Professional Documents
Culture Documents
If you like this project and want to see more in the Barkston, Birb Marrows, cappyCapslock, Dario Hajic, Dor
future, you can help out by: Sivan, Faolan Twinbear, George, Hoots Kenku, JP Callahan
• Reddit: reddit.com/r/darkerdungeons5e
• Email: giffyglyph@gmail.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/giffyglyph
More 5e supplements
The Bard
Class Features
Bard
Bonus Points Inspiration Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
5th +3 7 d8 3 8 4 3 2 — — —
Features
7th +3 11 d8 3 10 4 3 3 1 — —
9th +4 17 d8 3 12 4 3 3 3 1 —
Cantrips
At 1st-level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the
1 Bardic Inspiration
bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your You can use your compositions to inspire other creatures
choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known with stirring words and music.
column of the Class Features (Bard) table.
Replacing Known Cantrips: When you gain a bard level,
you can choose one of the bard cantrips you know and
Bardic Inspiration
replace it with another cantrip from the bard spell list. Class Feature Bard
Spell Slots Spend one bonus action and one point of composition to
2 Song of Rest
During a short rest, you can help to revitalize your allies by
playing a soothing song or telling an inspiring story.
Placeholder
If you—or any friendly creature who can hear your
performance—regain hit points by spending one or more
Hit Dice, each creature regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
Greater Song of Rest: At 9th-level, the extra hit points
regained increases from 1d6 to 1d8.
10 Magical Secrets
Composed Song of Rest You learn two spells of your choice from any class. The
When you begin a Song of Rest, you can spend composition spells don't have to be from the same class, but they must
to increase the bonus hit points granted. be a cantrip or of a spell level that you can cast.
For each point of composition you spend, increase the The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and don't
die size of your song by one step (to a maximum of 1d12). count against the number of bard spells you know.
Chords of Power
Placeholder Class Feature Bard
6 Countercharm
As an action, you 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
Placeholder
saving throws against being frightened or charmed.
A creature must be able to hear you to benefit from
this. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated,
silenced, or if you voluntarily end it as a free action.
01-08 Blade Ward 10-12 Calm Emotions 69-72 Speak with Plants
57-64 Minor Illusion 31-33 Heat Metal 01-10 Charm Monster XGtE
01-04 Animal Friendship 55-57 Mind Spike XGtE 81-90 Phantasmal Killer
29-32 Cure Wounds 76-78 Skywrite XGtE 11-15 Contact Other Plane
57-60 Healing Word 01-04 Bestow Curse 46-50 Mass Cure Wounds
89-92 Tasha's Hideous Laughter 33-36 Hypnotic Pattern 86-90 Skill Empowerment XGtE
93-96 Thunderwave 37-40 Leomund's Tiny Hut 91-95 Synaptic Static XGtE
Placeholder
Bard Colleges
A rt demands an audience, and bards are
nothing if not gregarious. To perfect their art, bards
seek others out to swap songs and stories, boast of their
Creating a College
To create your own Bard College (or to convert an existing
accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards often college from other sources), follow these steps:
form loose associations—their colleges—to facilitate their
gatherings and preserve their traditions. Create 3 Pledges: A bard college pledges to do three
Whatever your background, this chapter introduces a things. These pledges should be relatively open-ended
variety of colleges for you to choose from. Define your and act as a roleplaying hook for your players.
bardic traditions and perfect your art. Create a Collegiate Inspiration: Bard colleges grant a
unique way of using the Bardic Inspiration die at 1st-
level. This should be a thematic part of your college's
Choose Your College overall identity.
Create 3rd and 6th-level Features: Bard colleges grant
Choose your college from one of the following options: features at 3rd and 6th-level.
Create a 10th-level Capstone: At 10th-level, bard
• College of Dance: You dazzle, inspire, amaze, and colleges grant a unique capstone feature that is the
astound your audience with elegant movements and pinnacle of your college's theming.
well-practiced choreography.
• College of Lore: You are a gatherer of knowledge and a And that's it, your college is complete!
seeker of truth, spinning little rumors into world-
changing stories.
• College of Tongues: You are a keen linguist and a
student of exotic languages, using Words of Power to
transform the world.
Got ideas for bard college you want to see in the future?
