Subclass: College of Silence Bard

[jackhaydock]

• Spell Sapping (prolly 6th), kinda like a counterspell, maybe deal psychic dmg as well
• Energy drain. Reduce damage of elemental and magic attacks
• Impose exhaustion
• Cancel advantage (also disadvantage)
• Remove bonuses (e.g. adv., guidance etc.)
• Sapping sting cantrip, mind sliver?

Maybe also lean into the idea that they know how to remedy these sorts of effects as well as cause them. Making them also good at removing/countering conditions and disadvantage

Maybe change name, very little about this is specifically "silent", even the silence spell is not specifically part of the subclass College of Apathy, Melancholy, Woe

---

Features

College of Silence

Where others might use words and songs to inspire and motivate others, the College of Silence specializes in quite the opposite, demoralizing their enemies with unnatural silences and inaudible tones. WIP

Bardic Demotivation

Starting at 3rd level, you can repurpose your inspiring talents to temper and exhaust a creature's will. When you use your Bardic Inspiration feature you can instead force the target creature to subtract the Bardic Inspiration die from the next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes within the next 10 minutes. Maybe make this its own feature with its own uses, rather than consuming inspiration

Depleting Tone

Starting at 3rd level, your energy draining talents can extend to the forces of magic itself, draining its power and hindering its danger. When you or a creature you can see would take damage from a spell or magic effect, you can use a reaction and reduce the damage the creature takes by an amount equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Burnout

Starting at 6th level, you can overwhelm a creature with a dour uninspired mood, potentially causing them to abandon their plans. When a creature you can see makes an attack or casts a spell of 5th level or lower, you can use a reaction and force them to make a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a fail, the attack or casting fails.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Already a lot of reaction stuff going on

Burnout ALT

Starting at 6th level, you can overwhelm a creature with a dour uninspired mood, potentially causing them to abandon their plans. As an action, you can choose a creature you can see within 60ft. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, or waste an action on its next turn doing nothing.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Kinda boring, plus the demotivation feature already covers a lot of this

Burnout ALT

Starting at 6th level, when you deal psychic damage to a creature that is not an undead or construct, you can use a bonus action to impose a mental block on it. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your bard spell save DC or be unable to add any of its ability modifiers to ability checks and attacks it makes for the next minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, removing the effect on a success. Once a creature has succeeded on the saving throw, it is immune to this feature until the end of your next long rest. Should probably be limited Too similar to Demotivation?

14th level feature TBD

[jackhaydock]

Demotivation is very similar to lore's cutting words right now