Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting, pg. 176
Food: it fuels thought, builds bones, and delights the senses. But more than that, breaking bread with a foe can be the beginning of a lasting peace, sculptures of sugar glass can inspire architects to design soaring cities, and the fusion of disparate culinary traditions can tie cultures together. Though we see food every day, it is truly the epitome of inspiration.
Bards from the College of Cuisine are as prized in the kitchens of nobles as in the mess halls of the rank and file. While peace treaties might be signed over hoisin-glazed duck with sides of spiced jackfruit and crispy shallots, it is the well-fed army that will win the war on a hearty oat and raisin porridge. Such bards never struggle to find employment; they travel where their work is appreciated, be their diners highborn or down-to-earth.
Culinary Exploration
3rd-level College of Cuisine feature
Years spent adapting recipes allows you to try unheard-of combinations of ingredients. You gain proficiency with cook’s utensils, which you can use as a spellcasting focus, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability checks you make that uses these utensils to prepare food. In addition, whenever you craft a food (see page 137), you can add one additional ingredient to the recipe, conferring the benefits of that ingredient to the dish on a successful Cooking check.
Petit Fours
3rd-level College of Cuisine feature
During a short or long rest, you can create a number of magical treats equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one). Choose one of the flavours from the list below with which to imbue these treats, which remain magical until you finish a short or long rest.
A creature can use an action or bonus action to eat a treat, gaining a benefit based on the treat’s flavour which, unless otherwise stated, lasts until the end of its next turn.
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, teleporting any number of treats on your person next to creatures you can see within 60 feet of you, where they remain, hovering near the creature’s mouth. Such a creature can use its reaction to eat the treat, or it can do so on its next turn as a bonus action. Otherwise, the treat falls to the ground.
• Bitter. The creature gains resistance to poison damage and has advantage on saving throws made to resist the poisoned condition.
• Salty. The creature gains advantage on Wisdom saving throws and is immune to the charmed condition.
• Sour. The creature’s weapon attacks deal bonus acid damage equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.
• Sweet. The creature gains temporary hit points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) that last for 1 hour.
• Umami. The creature gains a +2 bonus to its AC.
Culinary Specialisation
7th-level College of Cuisine feature
You pursue a particular style of cuisine, choosing from the list below and gaining its feature.
• Slow Cooking. You gain proficiency with medium armour, heavy armour, shields, and martial weapons. At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
• Fast Food. You gain proficiency with medium armour and you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
• Patissier. You learn two spells of your choice from any spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. These don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.
In addition, when you finish a short rest, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, rolling the die and recovering a number of levels of spell slots with a combined value equal to or less than the value rolled, and none of the spell slots can be 6th level or higher. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Shared Enthusiasm (Homebrew feature to fit TotV format)
11th-level College of Cuisine feature
You find yourself invigorated when others enjoy your cooking. You regain one use of Bardic Inspiration when a treat created through your Petit Fours feature is consumed. You may only regain one use of Bardic Inspiration per round in this way. This feature does not allow you to exceed your maximum number of uses.
If you are at your maximum number of Bardic Inspiration uses when a treat is consumed, you gain temporary HP equal to the maximum result of your current Bardic Inspiration die (e.g., 6 on a d6, etc.) These temporary HP do not stack.
Executive Chef
15th-level College of Cuisine feature
Your confidence and authority in the kitchen translates to battlefield command. When a creature that can hear you rolls one of your Bardic Inspiration dice or eats one of your Petit Fours, you can shout authoritative, verbal encouragement (no action required). The creature can immediately use its reaction to either make one weapon attack or move up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. A creature that eats a Petit Fours can attack or move as described as part of the same reaction. action, or bonus action used to eat the Petit Fours.