Base Class: Bard
**Warning** This subclass contains complicated mechanics and heavy utilization of the character builder to switch out abilities. Recommended for experienced players and those familiar with the DnDBeyond character builder only. Consult your DM before attempting. **Based on the 3e Chameleon Prestige class from Races of Destiny**Please playtest and leave constructive feedback in the comments, I put quite a bit of work into this and would love to hear how it works out-or doesn't-and why.**
Bards of the College of the Chameleon haven taken the idea of being a jack of all trades to the extreme, they have veered away from the traditional arts of music and oration in favor of focusing on deception, performance, and mimicry.
The College of the Chameleon is a secretive organization, typically training changelings, doppelgangers, and others with skills and abilities that allow them to alter their appearance, as well as their talents. Its members can recognize each other by a small tattoo in the stylized shape of a chameleon, typically placed on the back of a hand between the thumb and forefinger, or the side of the neck just below the collar, assuming they have not used their talents to disguise it as well.
Trade Chameleon
When you enter this college at 3rd level, you begin to learn the secrets of temporarily changing your talents.
You also gain proficiency with the disguise kit.
When you complete a Long Rest, you may select a Trade focus that lasts until your next Long Rest.
When you select a Trade other than Bard, you lose access to all bard spells and special abilities accept as noted in the Trade description. You retain all of your existing proficiencies, but do not regain used bardic inspiration dice until you complete a Long Rest.
Bard
Freely utilize your bard spells and abilities today. Due to your flexible nature, you may also utilize your Tools of the Trade abilities (upon reaching level 6), though usage limits still apply.
Mages' Trade
You have chosen to focus almost exclusively on magic for today.
You must acquire an arcane focus or material components to cast arcane spells using this feature.
You can only cast your cantrips and Magical Secrets from your bard spell list while you focus on the Mage Trade, all other spells you cast until your next Long Rest must be ones you learn using this feature. Using this feature you can learn spells from the Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list and cast them using your Charisma modifier. When you select this Trade focus at the end of a Long Rest, you may learn 2 cantrips from the listed arcane classes, as well as a number of spells determined by your level.
You also gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and Constitution saving throws.
Priests' Trade
You have chosen to focus on the divine today.
You must acquire a holy symbol or druidic focus to cast spells and use abilities from this feature.
When you select this Trade at the end of a Long Rest, until your next Long Rest, you gain proficiency in the Religion skill, Wisdom saving throws, Medium Armor and Shields, and one Martial weapon of your choice.
You can only cast your cantrips and Magical Secrets from your bard spell list while you focus on the Priests' Trade. You instead learn a cantrip of your choice from the Cleric, Druid, or Paladin list, as well as a number of higher level spells from those lists based on your level.
Thieves' Trade
When you choose this Trade Focus at the end of a Long Rest, until your next Long Rest, you gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and expertise in Thieves' Tools and Stealth. For as long as you focus on the Thieves' Trade, your Dexterity score increases by 3 (to a max of 20).
Warriors' Trade
When you choose this Trade Focus at the end of a Long Rest, until you complete your next Long Rest, you are proficient with all weapons and armor, the Athletics and Intimidation skills, and Strength saving throws. For as long as you are focusing on the Warriors' Trade, your Strength score increases by 3 (to a max of 20).
You may also roll any number of your Bardic Inspiration dice up to half your Proficiency bonus (round down) and add the total as a temporary bonus to your hit point maximum that last until your next Long Rest.
Mages' or Priests' Trade Spells beyond level 3
As you gain levels, you may select additional spells for your Mages' Trade or Priests' Trade spell lists.
Mage's Trade Level 10 spell
Mages' Trade Level 11 spell
Mages' Trade Level 4 spell
Mages' Trade Level 5 spell
Mages' Trade Level 6 spell
Mages' Trade Level 7 spell
Mages' Trade Level 8 spell
Mages' Trade Level 9 spell
Priests' Trade Level 10 spell
Priests' Trade Level 11 spell
Priests' Trade Level 4 spell
Priests' Trade Level 5 spell
Priests' Trade Level 6 spell
Priests' Trade Level 7 spell
Priests' Trade Level 8 spell
Priests' Trade Level 9 spell
Warriors' Trade - Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Tools of the Trade
Abilities borrowed from other trades. You must expend Bardic Inspiration dice to use these abilities, but you may not use them more often than an equal level member of the class from which that ability is borrowed.
Rage
In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to enter a rage as a bonus action. When you do so, roll the die and add the result as temporary hit points.
While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:
- You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table.
- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while raging.
Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.
