College of Mythos

Those who choose to pursue the College of Mythos are knowledge seekers. They poke and prod at the hidden secrets of the world and record the knowledge that they uncover. What a Mythos Bard does with the knowledge they uncover, however, is up to them. They may decide to write or sing about the secret truths of the universe, or they may choose to hoard those secrets for their own use.

Tome of Hidden Knowledge

When you enter into this college at 3rd level, you are granted a Tome of Hidden Knowledge to record all of the stories, histories, and lore that you acquire. Your Tome may be granted to you by a mystical patron, by another member of the college, or may be transformed from a spellbook.

Only you can read your Tome. Even if you record in a common language, any writing will appear as gibberish to another observer. Your Tome may be used as an arcane focus to cast spells or as a supplement to another arcane focus. If your Tome is lost or ruined, you may spend a short rest performing a ritual to restore it. This does not create a new Tome, but rather, it pulls the book or its pieces through space to return it to you. If the book is completely destroyed or disintegrated, then it is reformed from the aether. 

While wielding your Tome, you may perform a ritual to swap out any number of your known spells with different ones from the Bard spell list. This ritual may be done as a bonus action by expending one use of your Bardic Inspiration, or you may spend an hour as part of a short or long rest to perform this ritual at no cost. You may not use your Tome to exchange spells gained from your Magical Secrets feature.

Songs of the Seekers

You can speak and sing using the voices of the ancient beings who inscribed the first Tomes. You learn the Eldritch Song cantrip, which does not count against the number of bard cantrips you know.

Delve Attribute

When you cast a Bard spell using a spell slot, you may use your reaction and expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to roll a Bardic Inspiration die. Add that number to the attack roll of the spell, or subtract that roll from the saving throw of a target.

If the spell attack hits, or if the target fails the Spell Save DC, then you may choose one attribute of the target to learn from the following list:

• Proficient Saving Throws (and the modifiers for those saving throws)
• Proficient Skills (and the modifiers for those skills)
• Damage Resistances, Immunities, and Vulnerabilities
• Condition Resistances and Immunities
• Senses (different forms of sight, darkvision, passive perception, etc)

Branch of Study

At 6th level, you may choose a Branch of Study, in order to focus your pursuit of lost and obscured lore. Choose one of the following Branches of Study to pursue.

Whenever you make an Intelligence-based ability check relating to a subject within one of your Branches of Study and succeed, you regain a use of Bardic Inspiration.

When you reach higher levels, you may add new Branches of Study to your repertoire. You may choose an additional Branch of Study to pursue at 12th and 18th level, for a maximum of three Branches. 

Ancient Traditions

You have directed your studies towards the following subjects: the foundations of the world, the material plane and its place in the cosmos, nature, life, growth, and natural flora and fauna. Your studies also focus on evocation and transmutation spells, as well as lightning magic and damage.

Whenever an ally expends a use of your Bardic Inspiration, they gain resistance to a damage type of your choosing until the end of their next short or long rest.

You learn how to speak Primordial, and you may choose to  have your Eldritch Song cantrip deal lightning damage when you cast it.

Cosmic Unknowns

You have directed your studies towards the following subjects: the ethereal, the astral sea, creatures of the outer planes, cosmic entities, mysteries of the mind, and the void. Your studies also focus on illusion and enchantment spells, as well as psychic magic and damage.

Whenever an ally expends a use of your Bardic Inspiration, they may roll the Bardic Inspiration die with advantage.

You learn how to speak Deep Speech, and you may choose to  have your Eldritch Song cantrip deal psychic damage when you cast it.

Dark Arts

You have directed your studies towards the following subjects: the mysteries of the afterlife, death, diseases and poisons, demons, devils, and amorality. Your studies also focus on necromancy and conjuration spells, as well as necrotic magic and damage.

Whenever an ally expends a use of your Bardic Inspiration on an attack roll or ability check that is directed at a target creature, and succeeds, your ally may have the target become frightened of them for the next minute. The frightened target may make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC at the end of each of their turns. Upon a success, they are no longer frightened.

You learn how to speak Abyssal, and you may choose to  have your Eldritch Song cantrip deal necrotic damage when you cast it.

Divine Secrets

You have directed your studies towards the following subjects: divinity, the higher planes, gods and celestial beings, light, and morality. Your studies also focus on abjuration and divination spells, as well as radiant magic and damage.

Whenever an ally expends a use of your Bardic Inspiration, they gain hit points equal to the results of the Bardic Inspiration roll + your charisma modifier.

You learn how to speak Celestial, and you may choose to have your Eldritch Song cantrip deal radiant damage when you cast it.

Grimoire of Hidden Secrets

At 14th level, your Tome of Hidden Knowledge ascends alongside your increasing breadth of esoteric knowledge. Your new spellcasting focus is called a Grimoire of Hidden Secrets.

Only you can read your Grimoire. Even if you record in a common language, any writing will appear as gibberish to another observer. Your Grimoire may be used as an arcane focus to cast spells or as a supplement to another arcane focus. 

If your Grimoire is lost or ruined, you may spend a short rest performing a ritual to restore it. This does not create a new Grimoire, but rather, it pulls the book or its pieces through space to return it to you. If the book is completely destroyed or disintegrated, then it is reformed from the aether. 

While wielding your Grimoire, you may draw upon its vast well of knowledge at will. You may exchange known spells with different ones from the Bard spell list at will, requiring no action, and no uses of your Bardic Inspiration. Once per long rest, you may exchange one spell gained from your Magical Secrets feature with another.

You have advantage on all Intelligence-based ability checks relating to subjects within one of your Branches of Study.