College of Wands – Bard Subclass

Bard: College of Wands

Wield Deadly Magic with Style and Panache

For a Bard of the College of Wands, spellcasting is an art and every duel is a symphony. Whether they use their skills as Entertainers, Smugglers, or Spies, a Bard can draw applause from an audience even as they lay an enemy low with a distracting word, a perfect gesture, and a surge of arcane power.

Level 3: Bonus Cantrip

You know one cantrip of your choice from the Sorcerer spell list (see the Sorcerer class’s section of the Player’s Handbook for a list of Sorcerer spells). Fire Bolt is recommended. The cantrip counts as a Bard cantrip for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of Bard cantrips you know.

Additionally, you can use a Wand, Rod, or Orb as a Spellcasting Focus for your Bard spells.

Level 3: Wandslinger’s Presence

You know how to talk yourself up and tear your opponents down. If you speak to a creature for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to distract and rattle them when the call to action finally comes. If the creature rolls an Initiative count equal to or higher than your own, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature’s Initiative is reduced to be equal to yours, and it acts immediately after you in the Initiative order.

Level 3: At Your Fingertips

When you hit a creature with a Bard cantrip or when a creature fails a saving throw against one of your Bard cantrips, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 damage to that creature. You can do so only once per round, on your turn.

The extra damage increases when you reach Bard levels 5 (3d6), 10 (5d6) and 15 (8d6).

Level 6: Got Your Back

You know how to cast with style, and your allies can take heart from your displays of grit or showmanship. If you expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to improve the damage of a cantrip with your At Your Fingertips feature, you can use your Bonus Action on the same turn to grant a creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself Advantage on the next saving throw it makes for 1 minute.

Level 14: Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us

Your wandplay is legendary, and your territory is assured. Whenever you expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration or when a creature within 60 feet of you adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to a D20 Test, one creature of your choice that can see you within 60 feet of yourself must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target has the Frightened condition until the end of its next turn. If the target already has the Frightened condition, it must immediately use its Reaction, if available, to move as far as away from you as it can, using the safest route.

Source: Frontiers of Eberron, pg. 149