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Rerem115
2016-08-24, 09:06 PM
A buddy of mine wants to play a Warforged Bard (named Rocktimus Prime), and asked me if I could come up with a bardic college for him. Here's my take on the College of Rock. Any thoughts?

Bonus Cantrips
Starting at 3rd level, you learn the cantrips Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy, and Shillelagh. These do not count against your known cantrips. In addition, you can target an instrument with which you are proficient instead of a club or a quarterstaff when you use Shillelagh.

Power Chord
You lean how to deliver awe-inspiring sonic strikes. Starting at 3rd level, while you are holding an instrument with which you are proficient, you can, as an action, expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to play an intense chord or solo. All creatures within a 30 foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8+Proficiency+Charisma modifier). On a failed save, a creature takes thunder damage equal to your Bardic inspiration die + your Charisma modifier and has disadvantage on the next attack it makes. On a successful save, they take half damage.

Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can make 2 attacks when you take the Attack action.

Destructive Performance
Starting at 14th level, you can make one attack as a bonus action when you play a Power Chord.

Party Hard
Starting at 14th level, you have advantage on saves to resist poisons.

Sooth
2016-08-24, 10:01 PM
I like what you're doing here, so thumbs up.

My thoughts and ideas:
I like that you can turn your instrument into a weapon with Shillelagh. Now, I understand that this kit is pretty much just for your table to use, so I wonder: do you eventually hand out magical weapons as part of the party's advancement? If so, perhaps the Shillelagh should, at higher levels, grant an enhancement bonus to the instrument so the Bard can use their instrument as a weapon all the way through their career. Or let them fuse a magical weapon with their instrument and turn it into something like ETC/Mordekaiser's axe.

Power Chord: I feel like this ability starts out really good at 3rd level and becomes worse as Wizard cantrips and such scale up in damage. I guess it is an AoE though, and it's not like the Bard has other means of doing killer damage. I'm not honestly sure how I feel about it and would probably have to see it in practice first.

Party Hard: Interesting choice, if a bit situational. Have you considered also giving them resistance to thunder damage or immunity to deafened etc etc?

Rock on!