College of Hunters (5e Bard College)
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College of Hunters
While most Bards collect odd and end lore throughout their travels and studies, a small group of Bards tell tales of mythical monsters and do all they can to compile knowledge on their abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This College of Hunters may not be the most adept at combating these foes on their own, but the knowledge they bring to the table can be priceless.
Monstrous Lore
When you select this College at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Furthermore, you may use your Charisma in place of your Intelligence when making an ability check using any of these skills, provided you are proficient with the skill in question.
Additionally, as an action, you can attempt to identify a creature you can see within 60ft, by making an ability check against a DC equal to 10 + the creature's CR, whichever is higher. If the creature is common in folklore, such as a Vampire, the DC is reduced by 5. If the creature is completely foreign or unknown in history, such as a creature from the Far Realms, the DC is increased by 5.
The skill used for this ability check is based on the creature's Type, as shown below:
- Arcana: Aberrations, Dragons, Constructs, Oozes
- History: Giants, Humanoids, Monstrosities
- Nature: Beasts, Plants, Fey, Elementals
- Religion: Celestials, Fiends, Undead
Upon successfully identifying a creature in this way, you learn two of the following pieces of knowledge of your choice; You may select the same piece of knowledge more than once, but doing so may yield no further results, wasting your time and effort.
For every 5 points by which you beat the DC, you learn an additional piece of knowledge of your choice; Thus, rolling a 23 against a CR 3 creature would reward you with four pieces of knowledge about that creature.
- Whether or not the creature is a Worthy Foe;
- The creature's current movement modes and movement speeds;
- The number and damage types of the creature's attacks;
- Whether the creature's Armor Class is Low (Below 15), Moderate (15-20), or High (Above 20);
- The creature's Damage Resistances;
- The creature's Damage Immunities;
- The creature's Damage Vulnerabilities;
- The creature's Condition Immunities;
- Any conditions against which the creature has advantage on the saving throw;
- Any conditions against which the creature has disadvantage on the saving throw;
- Whether the creature's spellcasting ability is None; Low (Max 3rd level spell), Moderate (Max 6th level spell), or High (Max 9th level spell);
- Whether or not the creature has Legendary Resistances;
- Whether or not the creature has Legendary Actions, and if so, a vague summary of what they are;
- One of the creature's Traits;
- One of the creature's Actions;
- One of the creature's Bonus Actions;
- One of the creature's Reactions.
Hunter's Seal
When you select this College at 3rd level, you learn to place magical Seals on a creature, which can be broken to harm it.
As a bonus action, you can expend a spell slot to place one of the following Hunter's Seals on one or more creatures that you can see within 60ft of you. Once placed, these Seals last until 1 minute has passed, you fall unconscious, the Seal is dispelled as a spell of the same level as the spell slot used to create it, or until the creature takes damage, which triggers and ends the Seal. A creature cannot have more than one Seal placed on it at a time.
Focused Seal: This Seal is placed on a single creature. When this Seal is broken, the creature takes 1d10 points of additional damage, plus 1d10 for each level of the spell slot used to create it. You choose what type of damage the Seal deals when you create it.
Horde Seal: This Seal is placed on a number of creatures equal to 1, plus the level of the spell slot used to create it. When this Seal is broken on any of the Sealed creatures, that creature takes 1d4 points of additional damage, plus 1d4 for each level of the spell slot used to create it. You choose what type of damage the Seal deals when you create it.
Inspiring Beastlore
Beginning at 6th level, your knowledge of creatures allows you to inspire your allies more strongly against them, granting them knowledge of where and how to strike, and what to avoid. This grants your Inspiration the following benefits:
- When a creature adds their Inspiration Die to an attack roll against a creature you've successfully identified using Monstrous Lore, on a successful hit, their attack deals additional damage to the creature equal to the number rolled on the Inspiration die. You choose the type of damage dealt when the creature uses their Inspiration die in this way.
- When a creature adds their Inspiration Die to a saving throw against an ability used by a creature you've successfully identified using Monstrous Lore, their AC against that creature's attacks is also increased by a number equal to the number rolled on the Inspiration die until the beginning of their next turn.
- When a creature adds their Inspiration Die to an ability check against an ability used by a creature you've successfully identified using Monstrous Lore, they may roll the Inspiration Die twice and choose which of the results to add to their ability check. If they choose the lower result, your inspiration revitalizes them, causing them to regain hit points equal to the number rolled on the lower Inspiration die.
Empowered Seals
Beginning at 10th level, when you place a Focused Seal on a creature, you can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to hinder that creature. The next time within 1 minute that the sealed creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you may roll that Inspiration Die and subtract the result from that attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, even if the Seal in question is no longer active. Additionally, if the Seal is still active when you hinder the creature with your Inspiration Die, you also trigger the Seal, dealing the Seal's damage to it.
Inspiring Knowledge
Beginning at 10th level, when you successfully identify a creature using Monstrous Lore, you can immediately use your Bardic Inspiration to inspire an ally as part of the same action.
Seal Of Death
Beginning at 14th level, you can use your bonus action to place your most powerful Seal on a creature, without expending a spell slot; However, this Seal requires your concentration to maintain, and only lasts until the beginning of your next turn. While your Seal of Death is active on a creature, each time the Sealed creature takes damage, moves 10ft or more, uses a Reaction or Bonus Action, or makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it suffers 1d10 additional points of damage. You choose what type of damage the Seal deals when you create it.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a Long Rest before you may do so again.
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