College of Dark Pleasures

Dark desires are not just the wish to kill, but also the wish for yourself to enjoy it. These bards are less then unsavoury figures, those most have an agreeable persona fronting, deep down they are sadistic, manipulative and expert sociopaths. The first record of a member of this college was early 1423, when one was seen wandering the Demi-planes out of boredom. Nothing satiates their want for more, more and more experience, more adrenaline, more dopamine. 

Members are trained in primarily Whips, Polearms and Grappling, though each "artist" designs their own flare and artistic style. Eilistraae, Lliira and Shar are common deities worshipped by the few known members of this twisted order.

The artist's are spread throughout the entirety of Faerun, or at leas they want the Order of the Gauntlet to believe this. Despite suspicions of this being false, the artists always stay one step ahead, meaning their fronts may be good enough that one may be within the Order's own leaders...

3rd Level: Natural Performer

At 3rd level, you gain Expertise in performance and one other skill of your choice you already have Proficiency in.

3rd Level: Its a Profession Dear~

At 3rd level, you've chosen your favourite art of the three staples. Choose one of the below options.

The Pole: You are granted proficiency with polearms. In addition, you can plant a polearm into the ground as an action, granting you and all willing creatures within 15ft with Advantage of Charisma saves and Charisma (Performance) checks. Once per long rest, during combat, while you have a "Planted" polearm, you can spend an action to make an attack against every hostile creature within 10ft with a one-handed, light weapon or unarmed strikes.

The Dance: As a reaction, you can add a d6 to your AC whenever you move, after doing so you can move through creatures spaces during this movement, but not end in them. For each creature charmed by you, add 1 to the d6 and you can end your move inside a charmed creatures square. You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma score per long rest.

The Bind: You are granted advantage on any grapple checks against a creature of your size category or smaller. While wielding a rope or chain, you treat it as a weapon you are proficient with and it deals 1d8 slashing. If you have a creature grappled or restrained, you can use a Bonus Action to expose the creatures weak spots. It gains Vulnerability to a damage type of your choice out of: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing or Psychic, until the start of your next turn.

6th Level: Pleasure in Pain

Starting at 6th level, you know how to get the reaction you want out of people. A creature charmed by you, while it still can't do harm to itself, will put up with your own wishes, for a small time. Creatures you have charmed will stay charmed, even when damaged, as long as the sum of the damage done by you and allies doesn't exceed you Bard level + Charisma Score.

Further more, you enjoy the pain you inflict. Any damage you do to a charmed creature grants you half the amount as Temporary Hit points. Each time a charmed creature stops being charmed by you, for 24 hours, it gains a +2 to Charisma saves against you (This bonus can stack, as creatures become more wary of your charms and schemes.)

You can take a 1st level Enchantment spell from any list. It will count as a Bard spell for you, but not count against spells Learnt, Known or Prepared.

14th Level: Slither & Doom

Starting at 14th level, your profane acts have caught attention, for better or worse. At the beginning of a long rest, keep track of how often you Charm creatures. As an action you can summon a creature whose pre-requisites you have met. The summoned creature starts in an adjacent square to you and goes after you in initiative. It last for 1 minute and cannot leave a 60ft radius of you, though you do control it's actions and movement, you do not control what it says or thinks.

Charmed Creatures
2
5
8

 

Tier 1: Charm- Succubus/Incubus or Banshee(CR 4)

Tier 2: Charm- Chain Devil (CR 9)

Tier 3: Charm- Marilith (CR 16)