-
-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 10
Subclass Bard College of Lore
The College of Lore is a Bard subclass built around knowledge, versatility, and debuffing. Cutting Words at Level 3 uses Bardic Inspiration as a Reaction to subtract from enemy rolls. Bonus Proficiencies expands the Bard's already wide skill list by 3 more choices. Magical Discoveries at Level 6 provides Magical Secrets access 4 levels early — two spells from any class list.
| LEVEL | FEATURE |
|---|---|
| 3 | Cutting Words, Bonus Proficiencies |
| 6 | Magical Discoveries |
Cutting Words When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or an ability check, you can use your Reaction and expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and subtract the number rolled from the creature's roll.
Bonus Proficiencies You gain proficiency in 3 additional skills of your choice from the Bard skill list.
Magical Discoveries You learn two spells of your choice. These spells can come from the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard, or any other spell list. A spell you choose must be a level you can cast, as shown in the Bard Features table.
The chosen spells count as Bard spells for you but don't count against the number of Bard spells you know.
The College of Lore is the knowledge and control Bard. Cutting Words is a versatile Reaction — spending Bardic Inspiration to subtract the die roll from an enemy attack or ability check, potentially turning a hit into a miss or a successful check into a failure. With Font of Inspiration at Level 5 recovering uses on Short Rest, Cutting Words becomes a reliable per-encounter resource.
The real payoff is Magical Discoveries at Level 6, which mirrors Magical Secrets 4 levels early. Two spells from any class list opens enormous flexibility: Counterspell or Shield from Wizard, Healing Word from Cleric, Conjure Animals from Druid — whatever the party most needs. Combined with the base Bard's 3 skill choices plus Lore's 3 Bonus Proficiencies plus Expertise in 2 skills, the Lore Bard covers more of the skill check space than almost any other class.