Credits Lead Designer, Concept Concept,, Writing David J Moore
Layout Ted Ted Hartle
Special Thanks to: Ted Ted Hartle, Jeremy Kapsar, Kapsar, and Marc Altfuldisch for feedback and suggestions.
Artwork All artwork is in the public domain. Cover photo: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, L’art et la litterature, 1866. Pg 4: Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Sappho and ,1870. Alcaeus ,1870. Pg 5: Gustave Doré, Vivien and Merlin, Idylls of the King , 1868. Pg 6: Hermes, Euridice, and Orpheus , Relief in the Villa Albani in Rome. Pg 10: Jost Amman, Das Ständebuch ,1568. ,1568. Pg 12: Leonid Pasternak, The Passion of Creation, Late 19th Centur y. Pg 15: Gustave Doré, Troubadours Singing the Glories of the Crusades, Late 19th Centur y.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand,Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dun geon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers Adventurers League, all other Wizards Wizards of the Coast product product names, and their their respective logos are are trademarks of Wizards Wizards of the Coast in the USA USA and other countries. countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. Not for resale. Permitssion granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
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T ABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: What makes a Bard?......4 Archetypes and Stereotypes .............................4 The Bard in History and Myth The Bard in Dungeons & Dragons
Role in Society .................................................7 Bard, Scoundrel, or Star?
Role in the Party..............................................8
Chapter 2: New Class Options ...... 10 Bard Colleges ..................................................10 College of the Spheres College of the Silver Pen College of the Sacred Yew College of the Eternal Veil College of Song Immemorial Troupe of the Shadowdancers
Feats ...............................................................17 Arcane Visage Battledancer Diplomat Melodic Casting Virtuoso
Chapter 3: New Epic Options .......18 Epic Class Features .........................................18 Epic Boons ......................................................19 Boon of Many Faces Boon of Primal Music Boon of Unerring Skill
Chapter 4: New Magic Items ......... 20 Diplomat’s Immunity Satchel of the Combat Medic Singing Sword
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CHAPTER 1: W HAT MAKES A B ARD? On a rock, whose haughty brow Frowns o’er old Conway’s foaming flood, Rob’d in the sable garb of woe, With haggard eyes the poet stood; (Loose his beard, and hoary hair Stream’d, like a meteor, to the troubled air) And with a master’s hand, and prophet’s fire, Struck the deep sorrows of his lyre; Thomas Gray, The Bard: A Pindaric Ode
A R CHETYPES AND S TEREOTYPES Ask a handful of D&D players what a bard is or does exactly and you’ll likely to get back any number of diff erent answers. Which one is your bard? A fencing scoundrel with razor wit and a way with the wenches, a lute strapped to his back? A powerful hermit magician who can see the future? A superstar singer who can sway the hearts and
minds of the audience? A War Chanter, wading through combat with a sword in hand and song in the air, inspiring her comrades to glory? A jack of all trades, master of none, skill monkey? An RP specialist who’s nearly useless in combat? A support caster? The D&D bard has shifted in de�nition from version to version, pulling on equally varied inspirations from myth and histor y. It’s no wonder that players and DMs alike can’t agree on what a bard should be. Fortunately, in Dungeons and Dragons 5e the rules are �exible and easily allow the core bard class to be shaped into any of t hese diff erent characters. So then, t he question really isn’t which bard is the true bard. It’s who is your bard going to be? Which path will you take? There are many to choose from, with many diff erent play styles. Let’s wade through some of them �rst to see what they are and where they came from, to give you a few archetypes to pick from and strive towards.
THE B ARD IN HISTORY AND M YTH Who cares? You’re here to play D&D, not pretend you’re a Celt in bronze age Europe. I mean come on, you play because it’s not real life. But here’s the thing; the core D&D classes were distilled from our own world’s countless stories and myths, MUSICA AETERNAM 4
which were passed down through the generations. If we just look to them, we can see the archetypes of the perfect �ghters and wizards, ready for us to model characters after. But the problem with bards…well, bards are a mess to be honest. So, just real fast, let’s get the myth stuff , the inspiration for the fantasy bards, straight in our heads, before we see how well that transferred over to D&D. When it comes down to it, there are two types of bards (and I’m using bard in the generic way here, not the very speci�c historical one): Magicians and Musicians. Or, to put it in terms that might be easier to relate to, there’s Merlin and then there’s Orpheus.
Merlin Merlin, believe it or not, wasn’t a wizard, or a mage, or a sorcerer. He was actually a bard. It’s a little muddier than that, because a bard in t he early celtic world was the closest thing they had to a wizard. Bards held the ver y important role of history keepers, where we get the concept of bardic lore from. These societies were pre-writing, so all history had to be remembered and passed on orally, and the easiest way to do this was in poetry or song. These weren’t alway songs for entertainment then. They were more often long, winding epics, chronicling all of the major events in your tribe or kingdom and praising your leaders. Bards studied for years before they could assume this role of power in society, related to and just beneath that of the druidic pr iests. They were prophets and advisors to the kings, and had some reputed healing abilities. Aside from recording history in poetry and song, they also told the future and could curse their enemies through poetry, through the power of words. While they weren’t the entertainer/performer that many think of with a bard, t heir magic did have a musical element to it, as did a lot of magic in t he ancient world, and the words in their spells were musical in their delivery. (An “incantation” has the root word “cantare” in there, after all, or “to sing”.)
