Base Class: Bard
Bards of this College are known as jesters. They use lowbrow stories, daring acrobatics, and cutting jokes to entertain audiences, ranging from the crowds in a rundown dockside pub to the nobles of a king’s royal court.
Jesters adventure to safeguard the common folk and to undermine the plans of the rich, powerful, and arrogant. Their magic bolsters allies’ spirits while casting doubt into foes’ minds. Among bards, jesters are unmatched acrobats, and their ability to tumble, dodge, leap, and climb makes them slippery opponents in battle.
Where other bards seek forgotten lore or tales of epic bravery, jesters are loyal to only one cause: the pursuit and propagation of the truth. They use their comedy and innocuous appearance to break down social barriers and expose corruption, incompetence, and stupidity among the rich and powerful. Whether revealing a con artist’s treachery or exposing a baron’s plans for war as driven by greed and bloodlust, a jester serves as the conscience of a realm.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Jesters at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with thieves’ tools. You also gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Acrobatics. If you are already proficient in these, choose a different proficiency for each you already have.
Level 3: Brazen Words
At 3rd level, your words have an undeniable ring of truth, challenging the beliefs of even the most ardent fanatic. When a creature that you can see succeeds on a Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend a Bardic Inspiration die and subtract the roll from the creature’s result, potentially turning the success into a failure.
Level 6: Mocking Insight
At 6th level, your ability to gather stories and lore gains a supernatural edge. You learn Detect Thoughts and can cast it without expending a spell slot. If a creature resists your attempt to probe deeper and succeeds at its saving throw, it immediately suffers an embarrassing social gaffe. It might loudly pass gas, unleash a thunderous burp, trip and fall, or be compelled to tell a tasteless joke. You regain use of this ability after completing a long rest. This does not count towards your number of known spells.
Level 14: Cruel Joke
At 14th level, you can turn your misfortune into an advantage, ensuring that you get the last laugh. When you miss an attack roll or fail a saving throw, you gain a Misfortune Die. When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes an attack roll or saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend one of your Misfortune Dice to replace their roll. You can store a number of Misfortune Die equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You lose all stored Misfortune Dice when you complete a long rest.
