Bard - College of Mind
DRAFT - BALANCE CHANGES MAY OCCUR
Exploit that which connects the soul to the physical body
(Prerequisite: Proficiency in Thought Theory)
Bards of the College of Thought are part of the most highly positioned magical institution of Novarkan, the School of Creation, where the arcane is studied through the "Words" that created the Material and Ethereal Planes millions of years past. The aspect on which these bards are proficient is the Mind, also known as the biological conduct between the soul and the body, the ethereal and the physical, the connection between positive energy and matter, an Aspect of Existence.
It is said that the origins of thee powers come from Virtutibus, encompassing love, justice, mercy, humility, obedience, compassion and their opposites, concepts that give a Body more power than any of their physical attributes could ever gift, making up the Duality of Virtue.
In Mystralis, these bards are held in the highest regard of their profession, so they tend to become highly positioned government officials attributed with intelligence tasks like criminal prosecution, reeducation, and humanoid management, taking care of the second sacred mandate of the Sacra Monarchia, control, a virtue that encompasses the entirety of Mystric society.
You gain proficiency with simple and martial weapons with the Finesse property.
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to temporarily imbue it with Soulfire. The attack does an additional 2d6 True Fire Damage and marks the target hit with Soulfire. If you hit a marked creature with this ability again, the mark will activate, making the enemy take 1d20 True Fire damage in addition to the extra damage. After the mark activated, or if it's not activated after 10 seconds (2 turns), the mark wears off and the creature can't be marked with Soulfire again for a 24 hour timespan, this doesn't mean that it is immune to the initial True Fire damage of Soulfire Brandish, just that it can't be marked again.
You can use this ability once per round on your turn.
The True Fire Damage dealt by the initial attack increases when you reach certain levels in this class, going to 2d8 at 5th level, 2d10 at 10th level, and 2d12 at 15th level.
The mark activation explosion increases to 2d20 True Fire Damage at 14th level.
You can try to chain the mind of an immobilized creature (immobilization may be grapple, paralysis, retainment, etc.). Force the creature to make one Saving Throw of your stat of choice against your spell save DC, producing different effects based on the chosen trait:
All effects may last for a maximum of 1 hour, but a creature may only have one active Chaining condition at a time. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, all uses are replenished after finishing a long rest.
Some aspects of all effects are multiplied by 2 when you reach level 10 on this class, and by 3 at level 17. Specified under each one of them.
You can attempt to merge with the body and flesh of a recently deceased humanoid (1 hour maximum) that was afflicted with Soulfire of any kind for at least 10 minutes before its death.
You gain its appearance, smell, some of its memories, knowledge, and aspects (but not its secrets), mechanically buffing one or more stats or abilities by +1 (minimum) to +5 (maximum) depending on the creature's build and what it was proficient in when alive. Furthermore, its body functions as Magically Infused Flesh Armor, a magic item which gives you immunity to Psychic Damage and some enchantment effects, depending on its rarity, explained on the magic item's description, which you can now use as a Spellcasting Focus. The more buffs the body gives, the higher rarity the Flesh Armor.
You can only take on one persona at a time.
Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. You gain a +5 bonus to your check as long as the creature did not personally know the humanoid you are assimilating when it was alive.
The disguise lasts for a maximum of 24 hours * the rarity value of the Flesh Armor, but for every hour that passes after merging, your Charisma (Deception) check is reduced by -1 as the flesh starts decaying. You can remove the flesh whenever you want with a bonus action, and 10 minutes of your time for it to be fully cleaned off.
Once you merge your flesh with that of another, you can't do so again until you finish a short/long rest.
You can attempt to dominate the mind of a weakened enemy to your will. If a creature is under an effect of your Chaining Words ability, you can force it to do a Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma Saving Throw against your spell save DC. If it fails in at least 2/3s of them you get full control of its Mind, making it effectively act as a slave to you for 24 hours.
It may fight for you, tank for you, speak for you, whatever you want, as it feels an extreme level of fear and respect towards you, even though it does not know why, it is forced to serve and forced to like it. Furthermore, the slave is vulnerable to True Fire Damage, making the aspect of control a little bit easier.
A creature with enough insight may try and see through this "charm" (even though it doesn't count as one) and try to get it out of it. Each time the mind of the dominated creature is meddled with, (be it by dealing psychic or true fire damage to it, or if someone tries to charm them via another spell of similar level, or if it receives a condition that meddles with the mind like "stunned"), it repeats the Saving Throws, with the DC getting lowered by -1 each time.
