College of the Wilds

“The wilds beyond the safety of home called to me, yearning for a connection. And I learned to call back in response” 

Before theatres and galleries, art was shared with the natural world. The College of the Wilds bards return to those humble roots and find that the animal spirits from ages passed still remember and gladly stand alongside the artists who remember the old ways. 

Your artistic expression reaches beyond the civilised world, it calls out to something much more primordial. Animal spirits can be summoned at a moment's notice. 

 

Nature’s Gifts

3rd-level College of the Wilds feature

You can listen to the call of the wild to guide you. You learn the druidcraft cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of bard cantrips you know.

Wild Companion

3rd-level College of the Wilds feature

You learn the Find Familiar spell and are able to cast it once a day requiring no material components.

 

Spirits of the Wild

3rd-level College of the Wilds feature

You reach out to the bestial spirits to assist your allies. When you use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll on the Wild Spirit table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine which animal spirit appears within 5ft of the ally. The spirit disappears once their ability is used or after one minute.

If the wild spirit requires a saving throw, the DC equals your spell save DC.

Spirit Tales

Bardic Insp. Die	Wild Spirit
1	Rabbit. A playful rabbit appears and runs alongside the player. The player may use the rabbit spirits blessing to take double their movement speed on their turn without provoking opportunity attacks.
2	Fox. A cunning fox appears. When making an attack roll, the fox spirit cleverly distracts the enemy creature, granting advantage on the roll.
3	Wolf. The fearsome wolf appears and strikes fear into enemies hearts. Any number of creatures of the players choice within 20 ft must make a Wisdom saving throw versus your spell save DC or become frightened of the player for 1 minute
4	Hawk. A noble hawk appears and grants the player the keen eyes of a hunter. The player gains true sight and advantage on investigation, perception and survival checks for 10 minutes.
5	Weaver. The weasel spirit imbues the player with the sly and nimble agility to move unseen and unimpeded. The player cannot be grappled or restrained, gain a +5 to stealth checks and ignore non-magical difficult terrain for 10 minutes.
6	Spider. The spider spirit grants the player the ability to go wherever they wish. The player gains the effects of Spider Climb for 10 minutes. Also, the Bardic Inspiration die can be added to a damage roll, dealing poison damage equal to the number rolled.
7	Raven. If the player is targeted by an attack, they may use their reaction to summon a flock of ravens to distract the triggering creature and impose disadvantage on the attack roll, potentially turning the hit into a miss
8	Squirrel. The squirrel spirit appears and  will offer the player a small number of seeds and nuts, as a bonus action the player can eat these and regain hit points equal to two rolls of your bardic inspiration die.
9	Owl. The player gains a flying speed equal to their movement speed for 10 minutes. If it is night the player also becomes invisible until they attack or force a saving throw.
10	Badger. A badger spirit tunnels out of the ground and grants the player its abilities. The player gains tremorsense to a range of 60ft and a burrowing speed of 15ft for 10 minutes.
11	Bear. A large bear spirit appears, it can gift the player some of strength to resist attacks. As a reaction the player can add +5 to their AC for a round and gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage for the next minute.
12	Mountain Lion. When making a melee attack against a creature within 5ft, regardless of if the attack hits the mountain lion spirit strikes out and deals magical slashing damage equal to two rolls of your bardic inspiration die.

Fleet Footed

6th-level College of the Wilds feature

The song of the wilderness has empowered your movement, granted the quick steps of the animals who have walked this ground in the years before man. Your speed increases by 10ft and your movement is unaffected by non-magical difficult terrain. These benefits are shared with any creature who currently has a use of your Bardic Inspiration die. 

You can now communicate with animals as is permanently under the effects of the Speak with Animals spell.  

One With the Wilds

14th-level College of the Wilds feature

When in combat with beasts you have advantage on animal handling or persuasion checks to charm them and they have disadvantage against any spells made by you to charm them. 

Any beast charmed by you will then join you in combat, you can issue commands to them (no action required) on their turn in initiative. They will not harm any of their own kind e.g. if you charm a wolf it will not turn on its own pack but any other creatures can be targeted. The charmed creature is under your control for 10 minutes, the effect ends if you or your allies harm the creature. If the effect lasts the full 10 minutes the creature becomes indifferent and will not attack you unless you do something it would deem an attack on itself or its kind (DM discretion). 

Your familiar is now able to transform into a large version of itself to aid you. If you use your familiar to give you advantage on an attack roll and it hits, you can add magical bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage (your choice) equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die. 

If you cast an enchantment spell on a beast, you regain one expended Bardic Inspiration die.