Vivien and Merlin
The Merlin of history (or Myrddhin in Welsh) was one of these men. Myths would then take him and add even more powers to his legend over time, like the ability to shapeshift. The ancient celtic traditions eventually died away (quite literally as the Romans hunted the Celtic druids to extinction and later the English king Edward I had 500 Welsh bards rounded up and killed to cut off the Welsh from their history). Even after that, the role of the bards would still continue on for centuries, on into the more modern kingdoms of Ireland and Scotland. Here the bards were simply de�ned as a class of court poets and musicians, usually harpists, though their words were still often thought to contain magic and an insulting verse from a bard could cause real harm. MUSICA AETERNAM 5
Another related note here, on skalds. The nordic skald is very similar to the celtic bard in history and practice. Fantasy, however, has taken the skald and made him or her into a War Chanter, a singing warrior who inspires all around them with their voice. There is very little evidence for this treatment, unfortunately. They practiced as poets in nordic societies and were thought to have similar magical powers to the celtic bard. There are stories of them inspiring others with magic before battles, but stories of them wading into combat themselves, consumed in song and the glory of battle, just don’t seem to be there.
Orpheus Ah Orpheus. Part man, son of the king of Thrace, and part divine, son of Calliope, one of the Greek Muses. Orpheus didn’t need to cast spells to make magic. His music was magic all on its own, beautiful beyond measure. He was educated at court and when traveling with Jason and the Argonauts knew which rituals would appease the diff erent Gods and ease their journey through troubled lands. He was given a golden lyre and taught to play it by Apollo himself, then counter-played the Sirens and saved the Argonauts from their enchanting songs. He later travelled into the underworld to bring back his wife Eurydice from the dead. He charmed Charon, the boatman of the Styx, to let him cross, lulled the three-headed guard hound of Hades Cerberus to sleep with his lyre, then charmed the lord Hades himself. However great his music was, though, he failed in the end. As they left the underworld he was told not to look back at his wife or she would be lost forever. At the very last moment t he temptation was too great and he looked. Here we have the other end of the Bardic spectrum, where music itself is their beginning and end, everything that they are and can do. These bards pour their hearts into their music and
Hermes, Euridice, and Orpheus
the beauty of the ensuing notes and emotion it contains can unlock the magic of the universe. This isn’t magic born of words of power and �eeting gestures. It is woven into great performances. From a role-playing perspective, you may be confused, since the Bard in 5e is a caster class, no longer with speci�c “song” abilities. However, to play a pure music-based character you can simply use the standard Bard class (spell lists and all) and just treat the spells as songs. For example, you wouldn't so much cast your spells as singdiff erent songs which then cause the e ff ects you desire. The Pied Piper leading the children away from the village could be nothing more than mass suggestion in song form. This pat h is slightly more complicated to role-play in certain situations, especially combat, but if you wish to play music that can enchant the mind, that can inspire heroes to greatness heal them in their time of need, you need to look no further than Orpheus.
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THE B ARD IN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS In 1st edition D&D the bard was a p restige class of sorts. You had to train as both a Fighter and Thief for a few levels, then enter into training under a Druid and learned their magic, at which point you could be considered a Bard. They had Bardic lore and a chance to charm enemies with their music. It was 2nd edition that introduced Bards as scoundrels with a rapier and limited casting, or support characters whose roles include minor healing and buffing through inspiring songs. The concept from 1st edition was abandoned and the new Bard was introduced as a close cousin to the Thief, both tossed into the Rogue category. They were sneaky, with limited casting and mediocre attacks, and excelled at fast-talking. They inspire through their music and know a little of everything with their knack for collecting lore. Thus the jack of all trades, master of none was born and t he Bard of fantasy games broke from t he archetypes of mythology. Also, once buffing inspiration became a common and expected game mechanic that idea more than anything took control of the Bard’s fate. 3rd edition D&D took the Bard of 2nd edition and expanded upon its core ideas. To this end, the class was streamlined for the party role of support. Bardic class and prestige class design doubled down on inspiring song buff s more than anything else and the quintessential 3rd edition Bard, the War Chanter, was born. With a sword in hand, or two, they took inspiration in combat to new heights, aided by the release of many prestige classes and feats that increased the power of their buff s. With 5th edition D&D, we have a lot of long term Bard players who feel we �nally have a version of the class that could have some power behind it. The previous Bards weren’t very eff ective beyond heavy role-playing situations. Most part ies would only want a bard around if all t he other slots were �lled, usually meaning a wizard, thief, cleric, and warrior of some sort. Sure t he bard added something to the mix, but couldn’t fully cover the hole left if you didn’t have a “core” class. Now, with 5th edition, the bard is given a full spellcaster progression, which allows us to swap places wit h any wizard or sorcerer to take the party “mage” slot. But the changes go beyond that. We’re allowed to take spells from any caster’s spell list every few levels, so we can heal like a Cleric or control nature like a Druid. The �uff about being a scoundrel was stripped away and we now have a
very versatile and very malleable base Bard class. We’re the jack of all trades, master of whichever one we want to pick now. If the War Chanter or jack of all trades bard is your favorite character to play, then you are in luck. The two current Bard Colleges provided in the Player’s Handbook exemplify these already. But, for this guide I wanted to �ll in the rest of the bard options, to open up other possibilities and not just continue what 2nd edition started. With t he new design of the Bard in 5e, there is a lot of wiggle room to make this happen. So, if you are looking for something else, I should be able to help you out. One additional note: Concerning the Bard in 4t h edition D&D, my gaming group kept on playing 3.5 and didn’t really give 4e a tr y, so I don’t feel I can comment on it. I do know that it continued in the same general tradition as 2nd and 3rd editions though.
