College of Scent

The sense of smell is one of the most important adaptations that any creature has. A small difference of scent between flowers or pieces of meat might mean the thin line between life and death. Sentient creatures have been able to take their animal instinct for scent and refine it; trained artisans have become even more proficient in manipulating the scents, and some masters of the craft even managed to invoke arcane techniques through their work. On the Silk Road, you may encounter some of these people in colorful bazaars, caravanserais and crowded streets, exercising their craft as exotic perfume merchants, renowned herbalists, or honored guests and entertainers of high ranking courts. Their skill in manipulating the scents are usually bolstered by their silver tongues and well-honed manners, making them masters of persuasion and deception. Level 3: Mesmerizing Aroma: Starting at 3rd level, your expertise on the nature of fragrance gives you access to the first stage of scent-craft. You can spend 1 hour and appropriate resources to create your own elixirs. You can use these elixirs as a bonus action. Due to the arcane binding of these elixirs, you can’t have more than 3 elixirs in your possession at the same time. If you create an elixir after the third one, the first one loses its magic unless you spend one of your bardic dice to create one. You can also give other creatures the elixirs you have created, but they must treat it as a normal object, so they can’t use their bonus action to use them unless they are granted that ability from another source (e.g. the Thief’s Fast Hand feature) The list of the elixirs can be found below. You can work with your GM to create new elixirs that do not appear on the list. Elixir of Dreams Resources* Effect Charges Characteristics Enchanting Scent - The Rose of Qaf 50 gp and one 2nd-level spell slot. You can affect only one creature with one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you for 1-hour or until it takes damage. The person does not know it is charmed by you. 2 Upon uncorking the bottle the sickly sweet of rosewater rises to your nostrils. The scent rises up like a plume of pink smoke. Empowering Scent - The Enduring Ivy 25 gp and one 1st-level spell slot. You can affect only one person with one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. The creature gains 1d6 temporary hit points. 2 An ivy green liquid that smells very delicately of mint. Revealing Scent - The Miragebane 50 gp and one 2nd-level spell slot. You can affect only one person with one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or reveal its original shape if it's a shapechanger. In addition, it reveals if it is not native to this plane, but you learn no further information about its origin. The creature also can’t turn invisible or change shapes for the next 10 minutes. 3 The liquid resembles an orange juice with green herbs in it. Lucky Scent - The Bottled Chance 25 gp and one 2nd-level spell slot. You can affect only one person with one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. It has an advantage on an ability check you determine for the next 10 minutes. 2 Vivid, almost neon green in color, this liquid froths and bubbles. Serpent’s Scent - The Gaib Zehir 20 gp and one 1st-level spell slot. This bottle can be tossed up to 30 ft. away and breaks when it hits a solid surface. It affects a 20 ft. radius sphere. All inside the sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. 2 Almost solid, this elixir is viscous and yellow-green in color. Slowing Scent 50 gp and one 3rd-level spell slot You can affect only one creature with one one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. It must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, its speed is halved for 10 minutes. 2 At first glance, this elixir looks just like milk until shaken, after which sinister blue tints can be seen. Swift Rose 45 gp and one 1st-level spell slot It increases the movement speed by 10 feet of the drinker. 2 The liquid resembles wispy clouds driven by the wind. table continues next page 12 Subclass Options Mist of Qaf 40 gp and one 1st-level spell slot You can affect only one creature with one charge. The creature must be within 5 feet of you. It gives disadvantage on WIS (Perception) checks to that creature. It lasts for 10 minutes. 2 It appears as bottled smoke. Essence of Hogweed 50 gp and one 1st-level spell slot You can affect only one creature with one charge. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. 5 The gas in the bottle resembles a crimson cloud. Liquid Inspiration 25 gp and one 1st-level spell slot. You can affect creatures within 15 ft. of you. The character gains a Bardic Inspiration die (d6) for 10 minutes. This does not scale with your Bardic Inspirations, and this can’t be stacked with Bardic Inspiration. 3 The liquid resembles a Rosé wine. Scent of Summer 20 gp and one 1st-level spell slot. You can affect one creature within 10 ft. of you with one charge. It gives resistance to extreme heat. It lasts for 24 hours. 