College of the Haiyu

Haiyu is a vague word for the number of talents that are portrayed by the actors/performers of the Eastern Kingdoms. Aside from merely acting, many are trained to move their body in precise movements and specific facial expressions which have deep and profound meaning in the play that they are acting in. The art forms of these performers are very similar to those of a Chinese ballet, or Japanese Noh or Kabuki theatre styles, in that not only must the performer act, but also dance, perform acrobatics, and fight entertainingly for others to enjoy. Often it is also a path of education that is very highly disciplined, grueling, and punishing, but also highly rewarding, paying well and keeping most such performers in an elevated state of society. Gifted Haiyu enjoy a status of a lesser noble lord and often a powerful Samurai Lord will employ two or three for his personal entertainment. Those bards who study in this college are considered the elite amongst the rank and file actors in any theatre of these types.

Mastery of Color, Paint, and Mask
3rd level College of the Haiyu feature

When you choose this college at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Disguise Kit. You are also trained in the use of many special facial and body painting styles, costumes, wigs, and masks, with highly stylized designs that have had cultural significance since ancient days throughout the Emerald Kingdoms. You are able to use your bardic magic to change your look into a capable reproduction of any look you might need. You learn the Prestidigitation cantrip, and you may use it to assemble a look when you cast it, causing a theatrical transformation. A look grants you advantage on Charisma skill checks with a chosen skill until you change or remove that look. For example, you might magically change your look to appear more heroic to gain advantage on Persuasion checks, you might look more scary to gain advantage on Intimidation checks, or you might choose to look like a member of the opposite sex or a member of a different demihuman race and gain advantage on Deception checks to be convincing as such a being. Each look must be distinct from any other look. You still appear to be yourself upon any real close-up or prolonged inspection, as the magic only prestidigitates clothing, masks, wigs, and facepaints in various combinations you have mastered.

Haiyu Noh

3rd level College of the Haiyu feature

In the Eastern Common tongue, since days ancient and uncounted, the word Noh has meant talent. It's an innate capability to perform endearingly to those who observe your performance arts. Your unique gift is refined with rigid training that has allowed you to excel in your craft. Whenever you make a Performance check for acting or dancing, and whenever you make an Acrobatics check, you may double your proficiency bonus with such rolls.

Furthermore, you become proficient with the hair cuff weapon and may attack with that weapon as a bonus action whenever you make a melee attack in the same turn.

[Hair Cuff               Cost 1 gp               1d4 bludgeoning               Melee         Special, Finesse
Special:  This weapon is attached to your hair or a wig of at least three feet in length, and whipped with special spinning motions into the target. It takes 30 seconds to knot hair into it firmly, and once knotted in, you cannot be disarmed of this weapon.]

Talented Inspiration

6th level College of the Haiyu feature

You learn one of the great and powerful secrets of your art form, the Talented Inspiration. Your expressive skill and training in your art form enables you to become more inspiring, more evocative, and more of a must-see performance. Through very particular and exact movements and very precise facial expressions, you convey an inspiring performance that enables those around you to perform even better under the gift of your inspiration than normal. You can use your Bardic Inspiration feature one additional time before you must finish a long rest, and the die that you bestow to others for Bardic Inspiration is treated as if your bard level was 4 levels higher.

Extraordinary Talents

14th level College of the Haiyu feature

Your ability to inspire those who witness your performances is second to none. As a bonus action, you can choose a number of creatures that can see you equal to your Charisma modifier and grant each of these creatures one of your Bardic Inspiration dice. You can use this feature twice before you must finish a long rest to use it again.

Additionally, you have mastered tumbling, acrobatics, and stage combat to such a degree that you can perform a Theatric Feint. When you would be hit by a melee attack, you may use your reaction and roll your choice of Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance), at a DC equal to the attacker's attack roll. If you succeed, you immediately move 10 feet in a direction away from the attacker. This movement provokes no attack of opportunity from adjacent creatures. If this removes you from the incoming melee attack's range, that attack misses you.

Finally, you can spin away and lash out with a hair cuff when feinting. If you perform a Theatric Feint and succeed at your Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance) check and you are armed with a hair cuff weapon, you can immediately make an attack against an adjacent creature with that weapon as part of the reaction, then move the 10 feet in a direction away from the attacker.