College of Stars

The College of Stars draws inspiration from the celestial realms and the art of fortune-telling. Bards who follow the path of the College of Stars are often seen with ornate cloaks adorned with celestial patterns. They carry a special deck of cards known as the Deck of Fate that serves as both a tool for divination and a conduit for cosmic energy. These bards believe that the stars themselves whisper secrets of the future, and they have learned to harness this celestial power to influence the course of events.

Bards from the College of Stars draw cards from a Deck of Fate in order to grant boons to their allies. The randomness of the draw adds an element of unpredictability, reflecting the ever-changing nature of destiny. Playing this subclass requires having access to a set of the Major Arcana cards from a standard tarot deck:

• The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World, and The Fool

Select this subclass if you like to add a balance of strategic agency but tactical randomness to your Bard.

Deck of Fate

When you join the College of Stars at 3rd level, you gain access to the Deck of Fate.

Select exactly 7 cards from the list below to form your Deck of Fate. This deck is referred to as your personal deck.

As an action on your turn you may target an ally you can see (or yourself) as a querent. Then draw the top card from your personal deck and reveal it.

At any time within the next hour, the querent may activate the card in order to apply its effect. If the card is not activated within that hour, it is automatically discarded.

Unless specified otherwise, activating a card does not cost an action.

Activated cards are immediately discarded. Discarded cards are kept face up in a discard pile.

Cards that have been drawn or discarded are referred to as played cards.

At the end of each long rest, all played cards are shuffled back into your personal deck. Your personal deck should not be shuffled again until the end of the next long rest.

You also add the following spells to your Bard Spell List:

• Augury
• Commune
• Divination
• Guidance

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Death

When you activate this card you regain a number of hit points equal to the bard's charisma modifier.

The number of hit points that are regained increases to 2x the bard's charisma modifier at 7th level, 3x at 11th level and 4x at 15th level.

Judgment

Gain truesight out to a range of 60' for 1 minute.

Justice

You may activate this card as a reaction when another creature is about to make an attack roll or ability check. The target creature now makes that check with disadvantage.

Strength

Until the start of your next turn, gain a bonus to your melee attack and damage rolls equal to the bard's Charisma modifier.

Temperance

When you activate this card choose a single damage type (e.g. fire, poison, etc.)

You gain resistance to the chosen damage until the start of your next turn.

The Chariot

Activating this card grants a 30' bonus to your movement speed until the start of your next turn.

The Devil

When you activate this card, target a creature you can see and choose a single damage type (e.g. fire, poison, etc.)

The targeted creature gains vulnerability to the chosen damage type until the end of your turn.

The Emperor

Activating this card before making an attack roll or ability check will grant you advantage on that roll.

The Empress

Activating this card grants temporary hit points to all allies that are within 40' of you.

The amount of hit points granted is 1x the bard's Charisma modifier. This increases to 2x at 7th level, 3x at 11th level and 4x at 15th level.

The temporary hit points granted by this effect expire after 1 minute.

The Fool

The bard turns the top card of their personal deck face up. This card remains face up until it is drawn.

The Hanged Man

You may activate this card as a reaction when another creature is about to make a Saving Throw. The target creature now attempts that Saving Throw with disadvantage.

The Hermit

Activating this card grants you invisibility until the start of your next turn.

The Hierophant

Activate this card to cast Dispel Magic as a 3rd level spell.

The High Priestess

Activating this card grants you advantage on a single saving throw you would make before the start of your next turn.

If you are currently under any effects that end on a successful saving throw, you may choose one of those effects and make that saving throw (with advantage) now.

The Lovers

For the next minute, gain a +2 bonus to your AC whenever you are within 5' of an ally.

The Magician

Activating this card allows you to apply a single metamagic effect to a spell you are casting this turn.

The Moon

Activate this card to cast find familiar. The summoned familiar is automatically dismissed after 1 hour.

The Star

Activate this card to cast magic missile as a 1st level spell.

The Sun

A target creature that you can see becomes blinded for 1 minute

The Tower

The ground in a 20-foot radius centered on you erupts with stone spikes and becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels.

The World

For the next hour you can speak and understand all languages. You may also speak with and understand plants and animals.

Wheel of Fortune

When you activate this card roll a d20 and set aside the result.

At any time in the next minute, you can replace the result of a single one of your d20 rolls with the value that was set aside.

Expanded Deck

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 At 6th level, select 2 more cards from the Deck of Fate to add to your personal deck.

In addition,  you may optionally select 1 card to remove from your personal deck.

Master of Fate

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Starting at 14th level, selecting a querent and drawing a card is now a bonus action.

In addition, whenever you complete a short rest you may select 1 card from your discard pile and shuffle it back into your personal deck.

Expanded Deck

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At 14th level, select 2 more cards from the Deck of Fate to add to your personal deck

In addition, you may optionally select 1 card to remove from your personal deck.