College of Nightmares

College of Nightmares

You have forgotten to fear the things of the dark, but I will remind you. And you will never forget again. —Vintras Quall, Bard of the College of Nightmares

Orators of Fear

When a Bard from the College of Nightmares rises to a stage to perform, do not expect to be inspired by songs of great heroes and sonnets detailing feats of valor. There will be no stories about the beautiful places in the world, for that is not the purpose of the College of Nightmares. Rather, a Nightmare Bard stands in front of an audience to remind them of fear: fear of the terrors that haunt the earth, stories designed to make the listeners quiver as the horrors come to life around them. In fear, there is control and power. The stories they tell are the ghost stories told around the campfire, songs of creatures who stalk the living for entertainment, and of beings set on the destruction of life. Because their stories are morose and filled with terror, Nightmare Bards are quickly asked to leave any establishment of repute. Yet, by the time they are asked to leave, the seeds of fear have been planted in their audience.

The Bards of the College of Nightmares are students of the macabre, obsessed with knowing and understanding the darkest and most dangerous creatures that haunt the worlds. From this darkness they weave stories, songs and even magic. The most powerful are even said to be able to bring the horrors they know to life…

Horror Lore

Starting at 3rd level, you have studied the creatures of nightmares and your obsession has given you a unique understanding when it comes to their behavior and nature.

Choose a type of horror lore: aberrations, undead, monstrosities, or fey. You have advantage on all Intelligence based-checks to recall information on creatures of that type. You also have advantage on Charisma-based checks to influence a creature of that type that is not actively hostile to you and understands a language you know.

In addition, you can speak, read, and write one additional exotic language of your choice.

Bardic Bane

Starting at 3rd level, you weave magic with visions of nightmares, lacing it with fear that eats at the mind. As a bonus action, you may spend one use of Bardic Inspiration to begin a chant of terror focused on one individual that can hear (but not necessarily understand) the Bard. The Target must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure the target is wracked with dread and uncertainty, receiving a penalty to attacks, checks, and saves equal to the Bard's Inspiration die. The effect ends only when the Bard is out of earshot or their chant is interrupted.

Unsettling Presence

Starting at 6th level, you are more comfortable with the darkness that others run from. You are immune to fear and have advantage on WIS saves. You gain a new cantrip, Death Shroud. As an action you can use this special form of Disguise Self to appear as an undead creature of your choosing. While so disguised the dead are unable to sense your living spark. Lesser undead ignore you unless actively challenged while intelligent undead perceive you as soulless and have disadvantage on insight checks against you.

Gather Nightmares

Starting at 6th level, you learn to wrap yourself in manifestations of primal fear.

By spending one inspiration die, you draw together darkness and terror and wrap it around yourself like a comfortable shawl. The shadows form into dark caricatures of yourself, as if under the effect of a Mirror Image spell. Whenever one of your images is struck, it lashes out at the attacker and assaults them with visions of their own secret terrors. The attacker must make a WIS save or suffer 3d10 psychic damage and be struck Frightened for one minute. The attacker may repeat the save as an action if they end their turn with no line of sight to the bard. On successful save the attacker takes no damage and is not frightened. The effect ends when no duplicates remain.

After you use Gather Nightmares, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Master of Horrors

Starting at 14th level, you are able to bring your horrors to life. As an action, you may summon a creature of CR 3 or less. The creature summoned must be the same type as your chosen Horror Lore. The summoned creature appears at a point you can see within 30 feet of you. Roll initiative for the summoned creature, which has its own turns. The creature remains present for 10 minutes and obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If no command is given, the creature acts in a way that is within its nature but is friendly toward you and your companions. If you take damage while you control a summoned creature, you must succeed on a constitution saving throw equal to 10 or half of the damage taken (whichever is higher). On a failure, you lose control of the creature, and it becomes hostile towards you.

In addition, when the creature is summoned, you may Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and consult the Living Nightmares table. The creature you summon gains this feature. This roll takes place after you have chosen the point in which the creature will appear.

After 10 minutes, the creature returns to its native realm, disappearing from sight.

Once you use Master of Horrors you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Roll	Living Nightmares	Effect
1	Ensnaring Tendrils	When the creature is summoned, it has three inky black tendrils protruding from its body. The tendrils have a Strength of 16, regardless of the creature’s natural Strength. As a bonus action, the creature may attempt to grapple one creature within 10 feet. The creature makes a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). On a success, the target is grappled. Up to three targets may be grappled at a time. While grappled, the target takes 1d8+3 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns.
2	Face of Terror	As a bonus action, the creature can warp its face into such a horrifying visage that makes even the bravest cower in fear. Any creature with in a 15 ft cone must make a DC 15 Wisdom Save or gain the frightened condition for 1 minute. The target may reroll the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and each time it takes damage. In addition, the creature has advantage to attacks targeting a creature frightened in this way.
5	Insanity of Terror	The creature’s features are so terrifying that when it first appears, all creatures within a 20 ft radius must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw or roll on the Short Term Madness Chart (Dungeon Master’s Guide, pg 259), suffering the effects for 1 minute. A creature with Short Term Madness may re-roll the save at the end of each of its turns.
8	Right Behind You	When the summoned creature is hit by another creature with a ranged attack or a (ranged) spell, the creature can use its reaction to teleport up to 60 ft toward the target. The summoned creature may then make one attack against the target, if the target is in the summoned creature’s range.
11	Shadow Horror	The creature you summoned is one with the shadows. When in dim light or darkness, the creature can move without provoking opportunity attacks, and it gains advantage on its first attack on its turn.
12	Visage of a Friend	As an action, the creature can target one creature within a 60 ft radius. The target must pass a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC as the creature appears as a warped version of someone the target cares deeply about. On a failed save, the target suffers 4d6 psychic damage, half on a success, and disadvantage on all spells and attacks against the summoned creature until the end of their next turn.