Bard College
Comments from the Finger: While all the classes I post here are in some sense original, in the sense that I pen the mechanics and descriptions for them myself, the vast majority of them are technically conversions. The initial conception and idea for the class was penned by someone else, in most cases an employee of Wizards of the Coast, years ago and I’m merely translating that idea to the current edition with a fresh coat of paint.
This class is an original. Inspired by one of my favorite H.P. Lovecraft stories, The Music of Erich Zann (which you should read here), this Bard College blurs the line between warlock and bard, and has a strong focus on the power of insanity and the fear it brings with it. In my experience, there’s always one player in each D&D group (maybe it’s been you) who decides to play an “insane” character for a lark, and these players typically go with warlocks or sorcerers. This is for players who want a different twist on the crazy character archetype, an the chance to see it from a different lens.
College of the Mad God
In the middle of the night, you hear the music. Every time, it begins the same way, rising from a low drone into a deafening cacophony. The noise is maddening. In your waking hours, your fingers learn to imitate this melody and bring others to your level of psychosis.
Some attribute the dreadful nightmares to a curse or stress, but you know better. You and others like you are called nightly by the beating of vile drums and the thin monotonous whine of accursed flutes, the sounds of a Mad God who echoes the pandemonium of the universe, and summons you to do something. You know not what.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of the Mad God at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one skill, which is selected for you by the GM. Each night when you take a long rest, your GM can change this selection.
Frenzied Strings
At 3rd level, you can play an insane tune that anguishes creatures that hear it. As an action, choose a creature within 30 feet that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, taking 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save. You can expend a number of Bardic Inspiration dice to increase this damage by the amount rolled. A deafened creature is immune to this effect.
The number of creatures affected by this ability increases to two at 5th level, three at 11th level, and four at 17th level.
Mad Melody
At 6th level, you can expend a bardic inspiration die as an action to decrease all saving throws rolled by creatures within 60 feet of you by the amount rolled until the beginning of your next turn.
Cacophony
Starting at 14th level, as an action, you can create a droning, deafening noise with your instrument. If a creature is concentrating within 30 feet of you, the creature must make a successful Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or lose concentration. Additionally, all creatures within 10 feet of you take 5d6 thunder damage. After you use this ability, you must complete a short or a long rest before using it again.
Changelog:
3/6/17: Updated to match Lovecraft Handbook
