College Of The Quill
Venerable Wordsmith
When you join this Bardic College at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Calligrapher's Supplies, and begin writing an Opus.
You can choose your Opus' form and appearance, but its content will be shaped by your selections in this subclass. It might be an opera inspired by your own adventures, a tragic play about a prince's quest for revenge, an epic regaling the journey of a ring-bearing halfling, or the comedic tale of an insane, chivalry obsessed noble. It may be written in an expensive leather-backed tome, on a length of fine parchment that can be wound tightly into a scroll, or simply across an assortment of tattered papers bound by a single string. You can use your Opus as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, and make Performance checks by reading, or having others read, from its pages. Due to your status as a composer, you have advantage on such checks when your audiences are noble or educated, or when they are predisposed to your narrative's design (e.g. drunken dwarves if your main character is a dwarvish larrikin). At certain levels in this subclass, you add some key elements to your Opus. However, you will be assumed to dedicate a portion of each short or long rest to writing its majority. If your Opus is lost or destroyed, for a cost equal to 5 times your bard level in gold pieces, you can replace it over the course of a long rest. You can make a copy of your existing Opus over the course of a short rest for that same cost. This cost represents the writing materials and implements required by you to compose.
Your Story's Heart At the heart of every great story lies a compelling protagonist. When you begin writing at 3rd level, select one of the following archetypes for your work's central character, whose traits can inspire your comrades. Lovable Miscreant. Your protagonist's crafty behavior can incite your allies to be more resourceful. When an ally rolls your Bardic Inspiration die, they can treat a roll lower than your Charisma modifier as equal to your Charisma modifier. Tragic Hero. Your protagonist's fatal myopia can spur an ally to be responsive to danger. As a reaction to the start of combat, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to select one creature within 60 feet of you. That creature gains an initiative bonus equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum of 2), as well as a Bardic Inspiration die if they didn't have one already. Intrepid Adventurer. Your protagonist's valor in combat can heighten your allies' moxie. As a reaction to being hit by a damaging effect, an ally can roll your Bardic Inspiration die to reduce their damage taken by the number rolled + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Spellbinding Climax At 6th level, you compose your work's key moment of tension, which you may recite to others. Select one of the following archetypal climaxes for your Opus, each of which has a particular effect when you begin to recite it as a bonus action. Such recitations can last for up to 1 minute, require your concentration as if you were concentrating on a spell, and only affect creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear and understand your words. You may still cast spells with a verbal component during your recital. Reversal of Fortune. Your narrative's villains are thwarted at their moment of victory, which can give pause to your enemies. Your recital imposes disadvantage on hostile attack rolls against allies with fewer hit points than an amount equal to your bard level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). Further, your recital causes hostile creatures to have disadvantage on their ability checks and saving throws against being frightened, grappled, or knocked prone. Catastrophe. Your protagonist suffers a heart breaking loss, which can prostrate others with grief. When you begin reciting, you can force a creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it falls prone and cannot take actions or reactions until the start of your next turn. A creature can reattempt this saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. Each turn while reciting, you can repeat this bonus action against a creature of your choice. Test of Courage. You story's hero braves a harrowing ordeal, which can energize your allies in combat. While you recite, your allies have advantage on death saving throws, ignore the effects of difficult terrain, and gain y hit points equal to your bard level at the end of each of your turns. You cannot grant these temporary hit points to more than five creatures each round. -Once you have used this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
Completed Masterwork Upon reaching 14th level, you complete your Opus with a thematic flourish of your choice. Select one of the following archetypes for your work's conclusion, whose significance alters your very approach to the world at large. Poetic Justice. Your work's idealistic conclusion seeds you with a desire to humiliate the wicked. Whenever a hostile creature fails an attack roll or saving throw, you can cast vicious mockery against them as a reaction, even if you don't know that spell. If the creature fails its saving throw, it takes additional psychic damage equal to half your bard level (rounded up), or half as much additional damage if it succeeds. Hopelessness. Your finale's unparalleled bleakness brightens your experience of lesser misfortunes. Whenever you roll a 9 or less on the d20 when making an attack roll, abilty check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to turn that roll into a 10 and regain an expended use of your Bardic Inspiration. Triumphalism. Your protagonist's triumphant journey inspires you to take fate into your own hands. When you are forced to make a Wisdom, Constitution, Strength, or Intelligence saving throw, you can use your reaction to make a Charisma or Dexterity saving throw in its place. You must do this before you roll for the saving throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and regain any expended uses after finishing a long rest.