5 You are afraid to touch this vial: it looks like bottled lava…surely it will burn you. Scent of Winter 20 gp and one 1st-level spell slot. You can affect one creature within 10 ft. of you with one charge. It gives resistance to extreme cold. It lasts for 24 hours. 5 The liquid resembles the most clear water from the the most remote glacier; it is so pure and so cold you feel like you could cut yourself on it. Rock-hard Scent 75 gp and one 2nd-level spell slot. You can affect one creature within 10 ft. of you with one charge. It gives you resistance to one type of damage from the list: fire, cold, lightning, thunder, acid, poison. It lasts for 1 hour. 2 An unpleasant vial that looks like it's filled with mud–or at least you hope it’s mud. *Resources: The cost represents the needed herbs, plants, goods, tools and similar equipment. At your GM’s discretion, some of the resources can be found in shops, trading posts, hunters’ guilds, or in the wilderness. Level 3: Heightened Senses: Starting at 3rd level, you become an expert at identifying scents and fragrance around you. You have the benefits below: D You now can identify a humanoid’s specific scent and never forget it. D You learn detect poison and disease spell. It is considered a bard spell for you. It doesn’t count against the bard spells you know. You can cast it without needing any components and without expending a spell slot as if you are smelling the air. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can normally cast the spell with your spell slots and expending one of your bardic dice. D You can focus your ability to recognize scents using your bonus action by spending your bardic dice. While focusing you have advantage on Perception checks rely on smell and Insight checks to determine someone’s lying within 30 ft. of you for the next 10 minutes. Level 6: Bottled Arcana: Starting at 6th level, the number of elixirs you can have prepared at the same time is now 4. Also, your power to smell and identify scents has made you an expert at detecting otherworldly creatures. You learn the detect evil and good spell. It doesn’t count against the bard spells you know, but it is considered a bard spell for you. You can cast it without needing any components and without expending a spell slot as if you are smelling the air. 13 Subclass Options You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can normally cast the spell with your spell slots or by expanding a bardic die. Additionally, you have mastered the ability to store your magical power in scents. Instead of making an elixir, you can store a spell (1-action spell) that is 3rd-level or lower in one of your elixir bottles. For every level of the spell you must spend 10 gp. The bottles contain the spells until you cast them or you make a new one after the 4th. You can later cast those spells using an action. Level 14: Elixir of Dreams: Starting at 14th level, the number of elixirs you can keep at the same time is now 6. Additionally, you can spread ideas and emotions with your abilities. You learn the following elixirs and you must consult with your GM for appropriate ideas, emotions, states of mind and other capabilities for these elixirs. If an elixir forces a saving throw, you can spend one of your bardic dice as a reaction to grant a minus bonus to it. Elixir of Dreams Resources Effect Charges Characteristics Kızguran - The Crimson Liquid 250 gp and one 5th-level spell slot 120 ft. area from the scent’s origin. Every creature that has 5 Intelligence or higher must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or fall under the effects of the odor for the next hour. The failed creatures are frenzied and start attacking the closest target. If the frenzied creature has them, melee attacks must be used. 2 The liquid resembles molten incandescent iron; it is comfortably warm to the touch unless shaken, when it begins to burn red hot… The Bottled Doubt 250 gp and one 5th-level spell slot 250 ft. area from the odor’s origin. Every creature that has 5 Intelligence or higher must make a Constitution saving throw or fall under the effects of the odor for the next hour. Every creature that is affected gets the “Paranoid” flaw. 2 The liquid looks like the most vibrant and strange ultramarine. The Potential of Everything 500 gp and one 7th level spell slot. You put an idea of your choice into the bottle. You can spread doubt about a political figure, some dirty whispers about a certain individual, sow rumors about a great threat lying beneath the city. The potential is endless. Consult with your GM before producing this elixir. This elixir can affect 300 ft., and its effects last for a day. After the effects have ended, some creatures may still believe the ideas you sowed at the GM’s discretion. 1 This liquid resembles a dark shadow falling across an otherwise sunlight day, or a stain of necrotic magic infecting an oasis.