College of Wretched Prosody

At first glance, adherents of the College of Wretched Prosody differ not from those of the College of Eloquence, wherein their life is devoted to the oratory. To bards who live in the fraught theatre of politics, where the arguments of their agenda can become all but sacred scripture in the easily malleable record of history, their voice is their most cherished treasure. But what happens to that voice, that seductive blend of logic and theatrical wordplay, when it is cursed by unknown forces? Suddenly, the words that win over skeptics and detractors with logical arguments, and plucks at heartstrings to appeal to the emotions of entire audiences, turns on its speaker -- causing unforeseen circumstances for all those who are unfortunate enough to hear. 

For a person such as Khalfani, every debate remains the ultimate struggle -- in its own way, a face-off with the smiling face of death. With every word as its own weapon, every phrase a blade to sever hands and heads off with, this art is the only one he knows: as certain as the sun shall rise, and dynasties shall fall, to win with words is to escape with your life from the fallout that those words shall surely bring.

Little does he know that it is his own voice that brings about the calamity he has always run from.

"Now, before we begin, let me bestow salutations to the strong, tidings for the timid, and a word for the unworthy. Just because your body cannot perish in a battle with verbal weapons, does not mean you are not capable of facing death at the hands of your enemy! Why, disgrace be upon the one who takes such a fight lightly and then flinches at even the mere syllables pointed at their throat, without taking so much as a glance at the manner befitting a fight to the spiritual death!"

He smiles, a wry thing, with each and every bared tooth gleaming with honed lies and flattery.

"To immerse yourself fully, please, everyone, throw away all your daily joys, dispose of all your ailing woes, and why, discard of your… shall we say, memories if you must. Because, truly, even in a duel where both must win, the only thing that should matter is the tongue you wield and the move you make next!"

 

Level 3: Double-Bladed Tongue

"Hearken now my solemnest edict, for all that is impure shall faceth a tailored judgment of their end, videlicet the scum that dareth to enter that most sacred tomb."

Starting at 3rd level, the curse placed upon you can even turn the most fortuitous of phrases on its head. Once per turn, the DM can have you roll a d20 immediately after you give a performance or speech (including but not limited to making Performance, Persuasion, and/or Deception checks), before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Two outcomes may occur: if you roll a 1, a random negative magical effect will occur to you and your party, the specifics of which are at the DM's discretion. If that effect is a spell that normally requires concentration, it doesn't require concentration in this case; the spell lasts for its full duration. If you roll a 20, a random positive magical effect will occur instead. Once again, if the effect is a spell that normally requires concentration, it doesn't require concentration in this case; the spell lasts for its full duration.

Additionally, starting at 3rd level, you can enervate even those who cannot listen, causing them to take on a burden that should not be theirs -- at a cost. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of yourself makes a damage roll or succeeds on an ability check or attack roll, you can take a Reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration. Roll a d20, and then roll the Bardic Inspiration die. If you roll successfully, the creature must choose to subtract the number rolled with the Bardic Inspiration die from either the next saving throw or ability check it makes before the start of your next turn. If you roll a failure, however, you yourself instead will be forced to subtract the number rolled with the Bardic Inspiration die from either the next saving throw you make before the start of your next turn, or the next ability check during your next turn.

Level 3: Bittersweet Afflatus

"O’ trespasser upon the most consecrated of sepulchers, henceforth shall your tangled strings of fate be mercifully cutteth by the blades of my hand."

At 3rd level, your words are laced with magic the comforts the disturbed, and disturbs the comfortable. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and convert it into an Afflatus of equivalent amount according to your level. The properties of such created Afflatus dice are as follows:

Once per turn, you may take a free action to roll the Afflatus die. Upon successfully making an attack roll or casting a spell, you may deal Necrotic damage equivalent to the number rolled with the Afflatus die alongside the damage of your original attack. However, you must take half of the damage rolled with the Afflatus die and subtract it from your own Hit Point total. 

Should your attack or spell fail, you may choose to keep this die and continue to roll it at the start of your upcoming turns for up to a total of three turns. You may then deal the total sum of all rolls done with the Afflatus die as Necrotic damage upon your next success, once again subtracting half of the sum total rolled from your own Hit Point total. At any point, should you roll a 1 with the Afflatus die, half of the sum total of all rolls will be subtracted from your Hit Point total in damage, and the die will be discarded in a regular manner. You may only possess one Afflatus die at a time -- should you choose to expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to convert it into an Afflatus while one already exists, the initial Afflatus will be discarded, and the damage count will be reset.

 

Level 6: Accursed Orator

"Seizing upon your vile neck with the immutable hand of the divine, I shall put the unshakeable fear of myself in all who shall see thy kismet."

At 6th level, though your words set the flames of passion ablaze in the hearts of others, the curse ensures that the remaining cinders will weigh heavy on them. When a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll fails, the creature can keep the Bardic Inspiration die. However, when used, it must subtract hit points equivalent to the number rolled by the Bardic Inspiration die in Necrotic damage.

This effect can only take place once per each Bardic Inspiration die (i.e. if the next roll done with this die fails again, the die will be lost in a regular manner).

Level 14: The Irresistible Plague

"I am the vanguard of the ordinance of His Divine Majesty, King Odion of the Khesuraei Dynasty, Final Pharaoh of the Kingdom of Khenet-Sek, and you face certain death should you not abide by my words."

At 14th level, the charm of your loquacity starts to push at the entangled binds of the curse. When a creature within 60 feet of you adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll succeeds, you can use your reaction to encourage a different creature (other than yourself) that can hear you within 60 feet of you, giving it a Bardic Inspiration die without expending any of your Bardic Inspiration uses. 

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). However, you must roll a die whose highest possible number is equivalent to your Charisma modifier, the result of which will decide how many expended uses you regain when you finish a long rest.

Additionally, your words have become persuasive enough that you can direct the energy of your curse through the wishes of your comrades. You may now bestow Afflatus dice upon other willing creatures, subject to the same constraints. If you choose, when a creature within 60 feet of you adds one of your Afflatus dice to their successful roll, you may instead use your reaction to give a different creature (other than yourself) that can hear you within 60 feet of you an Afflatus die, once again without expending any of your Bardic Inspiration uses.