College of Metal
change, your Bard gains advantage on Intimidation
The College of Metal option is for Bards that wish
to channel a level of aggression, violence, and sinis-
ter energy into their performance. College of Metal
Bards, or Death Metal Bards, that live the life of a
hero or adventurer take the same approach to their
musical performance as they do when in combat.
Depending on the world setting of the game, there
may be a devil or demon that can act as the Bard’s
major influence. Below will be a god anyone can add
to their pantheon if they chose to along with new in-
struments for the Bard.
There are 3 diferent genres of metal to choose
from that add their own features.
New Instruments
As part of the College of Metal, bards that chose this op-
tion can have their instrument become bonded to them.
Summoning the instrument requires an action, dismis-
sing it takes a bonus action, if the bard becomes inca-
pacitated or unconscious the instrument vanishes, and
if the bard dies the instrument loses it's bond. A Death
Metal bard may have more than one bonded instrument
as long as one of them is a microphone. For example, a
guitar and a microphone or a bass and a microphone.
• Guitar. A six or seven stringed instrument with a
thaumaturgy spell innately stored inside to apply
ampliication.
• Bass. A four or ive stringed instrument with a thau-
maturgy spell innately stored inside to apply ampli-
ication.
• Microphone. A horn instrument with a thaumatur-
gy spell innately stored inside to apply ampliication.
• Drums. A ive, six, or seven piece kit with symbols
and double bass drums with a thaumaturgy spell
innately stored inside to apply ampliication.
College of Black Metal
Corpse Paint
Starting at 3rd level when you choose the Black Me-
tal genre, your Black Metal Bard begins using corp-
se paint. The corpse paint becomes a permanent ap-
pearance change to your Black Metal Bard. In ad-
dition to the facial appearance change, your Black
Metal Bard’s armor changes appearance as well. The
appearance of your armor looks like black metal sta-
ge costumes, (see bands; Behemoth, Dark Funeral,
Dimmu Borgir).
1
With your Black Metal Bard’s new appearance
checks.
Bleeding Ears
Also at 3rd level, you can use your bonded instru-
ment in combat. You use a standard action to do
this if your instrument is not already summoned.
While your bonded instrument is in existence, you
can make an attack with it using a standard action.
There is no roll to hit, only you must be within 30
feet of the target you choose and they must be able
to hear you and make a CON save. The damage dealt
by the instrument is 2d6 and the type of damage is
determined by the instrument.
You can only use one instrument to attack with.
The damage dealt with this feature changes at hig-
her levels. At 7th level the damage is 3d6, a creature
that fails its save at this level, 14th, and 20th takes
half damage. At 14th level the damage is 6d6.. At
20th level the damage is 8d6.
* Guitar: Lightning damage
* Bass: Thunder damage
* Microphone: Psychic damage
* Drum Kit: Force damage
Demonic Summoner
At 6th level, your Black Metal Bard calls upon the
Nine Hells and the Abyss to bring forth a servant.
Your Black Metal Bard can summon a devil or de-
mon found inside the Monster Manual with a CR
of 2 or less, (Lemure, Manes, Dretch, Imp, Quasit,
Spined Devil). After an hour, or once the summo-
ned creature or summoner reach 0 hit points, the
summoned demon or devil disappears.
This feature can’t be used until the next dust.
Death Strike
Also at 6th level, you gain the ability to imbue your
weapon with necrotic energy. Once on each of your
turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack,
you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 ne-
crotic damage. When you reach 14th level, the extra
damage increases to 2d8.
This feature does not apply to your instruments.
Improved Demonic Summoner
At 14th level, your Black Metal Bard improves his/her
demonic summoning. Your Black Metal Bard can
summon a devil or demon found in the Monster Ma-
nual with a CR of 4 or less, (Bearded Devil, Shadow
Demon). After an hour, or once the summoned crea-
ture or summoner reach 0 hit points, the summo-
ned demon or devil disappears. This feature can’t be
used until the next short rest.
Dark Beguiler
Also at 14th level your Corpse Paint improves and
manifests your soul. You gain black, leathery wings
(if you don’t already have wings) and gain a flying
speed of 30 feet. You can use a bonus action to cau-
se harmless sensory efects such as snuffing out
candles or change the color of flame, cause parch-
ment to whirl around you, etc.
Once per long rest, when you make any Charis-
ma check you can add +10 to the roll. You must use
this feature before rolling the Charisma check.
College of Death Metal
Pact of Brutality
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this College,
your Death Metal bard gain the Eyes of the Rune
Keeper invocation from the Warlock class. In additi-
on you also gain advantage to Wisdom saving throws
against being frightened. If the Wisdom saving throw
is to overcome or prevent madness, you get to add
+2 to the roll.
Bleeding Ears
Also at 3rd level, you can use your bonded instru-
ment in combat. You use a standard action to do
this if your instrument is not already summoned.
While your bonded instrument is in existence, you
can make a spell ranged attack with it using a stan-
dard action. There is no roll to hit, only you must
