You gain features from the College of Twilight Echoes at Bard levels 3, 6, 10, and 14.

Level 3: Echobinding

You learn to weave lingering emotions and half-memories into your Bardic Inspiration.

• When a creature you can see within 60 feet uses one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, choose one effect based on how they use it:

If used on an Attack Roll:

Warding Pulse – The target gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + the number rolled.

If used on a Saving Throw:

Shadow Delay – Until the start of the target’s next turn, they cannot be targeted by opportunity attacks, as shadows blur their outline.

If used on an Ability Check:

Memory of Skill – The target gains proficiency in the skill used for the check until the end of their next turn, if they aren’t already proficient.

Additionally, you gain the Thaumaturgy cantrip, which does not count against your bard cantrips known.

Level 6: Lingering Verse

Your songs can root themselves in the air like falling leaves, trailing magic even after silence.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to delay its full emotional impact:

• At the end of your next turn, a spectral echo of the spell radiates in a 10-foot radius centered on the original target (or caster, if self).
• Creatures of your choice in that radius gain temporary hit points equal to half your bard level, or take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier, your choice for each creature.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Level 10: Veilweaver’s Gift

You can bind shadow and song to create a veil of protection or haunting beauty.

As a bonus action, you can grant yourself or an ally within 30 feet one of the following effects for 1 minute:

• Twilight Mantle – The creature becomes lightly obscured in dim light or shadow and gains resistance to necrotic and psychic damage during the effect.
• Echoing Steps – Once per turn when the creature moves, it can leave behind a phantom illusion of itself until the start of its next turn. The first creature to attack it has disadvantage on the attack roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Level 14: Crescendo of the Forgotten

You unleash a symphonic surge of all the echoes you’ve bound.

As an action, you play a haunting refrain laced with forgotten memories and dreamstuff. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become staggered for 1 minute.

While staggered:

• Their speed is halved.
• They have disadvantage on the first attack they make each turn.
• They cannot take reactions.

Creatures who succeed the saving throw take psychic damage equal to 3d6 + your Charisma modifier, but are not staggered.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 5 Bardic Inspiration uses to use it again.

Optional Flavor: Instruments of Echo

College of Twilight Echoes bards often carry:

• A harp strung with ghost-silk
• A flute carved from petrified bone
• A viol whose strings hum softly in silence
• Or a bell chime whose tone is inaudible to the living

Echobinding

You learn to weave lingering emotions and half-memories into your Bardic Inspiration.

• When a creature you can see within 60 feet uses one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, choose one effect based on how they use it:

If used on an Attack Roll:

Warding Pulse – The target gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + the number rolled.

If used on a Saving Throw:

Shadow Delay – Until the start of the target’s next turn, they cannot be targeted by opportunity attacks, as shadows blur their outline.

If used on an Ability Check:

Memory of Skill – The target gains proficiency in the skill used for the check until the end of their next turn, if they aren’t already proficient.

Additionally, you gain the Thaumaturgy cantrip, which does not count against your bard cantrips known.

Lingering Verse

Your songs can root themselves in the air like falling leaves, trailing magic even after silence.

When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to delay its full emotional impact:

• At the end of your next turn, a spectral echo of the spell radiates in a 10-foot radius centered on the original target (or caster, if self).
• Creatures of your choice in that radius gain temporary hit points equal to half your bard level, or take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier, your choice for each creature.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Veilweaver's Gift

You can bind shadow and song to create a veil of protection or haunting beauty.

As a bonus action, you can grant yourself or an ally within 30 feet one of the following effects for 1 minute:

• Twilight Mantle – The creature becomes lightly obscured in dim light or shadow and gains resistance to necrotic and psychic damage during the effect.
• Echoing Steps – Once per turn when the creature moves, it can leave behind a phantom illusion of itself until the start of its next turn. The first creature to attack it has disadvantage on the attack roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Crescendo of the Forgotten

You unleash a symphonic surge of all the echoes you’ve bound.

As an action, you play a haunting refrain laced with forgotten memories and dreamstuff. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become staggered for 1 minute.

While staggered:

• Their speed is halved.
• They have disadvantage on the first attack they make each turn.
• They cannot take reactions.

Creatures who succeed the saving throw take psychic damage equal to 3d6 + your Charisma modifier, but are not staggered.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 5 Bardic Inspiration uses to use it again.