College of Taboo

Bards of this college seek forbidden lore. They use it to sate their intense curiosities, and it gives them power. They use this power to strike at the minds of those not strong enough to withstand this lore. The magic that they uncover is usually necromancy spells, for necromancy is the most infamous of the eight schools of magic, and bards of this college can be found raising zombies, controlling people through fear, and more.

While the bards of this college use the forbidden lore they find, they must be careful, for fear of being imprisoned or worse for their knowledge of it, especially if they use it against those who forbade it. The lore they come across makes them enemies of priests, paladins, and other people sworn to good causes.

 

 

Dark Secrets

When you join the College of Taboo at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice, as well as an exotic language.

 

Forbidden Whispers

At 3rd level, you can impart the knowledge of your forbidden lore onto others to shatter their minds. As an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to whisper the forbidden secrets you've uncovered to a target within 60 feet of you that can hear you and that you share a language with. Choose an effect:

Mind Break. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. The target takes 4d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.                

Stunning Secrets. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes stunned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Menacing Whispers. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Secrets of Necromancy

At 6th level, you learn two necromancy spells of your choice from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen necromancy spells count as bard spells for you but don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.

Dark Declaration

Starting at 14th level, when you use your Forbidden Whispers, you can choose up to a number of targets equal to your Charisma modifier.