College of Law

Bards of the College of Law believe that words and music hold not just power, but authority. Through their mastery of rhetoric, legal understanding, and commanding presence, they become arbiters of justice, defenders of the downtrodden, and voices of reason in times of chaos. Whether in courtrooms or battlefields, these bards use their sharp minds and silver tongues to uphold order, sway crowds, and outwit foes. They are experts at manipulating laws and contracts, knowing the letter and spirit of the rules better than anyone else. In times of conflict, their words strike with the force of binding oaths, holding both friend and foe accountable to their promises.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Law at 3rd level, you gain double proficiency in persuasion and insight.

Evidence Collection

When a creature that has your Bardic Inspiration makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you gain one evidence point if they succeed.  When a creature uses the Bardic Inspiration to make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, then you get three evidence points if they succeed.  You can have as many evidence points as your proficiency bonus times your Charisma modifier.  You start at 0 evidence points.

Courtroom Procedure

You can expend evidence points on different actions you can take.  

Opening Statement. As an action on your first turn in combat, you can spend one evidence point to target one creature within 60 feet of you.  The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or have disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throw until the end of your next turn.

Evidence Presentation. Whenever you cast a spell, you can spend on evidence point to deal an extra 1d4 psychic damage.  This damage increases to 2d4 when you reach level 7, 3d4 when you reach level 11, 4d4 when you reach level 15, and 5d4 when you reach level 19.

Cross-Examination. When a creature within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to spend two evidence points to make the creature make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC.  If the target fails, then the damage is reduced by half.  If the target fails by 5 or more, then the damage is reduced by three-fourths.  If the target fails by 10 or more, then the damage is completely reduced.

Dismissal. As a bonus action, you can spend one evidence point to end one condition on a target within 60 feet of you.

Closing Argument. Whenever a creature within 60 feet of you that is hostile toward you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to spend three evidence points to target three other creatures within 60 feet of you.  Those creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Final Verdict. When a creature has been hit by opening statement, evidence presentation, cross-examination, or closing argument a total of four times, you can use your action to spend four evidence points to make the target takes 10d8 psychic damage.

Contract of Protection

When you reach level 6, you learn the spell conjure fey, which you can cast as an action once per long rest without using a spell slot by expending three evidence points.  You can conjure a fey whose challenge rating is half your level or lower.  The fey is conjured within 15 feet of you.  Casting conjure fey using this feature does not require concentration.  The fey conjured from this spell disappears after 1 minute, until you choose to dismiss it, or the fey is reduced to 0 hit points.

When you cast this spell, a contract is immediately formed between you and the fey.  This contract prevents the fey from attacking you or any creature that is friendly to you.  The fey cannot move beyond 15 feet from you.  Additionally, when a creature targets you with an attack roll, the fey can use its reaction to try to block the attack.  When the fey uses this reaction, it makes an attack roll.  If its attack roll is above the attack roll of the creature targeting you, then the fey blocks the attack and takes the damage from the attack instead of you.

Law of the Land

Once you reach level 14, if you have your maximum amount of evidence points, you can spend them all to create a circular area completely under your law.  This area is centered on you and has a 25 foot radius.  

The following effects only work if you and the target are in the area.

• If you hit a creature with Evidence Presentation, it also has disadvantage on its next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. 
• When using Cross-Examination, if the target fails the saving throw, the damage is reduced by half, and if the target fails by 5 or more, the damage is completely reduced.
• Using Dismissal takes no action.
• If you hit a creature with Final Verdict, the target instead takes 15d8 psychic damage and must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or become restrained by spectral chains.  They can attempt to break out of the chains on each of their turns by making a Charisma saving throw.
• Every creature in the area can only speak the truth.
• The fey that you summon with the Contract of Protection feature can move anywhere within the area.

This area disappears after one minute or you choose to make it disappear.  In addition, if you take damage, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw that is either 10 or half the damage you took, whichever one is higher.  If you fail, then the area disappears.