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College of Fools

Laugh at Your Foes’ Terror

It’s commonly believed the College of Fools is merely a front for a cult of Beleth. Bards in the College would say their relationship with the Arch Daemon of Fear is much more complicated. These Bards choose to laugh at Etharis’s many horrors rather than be dismayed by them—a whimsical, if ghoulish, philosophy. Their delight in other creatures’ terror encourages their obscene antics and cruel jests. One person’s trick is another person’s terror, after all.

Features

Level 3: Antagonistic Antics

You know the Vicious Mockery cantrip. If you already know it, you learn a different Bard cantrip of your choice. The cantrip doesn’t count against your number of cantrips known. Additionally, you always have the Dissonant Whispers spell prepared.

In addition, when you take the Dash, Disengage, or Influence action on your turn, you can take a Bonus Action on the same turn to cast Vicious Mockery.

Level 3: Cruel Jest

When a creature that you can see or hear within 30 feet of yourself fails a D20 Test, you can take a Reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration; roll your Bardic Inspiration die and deal Psychic damage equal to the number rolled plus your Charisma modifier. In addition, the creature has Disadvantage on the next D20 Test it makes before the end of its next turn.

Level 6: Gallows Humor

When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 Hit Points or killed outright, you can take a Reaction to regain an expended use of your Bardic Inspiration. When you do so, choose a creature within 30 feet of you that can hear and understand you. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or gain the Prone condition and have its Speed reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. If the creature succeeds on the Wisdom saving throw, you regain the use of this ability. Otherwise, once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.

Level 14: Last Laugh

When you become Bloodied or take damage while you are Bloodied, you can take a Reaction to regain all expended Bardic Inspiration dice and break out into a cackling fit of fatalistic glee at your own impending doom. For 1 minute, you have Resistance to all damage. Also, when a creature within 60 feet of you hits you with an attack roll, you can expend up to three Bardic Inspiration dice to force the attacker to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature takes Psychic damage equal to the total rolled on the Bardic Inspiration dice plus your Charisma modifier.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.


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