College of the road

Not an officially recognized college, the College of the Road represents the personal and eclectic sets of skills, knowledge, and techniques a wandering bard picks up along their journey. As inveterate jacks-of-all-trades, bards possess a variety of aptitudes in combat, magecraft, and general know-how, making them particularly well suited to learning a variety of different skills. It often happens that while traveling, a bard winds up sharing their campfire with a motley assortment of wandering adventurers who may impart valuable lessons in exchange for a lively song or a well-told tale. Compared to students of other Bard Colleges, a special kind of sensibility is important for the College of the Road. How effectively a bard of this College can apply what they have learned depends on their understanding and insight. The College of the Road is sometimes a harsh teacher, but bards who follow this path often find themselves rewarded with a diverse array of useful tricks and tactics. Those who underestimate a bard from the College of the Road soon find that these “graduates” are full of surprises.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of the Road at 3rd level, you gain a few useful proficiencies picked up from your time on the road. Choose three of the following options (each option can only be selected once):
ll You gain proficiency with a Gaming Set of your choice
ll You gain proficiency with a martial weapon of your choice
ll You gain proficiency with Herbalism Kits
ll You gain proficiency with Thieves' Tools
ll You gain proficiency with a skill of your choice
ll You learn two languages of your choice

Wanderer’s Lore

At 3rd level, you can share any useful tidbits of information you have come across in your travels to help others to see problems from a new angle. When a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die granted by you, they may make a single Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion check with advantage. The creature may choose whether or not to add the Bardic Inspiration die to this roll.

Traveler’s Tricks

At 3rd level you already have several memorable experiences from your life on the road. You learn two Traveler’s Tricks of your choice (see Traveler’s Trick Options). These Traveler’s Tricks represent skills, techniques, and useful pieces of knowledge picked up along the way. Each one requires you to expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration, and takes a bonus action to use unless otherwise specified. At 6th level and at 14th level you learn an additional Traveler’s Trick.

Improved Tricks

At 6th and 14th levels, your Traveler’s Tricks become stronger. By practicing the tricks you know, and encountering stronger adventurers who share their knowledge with you, your mastery over your tricks increases.

Favorite Trick

At 6th level, you have gained enough mastery over one of your Traveler’s Tricks that you can use it whenever it’s needed. You may choose one Traveler’s Trick that you know and designate it as your favorite trick. If you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration remaining, you regain one use of it. Any Bardic Inspiration gained in this way can only be used to perform your favorite trick. At 14th level you can select a second favorite trick from among Traveler’s Tricks you know.

