Bard Subclass: College of Horror

Spark of Fear

When you join the College of Horror at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Intimidation skill. If you already have proficiency in this skill, you instead double your proficiency bonus when making Intimidation checks. You also have advantage when making Intimidation checks.

You can expend one bardic inspiration die as a bonus action to force one creature to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your Intimidation skill bonus. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each turn, ending its effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to your Spark of Fear for the next 24 hours. The target must be able to see your eyes and be within 30 feet of you.

Frightful Guise

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to change your physical form to both frighten and torment your foes. You can use your action to expend a spell slot and magically assume the shape of a creature from the Frightful Guise Forms list (found on the next page).

The level of the spell slot used determines the creatures you can transform into, as shown in the Frightful Guise Forms table. With a 5th level spell slot, for example, you can transform into certain creatures up to CR 5. Using a 1st level spell slot in this way allows you to also take the form of 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 CR creatures. You can take the form of a Rat, Raven, Scorpion, or Spider at-will as an action.

You can stay in your frightful guise for a number of minutes equal to half your bard level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another spell slot of the required level or higher. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature, but you retain your alignment, personality, hit points, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.
• You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your frightful form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you’ve already cast.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Spooky Presence

At 6th level, your very presence strikes fear into the hearts of your enemies. When a creature within 30 feet of you is forced to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to raise the DC by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.

Visage of Horror

Starting at 14th level, when you use your Frightful Guise, you can force every creature within 60 feet of you to make a saving throw against your Spark of Fear feature.

Frightful Guise Forms

CR 0

Rat, Raven, Scorpion, Spider

CR 1

Giant Rat, Stirge, Giant Bat, Giant Centipede, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Wolf Spider, Skeleton, Wolf, Zombie, Giant Wasp, Jackalwere, Reef Shark, Shadow, Warhorse Skeleton, Worg, Death Dog, Dire Wolf, Ghoul, Giant Spider, Scarecrow, Specter

CR 2

Ankheg, Carrion Crawler, Ettercap, Gargoyle, Ghast, Giant Constrictor Snake, Gibbering Mouther, Grick, Hunter Shark, Intellect Devourer, Mimic, Minotaur Skeleton, Nothic, Sea Hag, Spined Devil, Wererat

CR 3

Bearded Devil, Displacer Beast, Giant Scorpion, Green Hag, Grell, Hell Hound, Hook Horror, Mummy, Nightmare, Phase Spider, Werewolf, Winter Wolf

CR 4

Banshee, Bone Naga, Flameskull, Ghost, Shadow Demon, Wereboar, Weretiger

CR 5

Barbed Devil, Giant Shark, Mezzoloth, Night Hag, Shambling Mound, Vampire Spawn, Werebear, Wraith, Xorn

CR 6

Chasme, Drider, Vrock

CR 7

Grick Alpha, Mind Flayer

CR 8

Chain Devil, Spirit Naga

CR 9

Bone Devil, Glabrezu