Bards of this college are painters and artists with a supernatural gift for creating tapestries that can sweep up both artist and observer with their grandeur. By balancing color, light and emotion these bards bring their imagination to life through their art, sometimes literally. However, the gift of painting can also be a treacherous one, as art is just as capable of reflecting an artists pain and fear as it is their hope. 

*Author's note: This subclass was heavily inspired by the videogame Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive. The phrasing and gameplay mechanics are intended to translate features of the magic system within that game into a DnD 2014 subclass within the existing framework of the Bard class.

Painter's Promise

When you join this college at 3rd level you gain proficiency in Painters’ Tools and can use these tools as a spellcasting focus for any of your bard spells. Your proficiency bonus is is doubled for any skill checks made using Painter’s Tools.

Chromatic Conjuration

Also at 3rd level, you gain access to Chroma, a special kind of magic that allows you make certain painted creations a reality. You have an amount of Chroma equal to your bard level, and can expend it to paint the following:

Creature. You use your Chroma to paint into existence a creature of your choice. You can use an action to spend an amount of Chroma equal to the CR of the creature you wish to paint, which is friendly to you and your allies and shares your initiative in combat. 

You can only have one creature painted at a time with this feature. If you paint a new creature while one already exists, the older creature disappears, otherwise any creatures painted with this feature disappear when they drop to 0 hit points or at the end of a long rest.

Each time you paint a creature, roll one of your Bardic inspiration dice. If you roll a 1, the creature is instead hostile to you and your allies.  

Weapon. You use your Chroma to paint a magic weapon of your choice. You can use an action and spend 2 Chroma to summon a painted weapon or 5 pieces of painted ammunition, which have a +1 to attack and damage rolls. The weapon or ammunition (if unused) disappear when you finish a long rest.

Starting at 7th level, you can spend an additional 2 Chroma to make the bonus +2 and at 11th level you can spend an additional 3 Chroma to increase the bonus to +3 (7 Chroma total).   

Canvas. You can spend 10 minutes and 3 chroma to create a magical canvas. Upon completion, this canvas becomes a 5x5 foot portal to a pocket dimension that manifests as a 20x20 foot room decorated as you see fit. The room persists until you complete a long rest or dismiss it (no action required) and can hold a total number of people equal to your proficiency bonus. Only creatures you permit may enter. 

Starting at 7th level, you can spend another 3 chroma to allow all creatures within to gain the benefits of a short rest if they spend at least 10 min in the canvas.

Color of Lumina

Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to convert your Bardic Inspiration into a more powerful form of Chroma called Lumina. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your Bardic Inspiration Dice to regain spent spell slots. The spell slots you regain can have a combined level equal to the number you rolled. Once you have regained spell slots equal to half the maximum value of your Bardic Inspiration die, you must finish a long rest before regaining spell slots with this feature again. 

Additionally, each time you use this feature (weather you regain spell slots or not), you gain access to new Lumina spells as listed in the Lumina Spell Table. Lumina spells count as bard spells for you and can be cast using your spell slots once you have expended the corresponding number of Bardic Inspiration dice with this feature to unlock them. This number is reset upon completing a long rest. 

Lumina Spells
Expended Inspiration Dice	Spell Level	Spells Available
1	2nd	Alter Self, Shadow Blade
2	3rd	Summon Fey, Summon Shadowspawn
3	4th	Fabricate, Stone Shape
4	5th	Animate Objects
5	6th	Disintegrate

 

Gradient Counter

Starting at 14th level you inspire your allies to take advantage of the stark contrast of offence and defense in combat. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die can use their reaction to attempt to negate an enemy’s attack. When targeted by an attack or damaging spell, the creature can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die. On an 8 or higher, the creature suffers no effect from the attack or spell, and immediately deals psychic damage to the attacker equal to the number rolled. If the creature rolls lower than an 8, they suffer the effects of the attack or spell, plus additional psychic damage equal to the number rolled.