Homebrew:College of Discord: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:15, 26 July 2025

(OOC: This is an implementation of the College of Discord subclass from Xanathar's Lost Notes to Everything Else)

Base Class: Bard

Bards of the College of Discord yearn to take their performances to the next level. While some artists feel the need to prepare or learn progressions within a harmonic framework, the extemporaneous nature of the bard’s study encourages inventing variations in their musical repertoire mid-performance. This practice usually bleeds into their outlook on life and, whether with accompaniment or solo, these bards are excited to delve into the unknown, no matter the vibe.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of Discord at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and one additional musical instrument.

Melodic Mayhem

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use your musical instruments effectively in martial combat. When you wield your musical instrument in one or two hands, and no other weapons, it becomes a weapon that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the versatile (1d8) property. When used in one hand, it gains the finesse property. Wielded with two hands, your Armor Class increases by 2.

Battaglia

Also at 3rd level, you're able to anticipate the rhythm of battle and adjust to disrupt the flow of your enemies. As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose to teleport to an unoccupied square adjacent to a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. Any Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of your new location must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. At 6th level, the radius of this effect increases to 10 feet, and to 15 feet at 14th level.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and regain all expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.

As part of this bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and adding the number rolled to the save DC. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll but before the DM announces if it succeeds or fails.

Encore

At 6th level, every success fuels your performance. When you succeed on a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw in combat, you gain advantage on the next ability check, saving throw, or attack roll you make before the end of your next turn.

Additionally, your attacks with your musical instruments count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Pandemonium

At 14th level, your music can stir peace into flailing chaos, goading your allies to hasten their attacks while slowing the minds of your enemies. As an action, you can create a field of discordant noise that reverberates out from you in a 15-foot radius for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The dysphonic chaos of your music is audible within 300 feet of you.

For the duration, friendly creatures within the field gain a +2 bonus to AC, have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and gain an additional action on each turn. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action. A creature can only benefit from one such effect at a time. While you concentrate on this effect, your speed is 0, and you can only make melee attacks against creatures within 5 feet of you. If you have a fly speed, or are held in place my magical means, you can hover in place.

Additionally, when a hostile creature starts its turn within the field, or moves there for the first time, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected for the duration. An affected creature’s speed is halved, it takes a –2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and can’t use reactions. On an affected creature’s turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature’s abilities or magic items, it can’t make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn’t take effect until the creature’s next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can’t, the spell is wasted. If an affected creature exits the field, the effect ends for it at the start of its next turn.

When you stop concentrating on this effect, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as a wave of exhaustion sweeps over you. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

