College of Hymns

The College of Hymns is the home of bards who devote their craft of song and music to some divine patronage. They work closely with priests and clerics and take up some of their mystical nature, and are known to sing the praises of any god of the realm, from good to evil and chaos to law.

The bards of the College of Hymns are usually given to some kind of reverence by others, just as any other ordained servant of the gods would. They are often found in large cities in churches, devoting themselves to strict duty in service of their god, or just as likely wandering the countryside trying to spread word of their favored patron. Bards of this nature are prone to travelling alone, believing that their god will help them find a way out of any difficult situation that may arise.

Priestly Tenets

When you join the College of Hymns at 3rd level, you learn 1 Cantrip from the Cleric spell list, as well as gaining proficiency in Religion if you do not already have it.

In addition, each time you gain the Magical Secrets class feature, at least 1 of the spells chosen must be from the Cleric spell list.

Soothing Madrigal

Also at 3rd level, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to sing a song of healing. As a bonus action, any allies within 60ft that can hear your song regain a number of hit points equal to 1d4 + your Charisma modifier.

The base amount healed improves when you reach certain levels in this class. It increases to 2d4 at 6th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 16th level.

Radiant Aria

At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel the righteous might of your deity through your words.

As an action, you sing a song that affects any enemies within 60ft that can hear you. Each enemy who fails a Constitution save vs your spell save DC takes 1d8 points of Radiant damage, or half that on a successful save. Any undead or creatures of an alignment opposing your deity’s take an extra 2d8 radiant damage, also halved on a succesful save.

Once you use this features, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Divine Sense

The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Divine Intervention

Beginning at 14th level, you can call on your deity to intervene on your behalf when your need is great.

Imploring your deity’s aid requires you to use your action. Describe the assistance you seek, and roll percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower than your bard level, your deity intervenes. The DM chooses the nature of the intervention; the effect of any cleric spell or cleric domain spell would be appropriate.

If your deity intervenes, you can’t use this feature again for 7 days. Otherwise, you can use it again after you finish a long rest.