College of Resonance

Like most bards, those of the College of Resonance believe in the power of words - that words were spoken to create the universe and could just as easily reshape it. However, where many bards draw power from oration or song, this college digs deeper to draw power from the sound itself. The clash of metal on a battlefield, the crackling of coals in an oven, the chirp of birds by the summer coast - these sounds invoke power, and those of this college rely on that power.

Bards of this college are often seen as foolhardy at best and mad at worst, being one of the hardest disciplines to master. These bards may still collect stories and practice song, but many endeavor to find the strongest and most prominent sounds of all - the ones that invoke the strongest feelings in their listeners.

As adventurers, they wield the mastery of sound as both a weapon and a shield, assaulting their foes with loud crashes and harsh squeals, while creating nearly the perfect distractions to keep foes off of them.

Ode of Thunder

3rd level College of Resonance feature

When you join this college at 3rd level, you learn how to create ear-shattering noises to throw off your foes. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to make a ranged spell attack against a creature that can hear you within 60 feet. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 thunder damage. You may also choose if the sound was audible to anyone but the target, and if they're deafened until the end of their next turn.

The thunder damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.

Sound Magic

3rd level College of Resonance feature

Also at 3rd level, you gain a perfect memory of everything you've heard within the past month. In addition, you learn the minor illusion cantrip, which you can cast as a bonus action without components. When you cast minor illusion to produce a sound its range is tripled, its duration is extended to ten minutes, and you can end it early (no action required). While it's active you can use your action to change the sound being produced or move its location up to 30 feet.

Instrument of Nature

6th level College of Resonance feature

At 6th level, you've learned new ways to weaponize the sounds of the world. When you roll to determine the thunder damage dealt by a spell or feature, you can add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll. In addition, you can cause any spell that deals psychic damage to do thunder damage instead. When you do you can also choose to change its saving throw (if any) to Constitution, and any psychic visions become auditory hallucinations.

Perfected Hearing

14th level College of Resonance feature

At 14th level, you've perfected your ability to hear noises around you. As a bonus action, you can assume a trance of absolute focus, granting you 60 feet of blindsight. While you have this blindsight, you cannot be deafened or silenced (such as by the silence spell) and you ignore the verbal components of your bard spells.

Once you use this bonus action, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.