College of the Unyielding Veil

 

"Death is not silence. It is a chorus of unfinished songs."

 

Bards of the Unyielding Veil refuse to let the voices of the fallen fade. Their songs are woven with rage, grief, and memory, binding the departed to their side. Where others soothe or entertain, these bards command spectral choirs and vengeful kin, forcing the dead to remain until their duty is done.

 

 

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College Features

 

Bard Level Feature

 

3rd Veilbound Instrument, Spirits Awaken

6th Duty Unfinished

14th Choir of Vengeful Souls

 

 

 

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Veilbound Instrument (3rd Level)

 

When you join this college, you bind your soul to a haunted instrument — bone harp, porcelain flute, or stitched lyre.

While attuned to this instrument, you may use it as a spellcasting focus, and once per long rest, you may call forth a spectral Family Shade to fight by your side for 1 minute.

 

The shade uses the Spirit Warrior stat block (AC 14, HP = twice your Bard level, fly speed 30 ft, attacks: + spell attack bonus to hit, 1d8 + CHA necrotic).

 

On your bonus action, you may command it to strike or defend.

 

 

 

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Spirits Awaken (3rd Level)

 

Your Bardic Inspiration is infused with spectral fury:

 

When you give Bardic Inspiration, the ally also gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

 

Alternatively, you may spend a Bardic Inspiration die to mark an enemy. When that enemy dies within 1 minute, its phantom rises as a shade under your command (same stats as Family Shade). These phantoms last 1 minute and follow your orders.

 

 

Multiple phantoms can be sustained at once, up to your Charisma modifier.

 

 

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Duty Unfinished (6th Level)

 

The spirits you call refuse to rest until their oath is fulfilled.

 

Whenever a shade you control would be destroyed, you may roll a Bardic Inspiration die. On a result of 6 or higher, the shade remains with 1 hit point instead.

 

When an ally within 30 ft drops to 0 HP, you may use your reaction to summon a shade of their soul. This shade hovers over them, granting them advantage on death saving throws until they are stabilized or revived.

 

 

 

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Choir of Vengeful Souls (14th Level)

 

Your performances unleash the full fury of the restless dead.

As an action, you may spend two Bardic Inspiration dice to summon the Choir of the Veil for 1 minute:

 

Spirit Swarm: At the start of your turn, spectral family and fallen warriors erupt around you. Choose up to three creatures within 30 ft.

 

Allies gain temporary hit points equal to one Bardic Inspiration die + CHA.

 

Enemies must make a Wisdom save vs. your spell DC or take necrotic damage equal to the same roll and be frightened until the start of your next turn.

 

 

Unfinished Duty: When an ally within 30 ft is reduced to 0 HP, they immediately rise again with 1 HP, bound by a spirit thread. This can happen once per creature per Choir activation.

 

While the Choir persists, you are surrounded by spectral warriors. You gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage, and attacks against you have disadvantage until you make a melee attack.

 

 

You may use this feature once per long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.

 

Veilbound Instrument (3rd Level)

 

 

When you join this college, you bind your soul to a haunted instrument — bone harp, porcelain flute, or stitched lyre.

While attuned to this instrument, you may use it as a spellcasting focus, and once per long rest, you may call forth a spectral Family Shade to fight by your side for 1 minute.

 

The shade uses the Spirit Warrior stat block (AC 14, HP = twice your Bard level, fly speed 30 ft, attacks: + spell attack bonus to hit, 1d8 + CHA necrotic).

 

On your bonus action, you may command it to strike or defend.

 

Spirits Awaken (3rd Level)

Your Bardic Inspiration is infused with spectral fury:

 

When you give Bardic Inspiration, the ally also gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

 

Alternatively, you may spend a Bardic Inspiration die to mark an enemy. When that enemy dies within 1 minute, its phantom rises as a shade under your command (same stats as Family Shade). These phantoms last 1 minute and follow your orders.

 

 

Multiple phantoms can be sustained at once, up to your Charisma modifier.

Duty Unfinished (6th Level)

The spirits you call refuse to rest until their oath is fulfilled.

 

Whenever a shade you control would be destroyed, you may roll a Bardic Inspiration die. On a result of 6 or higher, the shade remains with 1 hit point instead.

 

When an ally within 30 ft drops to 0 HP, you may use your reaction to summon a shade of their soul. This shade hovers over them, granting them advantage on death saving throws until they are stabilized or revived.

Choir of Vengeful Souls (14th Level)

Your performances unleash the full fury of the restless dead.

As an action, you may spend two Bardic Inspiration dice to summon the Choir of the Veil for 1 minute:

 

Spirit Swarm: At the start of your turn, spectral family and fallen warriors erupt around you. Choose up to three creatures within 30 ft.

 

Allies gain temporary hit points equal to one Bardic Inspiration die + CHA.

 

Enemies must make a Wisdom save vs. your spell DC or take necrotic damage equal to the same roll and be frightened until the start of your next turn.

 

 

Unfinished Duty: When an ally within 30 ft is reduced to 0 HP, they immediately rise again with 1 HP, bound by a spirit thread. This can happen once per creature per Choir activation.

 

While the Choir persists, you are surrounded by spectral warriors. You gain resistance to necrotic and psychic damage, and attacks against you have disadvantage until you make a melee attack.

 

 

You may use this feature once per long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.