ROLE IN SOCIETY After reading through all of that, maybe you’re leaning in a speci �c direction, that the more magical or musical Bard has peaked your interest? That’s great, but there’s more to consider before you can tie up your character sheet with a nice, neat bow. Let’s take your background to star t. Not background meaning the 5th edition element of character creation that lets you pick a chunk of skills. I mean, where did your Bard really come from and how do you �t into your campaign world? Are there a lot of Bards? Are they respected? Do you entertain? Who hires you or pays for your next meal? First off , does everyone know Elan? From the Order of the Stick? If you scratched your head with either of those, go to the internet now and come back once you’ve done a lot of back reading. … … Ready? Alright. Elan exempli�es everything about the 2nd and 3rd edition Bards, packed nicely in the form of comic relief and swashbuckling foppishness. He is a fantastic example of t hose types of Bards if that’s what you’re looking to play, but remember that there are many other routes you can take. Quick side note here: Every non-Bard D&D player there thinks Elan is what all Bards are supposed to be like. Go ahead, ask them. MUSICA AETERNAM 7
B ARD, SCOUNDREL, OR STAR? Elan is the kind of roguish, scoundrel Bard that was drawn from how most entertainers (including musicians) were treated in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Europe, which we’ll look at in a second. Bards and musicians of all sorts lived very diff erent lives depending on both when and where they lived, and it would be no diff erent in a D&D world.
The Celtic Bard Our oldest Bard model. In early tribal societies, music and words held magical roles, which gave the Bards their power. Society revered them and they were given lands and titles for their services to their kings. They wrote poetry and sung, but were fairly serious characters. I won’t discuss them too much here since already covered their general history.
The Renaissance Scoundrel The “classic” D&D Bard. For this model to make sense you need to know a couple things. 1) The arts were looked down upon in the Middle Ages and Renaissance as something that was beneath the gentlemen classes and nobility. To even be a member of t hese professions starts you on the bottom rungs of society. Throughout most of this time, the Cat holic Church even had actors excommunicated. 2) There is no free market system or middle class yet. The last point probably doesn’t make much sense at �rst glance. You see, you can’t easily make money as a musician in these periods. There’s no economy in the Middle Ages to support them because the peasants don’t have any money (they have to work for their lord for practically free in the feudal system), and there is no middle class. Only the elite have any money at all. So you, the musician or actor, can either go to work for a Lord and keep him as happy as you can in exchange for food and a room over your head but little else, or you can play for peasants at a tavern and make no money there either. With the middle class emerging in the Renaissance artists of all sorts could �nally begin to �nd work, to some extent at least. However, they still belonged to the outskirts of society and had to scrape by to make a living, hence t he scoundrel
stereotype. There’s a lot more history here, of course, but you just need to know if your campaign world has an economy that can suppor t performers or not, if you want to role-playing accurately that is.
The Rock Star I hate to disappoint anyone, but if you always wanted to play a rock star Bard with hoards of adoring fans in a standard D&D style world, you’re probably out of luck. That sort of popularity and wealth derived from performing didn’t exist until the common people had spending cash to pay to see you play, not until well after the Renaissance. We also didn’t have many virtuosic instruments until later on, ones that could per form really complicated, fast music. Earlier music wasn’t always as impressive as you might think. So without both technological advances in crafting and movement away from a feudal economy you probably won’t be selling out stadiums. You can play whatever you and your DM agree upon, of course, since it is fantasy after all. But, for those role-playing sticklers out there I wanted to make sure you knew how these realities a ff ected performers.
ROLE IN THE P ARTY Unlike the complexity of how Bards and musicians related to the societies they lived in, discussing how to play an adventuring Bard in D&D is relatively easy. Simply put, Bards are glor iously versatile, so you can be whatever you want to be. Do you have a certain style of play in mind? Damage? Healer? Front line �ghter? Stealthy support? Whatever it is, chances are you can accomplish it with a Bard.
Support The easiest path to choose. We’re built to do this without even thinking about it. It’s also what most other players will expect you to do. Ou r spell list naturally has heals and loads of utility spells, we can heal even more post-battle with Song of Rest, and everyone loves a little Bardic Inspiration.
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Crowd Control While this is usually lumped into support, I wanted to separate it out because of how good we are at it, at tactical battle �eld control. Step 1) Get any of the Instrument of t he Bards magic items. Step 2) cast any and every charm spell you have. The enemies now save at disadvantage to these when you use the instrument as your focus. Hypnotic Pattern is particularly devastating/ abusive, but Suggestion and Dominate work wonders too.
Skill Monkey Do you want to know every lore skill and recapture the Bardic Lore �avor of D&D 3.5? Do you want to be the mouth of the party and t alk your way out of every tight spot? Do you want to be t he forward scout, sneaking ahead to �nd the enemies? Good thing you can expertise four of your skills then, not to mention you still get 1/2 pro�ciency bonus to all the rest with Jack of All Trades.
Melee Fancy yourself a Spellsword, Bladesinger, or War Chanter? Nothing a few smart feat choices can’t � x. Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) to learn Booming Blade, Green � ame Blade, and Shield. Then select all the Paladin Smite spells you want with your Magical Secrets levels. The Smites are bonus spells, which then allow you to still cast a cantrip Blade spell that turn and pile on the magic melee damage.
