Base Class: Bard
"Why should they have what I lack?"
Bards of the College of Envy are masters of comparison, imitation, and resentment. They can identify the talents that make another creature exceptional and twist that knowledge into supernatural power.
An Envious bard doesn't necessarily hate everyone around them. In fact, they may admire their allies intensely.
They simply believe that whatever makes someone special should belong to them instead.
In Hell, this philosophy is rewarded.
But every stolen gift leaves something behind
Level 3: Bonus Proficiencies
You gain proficiency with two skills of your choice.
Level 3: Covetous eye
When you join the College of Envy at 3rd level, you gain an unnatural ability to recognize the things others value most.
As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself. The creature must have one of the following:
- A skill proficiency
- A weapon proficiency
- A damage resistance
- A movement speed greater than 30 feet
- A special ability granted by a class, race, or monster feature
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
For 1 minute, or until the creature dies or you use this feature on another creature, you Covet that creature.
While coveting a creature, you gain the following benefits:
Envious Inspiration
Whenever the coveted creature succeeds on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you gain 1 Envy Die.
Your Envy Die is a d6.
You can have a maximum number of Envy Dice equal to your proficiency bonus. You lose all unused Envy Dice when your Covetous Eye ends.
You can spend an Envy Die in the following ways:
Steal Their Success.
When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can expend an Envy Die and add it to the roll.
Make Them Doubt.
When the coveted creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction and expend an Envy Die to subtract it from the roll.
Borrowed Talent.
When you gain an Envy Die, you can temporarily imitate one skill proficiency possessed by the coveted creature until the end of your next turn.
The Cost of Envy
Envy is never free.
Whenever you use an Envy Die, you take psychic damage equal to the number rolled on the die.
Additionally, whenever you finish a long rest while having used Covetous Eye since your previous long rest, you must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failure, you awaken consumed by jealousy. Until you finish your next long rest, you have disadvantage on ability checks made to assist, encourage, or compliment another creature.
Level 6: Stolen gift
Stolen Skill
You gain proficiency in one skill the creature is proficient in.
If you were already proficient, you instead gain expertise in that skill.
Stolen Speed
Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain one movement type possessed by the creature, such as a climbing, swimming, or flying speed.
The additional movement speed cannot exceed the creature's corresponding movement speed.
Stolen Resistance
You gain resistance to one damage type to which the coveted creature has resistance.
Stolen Technique
Choose one weapon the creature is proficient with.
You gain proficiency with that weapon and can use your Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls.
The stolen gift lasts for 1 minute, ending early if Covetous Eye ends.
You can use Stolen Gift once per use of Covetous Eye.
The Cost of Theft
When Stolen Gift ends, your body rejects the stolen power.
You suffer one level of exhaustion.
Once you gain exhaustion from this feature, you cannot use Stolen Gift again until you finish a long rest.
Level 14: The envious usurper
For the duration, you gain the following abilities.
Perfect Imitation
As a bonus action, you can steal one extraordinary ability from your Ultimate Rival.
Choose:
- Two damage resistances
- It's movement types
- One skill proficiency
- One weapon proficiency
- One class feature
- One monster trait
- The DM determines whether a feature is appropriate to steal.
You gain the chosen ability for 3 minutes.
If you steal a class feature, the feature cannot be one that grants additional spell slots, spell levels, or the ability to cast a spell of 6th level or higher.
You can use Perfect Imitation once per Covetous Eye.
Ruin Their Excellence
When your Ultimate Rival succeeds on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to force them to reroll the d20.
They must use the new roll.
If the new roll fails, you gain 2 Envy Dice.
You can use Ruin Their Excellence a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.
The Price of Being Envious
The more you steal, the more Hell takes from you.
Whenever you use Perfect Imitation, choose one of your own skill proficiencies.
Until you finish a long rest, you lose proficiency in that skill.
If you have no skill proficiencies remaining, you instead suffer disadvantage on all ability checks using Charisma until you finish a long rest.
Additionally, if your Ultimate Rival dies while affected by your Covetous Eye, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failure, you become obsessed with possessing everything they had.
For the next 24 hours:
- You cannot willingly give away an item worth more than 10 gp.
- You have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws.
- You have disadvantage on ability checks made to resist taking something you believe you deserve.
The effect ends early if another creature successfully convinces you to willingly surrender something valuable to you.
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