The night thrums with dark magic. Spectral cries and the snarls of great beasts hint at what might lie beyond, and only you truly understand the horror before you. Bards of the College of Nightmares are adept in the art of sharing their eldritch insights with their foes, severely debilitating them in the process. Through dark experiences, you have come to understand the aberrant nightmares that rest beyond the realms of comprehension for most, able to draw on esoteric knowledge and understand the words of all things otherworldly, for better or worse.

In the land of Daymoore, these eldritich insights are a side effect from the bloodletting experiments conducted on angelic beings. In the wildspace of Caelyn, these strange noises are rumored to come from the doomed planet of Auron, and some say the voices they here are the lingering spirits that died from an alien disease. Within the mists of Salinaar, the esoteric voices of mysterious yo kai bestow the subject with forbidden knowledge so immense that it drives them mad. 

Level 3: Inscrutable Insight

3rd-level College of Nightmares feature

Through exposure you have gained new insight and understanding of the great beings beyond the stars. For better or worse. You gain proficiency in insight and religion as well as the ability to cast comprehend languages as a ritual.  When using these ability checks you can add your charisma modifier.

Level 3: Esoteric Cacophony

3rd-level College of Nightmares feature

As a Bonus Action you can reveal the secrets of the universe to a target that can hear you within 60ft., causing them to feel both drained and terrified. The target must make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature is frightened of you and when rolling ability checks and wisdom saving throws the creature subtracts your Proficiency Bonus. On a success their ability checks and wisdom saves subtract half your proficiency, rounding up.

You can use this ability once per long rest unless you expend a bardic inspiration to do it again. This effect can only be active on a creature once at a time - it does not stack. Once the effect ends on that target you may target them again with this ability.

Level 6: Discordant Melody

6th-level College of Nightmares feature

When a hostile creature within 60ft is affected by a spell or ability that slows their movement speed speed, afflicts a status effect or otherwise hinders a foe such as the spell bane, the creature suffers psychic damage equal to your bard level at the start of their turn.

All Knowing

6th-level College of Nightmares feature

You gain access to the spells Tongues and Enhance Ability. Each can be cast once per long rest without consuming a spell slot. You may cast them with spell slots thereafter.

Level 14: Perplexing Whispers

14th-level College of Nightmares feature

When a hostile creature is affected by a spell you have cast or an ability you have used, you can telepathically connect to them as a free action on your turn, instilling them with a fear profound and long lasting. They make a Charisma saving throw to hide this, against your spell save DC. On a failed save the creature is paralyzed until the end of your next turn. In addition, you can now add your charisma modifier to your esoteric cacophony to further hinder your foes. This is also halved on a successful save. 

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