1985 Games
Caption
To be a Bard from the College of Masks is to be a theater actor capable of losing themselves in a role by using masks they imbue with magic. Through these masks, Bards can mimic others and even take on attributes of the personas their masks depict.
To see the world through another’s eyes. To show the world a face not your own. To become someone else. These are the actor’s pursuits. Some local players might putter about on the stage as a hobby or distraction, but not Bards of the College of Masks. Like liquid bronze being poured into a mold, these actors have turned their sense of self into a malleable thing able to transform themselves into someone else.
Tradition of Performance
The College of Masks not only describes the Bard but also refers to an Obojiman theater tradition in which a solitary masked actor plays out a story from the island’s myths and folktales. These stories feature a set of archetypal characters such as the Old Man, the Fish, and the Demon, among others. Throughout the show, the actor artfully shifts between masks depicting each character. Each performance offers something special, as no two are ever the same.
Level 3: Tools of Performance
You gain the ability to weave arcane boons into theater masks, which grant you abilities while you wear them. You craft two masks of your choice from the “Masks” section later in this subclass’s description. You craft one additional mask of your choice when you reach Bard levels 7, 11, and 15. Each time you craft a new mask, you can also replace one mask you’ve already crafted with a different one.
While wearing a mask, you gain the abilities granted by it. You can don or swap masks as a Utilize action or Bonus Action. If an ability from a mask requires a saving throw, the DC equals your Bard spell save DC.
Level 3: Copycat
You gain the ability to quickly shift your appearance to match that of another person. As a Magic action, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to cast the Alter Self spell, using the spell’s Change Appearance option to transform into another Humanoid you have seen. When cast in this way, the spell has the following changes:
- It doesn’t require Concentration.
- You gain 5 Temporary Hit Points, and the spell ends early if you lose all these Hit Points or die.
- You gain new equipment associated with the target and known to be in its possession, such as its clothing, armor, weapons, and other small belongings. Any equipment gained in this way vanishes when the spell ends and has no magical properties, even if the original items used by the target do.
Any equipment you were wearing or carrying merges into your new form, and you can’t activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of it.
Level 6: Many-Masked Performance
Over the course of 1 minute, you can engage in a captivating performance and attempt to cause nearby creatures to have the Charmed, Frightened, or Unconscious condition (your choice). Choose a number of creatures up to your Bard level within 60 feet of you that can hear you. When the performance ends, each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Bard spell save DC or have the chosen condition for 10 minutes. An affected target can repeat the save whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
Level 14: Gift of Theater
You gain the ability to give one of your masks from your Tools of Performance feature to an ally within 5 feet of you. As a Magic action, you temporarily release the incantation that binds the mask to you, allowing one of your allies to use it. The mask can be used in this way for 1 minute, and only one ally can be designated to use it. Once you’ve given an ally a mask, you can’t do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Masks
Demon (Prerequisite: Level 5+ Bard). While wearing this mask, you gain the following benefits:
- Arcane Memory. As a Magic action, you can expend a spell slot to magically learn whether a creature or object you specify has been within 20 feet of your current location in the past 24 hours. If you expend a spell slot of level 3 or higher, you receive a brief vision of the creature or object while it was there, and you learn the exact time it was present.
- Demon Eye. As a Magic action, you gain the ability to see through solid objects out to a range of 15 feet. This vision is blocked by 1 foot of stone, dirt, or wood; 1 inch of metal; or a thin sheet of lead.
Fish. While wearing this mask, you gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed and the ability to breathe underwater. Additionally, you always have the Water Bullet and Whelm Weapon spells prepared.
Fox. While wearing this mask, you can move through an enemy’s space (regardless of its size), and that enemy’s space isn’t Difficult Terrain for you. Additionally, your AC increases by 1, and when you make a Dexterity saving throw, you can take a Reaction to gain Advantage on the roll.
Golem (Prerequisite: Level 5+ Bard). While wearing this mask, your attacks with weapons and Unarmed Strikes deal an extra 1d8 damage on a hit, and the Heavy property doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls with Heavy weapons, even if your Strength or Dexterity score is less than 13. In addition, your attacks and spells deal double damage to objects and structures.
Harpy (Prerequisite: Level 11+ Bard). While wearing this mask, you have a Fly Speed equal to your Speed and Resistance to Psychic damage.
Old Man. While wearing this mask, you always have the Detect Magic and Identify spells prepared, and you can cast them without expending a spell slot or Material components.
Protagonist. When you roll Initiative while wearing this mask, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to half your Bard level (round up). Additionally, you can take a Bonus Action to mark a creature as your antagonist for 1 minute. For the duration, you have Advantage on ability checks involving your antagonist. When you see your antagonist make an attack roll—but before the GM says whether the attack hits or misses—you can take a Reaction to expend a use of Bardic Inspiration; roll your Bardic Inspiration die and subtract the number rolled from your antagonist’s attack roll.
Sea Urchin. While wearing this mask, you can take a Bonus Action and expend a use of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die. You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus half your Bard level (round up).
Additionally, you can take a Magic action to attempt to immobilize a creature you can see within 30 feet of you, injecting it with magical toxins. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have the Restrained condition for 1 minute. The target repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Spirit (Prerequisite: Level 7+ Bard). While wearing this mask, you always have the Speak with Dead spell prepared. Additionally, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to temporarily move through the Spirit Realm. When you move in this way, you step through the veil into the Spirit Realm where it overlaps with your current plane.
While in the Spirit Realm, you can affect and be affected only by creatures, objects, and effects on that plane. Creatures that aren’t in the Spirit Realm can’t perceive or interact with you unless a feature gives them the ability to do so. At the end of your turn or when you stop moving, you return to the plane you left in the spot that corresponds to your space in the Spirit Realm. If you appear in an occupied space, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d10 Force damage.
Stone. While wearing this mask, you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill, and all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage you take is reduced by 2. Additionally, you have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws against effects that would push or pull you or cause you to have the Prone condition.