When the effect ends, the creature has no idea who beguiled it.
If the creature has an intelligence or wisdom stat of 20 or more, even if temporarily, the ability only lasts for a minute. Additionally, you may dominate a creature's mind only once per long rest.
(Prerequisite: Proficiency in Thought Theory)
Bards of the College of Thought are part of the most highly positioned magical institution of Novarkan, the School of Creation, where the arcane is studied through the "Words" that created the Material and Ethereal Planes millions of years past. The aspect on which these bards are proficient is the Mind, also known as the biological conduct between the soul and the body, the ethereal and the physical, the connection between positive energy and matter, an Aspect of Existence.
It is said that the origins of thee powers come from Virtutibus, encompassing love, justice, mercy, humility, obedience, compassion and their opposites, concepts that give a Body more power than any of their physical attributes could ever gift, making up the Duality of Virtue.
In Mystralis, these bards are held in the highest regard of their profession, so they tend to become highly positioned government officials attributed with intelligence tasks like criminal prosecution, reeducation, and humanoid management, taking care of the second sacred mandate of the Sacra Monarchia, control, a virtue that encompasses the entirety of Mystric society.
Level 3: Soulfire Brandish
You gain proficiency with simple and martial weapons with the Finesse property.
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to temporarily imbue it with Soulfire. The attack does an additional 2d6 True Fire Damage and marks the target hit with Soulfire. If you hit a marked creature with this ability again, the mark will activate, making the enemy take 1d20 True Fire damage in addition to the extra damage. After the mark activated, or if it's not activated after 10 seconds (2 turns), the mark wears off and the creature can't be marked with Soulfire again for a 24 hour timespan, this doesn't mean that it is immune to the initial True Fire damage of Soulfire Brandish, just that it can't be marked again.
You can use this ability once per round on your turn.
The True Fire Damage dealt by the initial attack increases when you reach certain levels in this class, going to 2d8 at 5th level, 2d10 at 10th level, and 2d12 at 15th level.
The mark activation explosion increases to 2d20 True Fire Damage at 14th level.
Level 3: Chaining Words
You can try to chain the mind of an immobilized creature (immobilization may be grapple, paralysis, retainment, etc.). Force the creature to make one Saving Throw of your stat of choice against your spell save DC, producing different effects based on the chosen trait:
- Strength: the creature goes frail, its AC is lowered by 1 and every attack that strikes it does +1 damage of its type.
When upgraded, both debuffs are increased. - Dexterity: the creature tires, it looses 10ft of its walking speed and has a -1 modifier on Dexterity Saving Throws.
When upgraded, both debuffs are increased. - Constitution: the creature is sickened by arcane energy, it is poisoned by magical means, taking 1d4 Magical Poison damage each round. Only non-biological creatures may be resistant to this kind of damage. The creature may repeat this ST every minute.
When upgraded, the d4s of damage are increased. - Intelligence: the creature's ability to reason and solve problems is hindered, its spell save DC and spell attack bonus are reduced by 1.
When upgraded, both debuffs are increased. - Wisdom: the mind of the enemy goes frail and easy to tamper with, it gains vulnerability to psychic damage done by your spells of level 3 or lower. Though the creature repeats the Saving Throw each time it takes psychic damage from any source.
When upgraded, the max spell level is increased. - Charisma: an abstract exploding device is planted on the enemy's soul. You may detonate it using a bonus action, dealing a guaranteed 10 True Fire Damage to the creature, and making a hole of a size of Tiny in its Soul.
When upgraded, the True Fire Damage is increased and the size of the hole is increased.
All effects may last for a maximum of 1 hour, but a creature may only have one active Chaining condition at a time. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, all uses are replenished after finishing a long rest.
Some aspects of all effects are multiplied by 2 when you reach level 10 on this class, and by 3 at level 17. Specified under each one of them.
Level 6: Adapt Flesh
You can attempt to merge with the body and flesh of a recently deceased humanoid (1 hour maximum) that was afflicted with Soulfire of any kind for at least 10 minutes before its death.
