Bard

Bard — Classes Compendium — FTTHelper

Description

### 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.

#### 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.

#### Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell *cure wounds* and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast *cure wounds* using either slot.

#### 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 have spell slots, 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 for which you have spell slots.

#### Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability 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 Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma 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 Charisma modifier

**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

#### Ritual Casting

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

#### Spellcasting Focus

You can use a musical instrument (see chapter 5, “Equipment”) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

### Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire others through 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 GM 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 Charisma 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 this 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.

### 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 or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

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

### Bard College

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice: the College of Lore or the College of Valor, both detailed at the end of

the class description. 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.

### Ability Score Improvement

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

### 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 this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

### Magical Secrets

By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of 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 class 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.

Traits

Description.

**College of Lore.** Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held to be true, from their faith in the priesthood of the local temple to their loyalty to the king. The loyalty of these bards lies in the pursuit of beauty and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic. The college's members gather in libraries and sometimes in actual colleges, complete with classrooms and dormitories, to share their lore with one another. They also meet at festivals or affairs of state, where they can expose corruption, unravel lies, and poke fun at self-important figures of authority. ##### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Lore at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice. ##### Cutting Words Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature's roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can't hear you or if it's immune to being charmed. ##### Additional Magical Secrets At 6th level, you learn two spells of your choice from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you but don't count against the number of bard spells you know. ##### Peerless Skill Starting at 14th level, when you make an ability check, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roll the die for the ability check, but before the GM tells you whether you succeed or fail.

College of Skalds.

**College of Skalds.** Skalds are poets of battle, recounting the deeds of heroes and the bloody battles that shook nations. But you do more than just tell stories; a skald draws on the tales of past greatness in his own quest for glory on the battlefield. While learning the sagas of bygone years, you have also taken up a practical study of combat, allowing you to use more weapons and with greater effectiveness than most bards. When you sing the song of battle to bolster your allies, you are right alongside them, going toe to toe with formidable foes to become worthy of the poems from the skalds who will recount your tale. ##### Combat Aptitude When you choose the College of Skalds at 3rd level, you become proficient in all martial weapons, as well as in the use of medium armor and shields. ##### Saga of Deeds Starting at 3rd level, you can use your stories of the great battles of legend to inspire your allies in combat. The dice gained from your Bardic Inspiration feature can be used in the following ways: * After rolling damage for a successful weapon attack, a creature can choose to roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the result to the damage dealt. * When a creature is the target of an attack roll, before knowing whether the rolled number is a hit or a miss, it may roll a Bardic Inspiration die as a reaction, adding the result to its armor class for this specific attack only. ##### Battle Fury At 6th level, you can unleash even more fury in combat. When you use the attack action, you can make two attacks instead of one. ##### Song and Strike Starting at 14th level, you can wade into combat even as you wield your bardic magic. Any time you cast a bard spell as an action, you can use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

College of Echoes.

**College of Echoes.** In the caverns beneath the surface of the world, sound works differently. Your exposure to echoes has taught you about how sound changes as it moves and encounters obstacles. Inspired by the effect caves and tunnels have on sounds, you have learned to manipulate sound with your magic, curving it and altering it as it moves. You can silence the most violent explosions, you can make whispers seem to reverberate forever, and you can even change the sounds of music and words as they are created. ##### Echolocation When you join the College of Echoes at 3rd level, you learn how to see with your ears as well as your eyes. As long as you can hear, you have blindsight out to a range of 10 feet, and you have disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deafen you. At 14th level, your blindsight is now out to a range of 15 feet, and you no longer have disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deafen you. ##### Alter Sound At 3rd level, you can manipulate the sounds of your speech to mimic any sounds you've heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. In addition, you can manipulate some of the sounds around you. You can use your reaction to cause one of the following effects.

Enhance.

***Enhance.*** You can increase the volume of a sound originating within 30 feet of you, doubling the range it can be heard and granting creatures in range of the sound advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect the sound. In addition, when a hostile creature within 30 feet of you takes thunder damage, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration and increase the thunder damage by an amount equal to the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.

Dampen.

