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(Though that could be entertaining as well!) It’s fun flavor and makes much more sense thematically than strumming your lute or playing bagpipes to summon the spirits. These are things that you would expect from a Medium like crystal balls, a spirit/Ouija board, a Tarokka deck, a skull, candles, or other such divining tools. That’s when it just gets crazy!Īt 3rd level, you can now use specific tools as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. You get the Spiritual Focus feature at level 3, but it’s mostly just some fun flavor until it powers up at level 6. Still, having options is never a bad thing!Ĭonsidering that this is your level 3 ability and is already able to offer a pretty solid buff to your party, they might look past your… shall we say eccentricities… once they realize how much your spirit friends are helping them with basically everything they do. Though your Bardic Inspiration will usually be enough in those situations (without costing you an action.) This does work in combat and might sometimes be useful if your ally is planning something big that just HAS to hit. From up to 60 feet away, you are able to offer them guidance to aid their attempts. For instance, when your Rogue is checking for traps or picking locks, the Cleric might be giving a sermon to inspire the townspeople, or some other such situation. You’ll mostly be using this out of combat. Giving your ally an extra d4 on an ability check can very easily make the difference between success and failure! Where this usually requires you to be able to touch the creature that you’re casting it on, for you it has a range of 60 feet!Īs far as support spells go, this is a fantastic one. You now have the guidance cantrip for free. You get your first ability when you take this subclass at level 3. Using yourself as a conduit to contact spirits from the other side, you have knowledge and insight that defies that of most other mortals. The College of Spirits Bard’s abilities do a lot to fit the subclass’s theme while also offering a lot of value to the party.Īs a medium, you serve as a type of guide for your party. Where the College of Spirits differs is that their key abilities change often and are random.īecause of that, you’ll want to have ideas for where you will fit in to your party’s composition with each of your Spirit Tales. They stay flexible and adaptable to perform reasonably well in a wide variety of situations. As the character gains levels, they gain access to more possible spirits and the ability to influence which spirits are channeled.Īs is true with most Bards, the College of Spirits doesn’t focus exclusively on a single role within the party. What spirit is summoned by these Bards is determined randomly which affects what the character’s focus will be on. The College of Spirits Bard fills a supporting role in the party though can still focus heavily on damage output. Some of these spirits buff or heal the creature you target while others instead bring only harm.
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Pulling from the haunting horror themes of Ravenloft, the College of Spirits Bard is a gifted medium with the ability to conjure spirits to aid themselves and their allies. It was first officially published in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft as one of two new character subclass options. The College of Spirits Bard is a subclass for bard characters in D&D 5e.
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7 Conclusion – The College of Spirits Bard in D&D 5e What is the College of Spirits Bard?.6 Meet Madame Avelina Desrosiers: College of Spirits Bard Build.
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