College of the Piper

Bards of the College of Pied Pipers have a strong affinity for animals, particularly for vermin. The college has no official name, and its lore is spread between those few who dare to teach its secrets. They all can be rooted to a legendary bard whose peerless skill with wind instruments (some say flute, some say panpipes) entranced vermin. The tale speaks of how this bard travelled between cities, offering its trade to the citizens; those who paid had their vermin troubles swept away, but those who couldn't pay its exorbitant price suddenly found themselves robbed of what they loved the most. Legends cannot tell if the story is true, if the piper did this as a service or for wicked ways, but the secrets of controlling vermin were spread between enterprising bards who wished to sway creatures to their service.

Bards of this "college" are mentored by experienced "pipers", who teach them the secrets of the trade. They are not just skilled at entrancing music, but are experts at enchantments; the most experienced pipers can easily bend the minds of powerful beings, but they always find beasts and vermin the easiest to control. The power this bard holds can be terrifying when crossed; the tales say that pipers could take away children as punishment, but some claim that those same children (or rather, the youth) were sent to war, a cautionary tale of how the lure of beauty, power or simple enchantment can turn into a dangerous weapon.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of the Piper at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.

Animal and Vermin Influence

When you join the College of Pied Pipers at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill. Whether you already had proficiency in the skill or not, you can attempt to influence any beast of low Intelligence (1 or 2) using your Charisma modifier rather than your Wisdom modifier when using Animal Handling. You may use one bardic inspiration dice to influence that many of the other creatures in your vicinity.

At level 5 the intelligence maximum increases to 5, at level 8 to 7, at level 12 to 9, at level 15 to 12, and at level 18 to 15.

Fascinating Performance

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your inspiring performance to sway the minds of those that can hear you. You can spend your action and expend one or more uses of your Bardic Inspiration in an attempt to fascinate a number of creatures equal to the result of your Bardic Inspiration dice that are closest to you; allies are not affected by this ability. All creatures affected must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC; you add your proficiency bonus only when using a musical instrument you are proficient with, or if you have proficiency in the Performance skill. All creatures that fail their saving throws sit quietly and listen to the song (or watch your perfornace), taking no other actions for as long as the bard maintains concentration and continues to play (for up to 1 minute). While fascinated, the creature takes a -5 penalty on all passive checks (which is negated if the target has advantage on the skill). A creature is given a new saving throw if an ally of the creature spends its action to wake it up, or if it detects a potential threat with its passive skill. The effect ends on the creature if it takes damage from an attack or spell.

Beast Magic

At 6th level, you learn two 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 spells count as bard spells for you but don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.

Improved Beast Magic

Starting at 14th level, when you make an ability check, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roll the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells you whether you succeed or fail.