D&D Subclass Contest VIII: Something Borrowed

[Vogie]

Faustian College

A devil went down to Cormyr- He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind... He was willing to make a deal
When he came across this young bard sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot
And the devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said "Hey let me tell you what.
I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player, too
and if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, bard, but give this devil his due
I'll bet a fiddle of gold, against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."

The bard said, "This is crazy, and just might be a sin
But I'll take your bet, and you're gonna regret,
'cause I'm the best there's ever been."

Most bards pick up their craft over years, collecting thousands of hours in front of various audiences to cultivate a style that connects to the masses. Those of the Faustian College, on the other hand, have gained their notoriety seemingly overnight. More specifically, shortly after a trip to a crossroads at midnight. Faustian Bards forge some sort of arrangement to gain talent in an instant... throwing caution, among other things, to the wind chasing their dream.

Pact Instrument
When you choose this college at 3rd level, you can use your action to create a musical instrument in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this instrument takes each time you create it. If the instrument is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more, it disappears. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die. While holding or wearing your pact instrument, you have expertise in the performance skill.

In addition, when you gain this feature, you may learn a cantrip from any class's spell list. While the instrument is on your person, you can cast that cantrip at will. It doesn't count against your number of cantrips known. If it don't appear on the bard spell list, it is nonetheless a bard spell for you.

Greatest Song in the World
At 3rd level, as an action, you can use your Pact Instrument to begin a reality distorting performance that lasts until the beginning of your next turn. The performance ends early if you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you no longer have the instrument on your person, or if you voluntarily end it (no action required). If you complete the performance, you can choose one of the following features for 1 minute:

• Whenever you attack with a weapon or spell for the duration, you can instead use a Charisma (Performance) check vs the target's AC. If you hit with a weapon attack in this way, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for damage rolls.
• You can change your spell save DC to be 5 + your Performance Skill.

Devil's Luck
Starting at 6th level, when you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can use this feature to expend a use of Bardic Inspiration and add it to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll's effects occur. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Crossroads Bargain
Starting at 14th level, as an action, you can duplicate any other spell of 5th level or lower by expending a spell slot of that level, or higher. You don’t need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect.
Each time you use this feature, you take 2d12 necrotic damage for each level of the spell, immediately after you cast it. This damage ignores resistance and immunity. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per spell level increases by 1d12 and you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. If this effect reduces your hit point maximum to 0, you die.