College of Igenuity

Bards who study the College of Ingenuity are taught how to view all things as a sum of their basic components, and to recombine or repurpose these components to subtly manipulate magic, create new types of musical instruments, and fine unique solutions to complex problems.

Spell Recombination

When casting any cantrip or spell, you may spend one point of bardic inspiration to modify the cantrip or spell in one of the following ways:

• You may add elemental damage to the effect of your cantrip or spell. The target may make a WIS save against your spell DC to take half damage from this ability. This save is separate from any save made against the cantrip or spell, itself. The additional damage type must be fire, ice, thunder, lightning, radiant, force, or psychic damage, which you choose upon using this ability, and the damage die is equal to your inspiration die. For levelled spells, an additional, inspiration damage die is added for each level of the spell, including level 1 spells.
• You may throw a target back 10 feet, pull it ten feet toward you, or knock it prone. The target makes a STR save against your spell DC, and does so at disadvantage. If the target fails, it is knocked back, pulled forward, or knocked prone, your choice.
• You may toss your target 10 feet into the air. The target makes a DEX save against your spell DC, and does so at disadvantage. On a fail, the target is thrown upward ten feet, and lands prone, taking 1d6 Bludgeoning damage.
• You may manipulate time around yourself. As a reaction, you may spend one use of Bardic Inspiration to undo and retake your most recent action or remake your most recent, saving throw. If a resource or spell slot was spent during the action or saving throw that is undone, it remains spent. If you possess more of that resource or have sufficient spell slots, you may try the same action or cast the same spell again.

Let's Improvise

Starting at 3rd level, you can use any object as a musical instrument. Additionally, you can replace spell components with any other item of equal or greater value. The replacement component is consumed in the process. Also additionally, when you cast a levelled spell, you may use your free object interaction to magically burn gemstones (destroying them), and alter the spells you cast in the following ways:

• 10g worth of gemstones (per spell level)- Increase the range of a spell by 10 feet.
• 50g worth of gemstones (per spell level)- Increase the duration of a spell by 1 minute. If the spell is cast on a target that successfully makes a save against the effect of the spell, it still ends.
• 100g worth of gemstones (per spell level)- Extend the spell to an additional target, or increase the area of effect of a spell by 5 feet in every direction.
• 1,000g worth of gemstones (per spell level)- Force your spell to strike one target, or cause one target to fail the save against your spell. Manipulating a spell this way cannot kill your target, but may reduce it to as little as 1hp. A target with Legendary saves may use one to overcome this ability, but in such a case, the gemstones simply do not ignite, and are not consumed. If this ability is used to enhance an illusion, the illusion warps physical reality, becoming tangible as if it were real, and the DC for seeing through the illusion is increased by 10.
• 5,000 worth of gemstones (per spell level of each spell)- You may combine the effects of two spells of up to 5th level, if you are able to cast those spells. Work with your DM to determine the effects of the spell combination before it is cast. The resulting spell combination cannot last more than 1 hour or target more than 7 creatures, even if the spells this ability combines would target more creatures or last longer. The caster can choose a means to end this combined spell early.

Do Something!

At 6th level, you magically enhance your own ability to act before most others have even had a chance to think. You gain the following benefits:

• You add your Charisma modifier to your Initiative rolls.
• When you take the attack action, you may use your bonus action to make another attack or cast a cantrip, as long as the cantrip has a normal, casting time of 1 action.
• You may throw objects, drink potions, or assist others as a free object interaction.
• You may use your reaction to attempt to distract an opponent within 30 feet, causing them disadvantage on their attack roll against a single ally.

Extreme Ingenuity

At 14th level, you gain the magical ability to tap into the knowledge of the universe. You gain one Legendary action and one Legendary save per long rest. If the action or save you are attempting to make is impossible for any reason, you magically ascertain knowledge of this as you attempt the action or save, and your action or save is not wasted.

This ability resets after a long rest.