College of the Black Sabbath

Most bards draw upon themselves for their inspiration. Most. Other bards obtain their musical talents from other sources. Evil sources. Fiends like devils and demons, unknowable entities like Cuthulhu and Tharizdun, places of great darkness like the shadowfell and negative energy plane, or even the evil that pervades the material plane itself. This does not make members of the College evil though, quite the opposite. The evil entities that these bards draw upon are weakened every time the bards use this power, and by channeling it to do good makes it all the better. Some bards in this college fall victim to the dark powers or are corrupted into serving the evil entities they seek to draw power from. Other bards, though, join the college to serve evil, using it to connect themselves with evil entities. Either way, these bards are not to be trifled with. 

Black Sabbath

When you join the College of the Black Sabbath at 3rd level, you gain two new properties from your ritual with dark powers.

Dark Attunement. You gain the ability to alter the properties of your musical instruments. Touch one instrument that you are proficient with. That instrument becomes infused with the dark energy of your black sabbath. The instrument transforms and you determine the appearance. You can only have one instrument under a dark attunement at a time and you can only transform one instrument like this every long rest. When you transform a different instrument, the first instrument returns to its original form. Anything you play from that instrument sounds low, distorted, and noisy. When you play an instrument affected by the dark attunement, you gain advantage on Charisma(Intimidation) checks against good aligned creatures and advantage on Charisma(Persuasion) checks against evil aligned creatures. Performance(Charisma) checks made using your instrument have advantage on chaotic or evil aligned creatures and disadvantage on non-evil lawful aligned creatures.

Black Sabbath. The ritual of the Black Sabbath partially corrupts you but keeps you safe from further corruption. You are cursed in some way but have advantage on charisma saving throws against curses, corruption, and alignment changes. A Remove Curse spell alleviates the curse for 1d4 hours and a Greater Restoration spell alleviates the curse for 2d20 days. Work with your DM to choose the nature of your curse or roll on the table below.

1. You can only sing in deep, guttural growls or in shrill, high pitched screeches.

2. Your face becomes a ghostly white color except the area around your eyes which are pure black and any color other than white on any clothes become black while you wear them.

3. Your dancing becomes wild and erratic. When you dance, every creature in a 5 foot radius around you must make a dexterity saving throw with a DC= 8 + your strength modifier taking 1 + your strength modifier bludgeoning damage on a fail.

4. No matter how much time you put into your appearance, you always look unkempt.

5. While performing, you register as evil for any ability that detects it such as a paladin's detect evil and good.

6. Wherever you perform, the crowd becomes unruly and disruptive.

Technical Ecstasy

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use the power you took from an evil entity. Choose the type of ritual you undertook below.

Black. The ritual you performed involved siphoning energy from a powerful fiend or one of the lower planes themselves. When you learn a new spell from the bard spell list, you can substitute that spell with one from the warlock spell list instead. This counts as a bard spell for you.

Death. The ritual you performed involved siphoning necromantic energy from the negative energy plane or the shadowfell. When you learn a new spell from the bard spell list, you can substitute that spell with one necromancy spell from any spell list. This counts as a bard spell for you.

Thrash. The ritual you performed involved siphoning evil energy from the hearts and minds that lie within the creatures of the material plane. Whenever you deal psychic damage, you can add your charisma modifier to the damage roll.

Doom. The ritual you performed involved siphoning energy from an elder evil or unknowable horror. You learn an eldritch invocation and two cantrips from any class of your choice.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

At 6th level, you learn a new spell or spell like ability connected to the source of evil you draw from. Choose one of the following options or work with your DM to create your own. If you already know the spell, you can choose the option and substitute a spell you are able to learn from the spells you know. A spell you learn in this way does not count against the spells you know but they do consume a spell slot unless stated otherwise.

Tornado of Souls. You learn the spell Spirit Guardians. The spirits appear fiendish. You also learn the spell Hunger of Hadar.

Dopesmoker. You learn the spell Slow if you haven't already. You can cast this on yourself as a ritual spell. When you cast it on yourself you gain disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence saving throws but advantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws.

Raise the Dead. You learn the spell Animate Dead and Revivify.

Ride the Lightning. You learn the spells Lightning Bolt and Thunder Step.

Open the Gates. You learn the spell Summon Lesser Demons and can cast it without material components and the demons behave as if you created the circle with blood.

Skald av Satans Soul. You learn the spell Fireball and can cast it once at third level without using a spell slot. The extra casting recharges every long rest.

Pull the Plug. You learn the spells Dispel Magic and Counterspell.

 

Master of Reality

Starting at 14th level, you gain mastery over your evil influence. Choose one of the following options to represent that or work with your DM to come up with your own.

Pentagram over the course of an hour with any suitable drawing equipment, you can place a sign on any surface of your dark influence, any creatures that see the mark must make a Charisma saving throw equal to your spell save DC, you have advantage on all checks against any creature that fails until the end of the day, you can only draw one sign of this power per day and the sign deteriorates and fades over the course of a week wherein it loses its power, if it is washed off or destroyed before then it also loses its power

Slayer  your connection to powers beyond is so strong that those thought immune to your power will find themselves to be a fool, any immunity to the damage type of your spells becomes a resistance instead

Gojira  your constant dabbling in the dark arts has caught up with you and corrupted you, for the better, you count as one size larger for the purposes of carrying and lifting and gain a natural AC equal to 13+DEX modifier, immunity to poison, and resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage

Mayhem your performances cause chaos and fear, as an action you can put on a terrifying performance, each hostile creature that can hear you must make a wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC, you can do this a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier, this affects creatures that normally cannot be frightened although they do get advantage