College of Calibration

Any bard will tell you that the core of their art is self-expression. Every college focuses on a different method of expression: song, dance, music played on a variety of instruments, even swordplay. Those that belong to this college, however, learn a different truth: beneath every method of self-expression, every lyric sung and note played and dancing twirl, is the fundamental aspect of what it means to be a bard—the world itself responds to you when you call out to it in these ways.

Bards of the College of Calibration learn to tap into this deeper understanding, reaching out to find the tempo and melody at the heart of the flow of all events—and then changing it, ever so slightly, nudging the course of causality itself to better fit the outcome they desire.

Universal Metronome

You have touched the rhythm of the world, and however brief, that contact lingers within you as a steady, unchanging beat that tethers you to your natural state. You have advantage on saving throws against effects that would charm or frighten you, as well as those that would reduce your movement speed.

Pitch Correction

Starting at 3rd level, you have learned how to shift the subtle undertones of the world, affecting the outcome of events. You have a special number called a Tone Shift, which is equal to half your Proficiency Bonus, rounded up. Whenever a creature you can see or hear within 30 feet of you makes a d20 roll that has advantage or disadvantage, or that involves rolling another die in the calculation of its total, such as by the Bane spell or using one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, you can choose to increase or decrease the final result of that roll by your Tone Shift value.

For example, if a hostile creature makes an attack roll with advantage, you can subtract your Tone Shift value from the result after advantage. As another example, if a friendly creature makes a saving throw and is under the effects of the Bless spell, you can add your Tone Shift value to the results of their roll after they roll the d4.

You can choose to add or subtract your Tone Shift value to a given roll after you see its total result, and can possibly turn a failure into a success (or vice versa).

You can use this feature to affect a number of rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Once you reach 9th level, you also regain all expended uses whenever you finish a short rest.

Favorable Ambiance

At 6th level, you can perform for your allies to invigorate them after a rest, creating a passive ambiance that lingers until your next rest. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can spend a use of Bardic Inspiration and make a Performance check. If you do, you spend the last minute of that rest performing, and all friendly creatures within 20 feet of you that can hear you gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened until your next short or long rest.

Additionally, whenever a creature uses one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, you can spend a spell slot. If you do, that creature emits a pulse that subtly influences the results of hostile action near it. Each hostile creature within 15 feet of the creature that used your die must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature gets a penalty to attack rolls made before the end of its next turn. The penalty is equal to the level of the slot you spent, up to a maximum penalty of -3.

Harmonic Alignment

When you reach 14th level, you have mastered the art of weaving the notes of your desires into the music of the world. As an action, you can bring your inner song into alignment with the melody of the universe, allowing you to impose direct changes to the flow of causality for a brief time. Each hostile creature that you can see must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, and each friendly creature you can see can choose to make a Charisma check with a DC equal to 19 minus your Charisma modifier.

A hostile creature that fails the saving throw has its movement speed reduced by half, and whenever it makes an attack roll or casts a spell, it takes force damage equal to your Bard level, as the world itself believes its actions are against the correct flow of events.

A hostile creature that succeeds on the saving throw must repeat the save whenever it makes an attack roll or casts a spell targeting you or one of your allies. On a failed save, the universe attempts to correct its apparent oversight. The attack misses or the spell fails (though no spell slots or uses are wasted), the creature's movement speed drops to 0 this turn, and it can't take reactions until its next turn.

A friendly creature that succeeds on the Charisma check gets a bonus to all attack and damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), and saving throws made against spells and abilities of that creature get a penalty equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum penalty of -1).

These effects last for 1 minute, until you lose your concentration (as though concentrating on a spell), or until you dismiss them (no action required).

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.