Sneak Attack
You know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 3d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
To do so, expend a Bardic Inspiration die and roll a number of d6s corresponding to a rogue of your bard level, maxing out at 7d6 at Level 13.
Cunning Action
Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to take a bonus action. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Uncanny Dodge
When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Channel Divinity
When you complete a Long Rest and choose a Trade Focus, also choose a Channel Divinity option below. Until you complete another Long Rest you can use that ability by expending a Bardic Inspiration die.
Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your bard spell save DC.
You can forgo choosing a Channel Divinity option to instead choose two Metamagic options if you wish.
Metamagic
You gain the ability to twist your spells to suit your needs. When you complete a Long Rest and choose a Trade Focus, also choose a Metamagic option below. Until you complete another Long Rest you can use that ability by expending Bardic Inspiration dice.
You can forgo choosing a Metamagic option to instead choose two Channel Divinity options if you wish.
Channel Divinity - Arcane Abjuration
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and one celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend of your choice that is within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw, provided that the creature can see or hear you. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly end its move in a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can only use the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Channel Divinity - Artisan's Blessing
You conduct an hour-long ritual that crafts a nonmagical item that must include some metal: a simple or martial weapon, a suit of armor, ten pieces of ammunition, a set of tools, or another metal object (see chapter 5, “Equipment,” in the Player’s Handbook for examples of these items). The creation is completed at the end of the hour, coalescing in an unoccupied space of your choice on a surface within 5 feet of you.
The thing you create can be something that is worth no more than 100 gp. As part of this ritual, you must lay out metal, which can include coins, with a value equal to the creation. The metal irretrievably coalesces and transforms into the creation at the ritual’s end, magically forming even nonmetal parts of the creation.
The ritual can create a duplicate of a nonmagical item that contains metal, such as a key, if you possess the original during the ritual.
Channel Divinity - Charm Animals and Plants
As an action, you present your holy symbol and invoke the name of a nature deity or spirit. Each beast or plant creature that can see you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While it is charmed by you, it is friendly to you and other creatures you designate.
Channel Divinity - Destructive Wrath
When you roll lightning or thunder damage, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling.
Channel Divinity - Guided Strike
When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Channel Divinity - Invoke Duplicity
As an action, you create a perfect illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but it must remain within 120 feet of you.
For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion’s space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how distracting the illusion is to the target.
Channel Divinity - Order's Demand
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and each creature of your choice that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you until the end of your next turn or until the charmed creature takes any damage. You can also cause any of the charmed creatures to drop what they are holding when they fail the saving throw.
Channel Divinity - Path to the Grave
As an action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you, cursing it until the end of your next turn. The next time you or an ally of yours hits the cursed creature with an attack, the creature has vulnerability to all of that attack’s damage, and then the curse ends.
Channel Divinity - Preserve Life
As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke healing energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to three times your bard level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can’t use this feature on an undead or a construct.
Channel Divinity - Radiance of the Dawn
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and any magical darkness within 30 feet of you is dispelled. Additionally, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes radiant damage equal to 2d10 + your bard level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected.
Channel Divinity - Read Thoughts
As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, you can’t use this feature on it again until you finish a long rest.
If the creature fails its save, you can read its surface thoughts (those foremost in its mind, reflecting its current emotions and what it is actively thinking about) when it is within 60 feet of you. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
During that time, you can use your action to end this effect and cast the suggestion spell on the creature without expending a spell slot. The target automatically fails its saving throw against the spell.
Channel Divinity - Touch of Death
When the chameleon hits a creature with a melee attack, the chameleon can use Channel Divinity to deal extra necrotic damage to the target. The damage equals 5 + his or her bard level.
Channel Divinity - Turn Undead
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Metamagic - Careful Spell
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 Bardic Inspiration die and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
Metamagic - Distant Spell
When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 bardic inspiration die to double the range of the spell.
When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 bardic inspiration die to make the range of the spell 30 feet.
Metamagic - Empowered Spell
When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 bardic inspiration die to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.
You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
Metamagic - Extended Spell
When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 bardic inspiration die to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.
Metamagic - Heightened Spell
When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 bardic inspiration dice to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.
Metamagic - Quickened Spell
When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 bardic inspiration dice to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Metamagic - Subtle Spell
When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 bardic inspiration die to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.
Metamagic - Twinned Spell
When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of bardic inspiration dice equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 bardic inspiration die if the spell is a cantrip).
To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.
Trade Quick Change
When you reach 14th level, you can change your Trade Focus and features once per day on a Short Rest. When you do so, you regain all expended bardic inspiration dice and all features of your previously selected Trade Focus end.
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