College of Candor

Those who have practiced in the art of Candor consider themselves dedicated to the truth. They have understood the mechanisms between deceit and lies for centuries, learning how to extract truth and utilize it to their own ends. Many in the College of Candor dedicate themselves to fighting disinformation and propaganda produced by tyrannical regimes to control people, while others use the truth to extort and blackmail for their own purposes. Many kings and queens and rulers have requested the assistance of College of Candor bards in the days of old to interrogate prisoners of war, spies, and even adulterous lovers.

This is an old bardic college, an ancient one that has been lost for some time. There has been a slight reemergence of this college as many bards have discovered that the world holds many secrets that must be revealed. Some believe that nothing should remain hidden in secret or in shadow, and wish to expose the truth to the masses as to restore the balance of power.

Allure of Truth

The power of your magics has given you great insight through your charismatic words, often causing those around you to slip up when trying to deceive.

If you are not yet, you are proficient in Insight and gain expertise in it, and it utilizes your Charisma modifier as opposed to your Wisdom modifier.

Weaponized Secrets

Your magic is able to pull out secrets and truth and weaponize them. You speak in an arcane language nobody but your target understands, and they hear a truth that is pulled from the depths of their soul. 

As an action, you can target one creature that can hear you and understands at least one language within 60 feet and force them to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. If they fail, roll what you would roll for your bardic inspiration die and they take that much psychic damage, and they are stunned until the end of their next turn.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest.

The number of creatures you can target increases by 1 when you reach 5th level, 10th level, 15th level, and 20th level.

Inexorable Candor

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes, dance, or words of power to produce an area centered on you where no lies can be spoken. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, a 15-foot radius sphere of magical candor is centered on you, and no deliberate lies can be spoken within this radius. 

An affected creature is aware of the spell and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.

The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

 

Nothing Hidden

At 14th level, you can unleash a powerful burst of magic that reveals anything hidden.

As an action, a 30 ft radius sphere of magical energy bursts from you as your perform. In that area, any illusion within the area ends, all charmed conditions ends, shapechangers or anyone magically altering their appearance are forced back into their original form, and all creatures who are invisible are made visible again.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you take a long rest.