College of Writing

Bards of the College of Writing have honed their craft in storytelling in all its forms, as they are eager creators of poetry and prose, songs and sonnets, and are avid students of literature. These bards take pride not only in the stories they tell, but the manners in which they tell them. They are masters of manipulation through language and storytelling, and thus many turn to deception and lives of crime or espionage. However they also often make a living as authors, poets or storytellers, while certain few find employment as diplomats or court advisors. These bards are wordsmiths first and foremost, and value a good story above everything, meaning they often encourage or facilitate conflict and drama when it suits them.

Master of Storytelling

When you join this college at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Persuasion if you do not already have it. You also gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies, forgery kit and an additional musical instrument of your choice. Also, when you make a deception check in conversation as part of creating a cover story, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to the roll (regardless of whether you are proficient in this skill or not).

Overwhelming Words

Also at 3rd level, as a bonus action you can expend one use of your bardic inspiration to demoralise one creature that can understand you within 60 feet of you. You distract the creature with a tale that gives them disadvantage on their next attack roll or saving throw (your choice). If the creature then fails this roll by more than 5, they gain a point of exhaustion. Once a creature has gained a point of exhaustion in this way, this feature cannot grant them another point of exhaustion until the next dawn.

Selfish Songwriter

At 6th level, every time you use your inspiration die to inspire someone else, you also inspire yourself (this only expends one use of your bardic inspiration die).

Languages of Literature

Also at 6th level, you can cast the spells tongues and comprehend languages without expending a spell slot or material components. Once you cast one of these spells in this way, you cannot cast that spell again with this feature until you complete a short or long rest.

Easy Inspiration

At 14th level, your mastery of poetry has advanced to allow you to imbue your spellcasting with inspirational incantations. Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can inspire any creature as a free action once on your turn.

 

Additionally, if a creature (including yourself) rolls the maximum amount when rolling your bardic inspiration, you regain one usage of your bardic inspiration.