Base Class: Bard
The College of Beguilement is the home of bards who mastered their craft in the decadent realm of the Shadowfell or under the tutelage of someone who dwelled there. Tutored by meazels, Shadar-kai, and other shades, these bards learn to use their magic to captivate others through deceit and speciousness.
The bards of this college are often confused as being in the College of Glamour. They use similar methods, but their motivations could not be more different. Their talent is considerable and their performances are the stuff of legend, but instead of songs of hope and innocence, they seek to draw in those who are at their lowest with words dripping with honey venom. These bards are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause the most righteous or stoic heart to be seduced and enthralled into doing the bard's bidding.
The same magic that allows them to change hearts can also bend minds and redirect wills. They can inspire ordinary farmers into forming an army to rise up against a noble leader, simply by singing or orating false claims of vice and villainy. They can enrapture a rowdy band of ne'er-do-wells and convince them to give the bard all of their money as a reward for one more song. Wily bards of this college use this power to corrupt the innocent and make them glad they did it.
Mantle of Company
When you join the College of Beguilement at 3rd level, you gain the ability to weave a song of shadow magic that imbues your allies with glamour and charm.
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures you can see and that can see you within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of them gains 3 temporary Charisma points. When a creature gains these temporary hit points, it can immediately use an Action to perform a Charisma task (Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation) aimed at bending the will of others to theirs.
The number of temporary Charisma points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 5 at 5th level, 6 at 10th level, and 7 at 15th level.
Captivating Performance
Starting at 3rd level, you can charge your performance with bewitching shadow magic.
If you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire fanaticism in your audience by singing, reciting a poem, or dancing. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target worships you, will stay in one place with your likeness imprinted in their brain, and it will attack anyone who opposes you using any means necessary. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies.
If a target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Mantle of Dominance
At 6th level, you gain the ability to cloak yourself in a shadow magic that makes others want to be commanded by you. As a bonus action, you cast dominate person, without expending a spell slot, and you take on an appearance of threatening beauty for 10 minutes or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell). During this time, the target is charmed by you, and you have a telepathic link as long as you are both on the same plane of existence.
You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well.
The domination cannot be broken by the target taking damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Cult of Personality
At 14th level, your performance ability reaches such a level as to inspire the masses to do your bidding, in reverence and devotion to your awesomeness.
As an Action, you can assume a phenomenally impressive stage presence for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. For the duration, every creature within 50' of you are under the effects of a mass suggestion spell. They will carry out your suggestions or commands to the best of their ability in a zealous fervor. Asking the creatures to deliberately harm themselves can only be resisted by a WIS Saving Throw on a DC of 8 + the caster's Charisma modifier + their proficiency bonus. If the creature makes a save, they simply won't perform that action, but are still under the caster's control.
This effect cannot be broken by damage to the creature.
Once you assume this majestic presence, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
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