BARD

Intelligent and personable, they prefer to accomplish tasks with their words first, and sword second. Bards are loremasters and storytellers. They crave adventure for the wisdom and insight to be gained, and must depend on sword, shield, spell and enchantment to preserve them from the perils of their educational experiences.

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QUICK BUILD

You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Personality should be your highest attribute score, followed by Agility. Second, choose the entertainer background. Third, choose the dancing lights and vicious mockery cantrips, along with the following 1st level spells: charm person, detect magic, healing word, and thunderwave.

CLASS FEATURES

As a Bard, you gain the following class features:

HIT POINTS

Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Endurance modifier

Hit Points At higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Endurance modifier per bard level after 1st

PROFICIENCIES

Armor: Light armor,

Weapons: Long Blade, marksman, and short blade.

Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice

Saving Throws: Agility, Personality

Skills: Choose any three

Schools of Magic: Illusion, Restoration

EQUIPMENT

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a rapier or (b) a longsword

• (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack

• (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument

• Leather armor and a dagger

SPELLCASTING

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting. The bard spell list is detailed at the end of the class description.

CANTRIPS

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.

MAGICKA

The Bard table shows how much magicka you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend magicka, as noted in the spell's description and the Magicka Cost table. You regain all expended magicka when you finish a long rest.

    For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a Spell Level of 2nd, you can cast cure wounds using magicka to cast it at either level. Refer to Spell Point Cost table on page 288 of the Dungeon Master's Guide or the Magicka Cost table in the Spellcasting chapter.

SPELLS KNOWN OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you can cast, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

    Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level that you can cast.

SPELLCASTING ATTRIBUTE

Personality is your spellcasting attribute for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Personality whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting attribute. In addition, you use your Personality modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Personality modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Personality modifier

RITUAL CASTING

You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

BARDIC INSPIRATION

You can inspire others through your stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature, other than yourself, within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

    Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

    You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Personality modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

    Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in the class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

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SONG OF REST

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one more more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

    The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in the class to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

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BARDIC COLLEGE

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice: the College of Revelries, or the College of Solitude, both detailed at the end of the class description. Additionally, you can choose any Bard's Bard College outlined in the Player's Handbook. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

EXPERTISE

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

    At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

ATTRIBUTE SCORE IMPROVEMENT

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one attribute score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two attribute scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

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FONT OF INSPIRATION

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

COUNTERCHARM

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain the benefit, The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

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MAGICAL SECRETS

By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any classes, including this one. A spell you choose must be a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip.

    The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table.

You learn two additional spells from any classes at 14th level and again at 18th level.

SUPERIOR INSPIRATION

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

BARD COLLEGES

The way of a bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other out to swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions.

COLLEGE OF REVERIES

Bards of the College of Reveries are renowned performers and artists. All members of the college are handpicked for their passion and are taught to live for the love of their craft, and for the thrill of the performance.

    Unlike many other colleges, those who study under the Grand Maestro are encouraged to discard their identities and take on a new persona. All of the players in the College of Reveries wear anonymous painted masks and take up new names, often associated with their act.

    Any bard willing to remove the shackles of selfishness to live solely for the art will find a place in the college. They use their anonymity to gain a thousand faces, though they never show their own.

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BONUS PROFICIENCIES

When you join the College of Reveries at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in disguise kits, forgery kits, and an artisan tool of your choice. You also learn one language of your choice.

PERFORMER'S VAINGLORY

At 3rd level, you become invigorated when you witness someone being inspired by your own performances. When at least one creature you have inspired with your Bardic Inspiration is within 30 feet of you and they still have their Bardic Inspiration die, you gain a bonus to your attacks. When your attack hits a target, roll a die equal to your Bardic Inspiration die and add that number to the attacks damage roll.

PLAYER'S MUSE

Additionally at 3rd level, adventurer's of the College of Reveries gain a persona that represents their performing act. This persona is a disguise that includes a mask and garb that hides the wearer's original identity. While wearing this disguise, other bards and patrons recognize you as your persona. You have advantage on Personality (Persuasion) and Personality (Performance) checks when speaking with fans of your work.

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FLEXIBLE PERFORMANCE

When you reach 6th level, you weave in the pageantry and pomposity of your performances into your everyday conversations. You can use your Performance skill instead of Deception when trying to impersonate someone, and instead of Intimidation when trying to demoralize someone. You can also use Performance instead of Persuasion when trying to flatter someone.

COMPELLING INSPIRATION

At 14th level, your inspiring performances can compel even your harshest critics. You can use your Bardic Inspiration on a creature within 60 feet of you and force it to make a Willpower saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is compelled by you until the start of your next turn. The compelled creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls, and all attacks made against the compelled creature have advantage.

COLLEGE OF SOLITUDE

High in the frigid north, the College of Solitude is found in the city of the same name, the capital of Skyrim. Living and studying in the north comes with its own challenges, and the bards that attend this college are taught how to endure the harsh conditions while rallying their allies to keep pushing through.

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BONUS PROFICIENCIES

When you join the College of Solitude at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, as well as axe and blunt weapons.

FIGHTING STYLE

At 3rd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if something in the game lets you choose again.

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ARCHERY

You gain a +2 bonus to your attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

DUELING

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

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GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING

When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if it is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

DISARMING CHARISMA

When you reach 6th level, you gain the ability to use your charisma to cause your enemies to falter. As a reaction, when a creature attacks you with a melee strike, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.

    You can use this feature an amount of times equal to your personality modifier. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

    Beginning at 17th level, you gain a +4 bonus to your AC when you use this feature.

BATTLE ANTHEM

At 14th level, you gain the ability to use your instruments or voice to inspire your allies in the heat of battle. As an action, all allies or enemies within 60 feet of you that can see and hear you, gain one effect of your choice for the duration of the anthem. The effect lasts up to 1 minute, as though you are concentrating on a spell. As an action on your following turns you can change the effect of your Battle Anthem.

     Anthem of War. Each ally that can see and hear you gains advantage on attack rolls for the duration.

    Anthem of Protection. Each ally that can see and hear you gains a +2 bonus to their AC for the duration.

    Anthem of Intimidation. Each enemy that can see and hear you has disadvantage on saving throws for the duration.

    Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to be able to use it again.

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