Mike Mearls Games
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Bard Sneak Peek
🕑 Added 2024-05-25 16:41:50 +0000 UTCSneak preview for backers of a bard subclass.
It's wild to me that there's no official bard college that deals with acting. So, here's my take on it.
College Features
The College of Drama grants the following features.
Inspiring Performance
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to inspire greatness in your audience. As a reaction when you make a saving throw against an effect, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and using the number rolled as a bonus to the saving throw against that effect for you and creatures of your choice that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you.
One Life, Many Roles
At 3rd level, you use your magic and dramatic training to step into a role. As a bonus action, you can cast disguise self to take on the appearance of a character from a play or to adopt the appearance, mannerisms, and voice of a creature you can see that shares your size and creature type. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Assemble the Troupe
Starting at 6th level, when you cast disguise self using your One Life, Many Roles feature, you can select up to six willing creatures you can see within 30 feet of you. The chosen creatures gain the benefit of a disguise self spell, though you choose their appearance. While under the effect of that spell, the chosen creatures gain a bonus to all Charisma checks equal to your proficiency bonus.
Stage Direction
At 6th level you gain the ability to direct others as you inspire them, allowing them to make the most of your guidance. Before you or creature roll another creature rolls a Bardic Inspiration die you granted, you may instead choose to treat the die as having rolled its maximum result. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Grand Finale
At 14th level, you gain the ability to deliver a stirring performance that spurs your companions to mighty deeds. As an action, pick two creatures within 120 feet that can see or hear you. On their next turns, they each may take an additional action.
Comments
David Johnson
Very cool! I could have seen this as being very useful in our Dungeon of the Mad Mage run, where the party tried to fool the lvl2 goblin city into believing they were there for an audience with the king!
Mike Mearls
Thank you! I'm really happy with Grand Finale, glad you like it.
Andy Shockney
Love the flavor! I can totally see playing this character at a table at home or at a con. The Grand Finale does something perhaps unseen in making others the stars. Brilliant!