***Dampen.*** You can decrease the volume of a sound originating within 30 feet of you, halving the range it can be heard and granting creatures in range of the sound disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect the sound. In addition, when a friendly creature within 30 feet of you takes thunder damage, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration and decrease the thunder damage by an amount equal to the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.

Distort.

**Distort.** You can change 1 word or up to 2 notes within 30 feet of you to another word or other notes. You can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to change a number of words within 30 feet of you equal to 1 + the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die, or you can change a number of notes of a melody within 30 feet of you equal to 2 + double the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. A creature that can hear the sound can notice it was altered by succeeding on a Wisdom (Perception) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. At your GM's discretion, this effect can alter sounds that aren't words or melodies, such as altering the cries of a young animal to sound like the roars of an adult.

Disrupt.

***Disrupt.*** When a spellcaster casts a spell with verbal components within 30 feet of you, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to disrupt the sounds of the verbal components. The spellcaster must succeed on a concentration check (DC 8 + the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die) or the spell fails and has no effect. You can disrupt a spell only if it is of a spell level you can cast. ##### Resounding Strikes Starting at 6th level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal thunder damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 1d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 6d6. The damage increases by 1d6 if the target is made of inorganic material such as stone, crystal, or metal. ##### Reverberating Strikes At 14th level, your Bardic Inspiration infuses your allies' weapon attacks with sonic power. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made, and all of the damage from that attack becomes thunder damage. The target of the attack must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone.

College of Investigation.

**College of Investigation.** Bards pick up all sorts of information as they travel the land. Some bards focus on a certain type of information, like epic poetry, love ballads, or bawdy drinking songs. Others, however, turn to the shadowy occupation of investigating crimes. These bards use their knack for gathering information to learn about criminals and vigilantes, their tactics, and their weaknesses. Some work with agents of the law to catch criminals, but shadier members of this college use their dark knowledge to emulate the malefactors they have studied for so long. ##### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Investigation at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Insight skill and in two of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Deception, Investigation, Performance, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. ##### Quick Read At 3rd level, your knowledge of underhanded tactics allows you to gain insight into your foes' strategies. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to make a Wisdom (Insight) check against one creature you can see within 30 feet contested by the creature's Charisma (Deception) check. Add the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die to the result of your check. You have disadvantage on this check if the target is not a humanoid, and the check automatically fails against creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or lower. On a success, you gain one of the following benefits: * The target has disadvantage on attack rolls against you for 1 minute. * You have advantage on saving throws against the target's spells and magical effects for 1 minute. * You have advantage on attack rolls against the target for 1 minute. ##### Bardic Instinct Starting at 6th level, you can extend your knowledge of criminal behavior to your companions. When a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you is damaged by a hostile creature's attack, it can use its reaction to roll that die and reduce the damage by twice the number rolled. If this reduces the damage of the attack to 0, the creature you inspired can make one melee attack against its attacker as part of the same reaction. ##### Hot Pursuit Starting at 14th level, when a creature fails a saving throw against one of your bard spells, you can designate it as your mark for 24 hours. You know the direction to your mark at all times unless it is within an antimagic field, it is protected by an effect that prevents scrying such as nondetection, or there is a barrier of lead at least 1 inch thick between you. In addition, whenever your mark makes an attack roll, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to subtract the number rolled from the mark's attack roll. Alternatively, whenever you make a saving throw against a spell or magical effect from your mark, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to add the number rolled to your saving throw. You can choose to expend the Bardic Inspiration after the attack or saving throw is rolled but before the outcome is determined.

College of Shadows.

