Bard

Move in Harmony with the Cosmos

Bards of the College of Dance know that the Words of Creation can't be contained within speech or song; the words are uttered by the movements of celestial bodies and flow through the motions of the smallest creatures. These Bards practice a way of being in harmony with the whirling cosmos that emphasizes agility, speed, and grace.

When an enemy you can see ends its turn within 5 feet of you, you can take a Reaction and expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to move up to half your Speed. Then one ally of your choice within 30 feet of you can also move up to half their Speed using their Reaction.

None of this feature's movement provokes Opportunity Attacks.

When you roll Initiative, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration if you don't have the Incapacitated condition. When you do so, roll your Bardic Inspiration die; you and each ally within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you gains a bonus to Initiative equal to the number rolled.

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw and only half damage if you fail. If any creatures within 5 feet of you are making the same Dexterity saving throw, you can share this benefit with them for that save.

You can't use this feature if you have the Incapacitated condition.

Weave Beguiling Fey Magic

The College of Glamour traces its origins to the beguiling magic of the Feywild. Bards who study this magic weave threads of beauty and terror into their songs and stories, and the mightiest among them can cloak themselves in otherworldly majesty. Their performances stir up wistful longing for forgotten innocence, evoke unconscious memories of long-held fears, and tug at the emotions of even the most hard-hearted listeners.

You always have the Command spell prepared.

As a Bonus Action, you cast Command without expending a spell slot, and you take on an unearthly appearance for 1 minute or until your Concentration ends. During this time, you can cast Command as a Bonus Action without expending a spell slot.

Any creature Charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the Command you cast with this feature.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest. You can also restore your use of it by expending a level 3+ spell slot (no action required).

As a Bonus Action, you can assume a magically majestic presence for 1 minute or until you have the Incapacitated condition. For the duration, whenever any creature hits you with an attack roll for the first time on a turn, the attacker must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC, or the attack misses instead, as the creature recoils from your majesty.

Once you assume this majestic presence, you can't do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Plumb the Depths of Magical Knowledge

Bards of the College of Lore collect spells and secrets from diverse sources, such as scholarly tomes, mystical rites, and peasant tales. The college's members gather in libraries and universities 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.

You learn two spells of your choice. These spells can come from the class=Cleric, class=Druid, or class=Wizard or any combination thereof (see a class's section for its spell list). A spell you choose must be a cantrip or a spell for which you have spell slots, as shown in the Bard Features table.

You always have the chosen spells prepared, and whenever you gain a Bard level, you can replace one of the spells with another spell that meets these requirements.

When you make an ability check or attack roll and fail, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration; roll the Bardic Inspiration die, and add the number rolled to the d20, potentially turning a failure into a success. On a failure, the Bardic Inspiration isn't expended.

Sing the Deeds of Ancient Heroes

Bards of the College of Valor are daring storytellers whose tales preserve the memory of the great heroes of the past. These Bards sing the deeds of the mighty in vaulted halls or to crowds gathered around great bonfires. They travel to witness great events firsthand and to ensure that the memory of these events doesn't pass away. With their songs, they inspire new generations to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.

You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

In addition, you can cast one of your cantrips that has a casting time of an action in place of one of those attacks.

After you cast a spell that has a casting time of an action, you can make one attack with a weapon as a Bonus Action.

Inspire Allies with Primal Tales

The College of the Moon traces its origins to the ancient druidic circles of the Moonshae Isles, who entrusted the first Bards of this tradition with chronicling the stories of the islands and their people. Bards of this college draw from the isles' fey magic and the primal power of the moonwells to bolster their allies, protect the natural world, and inspire their bardic works.

You always have the Moonbeam spell prepared.

When you cast Moonbeam, you can modify the spell so that you glow faintly while the spell is active. While glowing, you shed Dim Light out to 5 feet, and whenever a creature fails its saving throw against the effects of this Moonbeam, another creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of yourself regains 2d4 Hit Points.

Once you use this feature to modify a casting of Moonbeam, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

You become suffused with the might of the moon, improving your Moon's Inspiration in the following ways.

Shadow of the New Moon

When you use Inspired Eclipse, the creature who received the Bardic Inspiration die can also have the Invisible condition and immediately take a Reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. The creature remains Invisible until the start of its next turn.

Vibrance of the Full Moon

When you use Lunar Vitality, you can roll 1d6 and use the number rolled in place of expending a Bardic Inspiration die.

Call Forth Spirits from Beyond the Grave

Bards of the College of Spirits conjure legendary spirits to change the world. But such entities are capricious, and what a Bard summons isn't always entirely under their control.

Your ability to channel spirits improves. You gain the following benefits.

Power from Beyond

Once per turn, when you cast a Bard spell with a spell slot that deals damage or restores Hit Points, roll 1d6. You gain a bonus equal to the number rolled to one of the spell's damage rolls or to the total Hit Points the spell restores.

Spiritual Manifestation

You always have the Spirit Guardians spell prepared. You can cast the spell once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in this way when you finish a Long Rest.