Placeholder
1 Collegiate Inspiration
You learn how to use your knowledge of dance to inspire
and encourage your allies.
6 Tribute
You gain proficiency in either a) Acrobatics or b)
Performance. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability
Let's Dance checks with that skill.
Class Feature Bard Dance
You can spend your bonus action and one point of 10 Lose Yourself to Dance
composition to evoke movement and motion in your allies.
You unlock the rhythm of a creature's heart, inspiring it to
Choose one of the following dances and a number of
dance. Spend an action and choose one creature that you
creatures within 30 ft of you equal to your Charisma
can see within 30 ft. The creature must make a Wisdom
modifier—each creature gains the benefit of your dance.
saving throw—if it fails, the creature begins to dance in
This effect lasts for up to 1 minute, and a creature can
place for up to one minute.
benefit from only one dance at a time. You must be
A dancing creature must use all its movement to dance
unarmored and not wearing a shield to use this feature.
without leaving its space and has disadvantage on
Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls. While the target
A Dance of War: You gain +1 AC. If you are either a)
is affected by this spell, other creatures have advantage on
unarmored or b) wearing light armor, you instead gain
attack rolls against it. If the creature takes damage from a
+2 AC.
source other than itself, the effect ends immediately.
You can use this feature once, and you regain expended
B Dance of Water: You gain advantage on Dexterity
uses when you finish a long rest.
saving throws and Performance ability checks related to
dance.
1 Collegiate Pledges
You—and other bards of your college—are guided by the
following collegiate pledges:
6 Hidden Lore
You learn two spells of your choice from any class. The
Find the Truth: Inside every rumor hides a little truth. spells don't have to be from the same class, but they must
Collect stories wherever you go and assemble little be a cantrip or of a level that you can cast—as shown in the
truths into big discoveries. Class Features (Bard) table.
Fight Corruption: Corrupt authorities are known to The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and don't
obscure truth and suppress knowledge. Expose and count against the number of bard spells you know.
subvert these authorities so that the truth can shine.
Create History: You are not an archivist, trapping lore
in books to hide on dusty shelves. You are a bard. Use
your knowledge to change the world.
Placeholder
Placeholder
damage roll, you can use your reaction to spend one point
rolled from the creature's roll. You can choose to use this
damage.
Placeholder
Placeholder
Duration: 1 minute
cause self-harm.
your allies.
1 Collegiate Inspiration
B Fear: The creature is Frightened by you—or another
You have mastered a Word of Power that shares your
source you specify—for up to 1 minute. At the end of its
linguistic talents with others.
turns, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to
You can spend your bonus action and one point of Wisdom saving throw to overcome the effect.
Choose a number of creatures that you can see equal to D Isolate: The creature is Deafened, Blinded, and can't
your Charisma modifier (to a minimum of 1). Each creature speak for up to 1 minute. At the end of its turns, the
must a) be within 30 ft of you, b) have 50 hit points or fewer, creature can make a Constitution saving throw to
language that you are proficient with. E Sicken: The creature is Poisoned by you for up to 1
1 Exotic Tongue
You have mastered one exotic language from which your
Words of Power are drawn. Choose one of the following:
6 Greater Words of Power
You can target creatures that have 75 hit points or fewer
with your Words of Power.
Exotic Tongue
• Abyssal • Deep Speech • Sylvan 10 Superior Words of Power
• Celestial • Infernal • Undercommon
You can target creatures that have 100 hit points or fewer
• Draconic • Primordial
with your Words of Power.
Variant Dials
I f you want to adjust the bard class to better
suit your own campaign and playstyle, then consider
these variant dials.
Placeholder
Multiclassing
If your campaign supports multiclassing, apply these
modifiers to use the bard as a multiclass option:
Composition
Starting at 1st-level, you have a number of composition
Placeholder points equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1).
You regain any expended composition points when you
finish a long rest.
Starting at 5th-level, you regain any expended
composition points when you finish a short or long rest.
No Distinctions
If collegiate pledges are not a suitable match for your
campaign, then consider replacing them—and collegiate
distinction—with Bardic Versatility as shown below.
Placeholder
Bardic Versatility
During a long rest, you can replace one of your known
bard spells (including cantrips) with another spell from the
bard spell list. The new spell must be of the same spell
level as the one you replace.