Bardic College
Notes from the Nails: You can’t spell ‘beard’ without ‘bard’!
The College of Whiskers
Originally founded by a dwarven lady, outraged by a recent trend towards clean shaving, the College of Whiskers serves as a home for bards who treasure facial hair in all its forms. Just like other bards, they travel far and wide, proudly displaying their beards and mustaches, while seeking to catalogue the many varieties of pogonological styles across the world, their cultural heritages, symbolic meanings, and most famous bearers.
Not all bards from this college grow their own hair, of course: some use wigs, make-up or even illusions to create the ultimate facial style.
Facial Hair Style
When you join this college at 3rd level, you groom your facial hair into a particular style, gaining special benefits. Choose one of the styles listed below. You can change your style whenever you finish a long rest.
Chinstrap. This minimalistic style carries a professional air. While wearing this beard, you are proficient with all types of artisan’s tools.
Designer Stubble. This extra short style adds shadows to your face. You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in dim light or darkness.
Full Beard. This classic style creates a solid, dependable look. When you finish a short or long rest, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier, which last until you take a short or long rest, or until you change this style.
Fu Manchu. This complex style is difficult to grow but gives an impression of great wisdom. You can re-roll any natural 1s you roll on Wisdom checks or saving throws (you must keep the new result).
Goatee. This caprine style is popular with tieflings. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and effects created by fiends.
Horseshoe Mustache. This rugged style is often seen on outlanders. While wearing this mustache, you feel more confident when exploring the wilderness. Your movement is not affected by nonmagical difficult terrain.
Imperial. This formal style is suitable for royal courts and palaces. You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
Mutton Chops. This unusual style is incredibly striking. You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks against any creature that can see your face.
Pencil Mustache. This refined style is often worn by entertainers. By tapping into the legacy of past bards, you can be even more inspiring than normal: when you finish a short or long rest, the total number of times you can use your Bardic Inspiration ability is increased by 1. This extra use persists until you take a short or long rest, or until you change this style.
Soul Patch. This edgy style is associated with soulful music. You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Performance) checks you make.
Walrus. This wild style is suited to rough-and-tumble action. Once per turn, you can gain a +1 bonus to the damage you deal with a melee weapon attack.
Chin Stroke
Starting at 3rd level, you can take a moment to think deeply about your current situation. As an action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration gain advantage on all Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) checks you make until the end of your next turn.
Hair-Trigger
Starting at 6th level, you can change your Facial Hair Style as an action.
Beard-Jeweled
Starting at 6th level, you can decorate your facial hair with gold and jewels. Unless you are wearing a pencil mustache or designer stubble, you can affix magic rings to your facial hair instead of putting them onto your fingers. If you do so, you can ignore the attunement requirements for up to one of the rings.
Magnificent Beard
When you reach 14th level, you can use an action to target a humanoid within 30 feet that can see your face, attempting to entrance them with your facial hair. They must make a Wisdom saving throw against you bard spell DC or be charmed by you for 10 minutes, regarding you as a hero to be idolized and/or lusted after. If they succeed on the save, they are instead disgusted by your beard, gaining advantage on attack rolls against you for the next minute.
Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