Whenever you cast the spell, you can modify it so the spirits also guard against worldly threats. When you cast the spell in this way, you and allies within the spell's Emanation have Half Cover. Once you modify the spell in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

You gain mastery over the spirits you call forth. Whenever you roll on the XPHB, you can roll the die twice and choose which of the two effects to bestow. If you roll the same number on both dice, you can instead choose any effect on the table.

"You have never been yourself," a voice in your head speaks. "You always wore a mask, always hidden in the crowd, in plain sight." The voice speaks the truth: a mask has always been your identity, your strong side and your greatest weakness.

Perhaps you were raised on the stage, among the festivals, always moving in line with a great group of actors and singers, or you were raised in dark corners, always shunned by the light, and to trick it, you always had to hide your face. You may have constantly needed a mask to hide who you are or some of your features. Nevertheless, the mask is who you are and an actual part of you.

When you reach 3rd level, the nature of your inspirational magic fuses with your mask and its identity. You can craft special masks that enhance your abilities. Choose two of the following options: Diabolica, Angelico, Fiabesca, Umano.

You can assume the form of a creature that you have seen before related to the mask you chose. For example, you can turn into an Imp if you choose Diabolica. It can be a creature that has a maximum of CR 1 (It will increase to 3 at later levels). Only your Intelligence score, memories, and alignment stay the same. Aside from these, all of your statistics change to the chosen creature.

Stronger Effects: If an ability refers to a DC, it uses your spell save DC instead of the creature's.

Many stat blocks that College of the Masquerade Bards can use are in the SRD 5.1 and in the Bestiary chapter of this book. The suitable stat blocks presented in this setting guide are listed here:

• Fiend: L'anima Vuota, Hollow Skin (CR 1/8); Red Hand of Mammon (CR 1/4); Il Rosso, The Crimson Fiend (CR 1/2); Il Caduto, The Fallen Demon (CR 2)
• Fey: Vivo, Bright Fairy (CR 1/4); Arcobaleno, The Rainbow Fairy (CR 1/2)
• Celestial: Angelo, The Fated One (CR 1/4), Angelo, The Hidden One (CR 1), Angelo The Radiant One (CR 1)

When you transform, you also assume the creature's Hit Points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in a creature's form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your creature form. If the creature can cast spells, however, you can cast those spells within the limitations stated before. Additionally, you can't concentrate on spells that you've cast before turning. You don't retain your other class abilities, other than Bardic Inspiration, or other racial abilities.

You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the GM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

You can use a mask's shapeshifting ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. If you have no uses left, you can expend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to gain another use (no action required).

If the chosen forms have any weapons or armor, they are created by the mask's magic as well and disappear after the time is over.

You can use the mask's ability to turn into a creature using a bonus action on your turn.

Lending the Mask: You can lend your mask to another humanoid. The humanoid must not have a negative Charisma modifier, and you must also spend a Bardic Inspiration die for that humanoid to be able to use the mask.

If any of the masks are destroyed, you can spend 1 hour (can be implemented in a short rest) and use specific dye and wood in the process to create a new one.

Maschera Diabolica

You can choose to put on a mask resembling the depths of hell and their vicious guardians. You can assume the form of a fiend for 10 minutes.

In addition, you have resistance to fire damage when you put on the mask and in your original form.

Maschera Angelico

You choose to put on a mask resembling the fields of Elysium, green gardens above and silk-like wings of the angels depicted in the most beautiful canvases. You can assume the form of a celestial for 10 minutes.

In addition you can cast the sacred flame cantrip when you put on the mask and in your original form.

Maschera Fiabesco

You choose to put on a mask that would make those beholding you feel like they are in an enchanted forest, speaking to the Fairy Queen herself. You can assume the form of a fey for 10 minutes.

In addition, you are immune to being charmed when you put on the mask and in your original form.

Maschera Umano

You choose to put on a mask that would resemble the creature with the most potential: a humanoid. You can assume your new form for 10 minutes.

In addition, whenever you put on the mask for the first time in a day, you choose a skill, or tool, and gain proficiency in it.

Your maximum CR for the masks becomes 3.

Each mask is more powerful now and gains new benefits when you put them on while in your original form.

Diabolica: You can see in magical darkness (120 ft.) as if it were daylight.

Angelico: All of your attacks deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage..

Fiabesco: You can use your bonus action to cast misty step without the use of a spell slot. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Umano: You gain Expertise in a skill you are proficient in. If you already have Expertise in that skill from another source, you can't use it again.

Once you reach 14th level, your bond with your mask and its form reaches its epitome. Your time in a creature form is extended to 1 hour.

In addition, your masks are at their absolute power.

Diabolica: You are immune to fire and cold damage.

Angelico: You understand when you hear a lie.

Fiabesco: Instead of casting misty step, you can expend one use of it as a bonus action and choose a creature within 60 ft. of you to swap places with. The creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or they swap places with you. A creature can choose to fail this saving throw, such as an ally.

Umano: While wearing it, you are proficient with a saving throw of your choice. You can choose a new one when you finish a long rest.