College of Contending

Bards of the College of Contending turn combat into spectacle, blending athletic prowess with theatrical bravado. They are their own hype men, striding into battle with theme music blaring and cutting promos on their foes. Whether they’re locking enemies into devastating submission holds, or rallying their allies with electrifying commentary, these bards don’t just fight—they perform.

 

Bonus Proficiencies

Starting at 3rd level you gain the College of Contending bonus proficiencies 

• You gain proficiency in Athletics  if you don’t already have it.

• You gain proficiency with improvised weapons, can use them as spellcasting focuses, and use your Charisma, instead of your Strength or Dexterity, when determining your attack and damage rolls with them.

Cutting a Promo

Starting at 3rd level, you can spend a spell slot or bardic inspiration as an action to cut a promo—a short, boastful monologue hyping yourself or an ally up. Choose a creature within 60 feet that can hear you. The next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw they make before the end of their next turn gains a bonus equal to your Bardic Inspiration die. If the target is an enemy, they must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer disadvantage on their next attack roll against anyone other than you.

Additionally, at 10th level, your Cutting a Promo is enhanced by your wrestling persona based on your alignment.  

• Face (Good): When you use Cutting a Promo on an ally, they also gain temporary hit points equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.

• Heel (Evil): When you use Cutting a Promo on an enemy, they also take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

• Tweener (Neutral): When you use Cutting a Promo, you can instead impose a contest of Charisma (Intimidation or Performance) between you and a creature within 60 feet. If you win, they are stunned until the end of their next turn, as they are caught off guard by your sheer presence.

Submission Specialist

At 6th level, your grappling skills become more punishing. Choose two of the following submission techniques. At 12th level, you may choose an additional technique, and at 18th level, you may choose one more. You must spend a Bardic Inspiration to use a Submission Specialist ability.

• Chokehold: The creature takes damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die at the start of each of its turns while grappled. If the grapple lasts for 15 turns the creature will fall unconscious. 

• Hip Toss: As a bonus action, you can end the grapple and throw the creature up to 10 feet in any direction, dealing damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die + Strength modifier.

• Lockdown: The creature has disadvantage on attacks against anyone but you while grappled, and you can slowly move yourself and you target with you but your movement speed is halved 

• Cutter: As a bonus action, you can end the grapple and drive the creature face-first into the ground, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, it is stunned until the end of your next turn.

• Takedown: As a bonus action, you can end the grapple and sweep the creature's legs and slam them into the ground. They must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone.

• Iron Claw:  As a bonus action you place your hand into your opponents mouth and glare into their eyes the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC at the start of each of its turns while grappled. On a failure, they are frightened of you until the grapple ends.

• Bear Hug: When you successfully grapple a creature, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.

• Dragon Sleeper: A grappled creature automatically suffers disadvantage on Constitution saving throws, until the grapple ends.

• Armbar: When you successfully grapple a creature, they must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, they drop one weapon they are holding. The grapple remains active. 

• Tag Team Takedown: You can use a bonus action to slap hands with an ally within 5 feet. That ally can immediately use their reaction to make an attack of opportunity against the grappled target, ending the grapple.

Main Eventer

Starting at 14th level, you are a living legend of the ring (or battlefield). You gain the following benefits:

• While you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Charisma modifier.

• All unarmed strikes and grapples you make count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

• Finisher Move: When you successfully grapple a creature, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to execute a devastating finisher as a bonus action on your turn. The target must succeed a contest of Strength (athletics). On a failure, they take damage equal to three times your Bardic Inspiration die + your Strength or Charisma modifier, they are knocked prone and they are stunned until the end of their next turn.