Spellcaster Damage A little harder to accomplish on a Bard. We can take damaging spells with our Magical Secrets abilities, but fall behind the other casters in both damage output and range of spell choices. However, I’ve created my �rst new archetype to address this concern speci �cally.
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Chapter 2: New Class Options B ARD COLLEGES In this chapter you will �nd six new Bard Colleges, as well as � ve new Feats. I didn’t add versions of the Jack of all Trades Bard, since the Lore College covers that well, nor the War Chanter Bard, which the Valor College represents. I also took one little liberty and added optional level 20 capstone abilities for each archetype. I ironically �nd the current Bard capstone, Superior Inspiration, to be a little uninspired and so instead created new ones in the �avor of each individual college.
COLLEGE OF THE SPHERES There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres. Pythagoras In ancient times, a select few scholars believed in a supreme order to the universe, guided by mathematical proportions and ratios. Once discovered, they began to see it everywhere: t he Golden Ratio. Plants spiraled their leaves according to its divine pattern, and animals of the sea grew their shells in the same manner. Even the celestial bodies of the heavens, the planets themselves, danced through space on mathematically precise orbits. The relationships were all perfect, too perfect to be less than divine in origin. These scholars soon lent their knowledge to architects and artists alike, to spread the beauty of this mathematical purity into our own creations. Music in particular lent itself to t he task. In fact, the musical notes re �ected the ratio so clearly that music was viewed as our link to this universal constant, a way for us to tap into the nature of the divine itself. Scholars began to experiment and imagined music all around them in nature. Even the planets sang in their orbits, a galactic music of the spheres.
Unfortunately, this knowledge was lost to antiquity. Those that did stumble upon it thought it to be of no use, just the useless pondering of the elder civilizations of our world. The Bards of the College of the Spheres, however, know the truth. The secrets lived on, passed down from Bardic masters to their apprentices through the centuries. The knowledge was deemed to dangerous for most men to possess, once t he �nal truths were revealed: Everything is the same. Nature. Magic. Man. The Gods. Everything is born out of the same supreme order. And music is the key we possess to unlock it all.
Bonus Proficiencies The path to study the music of the spheres, as it is commonly known to the Bards who follow these teachings, is rigorously academic. Initiates to the College must spend countless hours reading dusty old tomes until the basic concepts are grasped. MUSICA AETERNAM 10
At 3rd level, you gain pro�ciency in two lore skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. If you are already pro �cient in these skills, you may pick two other ones that re�ect your intensive studying.
Flash of Insight Also at 3rd level, your training allows you to enter a heightened mental state. As a bonus action, you can spend one Bardic Inspiration die to enter this state, which then lasts for 1 minute. At any time during the duration, you may choose to expend the Inspiration die to add raise to the DC of a spell you cast by 1.
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 t able, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, but don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.
Diabolus in Musica You have unlocked the secrets of diabolic power through your studies and learned to apply its destructive properties to your own magic. Starting at 14th level, when you have used a Bardic Inspiration die to enter your heightened mental state, you may use the Inspiration die to add your Charisma modi�er to the damage of one spell you cast, instead of increasing its save DC.
Musica Universalis (optional) At 20th level, you perceive the world around you in the simplicity of its mathematical forms at all times. Thus, you see your magic as being no diff erent from that of Wizards, Clerics, Druids, or the Gods themselves. Magic is magic, is music, is mathematics. Once per long rest, you can lose an unused spell slot to spont aneously cast any spell of the same level or lower from any class’s spell list.
COLLEGE OF THE SILVER PEN You without me can be nothing but silent. I without you can have nothing to say. Cynddelw, Hendregadredd One of the primary roles of a bard is that of chronicler, to immortalize the exploits of heroes and kings in song or poetry. For some Bards, however, merely recording these stories is not enough. They are often too boring, too normal. No one would sit in silence, in awe of stories such as these. Perhaps if the Bard applied his artistic touch to them, though, then they might stir the hearts of the audience. When Bards of the Silver pen touch their quill to the parchment, magic �ows from them into their very words. Then a curious thing happens. The events that these Bards record, and the men and women whose lives they preserve in their words, are changed by the way their tale is told. A hero may �nd himself more bold after hearing about his defeat of the black dragon that he never actually met. A queen may �nd compassion in her heart for prisoners, where there was none before, when told that she’s always done so in the past. Words are powerful, as are those that write them down. We’ve all heard it before. History is wr itten by the victors. The pen is mightier than the sword. But, how many pens can in �uence the fate of kingdoms with a few short lines?
Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of the Silver Pen at 3rd level, you gain pro�ciency in two skills from: Deception, Insight, or Persuasion. This represents your increased awareness of how words manipulate those around you. If you already are pro�cient in these skills, you may pick two other ones in their place.
Cutting Words Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the con�dence and competence of others. When a creature 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 t his feature after the creature makes its roll, but before MUSICA AETERNAM 11
the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before t he creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.
Lasting Praise By 6th level, the Bard understands how to enchant their own handwriting so that the their inspirations can live on in ink and paper. For the cost of 25 gold pieces in special inks, the Bard can inscribe a sheet of parchment with an inspirational poem. The magic of the inspiration persists on this scroll until a creature other than the Bard reads it, at which point they feel uplifted by its message. The creature receives a 1d8 Bardic Inspiration die following the standard rules, including the 10 minute duration, etc. Once read, the poem no longer holds any magic.