be within 30 feet of the target you choose and they
must be able to hear you and make a CON save. The
damage dealt by the instrument is 2d6 and the type
of damage is determined by the instrument.
You can only use one instrument to attack with.
The damage dealt with this feature changes at hig-
her levels. At 7th level the damage is 3d6, a creature
that fails its save at this level, 14th, and 20th takes
half damage. At 14th level the damage is 6d6. At
20th level the damage is 8d6.
* Guitar: Lightning damage
* Bass: Thunder damage
* Microphone: Psychic damage
* Drum Kit: Force damage
Improved Critical
At 6th level your weapon attacks score a critical hit
on a roll of 19 or 20.
2
At 11th level your weapon attacks score a critical
hit on a roll of 18 - 20.
Brutal Critical
Also at 6th level you can roll one additional weapon
damage die when determining the extra damage for
a critical hit with a melee attack.
At 11th level, you can roll two additional dice.
Mastery of Brutality
Your experience with the brutal nature of this genre
of music chosen has strengthened your will. At 14th
level your bard gets to add double his or her proici-
ency bonus to Wisdom saving throws. If the Wisdom
saving throw is to overcome or prevent madness, you
get to add +10 to the roll.
Darkened Delirium
Also at 14th level, you can plunge a creature into an
illusory realm. As an action, choose a creature that
you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a
Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On
a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your
choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is
broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This
efect ends early if the creature takes any damage.
Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is
lost in a misty realm, the appearance of which you
choose, or trapped in a blackened void. The creature
can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion.
You must inish a short or long rest before you
can use this feature again.
College of Viking Metal
...And My Axe
Starting at 3rd level when you take the Viking Metal
genre, your Viking Metal Bard gains proiciency with
Hide armor, the Battleaxe and Greataxe. In addition
to the armor and weapon proiciency, your Viking
Metal Bard also gains proiciency with the brewer’s
tool supplies, waterborne vehicles, and the naviga-
tor’s tools.
Mead And Mayhem
At 6th level, your Viking Metal Bard has been through
Hel and came out covered in blood of his or her en-
emies. Drinking before battle has become a ritual he
or she takes. If your Viking Metal Bard drinks alco-
hol at the start of his or her turn, you can use a free
action to shout a battle cry. When you use a battle
cry and charge into battle, you can target up to two
humanoid creatures who can hear you. The targeted their pantheon as a Bard’s influence into choosing
humanoid creatures must succeed a Wisdom saving the College.
throw, or become frightened for one hour. The DC for
this save is 8+ your CON mod + your CHA mod. If Maturel, god of Chao- Light, An instrument
you use this feature more than once before a long Anger, Music, tic War plectrum with
rest, your bard sufers one point of exhaustion once and War. Neu- blood speckled.
the encounter is over. tral
Additionally, while not in combat, when your bard
requires a Constitution check to avoid becoming drunk,
you get advantage on the roll. Maturel
Maturel embodies anger and violence. He channels
Radiant Strike his anger and violence into songs as an outlet. Prac-
titioners of Maturel’s musical teaching- applying an-
Also at 6th level, your bard channels the radiant ger and violence to song, does not appeal well to ma-
presence of the Norse gods into his or her weapons. jority of the general public. Surprising to the gods,
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature Maturel’s teaching has suppressed his evil will- al-
with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to beit he’s not entirely goodhearted. In some cases,
deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage. When you reach Maturel’s practitioners, when casting bardic spell,
14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8. Ad- have been known to summon lesser demons and de-
ditionally, your proiciency with Hide armor ignores vils. These lesser spawned aid in the performance of
the Dexterity modiier limit, making it no longer a the bard, and in combat too.
max of 2.
This feature does not apply to your instruments.

Valkyrie
At 14th level, your Viking Metal Bard faces difficult
and dangerous adversaries. When your Viking Metal
Bard is in combat you can cast the Spirit Guardian
spell as a bonus action. Your spirit guardian is that
of a Valkyrie. This feature can be used once per long
rest.

Oracle Of The Gods

Also at 14th level your bard gains radiant, eagle wings
(if you don’t already have wings) and gains a flying
speed of 30 feet. Once per short rest, you may calm
any hostile creatures within 30 feet of you into be-
coming non-hostile towards you. The targets must
succeed on a Charisma saving throw. This indife-
rence ends if the creature is attacked or harmed by
you. In addition to this efect, any ally within the
range gains a bonus to their Intelligence, Wisdom,
and Charisma saving throws equal to your Charis-
ma saving throw.

Dark Influences
As above, depending on the world setting a devil or
demon can be a Bard’s influence for choosing the
College of Metal. Below is a god anyone can add into