College of Synthesia (5e Subclass)

Bard Subclass

Have you ever wanted to crank up the bass, and blast people into next week with scintillating soundbites? Well, this subclass aims to do just that. The focus is making your music powerful rather than the music empowering your magics. It's also designed to be highly customized and I encourage people to talk with their DM's about making your own soundboard to pick from.

Synthesizer Instrument

Through the use of minor elements of various spells such as thunderclap, thaumaturgy, silence, and more you've been dabbling in the artificial or "synthetic" music. You've learned to craft various new spells that you can use whenever you're playing your synthesizer instrument.

Starting at 3rd LVL you now have access to your very own Synthesizer Instrument (This is a 2-handed instrument that acts as both a weapon and an arcane focus, however, it also allows you to cast some of your own unique spells.) You are assumed to have been crafting it, or depending on setting or background, purchased or gifted one that you haven't been using until now. If you lose this, break it, or want to upgrade/change out your synthesizer, it costs 50GP worth of raw materials and takes 3 days to either reconstruct, or get accustomed to if you purchase a new one. (This part is up to DM interpretation.)

When using this to make an offensive attack, it will deal 1d8 (scaling with cantrip progression) of thunder damage. Range 20/40 as a spell attack roll. This is treated as casting a cantrip spell, has a casting time of 1 action, VSM components, and its school of magic is Evocation. Depending on your performance, once in a while this may be amplified by one of your synthesized spells. These amplifications will expend a use of your bardic inspiration die when used.

Synthetic Amplifications

Starting at 3rd level, now that you have your synthesizer, you can bend and manipulate the sounds and beats coming from you, and even weave pieces of various spells into your attacks. You gain 2 of the following options. Whenever you gain a level in Bard you may swap out one of these Amplifications. (Alternatively if you came up with any of your own, your DM may let you substitute them for 1 or both of the following default options.)

Crescendo. The music has gotten so loud that all creatures in a 10 ft radius of the target, whether it hits or not, make a CON saving throw vs your spell save DC or become deafened for up to a number of turns equal to the roll of your expended bardic inspiration die. At the end of each of their turns, they may repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a successful save. While they are deafened, they are also disoriented and must make a DEX saving throw at the start of each of their turns or be knocked prone.

Diminuendo. The music has softened so low that you have been forced to quiet everybody in the area. In a 10 ft radius of the target, whether it hits or not, can no longer speak, becoming essentially mute. No other sounds can pass through either and thunder damage is dampened and becomes completely ineffective. This is treated as the same as the Silence spell for up to a number of turns equal to the roll on your expended bardic inspiration die but is an effect that is not concentration for the user.

Adagio. When you land a successful synthesizer attack, the target must roll a WIS saving throw or become affected by the Slow spell. (This is the same as the slow spell but single target. Concentration is still a factor.)

Punchy Bass. As a bonus action, you can crank up the bass. For a number of turns equal to the roll of your expended bardic inspiration die you can add your CHA modifier to the damage of your synthesizer attacks.

Staccato. (Pre-requisite LVL 6) You create a needle-like sensation for up to a number of turns equal to the roll of the expended bardic inspiration die, which remains in the square that the target is occupying at the time of the original attack, whether it hits or not. Similarly to Cloud of Daggers it will deal an additional 4d4 of magical piercing damage on hit and continue to do so if a creature enters the space for the first time on its turn or starts its turn there. (For the sake of resistances and immunity, it is treated both as magical piercing and thunder damage, so anything that is immune or resistant to thunder damage will still be immune/resistant to this.)

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