creatures gain a bonus to initiative equal to your Charisma modifier for 1 minute.

 

 

Boo!

In combat: When you attack a creature, you can expend one Bardic Inspiration as bonus action to attempt to frighten the target. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

 

Out of combat: You can expend one Bardic Inspiration to choose a creature who you're talking to. You have advantage on intimidation checks against that creature, until the conversation is over.

 

 

Go! Go! Go!

In combat: On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one 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.

 

Out of combat: You can expend one Bardic Inspiration to choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature has advantage on its next ability check as you motivate it to do its best despite the situation.

 

 

Here!

In combat: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Bardic Inspiration to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

 

Out of combat: You can expend one Bardic Inspiration to choose a creature who you're talking to. You have advantage on your next Charisma ability check as you engage the listener with your carefully crafted speech.

 

 

Look!

In combat: You can expend one Bardic Inspiration die and use a bonus action on your turn to distract an creature. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. The next attack made to that creature gains advantage.

 

Out of combat: You can expend one Bardic Inspiration die to choose a creature who can see or hear you. That creature has disadvantage on perception and insight checks while you distract it.

 

 

Run!

In combat: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Bardic Inspiration to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You add the Bardic Inspiration die to the attack’s damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.

 

Out of combat: You inspire fear on your allies, helping them access their instinct for survival. Spend one Bardic Inspiration to choose a number of friendly creatures equal to your CHA modifier. That many creatures can move up to half its speed as free action on its next turn and they are also frightened of any hostile creature that they can see for 1 minute.

 

 

Vox Arcana

The words themselves are the source of your spell's power, you learned to speak with the specific inflection, pitch and resonance to set the threads of magic in motion. 

All spells from the Wizard, Warlock and Sorcerer list that only use Verbal (V) components count as bard spells for you, spells considered Power Words also count as bard spells for you. 

You also can cast a spell you know that only use Verbal (V) components without spending a spell slot once per short rest, 9th level spells can't be cast in this way.

Post-Truth

By 14th level, you have learned the secret of altering people's perception of reality weaving magic into your words to give them a semi-reality. When you can influence a creature that can hear and understand you by using an Charisma ability check (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation or Performance) that creature is enthralled by you. That creature believes as if it was real whatever you said during you're interaction with it. The creature behaves accordingly to it's new belief for 24h.

You can make a priest stop believing in its god. You can gain the temporary patronage of a noble. Gain access to prisons with jailers, and so on.

 

Only one creature can be under this effect at a time. When the effect ends, the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, if it succeeds the creature knows it was under your influence otherwise the creature has no understanding of why it believed what you said.

 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.