Bard Archetype : College of Rock!!

[flavoredpickle]

I'm currently running a home brew urban setting that is high magic. Working on a few setting specific archetypes, this is the first original that i haven't 'nabbed' from the forums

College of Rock

Bards are drawn to the city just as well a moth is drawn to a flame. The chance to play before crowds that far exceed the rural life fills some with determination. But, with the hustle and bustle and noise of city life, drawing the attention of the city goer’s can be difficult.

Some Bards choose to play songs so brilliant and divine that they may as well have been played by celestial beings, being ushered into the heavens of the divine realms. So powerful are their words that one cannot help but stop, and turn, with a wordless cry stuck in their throat at the majesty before them.

Some Bards choose to play loudly. And when their tunes are ignored, they play louder still, drowning out the noise of the city with their wicked tunes.

This is the college of Rock

Wicked casting
Starting at the 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
At the 6th level, you Learn to Deliver an unsurpassed performance, that either draws the Ire, or adoration of those before you. Starting at the 6th level, As a full round action, 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 Wisdom saving throw Equal to your bard spell save DC On a failed save, a Creatuire flips a coin. On heads, they are charmed for a minute, if it lands on tails they become fearful of you for 1 minute. A creature that is immune to either of these effects still must flip the coin, however if it lands on its immune condition nothing happens.

You may use this ability once per long rest at level 6, increasing to 2 times at level 10, and 3 times at level 14.

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

Slashes' Guitar
Starting at the 14th level, the blood and magic soaked into your instrument bonds it to you. As long as your bonded instrument is on the same plane as you, you may use a bonus action to call you instrument to your hands.
Additionally the damage dealt by Shillelagh increases to a d10, and on a critical with weapon attacks with Shillelagh you may deal your proficiency bonus as thunder damage

Hard of hearing
At the 14th level, you are immune to being deafened. You also gain resistance to thunder damage

[nickl_2000]

Wicked casting
Starting at the 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.


This sort of goes against the bard standards. Usually at level 3 you get 1 feature and one expansion of the bardic inspiration. Personally I would give them Thaumaturgy and Shillelagh and skip the Prestidigation cantrip. If the player wants this, then they can make that decision in the cantrips they choose at level 1.

Here is a possibility for level 3 bardic inspiration use

Power Chord
You may strike a power chord as a reaction to any spell with a verbal component being cast making it difficult for the caster to hear themselves cast. Doing so disrupts their concentration and makes the spell less effective. The spell DC and any damage done by the spell is lowered by your bardic inspiration die.





Power Chord
At the 6th level, you Learn to Deliver an unsurpassed performance, that either draws the Ire, or adoration of those before you. Starting at the 6th level, As a full round action, 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 Wisdom saving throw Equal to your bard spell save DC On a failed save, a Creatuire flips a coin. On heads, they are charmed for a minute, if it lands on tails they become fearful of you for 1 minute. A creature that is immune to either of these effects still must flip the coin, however if it lands on its immune condition nothing happens.

You may use this ability once per long rest at level 6, increasing to 2 times at level 10, and 3 times at level 14.


Don't tie this to bardic inspiration. It can just be done that many times per long rest. Also, I would give it a different name, maybe Thrashing Metal? Overall though, the whole mechanic here is pretty complicated. First a spell DC, then flip a coin. Why not just give the Bard the choice of causing fear or charming before using them ability? It would simplify it and speed it up some.





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


Sure, this makes sense. Go for it.



Slashes' Guitar
Starting at the 14th level, the blood and magic soaked into your instrument bonds it to you. As long as your bonded instrument is on the same plane as you, you may use a bonus action to call you instrument to your hands.
Additionally the damage dealt by Shillelagh increases to a d10, and on a critical with weapon attacks with Shillelagh you may deal your proficiency bonus as thunder damage


Sure, that's fine again




Hard of hearing
At the 14th level, you are immune to being deafened. You also gain resistance to thunder damage

I love the flavor of this one :)

[flavoredpickle]

Thanks for the Review!

I've added the Power chord baridc feature, and removed the Prestidigiation Cantrip.

As for Thrashing metal, I liked the idea of it being a little unpredictable. I see what you mean about it being overly complicated.

At the 6th level, you Learn to Deliver an unsurpassed performance, that either draws the Ire, or adoration of those before you. Starting at the 6th level, As a full round action, while you are holding an instrument with which you are proficient, you can, play an intense chord or solo. Choose when you announce this action whether you wish to charm, or cause fear,*All creatures within a 30 foot cone must make a Wisdom saving throw Equal to your bard spell save DC .On a failed save, The creature is afflicted with the Chosen effect, Either Charmed, or fear. On A critical failure the Creature is instead deafened.
You may use this ability once per long rest at level 6, increasing to 2 times at level 10, and 3 times at level 14.

^This is the updated text on the document