Curse of 100 Tongues
least 1 minute to do so. The curse is then folded up and kept on the Bard’s person, close to their heart. The enemy named in the poem su ff ers a -1 penalty to all attacks, saving throws, and ability checks for 1 week, after which the magic fades. The power of the curse increases to -3 if a drop of target’s blood was mixed in with the ink used to write it down. The Bard can only have 1 curse active at any given time.
Jumping off the Page (optional) By 20th level, the Bard’s knack for embellishing scenes with new characters and plot twists spills over into reality. She can evoke her imagination and, with a few spoken words, improvise her own story as it is still happening. Once per long rest, you can cast one of the following spells without using a spell slot: conjure animals, conjure celestial, conjure elemental, conjure fey, or conjure woodland beings.
At 14th level, the Bard is able to produce lasting, debilitating curses against those that have wronged them. The Bard must write out a poem cursing the name of their foe in detail, spending at
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COLLEGE OF THE S ACRED Y EW Hear the voice of the bard, Who present, past, and future sees; Whose ears have heard The Holy Word That walk’d among the ancient trees. William Blake, Hear the Voice While most Druids keep to themselves and hold their private rituals in sacred groves, others are also often priests of secluded tr ibal societies, preaching the balance of nature and leading the villagers into a life of harmony with the plants and animals around them. In these places, Bards hold a place of honor akin to their Druidic brethren. They are magicians and wonder-workers to those around them and use their arcane skills to tend to and protect the close-knit communities that they are born into. They learn the histories of their people by memory, keep track of their systems of laws, and often become advisors to the local chieftan or king, aided by their t alents in divination and prophecy.
Ear of the King Starting at 14th level, the reputation of your College precedes you and your advice is highly valued and sought after. You can always �nd food and lodging with nobility or other local authority �gures. You also have advantage on Persuasion checks made to in�uence their actions.
Gift of Prophesy (optional) At 20th level, once per long rest you can glimpse the future clearly enough to warn others of the dangers that lie before them. If you spend 1 minute concentrating on a person, you can look into their future and tell t hem fragments of what you see. They roll two d20s and record the numbers rolled. They can then replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by them with one of these rolls. They must choose to do so before the roll, and can only replace a roll in this way once per turn. Each roll can only be used once. When they �nish a long rest, they lose any unused rolls.
Druidic Training At 3rd level, the Bard of the Sacred Yew undergoes initiation into the Druidic orders to further his or her training. You add Druidic to your known languages and learn two cantrips of your choice from the Druid spell list. These are considered Bard spells for you.
Wild Shape Once reaching 6th level, you are taught the secrets of Druidic shapeshifting. You can use this ability as a Druid of 2nd level. At 12th level you can change form as a Druid of 4t h level, but with � ying speed allowed, and at 19th level you can change form as a Druid of 8th level. For the complete rules, see the Druid Wild Shape ability on pages 66-67 of the Players Handbook. In addition, at 12th level you may choose from three speci�c bird forms, unique to the College of the Sacred Yew: bardic sparrow, bardic owl, and bardic eagle. When in each of these forms, the Bard can sing a bird song that imparts bene�ts to party members within 60 feet. This bene�t lasts for as long as the Bard continues to sing. The sparrow song grants 10 speed, the owl song grants darkvision 30 feet, and the eagle song grants advantage on perception checks that rely on sight.
COLLEGE OF THE ETERNAL V EIL All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players Shakespeare, As you like it They call themselves Weavers. Some would say they’ve completely lost touch with reality, that they truly don’t know what’s real and what isn’t anymore. But a Weaver would simply ask, “What is reality? Is this chair real? Can you see it? Smell the wood and dust? Hear it creak when I move it? Can you feel it splintering along the top?” Then with a wink the chair is gone. “If you can’t trust that it was real, when you had it right in front of you, how do you know anything is?” Weavers are Bards who combine acting with the magic of illusion to create immersive stories of their own design. They aren’t content to act only on the stage a few nights a week. No, the thr ill of acting is far too great to restrict only to t he theater. They choose instead to make the world around them at any given moment their stage, whenever, wherever, and with whomever passing by drawn into their drama. They can be anyone and anywhere they wish and in a blink of an eye it’s all shifted and they’re gone. MUSICA AETERNAM 13
The Weaver’s Craft At 3rd level you specialize in the school of illusion and begin to incorporate these skills into your performances. You learn the minor illusion cantrip. If you already know this cantrip, you learn a diff erent bard cantrip of your choice. The cantrip doesn’t count against your cantrips known. When you cast minor illusion, you can create both a sound and an image with a single casting of the spell.
Setting the Stage By 6th level, you can seamlessly blend your acting with your illusions to great eff ect. When you attempt a Deception check in the presence of one of your illusions, you can manipulate it to reinforce your charade and gain advantage on the roll.
Spinning the Tale At 14th level, you are allowed to make a performance check when a creature is presented with proof that your illusion is not real. If your roll is higher than their insight roll, you soothe their doubts and they still believe in your illusion.
Lowering the Veil (optional) Once you reach 20th level, your illusions are so real that they trick a creature’s mind into believing that they can actually be felt. As a bonus action, you can imbue an existing illusion of yours with this potent ability, which lasts for ten minutes. Each time a creature comes into contact with part of the illusion they make an intelligence save. If they fail, their body involuntarily stops itself, as if they had actually touched the object, and the illusion is not broken. For example, you could eff ectively lock them in a room with no way out or lose them in a crowd of people. The illusions can do them no harm, other than the sense of touching something solid. You can use this ability once per long rest.