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-{{ooc note|This is an implementation of the Path of the Courageous Heart subclass from [[Xanathar's Lost Notes to Everything Else]]}}
+[[file:discord.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]
+{{ooc note|This is an implementation of the {{PAGENAME}} subclass from [[Xanathar's Lost Notes to Everything Else]]}}
 __NOTOC__
-{{base class|barbarian|blockquotestyle=width:100%}}
+{{base class|bard|blockquotestyle=width:calc(100% - 510px - 1.4em)}}
-For some adventurers, their internal reservoir of fearlessness and gallantry might border closer to foolhardiness. An intrepid do-gooder might take the first step down this path by complete accident, meddling in affairs they ought not and finding themselves unable to turn back. Their impromptu effectiveness in battle isn’t due to anger but rather matching pluck, tenacity, or stubbornness to shrug off the worst the enemy has to offer.
+Bards of the College of Discord yearn to take their performances to the next level. While some artists feel the need to prepare or learn progressions within a harmonic framework, the extemporaneous nature of the bard’s study encourages inventing variations in their musical repertoire mid-performance. This practice usually bleeds into their outlook on life and, whether with accompaniment or solo, these bards are excited to delve into the unknown, no matter the vibe.
-These brawlers might not be as graceful as trained fighters, but they're guardians of the weak, and what they lack in polish they make up for in valor.
+== Bonus Proficiencies ==
+When you join the College of Discord at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and one additional musical instrument.
-== Matter at Hand ==
+== Melodic Mayhem ==
-When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with improvised weapons. Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. If your improvised weapon is similar in shape and function to a simple weapon, you can use that weapon’s statistics instead.
+Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use your musical instruments effectively in martial combat. When you wield your musical instrument in one or two hands, and no other weapons, it becomes a weapon that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the versatile (1d8) property. When used in one hand, it gains the finesse property. Wielded with two hands, your Armor Class increases by 2.
-== Favor the Bold ==
+== Battaglia ==
-At 3rd level, when the adrenaline kicks in, primal instinct propels you to awe-inspiring feats, seeming to add just a smidge of luck at the right moment.
+Also at 3rd level, you're able to anticipate the rhythm of battle and adjust to disrupt the flow of your enemies. As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose to teleport to an unoccupied square adjacent to a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. Any Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of your new location must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. At 6th level, the radius of this effect increases to 10 feet, and to 15 feet at 14th level.
-While raging, whenever you make a saving throw, or an attack roll with an unarmed strike or improvised weapon, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the total.
+You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and regain all expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.
-== Hearty Blow ==
+As part of this bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and adding the number rolled to the save DC. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll but before the DM announces if it succeeds or fails.
-At 6th level, when you hit with an unarmed or improvised weapon attack while raging, roll 1d4 and add its total to the attack’s damage. This damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d4 at 10th level, and 3d4 at 14th level.
-== Stroke of Inspiration ==
+== Encore ==
-At 10th level, you seem to stumble upon the right clue, connection, or words, even when you have no idea what is going on. When you fail a Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom check, you can expend a use of your rage to reroll the check with advantage. You must use the new roll.
+At 6th level, every success fuels your performance. When you succeed on a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw in combat, you gain advantage on the next ability check, saving throw, or attack roll you make before the end of your next turn.
-== Tenacious Heart ==
+Additionally, your attacks with your musical instruments count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
-At 14th level, whenever you make a Constitution saving throw to remain conscious because of your Relentless Rage feature, you can use one of the following Tenacious Heart options of your choice. You can use only one Tenacious Heart option per round and must decide before you make the roll.
-;Inspiring.
+== Pandemonium ==
-:Your inspiring last stand fills your allies with renewed vigor. Allies within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you gain 10 temporary hit points.
+At 14th level, your music can stir peace into flailing chaos, goading your allies to hasten their attacks while slowing the minds of your enemies. As an action, you can create a field of discordant noise that reverberates out from you in a 15-foot radius for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The dysphonic chaos of your music is audible within 300 feet of you.
-;Persistent.
-:You won’t quit without a fight. The DC of your Relentless Rage feature is reduced by 5 until the end of your turn.
-;Rallying.
-:Your heroic refusal to die fills your allies with confidence. All allies within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you gain advantage on the next attack roll they make within the next minute.
-[[category:homebrew barbarian subclasses|Courageous Heart]]
+For the duration, friendly creatures within the field gain a +2 bonus to AC, have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and gain an additional action on each turn. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action. A creature can only benefit from one such effect at a time. While you concentrate on this effect, your speed is 0, and you can only make melee attacks against creatures within 5 feet of you. If you have a fly speed, or are held in place my magical means, you can hover in place.
+Additionally, when a hostile creature starts its turn within the field, or moves there for the first time, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected for the duration. An affected creature’s speed is halved, it takes a –2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and can’t use reactions. On an affected creature’s turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature’s abilities or magic items, it can’t make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.
+If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn’t take effect until the creature’s next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can’t, the spell is wasted. If an affected creature exits the field, the effect ends for it at the start of its next turn.
+When you stop concentrating on this effect, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as a wave of exhaustion sweeps over you. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
+[[category:homebrew bard subclasses|Discord]]