College of the Brawl

“Some sing ballads. I break jaws.”

 

While other bards dazzle crowds with music and illusion, those of the College of the Brawl command attention with bloodied knuckles and boastful swagger. These showboating scrappers treat every fight like a performance, weaving insults, rhythmic footwork, and unpredictable punches into a chaotic dance of crowd-pleasing violence.

 

Bards of this college are just as comfortable in a tavern brawl as on a grand stage—because to them, it's all the same.

Level 3: Brawler’s Flair

You gain proficiency with unarmed strikes and improvised weapons. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 + your Strength or Charisma modifier (your choice) bludgeoning damage. This die increases to 1d8 at 10th level.

Additionally, you may use Dexterity or Charisma instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes.

You can still perform Somatic and Verbal components of bard spells even while your hands are full or you're grappling.

Level 3: Hype the Crowd

When you roll initiative or hit a creature with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, you can use a bonus action to Hype the Crowd. Choose one of the following effects, which lasts until the end of your next turn:

 

- **Roaring Ovation**: You gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your bard level.

- **Come On, Then!**: One creature of your choice within 30 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = your spell save DC) or have disadvantage on attack rolls against anyone but you until the start of your next turn.

- **Encore**: You gain a free use of Bardic Inspiration that doesn't count against your total. It vanishes if not used by the end of your next turn.

 

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

Level 6: Counter-Chorus

When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you makes a melee attack roll, you can use your reaction to taunt and interrupt them. They must make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC.

 

On a failure, the attack is made with disadvantage, and you can make an unarmed strike or improvised weapon attack against them as part of the reaction.

 

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

Level 14: Main Event Mayhem

You are the star of the show, and the battlefield is your ring.

 

When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, you can choose to activate Main Event Mayhem:

 

You immediately gain another action (this can only be used to Dash, Disengage, Attack with an unarmed strike or improvised weapon, or cast a bard cantrip).

 

All hostile creatures within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

 

Allies within 30 feet can immediately move up to 10 feet and gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

 

 

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use it again, unless you spend a Bardic Inspiration to use it again.