College of the Skald

Skalds are poets, historians, and keepers of lore who use their gifts for oration and song to inspire allies into a frenzied rage. They balance a violent spirit with the veneer of civilization, recording events such as heroic battles and the deeds of great leaders, enhancing these stories in the retelling to earn bloodier victories in combat. A skald’s poetry is nuanced and often has multiple overlapping meanings.

Bonus Proficiencies

3rd-level College of the Skald feature

When you join the College of the Skald at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, greataxes, and battleaxes.

If you’re proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Inspiration of Fury

3rd-level College of the Skald feature

Whenever you give a creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you can imbue them with a primal fury that seems to drive them to act, it lasts until the Bardic Inspiration die is lost.

When the creature uses the Bardic Inspiration die, the Fury provides an additional effect based on whether the die benefits an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw, as detailed below:

Ability Check. When the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die to add it to a Strength ability check, the creature can roll the Bardic Inspiration die again and choose which roll to use.

Attack Roll. Immediately after the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die to add it to an attack roll against a target, the fury flows through their veins. The creature may add +2 to the weapon damage if it was a melee attack. (the damage increases to +3 at 6th level and +4 at 14th level).

Saving Throw. Immediately after the creature rolls the Bardic Inspiration die and adds it to a saving throw, the fury subsides, causing the creature to gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).

Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against a creature with your Bardic Inspiration die, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.

Extra Attack

6th-level College of the Skald feature

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Retaliating Fury

14th-level College of the Skald feature

Starting at 14th level, when a creature with your Bardic Inspiration die takes damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of it, it can use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.