College of Pedantic Posers

Bards of the College of Pedantic Posers think they're better and more knowledgeable than everyone else, and they hone their skills at persuasion and deception in order to convince the world of this fact. Whenever someone says something slightly wrong, or even technically correct but has very specific caveats, you can usually find a College of Pedantic Posers bard nearby, ready to shove their glasses up their nose and interject with a "well, actually..."

These bards hold no allegiances to kings or lords, nor are they members of a larger collective. In fact, when two College of Pedantic Posers bards encounter one another, it is almost certain that only one will leave with their pride intact.

Well, Actually...

At 3rd level, you learn to harness the powers of words to drive your opponents into a rage, distracting them from being able to debate you properly. When a creature you can hear makes a Charisma check (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation), you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the ability check succeeds or fails. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Pushes Glasses Up Nose

Also at 3rd level, you can cut to the heart of your opponent's argument by identifying the flaws present within. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and make an Insight or Investigation (at the DM's discretion) check on a creature, opposed by its Deception or Intelligence check. If you succeed, roll the Bardic Inspiration die and that creature must subtract the number rolled from all saving throws it makes before the start of your next turn.

Wags Finger

At 6th level, you've learned how not only to make others believe in your identity as someone who is superior, but invalidate the experiences and knowledge of those who speak against you.When you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to make an opposed Persuasion check against their passive Insight to mock them and cause them to become the target of the attack on a success, using the same roll. This magic can transfer the attack's effects regardless of the attack's range.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to use it again.

Ultimate Posing

At 14th level, your disguise as a learned scholar is so complete you've tricked even yourself. Whenever you roll an ability check, you can one use of Bardic Inspiration. You get advantage on opposed checks. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roll the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells you whether you succeed or fail.