Bard
Base Class: Bard

 

College of Sorcery

A Bard Subclass

“Want to be a magical entertainer? Don’t have a single talented bone in your body? Don’t let that stop you! At the Community College of Sorcery, you can take your GED and defeat any BBE…G!”

Not every performer earns their power through practice, passion, or panache. Some are simply too stubborn to fail. Bards of the College of Sorcery are graduates of a uniquely affordable magical arts program — designed for those utterly lacking raw talent. With a few magically-accredited shortcuts, a sprinkling of glitter, and a whole lot of arcane student-loan debt, these bards can fudge spellcasting in the most spectacularly unstable ways.

Where others rely on skill, graduates rely on...spirit? Determination? Who's to say, really? Their diplomas glow faintly. Their tassels sparkle. Their confidence is…unwarranted—but when the lights go up, they make the impossible happen anyway, and that’s what showbiz is all about, baybey!

College of Sorcery Features

Bard Level Feature
3rd Certified Cantrips, Stage-Fright Shield
6th Practical Effects
14th Grand Enchanter’s Degree

Certified Cantrips

3rd-level College of Sorcery feature

You’ve been granted a state-recognised arcane license (not certifiable). You learn two sorcerer cantrips of your choice. They count as bard spells for you, but don’t count against your number of bard cantrips known.

Stage-Fright Shield

3rd-level College of Sorcery feature

You’ve learned to weaponise your crippling fear of failure. When you cast a spell from the Bard and Sorcery spell lists, roll to hit. On a miss of 9 or less, you may choose to roll an additional 1d20. On a success (13 to hit), you cast Tasha's hideous laughter, as your performance is simply too laughable to ignore, and the attacker is overwhelmed with second-hand embarrassment. On a failure, you take 'X'd4 psychic damage according to the number rolled. [10-12 = 1d4], [7-9 = 1d4+2], [4-6 = 1d4+3], [1-3 = 1d4+4].

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

Practical Effects

6th-level College of Sorcery feature

Your stage props are secretly arcane aids. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose one of the following enhancements:

  • Flash Powder: If the spell deals damage, add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll.

  • Spotlight Sweep: If the spell targets a single creature, you can instead target two creatures within range that you can see.

  • Smoke Machine: If the spell forces a saving throw, creatures of your choice within 5 feet of the target have disadvantage on the first saving throw they make against that spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) per long rest.

Grand Enchanter’s Degree

14th-level College of Sorcery feature

Your diploma fully kicks in. When you cast a spell using a bard spell slot, you can add a Sorcery Stunt to it. Choose one:

  • Degree of Mastery: Treat the spell as if you cast it one level higher (to a maximum of 9th level) without expending a higher-level slot.

  • Accredited Adaptation: You can swap the spell’s damage type to any other damage type.

  • Thesis Defence: If a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell, it must roll again, taking the lower result.

You can use this feature once per short or long rest.

Whenever you use a Sorcery Stunt, your diploma visibly shimmers, and anyone within 30 feet hears faint applause from unknown benefactors. You didn’t earn this — but you absolutely paid for it.

 

Level 3: Bonus Proficiencies

You gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.

Nepo Baby Bloodline

Were your parents magic users? And their parents before them? You're in luck! Their magic means you have magic! Or at least it will, for the right price!
Choose two cantrips from the Sorcerer spell list.

*Magic not included

Nepo Baby Bloodline

Choose two cantrips from the Sorcerer spell list

Level 3: Double Act

Twice per long rest or once per short rest, soul-bound players may influence one another to "perform better for their audience". As a bonus action, you may add a modifier to your partner's action, be it the damage they inflict on an attack, the number of targets affected (within the spell's range), or the area the spell covers.

Damage: add (1d4){{"diceNotation":"1d4","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Double Act"}} + 1 for every level the spell is cast at.
Range: add (2d8){{"diceNotation":"2d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Double Act"}} feet to the radius or distance.
Scope: +1 target for every level the spell is cast at.

Level 6: Practical Effects

Your stage props are secretly arcane aids. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose one of the following enhancements:

  • Flash Powder: If the spell deals damage, add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll.

  • Spotlight Sweep: If the spell targets a single creature, you can instead target two creatures within range that you can see.

  • Smoke Machine: If the spell forces a saving throw, creatures of your choice within 5 feet of the target have disadvantage on the first saving throw they make against that spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier {{modifier:charisma}} (minimum 1) per long rest.

Flash Powder

 If the spell deals damage, add your Charisma modifier + {{modifier:cha}}

Smoke Machine

If the spell forces a saving throw, creatures of your choice within 5 feet of the target have disadvantage on the first saving throw they make against that spell.

Spotlight Sweep

If the spell targets a single creature, you can instead target two creatures within range that you can see.

Level 14: Grand Enchanter's Degree

Your diploma fully kicks in. When you cast a spell using a bard spell slot, you can add a Sorcery Stunt to it. Choose one:

  • Degree of Mastery: Treat the spell as if you cast it one level higher (to a maximum of 9th level) without expending a higher-level slot.

  • Accredited Adaptation: You can swap the spell’s damage type to any other damage type.

  • Thesis Defence: If a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell, it must roll again, taking the lower result.

You can use this feature once per short rest.

Whenever you use a Sorcery Stunt, your diploma visibly shimmers, and anyone within 30 feet hears faint applause from unknown benefactors. You didn’t earn this, but you absolutely paid for it! Which is...pretty much the same thing...right?

Accredited Adaptation

You can swap a spell’s damage type to any other damage type.

Degree of Mastery

Treat the spell as if you cast it one level higher (to a maximum of 9th level) without expending a higher-level slot.

Thesis Defense

If a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your spell, it must roll again, taking the lower result.

Stage-Fright Shield

You’ve learned to weaponise your crippling fear of failure. When you cast a spell from the Bard and Sorcery spell lists, roll to hit. On a miss of 9 or less, you may choose to roll an additional 1d20. On a success (13 to hit), you castTasha's hideous laughter, as your performance is simply too laughable to ignore, and the attacker is overwhelmed with second-hand embarrassment. On a failure, you take 'X'd4 psychic damage according to the number rolled. [10-12 = 1d4], [7-9 = 1d4+2], [4-6 = 1d4+3], [1-3 = 1d4+4].

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

Capycora