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.

Spellcasting Ability: CHA

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 (see Equipment) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Bardic Inspiration (d6)

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 GM 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.

Jack of All Trades

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 (d6)

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 regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

Scroll Mastery

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to inscribe spells onto scrolls. As part of a long rest, you can create a spell scroll of a bard spell you know of 1st level or higher, expending a spell slot of the spell’s level. You can use this scroll as an action on your turn, and the scroll is usable only by you.

Expertise

Choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Bard College

You delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice, such as the College of Lore. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose to take one Feat instead of the ability score increase.

Bardic Inspiration (d8)

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes to a d8 at 5th level.

Font of Inspiration

You regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Inkbound Defense

At 6th level, you can infuse your armor, or that of an ally, with powerful runes and scripts. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your Bardic Inspirations to grant temporary hit points equal to the number rolled + your Intelligence modifier to the wearer of the inscribed armor. This lasts for 10 minutes or until the temporary hit points are depleted.

Countercharm

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).

Ability Score Improvement

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose to take one Feat instead of the ability score increase.

Song of Rest (d8)

Your Song of Rest extra hit points increase to 1d8 at 9th level.

Bardic Inspiration (d10)

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes to a d10 at 10th level.

Expertise

Choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Magical Secrets

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.

Ability Score Improvement

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose to take one Feat instead of the ability score increase.

Song of Rest (d10)

Your Song of Rest extra hit points increase to 1d10 at 13th level.

Lorekeeper's Truth

Reaching 14th level grants you the ability to uncover the deepest secrets hidden in text or spoken words. As an action, you can target a creature within 60 feet and force it to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature cannot speak a deliberate lie for 1 minute. You also gain insights into its thoughts, allowing you to ask it up to three yes-or-no questions that it must answer truthfully.

You can use this feature once per long rest or by expending a spell slot of 4th level or higher.

Magical Secrets

You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level.

Bardic Inspiration (d12)

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes to a d12 at 15th level.

Ability Score Improvement

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose to take one Feat instead of the ability score increase.

Song of Rest (d12)

Your Song of Rest extra hit points increase to 1d12 at 17th level.

Magical Secrets

You learn two additional spells from any class at 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose to take one Feat instead of the ability score increase.

Superior Inspiration

When you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

Bard College

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice, such as the College of Lore. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.