College of Echoes

“Every sound leaves a trace. Every voice leaves a mark. I collect what others forget.”

Bards of the College of Echoes believe that sound is eternal. Every word spoken, every battle cry shouted, every note played reverberates through the world long after it fades from mortal ears. These bards have learned to listen to those hidden layers—the ghost notes in the air, the whispers in old stones, and the songs that once moved empires.

By tuning their magic to these resonances, Echo Bards can capture moments of power and replay them in new forms: turning a barbarian’s rage into healing energy, mimicking a spell’s cadence to empower an ally, or reflecting an enemy’s roar back in disorienting force. Their performances are haunting, layered with voices from times long past, and their presence on the battlefield is marked by shimmering harmonics and shifting soundscapes that bend perception.

Some Echo Bards use this power to preserve history, giving voice to the forgotten. Others weaponize memory, turning sound into a recursive weapon, striking again and again. All share one truth: nothing is ever truly gone... if you know how to listen.

Echo Memory

• Echo Bank: When a creature you can hear within 60 feet uses a class or racial feature (like Second Wind, Rage, or a spell), you can use your reaction to capture an echo of it. You can store up to a number of echoes equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

• As a bonus action, you can replay an echo to gain advantage on a check, impose disadvantage on an enemy's attack roll, or heal an ally 1d6 + your Bard level (once per echo).

Resonant Performance

• When you give Bardic Inspiration, you can choose to embed a resonance. The next time the recipient succeeds on the roll, a magical pulse occurs. Choose one:

  • The target gains temporary HP equal to the Bardic Inspiration roll.

  • An enemy within 10 feet of the target takes force damage equal to the roll.

  • An object nearby subtly moves, floats, or makes sound, creating a distraction or minor effect (DM’s discretion).

Echo Chamber

• As an action, you generate a zone of overlapping echoes in a 15-foot radius for 1 minute (concentration).

  • Enemies have disadvantage on Perception checks relying on hearing.

  • Allies can use a reaction once per turn to gain +1d6 to any roll if they’re in the zone and have heard you perform in the last minute.

  • Once per turn, you can use your Echo Bank ability without using a reaction while in the zone.

Eternal Echo

• When you or an ally within 30 feet drops to 0 HP, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration as a reaction to replay a past moment—the creature instead drops to 1 HP and is healed for 2d8 + your Charisma modifier.

• Once per long rest, you can cast Legend Lore without material components, by listening to the "echo" of an object's or person’s history.