COLLEGE OF SONG IMMEMORIAL When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest. Henry David Thoreau For some musicians, the joy of music is about the performance itself, connecting with an audience to share in this rare, ephemeral art form. For others it’s about being lost in the moment itself, closing your eyes and knowing nothing but the sounds that envelope you. The quest to �nd these little moments of pure musical perfection is what drives Bards of the College of Song Immemorial to practice for hours on end, day after day. If you ask them, though, the reward is worth a hundred times the eff ort they put in. This devotion to their craft and mastery over the musical arts allows them to channel pure, unrestrained emotion through their instruments, resulting in melodies that resonate deeply with anyone who can hear them. Even the most battle hardened warrior would be hard pressed to resist and not stand in rapt attention to listen when these Bards begins to play.
Born Performer At 3rd level, you gain pro�ciency in the performance skill as well as with two musical instruments (considered tools).
Persuasive Song Also at 3rd level, your skillful musical performances can make the audience think more highly of you. While performing, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to adjust the attitude of one target NPC by one degree; from unfriendly to indiff erent, indiff erent to friendly, or friendly to helpful. Hostile NPCs can’t be in �uenced by this ability.
Fascinating Rhythm At 6th level, your music begins to enchant the senses of any audience you play before. When performing, and by using a Bardic Inspiration die, you can attempt to charm any number of creatures within 30 feet of you. They must all be able to see and hear you perform. Each audience member makes a wisdom save versus your spell DC and is charmed on a failed save.
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This eff ect functions as per the hypnotic pattern spell. If you are playing on an Instrument of the Bards magic item, it confers disadvantage to their
saves as if you were casting a charm spell. The charm eff ect lasts as long as you perform and for 1 minute afterwards.
Rapture of the Song Once you reach 14th level, you enter a state of musical ecstasy when inspiring others and are more resilient to anything going on around you. When you grant another creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you gain +1 AC, +1 Saves, and Damage Reduction 2/ until the start of your next turn. MUSICA AETERNAM 15
Stealing the Limelight (optional) Your music is so potent at 20th level that you can wrest control of a creature from the in�uence of another charm spell. When you encounter a charmed creature you can roll a Performance check versus the DC of the charm spell. If you succeed, you gain control of the charm spell and therefore control of the creature. This works with charm person, suggestion, hypnotic pattern, dominate, or any other charm spell. If the spell
requires concentration, you must concentrate to keep the charm going. This ability is usable once per long rest.
TROUPE OF THE SHADOWDANCERS All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow. Leo Tolstoy Stories of shadowdancers have long �lled the imagination of common and learned folk alike. Most people have never encountered one, but they will insist they know exactly what they are: Thieves and cutthroats all, ones who sell their souls for power over the darkness. Some have even heard that they travel to the shadow realm itself to uncover long forgotten and forbidden secrets. All of this is utter nonsense, of course, but the real shadowdancers enjoy the stories as much as the next traveler. No, learning to dance with shadows isn't a matter of dark pacts but an art, born of hard practice and sweat like any other and combined with bardic magic. Dance and the search for beauty in perfect movements lies at t he heart of their craft, not darkness. In fact, what use is darkness if no one can then see you move? No, the light and shadows are just their partners, illuminating their bodies with �eeting shadowy images and shades of gray. In time they learn to control the shadows around them and perfect their beautiful duet.
Fleet of Foot Starting at 3rd level, your training in dance grants you improved athleticism that you can use in combat. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat, which can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions.
Grace under Pressure Also at 3rd level, your natural agility can inspire those around you. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can use that die to increase their movement speed by 15 feet for one turn.
Fading Light Shadowdancers learn to shape the light at 6th level, to create the ideal conditions for shadows to exist. Once per short rest you can dim the light in a 30 foot radius centered on you. This eff ect lasts for 1 minute, moves with you, and gives you and your party (those within the radius) advantage on stealth checks based on sight.
Twisting Shadows Starting at 14th level, you can control your shadow and the shadows that fall across you to mislead an attacker, by moving them sporadically in unnatural directions. When targeted with a melee or ranged attack, you can use your reaction to force your attacker to roll at disadvantage. This ability uses a Bardic Inspiration die.
Shadow Dance (optional) At 20th level, you have reached the pinnacle of the Shadowdancer’s craft and can animate your own shadow to aid you in combat. Once per long rest, you can use your action to have your shadow rise off the ground in two-dimensions and attack your nearest opponent for up to 1 minute. The shadow is opaque and partially obstructs vision (other than yours and those that can see through magical darkness). It is also immaterial and exists in your space, passing harmlessly through you and your attacks as it �ghts. The constant barrage of movement from your shadow distracts your opponent and gives all of your attacks advantage. It also causes your opponent to suff er disadvantage on their att acks against you. This only a ff ects a single target that both you and your shadow attack together, though as a free action you can direct your shadow to att ack a new target once per round. At the end of the minute, your shadow melds back down to its normal position on the �oor.
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FEATS These feats will hopefully �ll in a few of the gaps in the feat list of the Player’s Handbook and compliment diff erent approaches to the Bard and styles of play.
DIPLOMAT You have served as a negotiator through many tricky situations and gain the following bene�ts: •
A RCANE V ISAGE
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You have advantage on persuasion checks other than haggling over price.
•
You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Insight) score.