Traveler’s Trick Options

The Traveler’s Trick feature lets you choose options for it at certain levels. The options are presented here in alphabetical order. Each one is associated with a different class, and those marked with an asterisk (*) are magical effects. Unlike traditional bard abilities which rely on skill or panache to be properly executed, the greatest asset for picking up tricks along the road is common sense and an openness to learning new ideas. Wisdom affects how powerful your traveler’s tricks are, as well as how hard they are to counter. If an option requires a saving throw, your Traveler’s Trick save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Acrobatics Lessons. A slick rogue once gave you some pointers on zigging and zagging. When you or an ally makes a Dexterity saving throw, you may expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and adding the result to the saving throw. An ally must be within 60 feet of you and able to see and hear you to benefit from this trick.
At 6th level, if the target succeeds the saving throw against an effect that would deal half damage on a successful save, the target
takes no damage instead.
At 14th level, even if the target fails their saving throw they only take half damage from the effect.
Armed Combat Lessons. A seasoned fighter taught you how to use a simple combat stance to wield your weapons more effectively. When you select this option, choose from the following Fighting Styles:
ll Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
ll Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
ll Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
ll Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier.
When you make a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration, adding your Bardic Inspiration die to the attack or damage roll. When you do this, you gain the benefits of your chosen Fighting Style for 10 minutes.
At 6th level, you learn how to use your stance to chain your attacks together in deadly combination. Once, while your Fighting Style is active, you may attack twice, instead of once, when taking the Attack action on your turn.
At 14th level you have learned to shore up any weaknesses in your stance. You gain +1 to your AC for the effect’s duration.
Bind the Wound. An experienced paladin instructed you in the basics of combat triage. When you or an ally within 5 feet of you receives healing of any kind, you may use your reaction to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and provide extra healing equal to the number on the Bardic Inspiration die roll + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You must have at least one hand free in order to quickly staunch the target’s wound.
At 6th level, you have learned to identify a selection of useful herbs that you can carry with you. When providing additional healing with this trick you may also remove the poisoned or paralyzed condition from the target.
At 14th level, you have developed a true knack for emergency triage. You may additionally remove a single disease affecting the target of this ability.
Boxing Lessons. A wise monk was happy to share the basic form of the jab and weave. When you take the attack action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to quickly execute two unarmed strikes against one or more creatures you could target. You may use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of these unarmed strikes. The damage die used for these unarmed strikes is the same as your Bardic Inspiration die.
At 6th level, you have finally mastered the “weave” portion of your technique. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity this turn.
At 14th level, your practice has paid off, granting you the use of a slightly ki-infused attack. When you hit with one of these attacks you may attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Conjure Woodland Spirit.* A patient druid shared the secrets of forest magic with you. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration as an action to conjure a forest guardian spirit in an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet of you. The guardian spirit is Large, and takes the appearance of a spectral predatory cat. Any enemy that moves into or leaves a space adjacent to the guardian spirit must make a Wisdom saving throw, taking magical slashing damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die on a failure. The guardian spirit will remain for as long as you concentrate on it, up to 10 minutes.
At 6th level, your bond with the guardian spirit grows even deeper. Any creature dealt damage by your guardian spirit has their speed reduced to 0 for the rest of the turn.
At 14th level, any Large or smaller creature who has their speed reduced to 0 by the guardian spirit is restrained for as long as you maintain your concentration, as your guardian spirit pins them in place. The target can break free by spending an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your Traveler’s Trick save DC.
Dark Bargain.* You made a shady bargain with a haggard warlock. When you select this option, choose a Eldritch Invocation from the Warlock’s list of class features for which you meet the prerequisites. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to gain the benefits of this Dark Invocation for 10 minutes. Doing this requires you to roll your Bardic
Inspiration die and take an amount of necrotic damage equal to the roll.
At 6th level, you have learned how to deepen your pact with the warlock you once met. You may choose to take double the necrotic damage you rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die to instead have the effect last for 1 hour.
At 14th level, your pact with the warlock unlocks frightening new power. When you reach 14th level, choose a single spell of 7th level or lower from the warlock’s spell list. You may cast the spell once during this effect without expending any spell slots, although you must cast it at the level of your highest spell slot. In exchange, the spell deals additional necrotic damage to you equal to twice the level at which it was cast.
Evocation Lessons.* A venerable wizard shared secrets of evocation magic with you. When you select this option, choose a damage-dealing spell you can cast. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration when you cast this spell to change the type of damage it deals to your choice of either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder (chosen when you cast the spell).
Add the number you roll on your Bardic Inspiration die + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to the damage dealt by the spell.
At 6th level you may choose to change the spell you
had previously selected with this feature to another spell
that you know.
At 14th level you may choose to change the spell you
had previously selected with this feature to another spell
that you know.
Hunting Lessons.* A skilled ranger taught you how to
use your magic to pinpoint your quarry’s weak spots. You
can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to target one
creature you can see within 90 feet of you as your quarry. For
as long as you concentrate on this ability, up to 1 hour, all
weapon attacks you make against the target deal additional
damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.
At 6th level, you have honed your skills to the point where
you can easily track your quarry. For the duration of the effect,
you are aware of your target’s approximate distance and direction
from you, so long as you are on the same plane.
At 14th level, you can maintain this effect for up
to 24 hours.
Reckless Tactics. You learned from a hardened barbarian
that sometimes you have to charge into combat with no regard
for your own safety. When you make an attack with a melee
weapon that has either the heavy, two handed, or versatile
quality, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to
gain advantage on the attack. Add the number you roll on your
Bardic Inspiration die + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of
1) to the attack’s damage roll. Attacks made against you this
round have advantage.
At 6th level you have learned, through practice, how to
push your offense even further. You may impose a -5 penalty
to this attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the
attack’s damage.
At 14th level, your experience has taught you how to really
go all in. If you have not moved this turn, you may voluntarily
reduce your speed to 0 until your next turn to resolve this
attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you,
making a separate attack roll for each target.
Warding Trick.* A gentle cleric taught you how to channel
your magic into a protective veil. You can expend one use of
your Bardic Inspiration as an action to grant an ally you can
see within 60 feet of you a number of temporary hit points
equal to your roll on the Bardic Inspiration die + your Wisdom
modifier (minimum of 1). This ward lasts for as long as you
maintain concentration on it, up to 10 minutes.
At 6th level, your practice allows you to weave wards
that retaliate against those who would harm your allies. Any
creature who deals damage to an ally with temporary hit points
granted by this effect must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a
failure, the creature dealing damage takes an amount of radiant
damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die.
At 14th level, you have learned how to make your ward
even more resilient. For the duration of the effect, at the beginning
of each round on your turn the target gains a number
of temporary hit points equal to your Bardic Inspiration die
+ your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). These replace any
previous temporary hit points.