Collage of Tactics

A bard studying in the Collage of Tactics finds themselves inspiring their allies to feats they never knew they could do and command the battlefield like a conductor commands an orchestra.

Bonus Proficiency

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and shields.

Because of your oratory experience you are able to use your commanding voice as a spell casting focus for your bard spells.

Tactical Superiority

Maneuvers

Also at 3rd level, you learn three special maneuvers. When an ally who has your bardic inspiration die uses it, you may choose to call out a maneuver for them to do as well.  You can use only one maneuver per attack.

You learn two additional maneuvers of your choice at 6th and 14th level. Each time you learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.

Tactical Bardic Inspiration

You gain one additional Bardic Inspiration die at 3rd and 6th level.

Saving Throws

Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects.  You use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for your maneuvers.

Maneuver save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Commander's Strike

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you, that creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack.

Disarming Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you may call out for them to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of their choice that it's holding. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object the user choose. The object lands at its feet.

Distracting Strike

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you may call out for them to attack and distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than the user of distracting strike has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.

Evasive Footwork

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to roll for a movement skill, you can call out for them to evade attacks, adding the total of their Bardic Inspiration die roll to their AC until they stop moving.

Feinting Attack

When an ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you may call out for them to feint an attack.  Until the end of the turn, they have advantage on their next attack roll against that creature.

Goading Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to attempt to goad the target into attacking them. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has a disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than the user until the end of their next turn.

Lunging Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for them to lunge and increase their reach for that attack by 5 feet.

Menacing Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to attempt to frighten the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of them until the end of their next turn.

Precision Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to take aim.  They are able to add your proficiency level to the total.

Pushing Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to attempt to drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the user pushes the target up to 15 feet away from them.

Rally

On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one Bardic Inspiration die to bolster the resolve of one of your companions. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to the superiority die roll + your Charisma modifier.

Sweeping Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to make a sweeping attack in order to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within their reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number they rolled with your Bardic Inspiration die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

Trip Attack

When your ally uses your Bardic Inspiration die to make an attack roll, you can call out for your ally to attempt to knock the target down. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Combat Tutoring

At 6th level, as a bonus action, you cast Aid, without expending a spell slot.  For the next minute you can use the Help action as a bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, if the target can see or hear you

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Insightful Observation

At 14th level, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to study your target.  Once studied you gain advantage on any charisma skill checks as well as insight and investigation.

If used in combat you learn any resistances the target has and the target has disadvantage on attacks made against you.  This effect lasts until you are knocked out or choose to end it. Any knowledge gained goes only to you and persists after the effect is over.