You gain its appearance, smell, some of its memories, knowledge, and aspects (but not its secrets), mechanically buffing one or more stats or abilities by +1 (minimum) to +5 (maximum) depending on the creature's build and what it was proficient in when alive. Furthermore, its body functions as Magically Infused Flesh Armor, a magic item which gives you immunity to Psychic Damage and some enchantment effects, depending on its rarity, explained on the magic item's description, which you can now use as a Spellcasting Focus. The more buffs the body gives, the higher rarity the Flesh Armor.
You can only take on one persona at a time.
Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. You gain a +5 bonus to your check as long as the creature did not personally know the humanoid you are assimilating when it was alive.
The disguise lasts for a maximum of 24 hours * the rarity value of the Flesh Armor, but for every hour that passes after merging, your Charisma (Deception) check is reduced by -1 as the flesh starts decaying. You can remove the flesh whenever you want with a bonus action, and 10 minutes of your time for it to be fully cleaned off.
Once you merge your flesh with that of another, you can't do so again until you finish a short/long rest.
Level 14: Reeducation
You can attempt to dominate the mind of a weakened enemy to your will. If a creature is under an effect of your Chaining Words ability, you can force it to do a Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma Saving Throw against your spell save DC. If it fails in at least 2/3s of them you get full control of its Mind, making it effectively act as a slave to you for 24 hours.
It may fight for you, tank for you, speak for you, whatever you want, as it feels an extreme level of fear and respect towards you, even though it does not know why, it is forced to serve and forced to like it. Furthermore, the slave is vulnerable to True Fire Damage, making the aspect of control a little bit easier.
A creature with enough insight may try and see through this "charm" (even though it doesn't count as one) and try to get it out of it. Each time the mind of the dominated creature is meddled with, (be it by dealing psychic or true fire damage to it, or if someone tries to charm them via another spell of similar level, or if it receives a condition that meddles with the mind like "stunned"), it repeats the Saving Throws, with the DC getting lowered by -1 each time.
When the effect ends, the creature has no idea who beguiled it.
If the creature has an intelligence or wisdom stat of 20 or more, even if temporarily, the ability only lasts for a minute. Additionally, you may dominate a creature's mind only once per long rest.
Cuius Caro Est Alterius
Magically Infused Flesh ArmorHigher rarities inherit the effects of lesser ones, which is why their effects are not repeated twice.
This hideous armor is formed from the flesh of another, beneath which veins pulse and red sinews glisten. While wearing it, you can feel something like tendrils burrowing beneath your skin and open wounds. Control it, or it will control you.
Common (+1 to stat, not AC)
This full-body armor gives you an AC score of 12 + Cha Modifier, Immunity to Psychic Damage, and Immunity to Charm.
Uncommon (+2)
Immunities now include Frightened, Stunned, and Dominated. Now you have a bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls of +1.
Rare (+3)
You gain a +1 bonus to your AC and to saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and you are immune to any spell or effect that would alter your form.
Furthermore, you have access to the Soulfire Overdose action.
Very Rare (+4)
Your AC and ST bonus increases to +3. Furthermore, you die while wearing this armor, it is destroyed, and the tendrils inside of you reanimate your body to fight on for 1 minute exactly, after which your body collapses into dust.
Legendary (+5)
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from any attack and are immune to being knocked prone.
Show spoiler
The Armor is alive, and now has three states on which it can be on, Dormant, Awakened, and Pure, depending on your physical state (determined by HP).
Dormant, 50%+ of HP. You have control. The AC bonus of the armor increases to +3 and your bonus to melee attack and damage rolls increases to +3.
Awakened, 25 to 50% of HP. You lost control but you are still standing. Including the effects of the Dormant State, you now have access to an Extra Attack as the tendrils push your body to the limit.
Pure, -25% of HP. You are lost. Apart from the effects if the other two states, you can call upon your blessing, now you have access to the Call the Child Magic Action and your number of Extra Attacks increases to 2.
Dormant, 50%+ of HP. You have control. The AC bonus of the armor increases to +3 and your bonus to melee attack and damage rolls increases to +3.
Awakened, 25 to 50% of HP. You lost control but you are still standing. Including the effects of the Dormant State, you now have access to an Extra Attack as the tendrils push your body to the limit.
Pure, -25% of HP. You are lost. Apart from the effects if the other two states, you can call upon your blessing, now you have access to the Call the Child Magic Action and your number of Extra Attacks increases to 2.
Alternative Names
Mental Police Officer
Type
Intelligence Gathering
Demand
Medium
Famous in the Field
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