**College of Shadows.** Some bards are as proficient in the art of espionage as they are in poetry and song. Their primary medium is information and secrets, though they are known to slip a dagger between ribs when necessary. Masters of insight and manipulation, these bards use every tool at their disposal in pursuit of their goals, and they value knowledge above all else. The more buried a secret, the deeper they delve to uncover it. Knowledge is power; it can cement empires or topple dynasties. College of Shadows bards undergo careful training before they're sent out into the world. Skilled in both music and manipulation, they're the perfect blend of charm and cunning. The tricks they learn in their tutelage make them ideal for the subtle work of coaxing out secrets, entrancing audiences, and dazzling the minds of their chosen targets. ##### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Shadows at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Stealth and in two other skills of your choice. ##### Mantle of Shadows Starting at 3rd level, while you are in dim light or darkness, you can use an action to twist the shadows around you for 1 minute or until your concentration ends. For the duration, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and you can take the Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns. ##### Cunning Insight Starting at 6th level, you know exactly where to hit your enemies. You can use an action to focus on a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. You can use this feature as a bonus action if you expend a Bardic Inspiration die. If you do, roll the die and subtract the number rolled from the target's saving throw roll. If the target fails the saving throw, choose one of the following: * You have advantage on your next attack roll against the target. * You know the target's damage vulnerabilities. * You know the target's damage resistances and damage immunities. * You know the target's condition immunities. * You see through any illusions obscuring or affecting the target for 1 minute. ##### Shadowed Performance Starting at 14th level, you are a master at weaving stories and influencing the minds of your audience. If you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to make or break a creature's reputation by relaying a tale to an audience through song, poetry, play, or other medium. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids who witnessed the entire performance, up to a number equal to 1 plus your Charisma modifier. Each target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a target suffers one of the following (your choice): * For 24 hours, the target believes the tale you told is true and will tell others the tale as if it were truth. * For 1 hour, the target believes *someone* nearby knows their darkest secret, and they have disadvantage on Charisma, Wisdom, and Intelligence ability checks and saving throws as they are distracted and overcome with paranoia. * The target becomes convinced that you (or one of your allies if you choose to sing the praises of another) are a fearsome opponent. For 1 minute, the target is frightened of you (or your ally), and you (or your ally) have advantage on attack rolls against the target. A *remove curse* or *greater restoration* spell ends this effect early. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

College of Sincerity.

**College of Sincerity.** Bards of the College of Sincerity know it is easier for someone to get what they want when they mask their true intentions behind a pleasant façade. These minstrels gain a devoted following and rarely lack for company. Some of their devotees go so far as to put themselves at the service of the bard they admire. Though members of the college can be found as traveling minstrels and adventuring troubadours, they gravitate to large urban areas where their silver tongues and mind-bending performances have the greatest influence. Devious rulers sometimes seek out members of the college as counsellors, but the rulers must be wary lest they become a mere pawn of their new aide. ##### Entourage When you join the College of Sincerity at 3rd level, you gain the service of two commoners. Your entourage is considered charmed by you and travels with you to see to your mundane needs, such as making your meals and doing your laundry. If you are in an urban area, they act as your messengers and gofers. When you put on a performance, they speak your praises and rouse the crowd to applause. In exchange for their service, you must provide your entourage a place to live and pay the costs for them to share the same lifestyle as you. Your entourage doesn't join combat or venture into obviously dangerous areas or situations. If you or your companions abuse or mistreat your entourage, they leave your service immediately. If this occurs, you can gain the service of a new entourage by traveling to a different urban area where you must perform at least 1 hour each day for one week. You gain another commoner at 6th level, and a final one at 14th level. If you prefer, instead of gaining a new commoner at 6th level, one member of your entourage can become a guard. At 14th level, if you have a guard, it can become your choice of a spy or veteran, instead of taking on a new commoner. If one member of your entourage becomes a guard, spy, or veteran, that person accompanies you into dangerous situations, but they only use the Help action to aid you, unless you use a bonus action to direct them to take a specific action. At the GM's discretion, you can replace the guard with another humanoid of CR 1/8 or lower, the spy with another humanoid of CR 1 or lower, and the veteran with another humanoid of CR 3 or lower. ##### Kind-Eyed Smile Also at 3rd level, when you cast an enchantment spell, such as *charm person*, your target remains unaware of your attempt to affect its mind, regardless of the result of its saving throw. When the duration of an enchantment spell you cast ends, your target remains unaware that you enchanted it. If the description of the spell you cast states the creature is aware you influenced it with magic, it isn't aware you enchanted it unless it succeeds on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. ##### Lingering Presence Starting at 6th level, if a creature fails a saving throw against an enchantment or illusion spell you cast, it has disadvantage on subsequent saving throws it makes to overcome the effects of your spell. For example, a creature affected by your *hold person* spell has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes at the end of each of its turns to end the paralyzed effect. ##### Artist of Renown At 14th level, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to cast an enchantment spell you don't know using one of your spell slots. When you do so, you must be able to meet all of the spell's requirements, and you must have an available spell slot of sufficient level. You can't use your Font of Inspiration feature to regain Bardic Inspiration dice expended to cast spells with this feature after a short rest. Bardic Inspiration dice expended by this feature are regained only after you finish a long rest.