Prerequisite: Can cast a 1st level arcane spell
In your desire to follow in the footsteps of the greatest of mages, you begin to emulate how t hey look and behave and bend your magic to aid in this task. You know there is subtle power in convincing the world you are greater than you actually are. You gain the following bene�ts: •
•
•
As an action, you can completely clean yourself of all dirt and grime, dry yourself and your clothes, style and color your hair, or shave or trim your facial or body hair. As an action, you can conjure any article of clothing or jewelry from within 5 feet and have it appear on your body, instantly wearing it. If you were wearing a similar item, you can have it trade places with the �rst item during the same action. This does not allow you to don armor. You can use magic items as if you were a wizard, ignoring the prerequisite if you could not otherwise do so.
Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
MELODIC C ASTING Through intense study and practice, you have �gured out how to seamlessly blend magic into your performances. You gain the following bene�ts: •
You can cast spells while performing, incorporating the verbal and somatic components into your playing without disrupting the performance. If there is no obvious point of origin for a spell, it is unclear that you are the one that cast it.
•
You can use your Charisma modi�er instead of Constitution for checks to maintain concentration while casting a spell.
•
You can use a musical instrument as your spell casting focus, if you were unable to do so before.
B ATTLEDANCER
V IRTUOSO
Prerequisite: Pro � ciency in Performance skill
You are often hailed as one of the most gifted performers of your generation and gain the following bene�ts:
You have been trained in a rare combat style that combines the rhythmic precision of dance with the fury of melee combat. You can use a bonus action to begin your dance, which lasts for 1 minute. You are not able to perform the battle dance if wearing medium or heavy armor, using a shield, or wielding a heavy weapon. While dancing, you gain the following bene�ts: •
You gain a bonus to melee weapon attacks equal to your Charisma modi�er (minimum of +1).
•
Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
•
You can use Dash or Disengage as a bonus action.
•
Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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You have advantage on Performance checks.
•
Wherever you perform, you attract the attention of local patrons of the arts and enjoy the notoriety of being a minor celebrity in these circles.
Maintaining the battle dance is exhausting and you can only use this ability once per long rest. MUSICA AETERNAM 17
CHAPTER 3: NEW EPIC OPTIONS EPIC CLASS FEATURES Below I have provided epic class features for each of my new archetypes. These allow you to take your Bard all the way up to level 30, using the system created by Marc Altfuldisch in Epic Characters .
COLLEGE OF THE S ACRED Y EW C ALL OF THE PROPHET Beginning at 27th level, when you receive prophetic visions in the midst of combat, you can shout out a warning to t hose around you. You can spend a Bardic Inspiration die as a reaction to grant yourself and all allies within 60 feet that can see and hear you advantage on their saving throws against one spell or ability. This can be used to protect a group against an area of eff ect spell or ability, but also could be used to warn a single ally about a targeted one.
COLLEGE OF THE ETERNAL V EIL TRUE- WOVEN V EIL These abilities are unlocked at level 27 and as such are obviously meant to be powerful, elevating your character into the ranks of the mightiest heroes the realms have ever seen.
COLLEGE OF THE SPHERES SONG OF W ARDING Beginning at 27th level, you are able to sing a countersong that matches the damage type of an incoming hostile spell and dissipates its eff ects a little. As a reaction, you can gain resistance to the damage of one spell.
COLLEGE OF THE SILVER PEN W RITING ON THE W ALL Starting at 27th level, you can quickly scribe a note of warning onto a nearby surface to protect against enemies and intruders. This ability functions exactly as the spell glyph of warding , but with a casting time of one action, without consuming a spell slot or material components, and cast as if using an 8th level spell slot. You can only have one glyph active at a time and you cannot use this ability again until after completing a long rest.
Upon reaching 27th level, your illusions are so realistic that you can even fool truesight. As a bonus action, you can imbue one of your illusions so that creatures with tr uesight do not automatically detect it as an illusion, nor do they automatically succeed on saving throws against it. This eff ect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modi�er. Once is has stopped, you cannot use it again until after you �nish a long rest.
COLLEGE OF SONG IMMEMORIAL MUSIC OF THE G ODS Starting at 27th level, any charm spells you cast are able to a ff ect creatures normally immune to being charmed. This also applies to your class abilities that charm, such as fascinating rhythm. However, these creatures make their saving throws with advantage. Also, when a normally charm immune creature succeeds on a saving throw against one of your charm spells or abilities, it is immune to the e ff ect of your charms for the next 24 hours.
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TROUPE OF THE SHADOWDANCERS CLOAK OF LIVING SHADOW Beginning at 27th level, in dire circumstances, when avoiding injury is otherwise impossible, your shadow takes on a will of its own to aid you. Without so much as a though from you, it swiftly rises off of the ground and wraps itself around you like a cloak, simultaneously infusing itself with essence from the shadow plane to gain enough form to partially block the attack. This functions exactly like the Evasion ability. When you are subjected to an eff ect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to only take half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
EPIC BOONS The following Epic Boons are speci�c to the gameplay and abilities of high level Bards, unlike the more generic Boons found in the Dungeon Master Guide. Additionally, the balance between Boons in the DMG can var y greatly and was criticized by some for that. My goal here was to make these ones feel suitably epic, but not quite Godly. As a side note, one choice I made is to not use �at damage immunity. As a DM I �nd this often takes too much challenge out of the game in the long run, so instead I would limit the DMG Boons to damage resistance (such as Boon of the F ire Soul). I would, however, allow this Boon to upgrade an existing resistance (such as what the Tie �ing possesses) to immunity.
