Bard (Whispers)

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Overview & Creation

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known
1	+2	Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6)	2	4
2	+2	Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest (d6)	2	5
3	+2	Bard College : Whispers, College Feature : Psychich Blades, Words of Terror, Expertise	2	6
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	7
5	+3	Bardic Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration	3	8
6	+3	Countercharm, College Feature : Mantle of Whispers	3	9
7	+3		3	10
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	11
9	+4	Song of Rest (d8)	3	12
10	+4	Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets	4	14
11	+4		4	15
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	15
13	+5	Song of Rest (d10)	4	16
14	+5	Magical Secrets, College Feature : Shadow Lore	4	18
15	+5	Bardic Inspiration (d12)	4	19
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	19
17	+6	Song of Rest (d12)	4	20
18	+6	Magical Secrets	4	22
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	22
20	+6	Superior Inspiration	4	22

 

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Class Features

Level 1

Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.   Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.   You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.   Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.  

Level 2

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.  

Song of Rest

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points. This increases to a higher die upon leveling.  

Level 3

You can choose a sub-class at this level, which gains you specific features at certain levels. For info on this subclass, see Info.  

Psychic Blades

When you join the College of Whispers at 3rd level, you gain the ability to make your weapon attacks magically toxic to a creature's mind.   When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.   The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.  

Words of Terror

At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.   If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.   If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.   Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.  

Expertise

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.   At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.  

Level 4

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, you can increase one Ability Score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. Through this way, you can't increase an Ability Score beyond 20. Alternatively, you can pick a feat.  

Level 5

Font of Inspiration

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.  

Level 6

Countercharm

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).  

Mantle of Whispers

At 6th level, you gain the ability to adopt a humanoid's persona. When a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest.   You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. This disguise lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action.   While you're in the disguise, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn't include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.   Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. You gain a +5 bonus to your check.   Once you capture a shadow with this feature, you can't capture another one with it until you finish a short or long rest.  

Level 7

 

Level 8

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 9

 

Level 10

Magical Secrets

By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip.   The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table.   You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.  

Level 11

 

Level 12

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 13

 

Level 14

Shadow Lore

At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.   As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.   If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret.   While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it. While charmed in this way, the creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.   When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.   Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Level 15

 

Level 16

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 17

 

Level 18

 

Level 19

 

Level 20

Superior Inspiration

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:  

• (a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack
• (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
• Leather armor and a dagger

 

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Spellcasting

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations.  

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.  

Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Cure Wounds using either slot.  

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.   The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.   Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.  

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier  

Ritual Casting

You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.  

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a musical instrument (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.  

Spell Slot Table

Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	4	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	4	3	3	1	-	-	-	-	-
8	4	3	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9	4	3	3	3	1	-	-	-	-
10	4	3	3	3	2	-	-	-	-
11	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
12	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
16	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	-
17	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

 

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Subclass Options

Bard: College of Whispers

Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like any other bard, sharing news, singing songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats.   Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses the bards’ reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, these bards rarely reveal their true nature unless they must. They typically claim to follow some other college, or keep their true nature secret in order to better infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.   Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything