Ben Cummings
2020-08-07, 12:38 PM
I wrote up this homebrew bard subclass for a pirate campaign a friend is DMing (we're also all goblins, and I thought this would be a good fit for a goblin bard). I was originally looking to play a bard tank I'd been interested in trying out, but we had an over abundance of melee characters, though a lack of tanks. With this subclass, I wanted to create a support caster capable of applying a taunting effect to other players, with some potential for battlefield control, and a good dash of sowing chaos. Please let me know if anything is over powered (I think the way I have ventriloquism written might be) or if something should be reworded.
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College of the Barbed Tongue
You have an unnatural talent for getting under people’s skin; be it a cutting jibe, a rude gesture, or just a “bad look”. Bards of the College of the Barbed Tongue use their talent for insult to put their enemies at a disadvantage. They also learn to manipulate others, turning friends into foes.
Mocking Whispers
At 3rd level, you whisper insults into the ears of your enemies. You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of bard cantrips you know. For you, if the target fails their saving throw, they get disadvantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn. If you already know Vicious Mockery, gain another cantrip from the Bard Spell list; this spell does not count against the number of bard cantrips you know.
Direct Anger
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to throw your voice, and can use this to direct the attacks of your enemies. You can use a bonus action to target an enemy within 30 ft that can understand a language you speak and expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration. The target must make a Wisdom save against your spell DC; if they fail, choose another target hostile and within 30 ft of your first target. For 1 minute, your first target gains disadvantage to all attacks that do not include the second target. The first target may repeat the Wisdom saving throw at the end of their turn to end the effect early.
In addition, you have mastered ventriloquism. When speaking, you may make it seem as though your voice is originating from any space within 30 ft of your location. If you are hidden, speaking using ventriloquism does not give away your hiding place.
Barbed Tongue
Starting at 6th level, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage you deal with any bard cantrip.
Sow Discord
Also at 6th level, you can turn people against each other. As a bonus action, using ventriloquism, you choose a target within 30 ft. that can understand your language and is not engaged in combat. The target makes a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Deception (Charisma) check. If you know the target’s Ideal, Flaw, or Bond, or are otherwise aware of their thoughts, the target has disadvantage on this Wisdom (Insight) check.
If the target fails, choose another target within 30 ft. of you and within 10 ft. of your initial target. The second target must be conscious, able to speak a language that the first target understands, and not engaged in combat. Lower the first target’s attitude towards the second target by one degree, from friendly to indifferent, or from indifferent to hostile (Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 244). If the target succeeds at the Wisdom (Insight) check, you are revealed as the source of the insult (your location is revealed if you are hidden) and the target’s disposition towards you may change. Sow Discord may be used against the same target multiple times to lower their attitude more than one degree.
Friend or Foe?
Starting at 14th level, when using Sow Discord, both the first and second target may be engaged in combat. If you are successful, you may decrease the attitude of the first target by two degrees, from friendly to hostile, instead of one.
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College of the Barbed Tongue
You have an unnatural talent for getting under people’s skin; be it a cutting jibe, a rude gesture, or just a “bad look”. Bards of the College of the Barbed Tongue use their talent for insult to put their enemies at a disadvantage. They also learn to manipulate others, turning friends into foes.
Mocking Whispers
At 3rd level, you whisper insults into the ears of your enemies. You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of bard cantrips you know. For you, if the target fails their saving throw, they get disadvantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn. If you already know Vicious Mockery, gain another cantrip from the Bard Spell list; this spell does not count against the number of bard cantrips you know.
Direct Anger
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to throw your voice, and can use this to direct the attacks of your enemies. You can use a bonus action to target an enemy within 30 ft that can understand a language you speak and expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration. The target must make a Wisdom save against your spell DC; if they fail, choose another target hostile and within 30 ft of your first target. For 1 minute, your first target gains disadvantage to all attacks that do not include the second target. The first target may repeat the Wisdom saving throw at the end of their turn to end the effect early.
In addition, you have mastered ventriloquism. When speaking, you may make it seem as though your voice is originating from any space within 30 ft of your location. If you are hidden, speaking using ventriloquism does not give away your hiding place.
Barbed Tongue
Starting at 6th level, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage you deal with any bard cantrip.
Sow Discord
Also at 6th level, you can turn people against each other. As a bonus action, using ventriloquism, you choose a target within 30 ft. that can understand your language and is not engaged in combat. The target makes a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Deception (Charisma) check. If you know the target’s Ideal, Flaw, or Bond, or are otherwise aware of their thoughts, the target has disadvantage on this Wisdom (Insight) check.
If the target fails, choose another target within 30 ft. of you and within 10 ft. of your initial target. The second target must be conscious, able to speak a language that the first target understands, and not engaged in combat. Lower the first target’s attitude towards the second target by one degree, from friendly to indifferent, or from indifferent to hostile (Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 244). If the target succeeds at the Wisdom (Insight) check, you are revealed as the source of the insult (your location is revealed if you are hidden) and the target’s disposition towards you may change. Sow Discord may be used against the same target multiple times to lower their attitude more than one degree.
Friend or Foe?
Starting at 14th level, when using Sow Discord, both the first and second target may be engaged in combat. If you are successful, you may decrease the attitude of the first target by two degrees, from friendly to hostile, instead of one.