BOON OF M ANY F ACES You have advantage on any checks to use a disguise kit. Also, as an action, you can either cast disguise self (at will) or alter self (once per short rest). Both are cast without using a spell slot or any components.
BOON OF PRIMAL MUSIC Prerequisite: Level 20 Bard
You have resistance to thunder damage and any spells you cast ignore thunder resistance on others. Also, as an action, you can either cast thunderwave (at will), or shatter (once per short rest). Both are cast with spell save DC 15 and without using a spell slot or any components.
BOON OF UNERRING SKILL When you fail an ability check (such as a skill roll), you can choose to succeed instead. You can use this ability twice per short rest.
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CHAPTER 4: NEW M AGIC ITEMS Whether you mean for them to or not, magic items will end up de�ning your character in many ways. They give you new powers and defenses that you will end up relying on, and may in fact in�uence your choice of future feats. But also, iconic items such as Odin’s spear, Thor’s hammer, or the scimitar combo of Icingdeath and Twinkle make their wielders instantly recognizable to both friend and foe. Unfortunately, the list provided in the Dungeon Master’s Guide isn’t exhaustive enough to provide the variety most of us desire, and the selection we do have doesn’t cover legendary versions of all the classes. Because of that, I decided to create a few new options, to help �ll that void.
DIPLOMAT’S IMMUNITY Armor (leather), very rare (requires attunement)
The life of a diplomat isn’t for the faint of heart. You are tasked with taking an off er from your kingdom, often just a letter of terms but sometimes accompanied by a chest of gold and jewels, transporting it through most likely hostile territory, and then making sure the negotiations go smoothly. When things do turn sour, it is more often than not your head that t he enemy wants to send back in a sack to make sure their rejection of the terms is clear. Because of these risks, kingdoms with the wealth to do so often provide their top diplomats with special protective gear to ensure their safe return, hopefully free of unwanted sword or arrow holes. This exquisitely crafted leather armor is one such example, which weighs only half as much as its traditional counterparts and is often covered with the intricately drawn heraldic symbols of the kingdom that commissioned it. While wearing it, you gain a bonus of +1 to your AC and +1 to all saving throws. Additionally, when you are targeted with an attack, you may use your reaction to cast sanctuary with a spell DC of 18. You must �nish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
S ATCHEL OF THE COMBAT MEDIC Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a character both pro � cient in the Medicine skill and able to cast at least one healing spell)
During times of war, men and women from all walks of life are conscripted to defend their homelands. Those that can �ght are given a sword and sent to the front lines. Ot her that can’t still �nd work in the kitchens or supply caravans. Rogues are made into spies and Clerics man the �eld hospitals to tend to the wounded. It was discovered long ago, however, that those trained in the bardic arts had a knack unlike any others for healing among the chaos of the battle�eld. Adept at basic healing spells, they also could muddle the minds of enemies around them and lift the spirits of their comrades, inspiring t hem to great deeds. Soon all bards were gathered into special units, where they were taught the basics of non-magical medicine as well, for when their own arcane power was depleted. While most simply did the best they could, the legends around a few of t he medics grew to almost unbelievable heights. On one fateful day, when a medic’s unit was ambushed high in a mountain pass and all hope seemed lost, she somehow kept every last one of her compatriots alive through an onslaught of arrows and spears and turned t he battle in their favor. Years later, when she was in command of her nation’s medic corps and a student asked her about that day, she patted the healer’s kit on her belt and smiled. “Just remember the basics and you’ll be �ne,” she said, though the student swore there was something else behind the twinkle in her eye. This healer’s kit is a small, brown leather belt pouch has unlimited uses of standard b andages, salves and splints, though that is just a fraction of its power. It bestows its owner with advantage on all Wisdom (medicine) checks and whenever t hey cast a healing spell, any 1 t hat is rolled is instead treated as a 2. In addition, they can cast the following spells: lesser restoration, greater restoration, aura of purity, aura of vitality, and heal. Once a spell has been cast, it can’t be cast again until the next dawn.
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SINGING S WORD Weapon (any sword), legendary (requires attunement by a bard)
Tales of singing swords are popular throughout the taverns of Faerun, though there is often little truth behind these stories. On any given night, buy a round of drinks and at some point the singing sword is likely to emerge. In most stories, t hey sing constantly on their own when drawn and embolden their wielder. While this is not completely accurate, there is always some trut h hidden at the core of any myth. In fact, t he name singing sword comes from the very musical tones that rings out when the sword strikes a target. If a trained Bard strikes fast enough with one, they are able to �nd just the right rhythm to bring these notes to life and lift a melody high into the air. A true master will even be able to harmonize their own singing with that of the sword. This +2 sword is blessed with speed and grants the wielder the Extra Att ack feature (the ability to attack two times when you take the attack action). If you already have the Extra Att ack feature from another source, such as the Bardic College of Valor, the sword enhances it to allow you to attack three times with your attack action, instead of two. When you hit a target with the sword, the resulting tone alerts any creatures wit hin 300 feet to your presence. However, if you succeed in hitting with the sword at least two times on your turn and then use your bonus action to impart Bardic Inspiration to an ally, you can blend the music of the two together to great eff ect. When your ally uses the inspiration die they can roll it twice and use the greater result. If you wish, you can use your action to strike your sword against a hard surface multiple times to create t he tones, instead of attacking, and still imbue your inspiration with the extra potency.
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