College of Mirrors

Bards of the College of Mirrors are students of emulation. They study the nuances of every style — the valorous stance of a war-singer, the whispering menace of a shadow-bard, the illusions of a glamourist. Through their magic, they don’t just copy others — they resonate with them, reproducing their powers like musical motifs in a grand symphony of souls.

To a Mirror Bard, imitation isn’t mockery. It’s tribute — and a declaration that no art truly dies while it can still be echoed.

Echo Spellcraft

Your ear for magical structure allows you to reproduce spells after witnessing them.

When a spell on the Bard list of 1st level or higher is cast within 60 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to memorize its magical pattern.

Until the end of your next turn, the spell counts as prepared for you and you may cast it by expending a spell slot as normal.

You use your own spellcasting ability, spell save DC, and spell attack modifier.

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Reflective Repertoire

3rd-level College of Mirrors feature

Starting at 1st level when you join the College of Mirrors, you develop a natural talent for observing and imitating arcane and artistic techniques. 

Mirrored College. As a bonus action, you can attune yourself to another bardic college you’ve witnessed or learned about. Choose one bard subclass other than your own.
For the next 10 minutes, you gain one feature that subclass receives at 3rd level (example, Cutting Words from College of Lore or Blade Flourish from College of Swords).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest. You can’t choose a subclass you haven’t observed or studied in-world (through stories, allies, or performances).

Echo: Blade Flourish

When you choose this option, starting at 3rd level, you learn to conduct impressive displays of martial prowess and speed.

Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.

Defensive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Slashing Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit and to any other creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.

Mobile Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you, plus a number of feet equal to the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.

Echo: Combat Inspiration

When you choose this option, starting at 3rd level, you learn to inspire others in battle.

A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.

Echo: Cutting Words

When you choose this option starting at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others.

When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature's roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can't hear you or if it's immune to being charmed.

Echo: Mantle of Inspiration

You gain the ability to weave a song of fey magic that imbues your allies with vigor and speed.

As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures you can see and who can see you within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of them gains 5 temporary hit points. When a creature gains these temporary hit points, it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.

The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 8 at 5th level, 11 at 10th level, and 14 at 15th level.

Echo: Mote of Potential

Whenever you give a creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you can utter a note from the Song of Creation to create a Tiny mote of potential, which orbits within 5 feet of that creature. The mote is intangible and invulnerable, and it lasts until the Bardic Inspiration die is lost. The mote looks like a musical note, a star, a flower, or another symbol of art or life that you choose.

When the creature uses the Bardic Inspiration die, the mote provides an additional effect based on whether the die benefits an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw, as detailed below:

Ability Check. When the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die to add it to an ability check, the creature can roll the Bardic Inspiration die again and choose which roll to use, as the mote pops and emits colorful, harmless sparks for a moment.

Attack Roll. Immediately after the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die to add it to an attack roll against a target, the mote thunderously shatters. The target and each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take thunder damage equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die.

Saving Throw. Immediately after the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die and adds it to a saving throw, the mote vanishes with the sound of soft music, causing the creature to gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).

Echo: Psychic Blades

You gain the ability to make your weapon attacks magically toxic to a creature's mind. 

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.

The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.

Echo: Unsettling Words

When you choose this option, starting at 3rd level, you can spin words laced with magic that unsettle a creature and cause it to doubt itself. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Roll the Bardic Inspiration die. The creature must subtract the number rolled from the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn.

 

Polyphonic Persona

Your talent for replication deepens into a full-bodied mimicry of other bardic styles.

When you finish a short or long rest, you can choose one bard subclass feature from any college’s 3rd-level feature list. You can use that feature until your next rest, as if it were your own. (For example, you could borrow Words of Terror from the College of Whispers or Beguiling Magic from the College of Glamour.)

Beguiling Magic

You always have the Charm Person and Mirror Image spells prepared.

In addition, immediately after you cast an Enchantment or Illusion spell using a spell slot, you can cause a creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target has the Charmed or Frightened condition (your choice) for 1 minute. The target repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Once you use this benefit, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest. You can also restore your use of it by expending one use of your Bardic Inspiration (no action required).

Martial Training

You gain proficiency with Martial weapons and training with Medium armor and Shields. In addition, you can use a Simple or Martial weapon as a Spellcasting Focus to cast spells from your Bard spell list.

Performance of Creation

As an action, you can channel the magic of the Song of Creation to create one nonmagical item of your choice in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you. The item must appear on a surface or in a liquid that can support it. The gp value of the item can't be more than 20 times your bard level, and the item must be Medium or smaller. The item glimmers softly, and a creature can faintly hear music when touching it. The created item disappears after a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus. For examples of items you can create, see the equipment chapter of the Player's Handbook.

Once you create an item with this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to use this feature again. You can have only one item created by this feature at a time; if you use this action and already have an item from this feature, the first one immediately vanishes.

The size of the item you can create with this feature increases by one size category when you reach 6th level (Large) and 14th level (Huge).

Silver Tongue

Starting at 3rd level, you are a master at saying the right thing at the right time. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Words of Terror

At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror. If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Dual Reflection

When you use Mirrored College, you can now maintain two different bardic subclass features at once (from two different colleges). Each feature lasts for 10 minutes and ends if you become incapacitated.

Master of Imitation

You have become a maestro of imitation — able to merge styles, spells, and performances into one seamless act.

Perfect Mirror. As an action, you can enter a state of total resonance for 1 minute. While this feature is active, you can use Mirrored College as a bonus action on each of your turns without expending a use. 

When you cast a spell that is on the bard spell list, you may substitute it for any other bard spell of the same level that you’ve seen cast before. If another creature casts a spell of 5th level or lower within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to cast that same spell immediately (expending a slot as normal).

Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before using it again.

Symphony of Selves. When you use Bardic Inspiration, you may infuse it with the echo of another bardic style. Choose any bard subclass you have imitated before — the recipient of your inspiration gains a small thematic benefit:

• Valor or Swords: +2 AC until the start of your next turn.
• Whispers: Deals extra psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier on their next attack.
• Glamour: Gains temporary hit points equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.
• Lore: May add your Bardic Inspiration die to a saving throw or ability check.
• Spirits: Can roll a d6; on a 5–6, they regain the use of a spent spell slot of 3rd level or lower.