College of Standard Bearing

The Standard Bearer is the centerpiece of their party, giving a clear rallying point for a group of any size. They possess advanced knowledge of how to weave subtle magic within their commands and the very visage of their Standard, providing bonuses to all their allies within range. Some of these are small, but most every Standard Bearer has learned a technique of much greater power, bolstering the defensive or offensive capabilities of the party to new heights.

Level 3: Apprentice Bearing

After studying in this college, a bard gains a Standard to bear for his party. This is most often a tall (8-13ft) pole topped with an object (most often a flag) which inspires allies to fight as a group. You may expend a Bonus action and a Bardic Inspiration die to Raise your Standard (although you needn’t necessarily raise the physical standard, just make it known that you’re the rallying point), granting you and your allies within 60ft that can sense your presence 2 of the following Basic effects for 1 minute:

• Marching Pace: Your Walking Speed is increased by 5ft.
• Elbow Grease: You deal an extra 2 damage with every weapon attack.
• Rallying Cry: You gain advantage on all Saving Throws of a type of the Standard-Bearer’s choice chosen at the moment of Standard Raising.
• Magical Conduit: You may cast any spell as though it came from any ally within 60ft of the Standard instead.
• Commanding Power: You may expend an Action to give an ally the ability to expend a Reaction as though it were an Action.
• Third Wind: You may expend a Bonus Action to regain 1d6 HP.
• Soak: You may expend a Reaction to reduce a damage instance by 1d4.

Additionally, roll your BI die, and your allies gain 1 Powerful effect, chosen upon gaining this feature.

Powerful Effects

• Illusory Defense: You may expend a Bonus Action to cast Blur. This ability may only be used by allies a number of times equal to the number rolled on the BI die per Standard Raise.
• Quickened Defense: Your Walking Speed is increased by 10ft, and you may expend a reaction to increase your AC by 2 against one attack. You may only use the second ability a number of times equal to the number rolled on the BI die per Standard Raise.
• Bewildering Offense: You may spend 10ft of movement and a Bonus Action to teleport within 5ft of any enemy you can see (onto a nonliving surface), gaining a bonus to your next attack roll against said enemy equal to half the number rolled on the BI die at Standard Raise.
• Heightened Offense: You may expend a Bonus Action to grow up to double your height, making you a Large creature and granting you the number rolled on the BI die at Standard Raise as additional damage on melee attacks. You may not have more than one instance of this ability active at a time among your allies.

Standard Traits

As a melee attack, you may use your Standard to deal damage, dealing your Bardic Inspiration die as a damage type of your choice (chosen when you gain this ability) and pushing the opponent 10ft back. Your Standard also counts as a Spellcasting Focus.

Level 6: Intermediate Training

Your Standard grows in power, granting the following bonuses to each Basic effect and adding 2 new ones:

• Marching Pace: +10ft speed added.
• Elbow Grease: +3 more to damage.
• Rallying Cry: 1 additional Saving Throw may be chosen.
• Magical Conduit: Every ally may cast 1 1st-level spell on their own or the Standard-Bearer’s spell list per Standard Raise without expending a spell slot.
• Commanding Power: The ally no longer has to spend a Reaction.
• Third Wind: +1d6 healing.
• Soak: +2d4 damage reduced.
• Rain Hell: You may make an additional Ranged Attack whenever you use your action to make a Ranged Attack.
• Rolling Thunder: Upon reducing an enemy to 0 Hit Points, all enemies in LOS with current HP less than that creature’s Max HP may either use their reaction to move 30ft away from you or take 3d10 Psychic damage.

Additionally, you double the result of your BI die when rolling for Powerful effects.

Level 14: Advanced Bearer

Your Standard reaches its full power, allowing you to choose 1 additional Basic effect per Standard Raise. Additionally, your Powerful effects gain the following bonuses:

• Illusory Defense: Instead of casting Blur, you may cast Mislead.
• Quickened Defense: +10ft speed added, +4 AC added. AC additions now last until the start of your next turn.
• Bewildering Offense: You may now teleport anywhere within LOS when teleporting, and may immediately make a single Ranged Attack after teleporting.
• Heightened Offense: The Enlarged ally gains resistance to non-psychic damage.