College of Provocation

Bards of the College of Provocation are skilled in insulting and taunting their opponents to drop their guard or distract them, turning battle in your favor. Provokers learn to tap into the emotions of those around them and are able to use them against them, whether through finely crafted deception or scathing insults that could anger even the most level-headed knight.

Deep Cuts

At 3rd level, when you cast the Vicious Mockery cantrip, you can use your bonus action to deal additional psychic damage equal to the result of one of your bardic inspiration die to the target, regardless of whether the target successfully saved against Vicious Mockery or not.

Stinging Betrayal

At 3rd level, as an action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to cause an insult of your own craft to originate from a hostile creature of your choice. The insult is directed at another hostile creature within 30 feet that can hear you. The creature the insult is directed at must succeed a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is forced to use its reaction to make an attack against the creature the insult came from. The attack gains a bonus to hit equal to the result of one Bardic Inspiration die. If the creature has already used its reaction it instead takes the attack action against the creature the insult came from at the beginning of its next turn. On a successful save, nothing happens. The insult infuriates the creature, filling it with fury. The creature that hears the insult hears it as if spoken by the creature you chose. The creature being insulted understands the insult, regardless of what languages it can understand. The creature the insult comes from has no knowledge of having said any insult to the other.

Once a target successfully saves, it cannot be affected by Stinging Betrayal until the next dawn.

Lasting Sting

At 6th level, when you use your Stinging Betrayal feature, the affected creature is under its influence for 1 minute if it fails its save. While under the effects, the target can repeat the saving throw at the start of subsequent turns. Once a target successfully saves, it cannot be affected by Stinging Betrayal until the next dawn.

Profane Jab

At 14th level, you have become a master at taunting and slinging insults. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cast Vicious Mockery as a bonus action, additionally, granting it the benefits of your Deep Cuts feature.