You can choose your Opus' form and appearance, but its content will be shaped by your selections in this subclass. It might be an opera inspired by your own adventures, a tragic play about a prince's quest for revenge, an epic regaling the journey of a ring-bearing halfling, or the comedic tale of an insane, chivalry obsessed noble. It may be written in an expensive leather-backed tome, on a length of fine parchment that can be wound tightly into a scroll, or simply across an assortment of tattered papers bound by a single string. You can use your Opus as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, and make Performance checks by reading, or having others read, from its pages. Due to your status as a composer, you have advantage on such checks when your audiences are noble or educated, or when they are predisposed to your narrative's design (e.g. drunken dwarves if your main character is a dwarvish larrikin). At certain levels in this subclass, you add some key elements to your Opus. However, you will be assumed to dedicate a portion of each short or long rest to writing its majority. If your Opus is lost or destroyed, for a cost equal to 5 times your bard level in gold pieces, you can replace it over the course of a long rest. You can make a copy of your existing Opus over the course of a short rest for that same cost. This cost represents the writing materials and implements required by you to compose.
Your Story's Heart At the heart of every great story lies a compelling protagonist. When you begin writing at 3rd level, select one of the following archetypes for your work's central character, whose traits can inspire your comrades. Lovable Miscreant. Your protagonist's crafty behavior can incite your allies to be more resourceful. When an ally rolls your Bardic Inspiration die, they can treat a roll lower than your Charisma modifier as equal to your Charisma modifier. Tragic Hero. Your protagonist's fatal myopia can spur an ally to be responsive to danger. As a reaction to the start of combat, you can expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to select one creature within 60 feet of you. That creature gains an initiative bonus equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum of 2), as well as a Bardic Inspiration die if they didn't have one already. Intrepid Adventurer. Your protagonist's valor in combat can heighten your allies' moxie. As a reaction to being hit by a damaging effect, an ally can roll your Bardic Inspiration die to reduce their damage taken by the number rolled + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Spellbinding Climax At 6th level, you compose your work's key moment of tension, which you may recite to others. Select one of the following archetypal climaxes for your Opus, each of which has a particular effect when you begin to recite it as a bonus action. Such recitations can last for up to 1 minute, require your concentration as if you were concentrating on a spell, and only affect creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear and understand your words. You may still cast spells with a verbal component during your recital. Reversal of Fortune. Your narrative's villains are thwarted at their moment of victory, which can give pause to your enemies. Your recital imposes disadvantage on hostile attack rolls against allies with fewer hit points than an amount equal to your bard level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). Further, your recital causes hostile creatures to have disadvantage on their ability checks and saving throws against being frightened, grappled, or knocked prone. Catastrophe. Your protagonist suffers a heart breaking loss, which can prostrate others with grief. When you begin reciting, you can force a creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it falls prone and cannot take actions or reactions until the start of your next turn. A creature can reattempt this saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. Each turn while reciting, you can repeat this bonus action against a creature of your choice. Test of Courage. You story's hero braves a harrowing ordeal, which can energize your allies in combat. While you recite, your allies have advantage on death saving throws, ignore the effects of difficult terrain, and gain y hit points equal to your bard level at the end of each of your turns. You cannot grant these temporary hit points to more than five creatures each round. -Once you have used this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
Completed Masterwork Upon reaching 14th level, you complete your Opus with a thematic flourish of your choice. Select one of the following archetypes for your work's conclusion, whose significance alters your very approach to the world at large. Poetic Justice. Your work's idealistic conclusion seeds you with a desire to humiliate the wicked. Whenever a hostile creature fails an attack roll or saving throw, you can cast vicious mockery against them as a reaction, even if you don't know that spell. If the creature fails its saving throw, it takes additional psychic damage equal to half your bard level (rounded up), or half as much additional damage if it succeeds. Hopelessness. Your finale's unparalleled bleakness brightens your experience of lesser misfortunes. Whenever you roll a 9 or less on the d20 when making an attack roll, abilty check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to turn that roll into a 10 and regain an expended use of your Bardic Inspiration. Triumphalism. Your protagonist's triumphant journey inspires you to take fate into your own hands. When you are forced to make a Wisdom, Constitution, Strength, or Intelligence saving throw, you can use your reaction to make a Charisma or Dexterity saving throw in its place. You must do this before you roll for the saving throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and regain any expended uses after finishing a long rest.
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