College of Tactics.

**College of Tactics.** Bards of the College of Tactics are calculating strategists who scour historical records of famous battles for tricks they can use to give their own troops, and those of their patrons, an edge on the battlefield. Members of this college travel from war zone to combat site and interview the veterans of those engagements, trying to discern how the victors won the day and leveraging that information for their personal glory. ##### Combat Tactician When you join the College of Tactics at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and one martial weapon of your choice. In addition, you can use Bardic Inspiration a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1) + your proficiency bonus. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest (or short rest if you have the Font of Inspiration feature), as normal. ##### Setting the Board Also at 3rd level, you can move your allies into more advantageous positions, just as a general moves troop markers on a map. As a bonus action, you can command up to three willing allies who can see or hear you to use a reaction to move. Each target can move up to half its speed. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. ##### Song of Strategy Beginning at 6th level, you can share your tactical knowledge with your allies in the heat of battle. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and perform one of the following strategies. For the purpose of these strategies, “you” refers to the creature with the Bardic Inspiration die.

Bait and Bleed.

***Bait and Bleed.*** If you take the Dodge action, you can make one melee attack against a creature that is within 5 feet of you, adding the number rolled to your attack roll.

Counter Offensive.

***Counter Offensive.*** If you take damage from a creature, you can use your reaction to make one attack against your attacker, adding the number rolled to your attack roll. You can't use this strategy if the attacker is outside your weapon's normal range or reach.

Distraction.

***Distraction.*** You can take the Disengage action as a bonus action, increasing your speed by 5 feet *x* the number rolled.

Frightening Charge.

***Frightening Charge.*** If you take the Dash action, you can make one melee attack at the end of the movement, adding the number rolled to your attack roll. If the attack is a critical hit, the target is frightened until the start of your next turn.

Hold Steady.

***Hold Steady.*** If you take the Ready action and the trigger for the readied action doesn't occur, you can make one weapon or spell attack roll after all other creatures have acted in the round, adding the number rolled to the attack roll.

Indirect Approach.

***Indirect Approach.*** If you take the Help action to aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you, the friendly creature can add the number rolled to their attack roll against the target, and each other friendly creature within 5 feet of you has advantage on its first attack roll against the target. ##### Ablative Inspiration Starting at 14th level, when you take damage from a spell or effect that affects an area, such as the *fireball* spell or a dragon's breath weapon, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration as a reaction to redirect and dissipate some of the spell's power. Roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your saving throw against the spell. If you succeed on the saving throw, each friendly creature within 10 feet of you is also treated as if it succeeded on the saving throw.

College of the Cat.

**College of the Cat.** Scholars and spies, heroes and hunters: whether wooing an admirer in the bright sunlight or stalking prey under the gentle rays of the moon, bards of the College of the Cat excel at diverse skills and exhibit contrary tendencies. The adventurous spirits who favor the College of the Cat let their curiosity and natural talents get them into impossible places. Most are skilled, cunning, and vicious enough to extricate themselves from even the most dangerous situations. ##### Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of the Cat at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Acrobatics and Stealth skills and with thieves' tools if you don't already have them. In addition, if you're proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. ##### Inspired Pounce Also at 3rd level, you learn to stalk unsuspecting foes engaged in combat with your allies. When an ally you can see uses one of your Bardic Inspiration dice on a weapon attack roll against a creature, you can use your reaction to move up to half your speed and make one melee weapon attack against that creature. You gain a bonus on your attack roll equal to the result of the spent Bardic Inspiration die. When you reach 6th level in this class, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and when you use Inspired Pounce, you can move up to your speed as part of the reaction. ##### My Claws Are Sharp Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. In addition, when you use two-weapon fighting to make an attack as a bonus action, you can give a Bardic Inspiration die to a friendly creature within 60 feet of you as part of that same bonus action. ##### Catlike Tread Starting at 14th level, while a creature has one of your Bardic Inspiration dice, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. When you have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Class Features