"College of Bones"

College of Bones

Throughout the myriad worlds of the multiverse, there exists a vast diversity of creatures, many of which could not be more different from each other. There is, however, one principle that connects all living things across all space and time: death is the culmination of life. For without death, life would have no meaning. It is no coincidence, then, that there exists a plethora of cultural traditions which celebrate death and a great many more individuals who obsess over it to a morbid degree.

A Bard of the College of Bones is just one of those individuals. Whether they wish to delve into the secrets of necromancy or simply carry on the legacy of those who have fallen, a Bard of this college sings mournful dirges and rousing jubilees to flirt with the border between life and death.

Level 3: Macabre

You learn the Spare the Dying cantrip. You also always have the False Life and Inflict Wounds spells prepared. These spells count as Bard spells for you, and they do not count against the number of Bard spells or cantrips you can have prepared.

Level 3: Rites of Joy and Grief

When casting a damaging or healing spell, you can perform one of these sacred rites:

Joy: Once per turn, when you cast a Bard spell or cantrip that restores hitpoints to a creature, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration; roll your Bardic Inspiration die, and add the number rolled to the total amount of hitpoints healed.
Grief: Once per turn, when you cast a Bard spell or cantrip that deals damage to a creature, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal additional Necrotic damage to that creature equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.

Level 6: Communion

You always have the Speak with Dead spell prepared; it does not count against the number of Bard spells you know. 

In addition, once per Long Rest, you may cast Speak with Dead without expending a spell slot. 

Level 6: Jubilee

Once per Long Rest, as an Action, you can strike up a celebratory funeral march that lasts for 1 minute. For the duration, an aura emits from you in a 20-foot emanation and grants the following benefits:

• All creatures of your choice inside the aura gain Advantage on Death Saving Throws.
• Once per turn, when a creature that benefits from the aura is reduced to 0 hitpoints, you can use your Reaction to grant another creature of your choice inside the aura a Bardic Inspiration die. When a Bardic Inspiration die is used in this way, it is not expended.

Level 14: Bone-caller

Your Jubilee aura expands to a 30-foot emanation. In addition, you gain the following benefits:

• You always have the Blight, Raise Dead, and Circle of Death spells prepared. These spells count as Bard spells for you, and they don't count against the total number of Bard spells you can prepare. Additionally, you can cast Raise Dead once without expending a spell slot or consuming its material components. The number of days you must wait before you can cast the spell in this way again equals 7 minus your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 day).
• Once per turn, when you cast a Necromancy spell of 1st level or higher that deals Necrotic damage, you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself. That creature can immediately expend one of its Hit Dice, rolling it and regaining a number of Hit Points equal to the roll plus your Charisma modifier.