Bard

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Basics

Identity

The Bard is a full channeler whose conduit is performance: voice, instrument and presence do the work a formula does for a Wizard. A Bard has to be heard and channels badly when gagged or silenced. Bards work as envoys, court performers, regimental cantors and chroniclers, and a party that would talk a problem down before fighting it will want one. The Bard College chosen at 3rd level decides where the Inspiration goes: into a fight, a negotiation, a story or a secret.

Proficiencies

Channeling

Bards know a fixed list of spells rather than preparing them; cantrips and spells known scale with Bard level per the counts on this class. Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + CHA modifier. Bardic Inspiration uses are tracked separately from spell slots and recover on long rest (and on short rest from 5th level onward).

Level Progression

• L1
  Spells

  You cast spells through performance, drawing on Rift Energy. You know cantrips and leveled spells from the Bard spell list, and the number of spells you know scales with your Bard level. You use Charisma for spell attack rolls, and your spell save DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. Your performance apparatus (instrument, voice, holo-rig or other expressive medium) serves as your channeling focus.

  Bardic Inspiration

  As a bonus action on your turn, you choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet who can hear you (or see your performance, if you are performing silently). That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the result to one ability check, attack roll or saving throw it makes. The creature can decide to use the die after the d20 roll but before the GM declares the result. A creature can hold only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time. You have a number of Bardic Inspiration uses per long rest equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and from 5th level you recover them on a short rest. The die size increases at 5th level (d8), 10th (d10) and 15th (d12).

• L2
  Jack of All Trades

  You can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any ability check you make that does not already include your proficiency bonus.

  Song of Rest

  During a short rest, you can perform for at least 10 minutes for any number of allies who can hear you. Each ally that spends one or more Hit Dice during that short rest regains an additional 1d6 hit points. The bonus die becomes a d8 at 9th level, a d10 at 13th and a d12 at 17th.

• L3 Subclass feature
  Bard College

  Choose a Bard College: Lore, Valor, the Frontier, Whispers, the Stars or the Stormsong Skalds. Your College grants features now and at 7th, 11th, 15th and 18th level.

  Expertise

  Choose two skills in which you are proficient. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen skills. You choose two more skills at 10th level.

• L4 ASI / Feat
• L5
  Font of Inspiration

  You regain all expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

• L6
  Countercharm

  As an action, you begin a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. While you perform, you and any allies within 30 feet who can hear you have advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened. A creature benefits only from a performance that is already running when the save is rolled. You can extend the performance by using an action on each of your later turns, up to 1 minute. The performance ends early if you are Incapacitated, are silenced beyond what you can compensate for, or end it as a free action.

• L7 Subclass feature
• L8 ASI / Feat
• L9
  Song of Rest (Improved)

  Your Song of Rest bonus die becomes a d8.

• L10
  Expertise (Second Set)

  Choose two additional skills in which you are proficient. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.

  Magical Secrets Capstone

  Choose two spells from any class's spell list. Each chosen spell must be of a level you can cast, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as Bard spells for you and count toward the total number of spells you know. You learn two more at 14th level and two more at 18th level.

• L11 Subclass feature
• L12 ASI / Feat
• L13
  Song of Rest (Greater)

  Your Song of Rest bonus die becomes a d10.

• L14
  Magical Secrets (Second Set)

  Choose two more spells from any class's spell list, of a level you can cast or cantrips. These count as Bard spells for you and toward spells known.

• L15 Subclass feature
• L16 ASI / Feat
• L17
  Song of Rest (Master)

  Your Song of Rest bonus die becomes a d12.

• L18 Subclass feature
  Magical Secrets (Third Set)

  Choose two more spells from any class's spell list, of a level you can cast or cantrips. These count as Bard spells for you and toward spells known.

• L19 ASI / Feat
• L20
  Superior Inspiration Capstone

  When you roll initiative and have no Bardic Inspiration uses left, you regain one. In addition, when an ally within 60 feet who can hear you would suffer a critical failure (a natural 1) on an attack, ability check or saving throw, you can use your reaction to give that ally a Bardic Inspiration die, roll it immediately and add it to the failed roll. If this brings the result to a success, the action succeeds instead of failing critically. After using this reaction, you must finish a short or long rest before using it again.

Subclasses (6)

• College Of Lore
• College Of The Frontier
• College Of The Stars
• College Of Valor
• College Of Whispers
• Stormsong Skald

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