Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Subclass: College of the Apocalypse

Level 3: Endless Symphony

When you join the College of the Apocalypse at level 3, and again at 6 and 14, you gain another use of your Bardic Inspiration feature.

In exchange, your Bardic Inspiration die doesn’t change at level 5, remaining a d6; it becomes a d8 at level 10, and a d10 at 15.

Level 3: Eldritch Choir

You understand how to use your bardic magic to conjure forth the power of the Great Ones. You learn two Eldritch Melodies of your choice, which are detailed under "Eldritch Melodies" below. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. You can use a melody as a Magic action, expending one use of your Bardic Inspiration. After you use a melody, you can’t use that melody again until you finish a Short or Long Rest. If a melody requires a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC. For a creature to become affected by one of your melodies, it must be able to hear you when you take the action.

You learn one additional Eldritch Melody of your choice at level 6 and 14.

When you finish a Long rest, you can delve into what lies beyond the veil, replacing one or more melodies you know with another one. Each time you attempt to replace a melody, make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, you lose control over your mental journey into the void; you gain one short-term madness, don’t replace that melody, and you can’t replace any other melodies until you finish a Long rest.

Level 6: Knowledge from Beyond the Stars

The maddening revelations that haunt your mind guide you through the treacherous void. You learn to speak, read, and write Deep Speech. Additionally, whenever you make an Intelligence check that relates to the cosmos or the eldritch, you gain a bonus on that check equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die (this doesn’t expend the die).

Level 6: Devouring Maw

Your words can call beings from beyond the veil. When a creature that possesses a Bardic Inspiration die from you is targeted by an attack, it can use its Reaction to expend the die, summoning an eldritch maw that engulfs and protects it. Until the start of its next turn, it gains a bonus to its AC equal to the number rolled. If this causes the triggering attack to miss, the targeted creature can choose to be ripped through space by the maw, teleporting it to a point within 30 feet of it that it can see; if it does so, it loses the bonus to its AC.

Level 14: Song of the Apocalypse

You learn the spell Divine Order: Transcend. It doesn't count against the number of spells you know. You can also cast it once without expending a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest. When you cast the spell in this way, the apocalypse flows through you; damage can't break your concentration on this spell, and you automatically succeed on the saving throws to keep control over the spell.

Eldritch Melodies

Ballad of the Nameless City

Prerequisite: Level 3+

You channel the name of the lost city of the Great Ones, warping reality. Each creature within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice and knocked prone.

The number of feet up to which a creature is pushed increases to 20 feet at level 6 and 30 feet at 14.

Concord of the Depths

Prerequisite: Level 3+

You sing a hypnotic melody that evokes the presence of the sleeping horrors beneath the waves. Choose one creature within 60 feet of you. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become Incapacitated and have its Speed reduced to 0 for 1 minute, until it takes damage, or until someone uses an action to shake or slap it out of its stupor.

Starting at level 6, you can target two creatures, and at 14, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of three).

Epode for Whom the Bell Tolls

Prerequisite: Level 3+

You toll the bells of death, bolstering your allies. Choose up to five creatures within 30 feet of you. Each creature gains a bonus to their attack and damage rolls equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up) for 2 rounds, ending at the end of your subsequent turn.

Starting at level 6, the bonus to damage rolls equals your Charisma modifier, and at 14, the bonus to both attack and damage rolls becomes equal to your Charisma modifier.

Transcendence of Flesh

Prerequisite: Level 3+

You sing a gloria in the name of corruption, calling forth writhing tentacles that surround and protect your allies. Each willing creature of your choice within 30 feet of you gains Temporary Hit Points equal to half your Bard level + your Charisma modifier, as tentacles sprout from its mouth, eyes, and ears, defending them without impeding their abilities. In addition, they have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Aria of the Reviled Stalker

Prerequisite: Level 6+

You sing a haunting melody that evokes the presence of the lurking horrors beyond the veil. Choose one creature within 30 feet of you. It is partially absorbed by the cosmos for 1 hour, gaining a +10 bonus to Stealth checks and becoming unable to be tracked except by magical means. In addition, as a Magic action, the creature can become incorporeal and move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain until the end of its turn. If it ends its turn inside an object, it takes 5 ( 1d10 ) Force damage and is immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space. Once the creature uses this action, it can’t do so again for the duration of the transformation.

Starting at level 14, when the creature uses a Magic action to become incorporeal, the effect lasts for 10 minutes instead.

Ode to Subjugation

Prerequisite: Level 6+

You invoke the power of a devouring Great One, summoning forth a horde of writhing tentacles to ensnare your enemies. Each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw, becoming Restrained for 1 minute on a failed save. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Starting at level 14, a restrained creature takes 3d6 Necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns.

Requiem of Chaos

Prerequisite: Level 6+

You don the visage of the Crawling Chaos, whispering your enemies’ demise. Choose up to two creatures within 60 feet of you. They have Disadvantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Starting at level 14, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 3).

Song of Abject Birth

Prerequisite: Level 6+

You invoke the power of the primordial chaos, hurling forth a horde of writhing fetuses. Each creature in a 30- foot cone originating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking a number of d4s of Necrotic damage equal to your level in this class on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Starting at level 14, the cone’s size increases to 60 feet.

Assonance of Dreams

Prerequisite: Level 14+

You sing a melody that allows travel through the dream realm. You conjure a circular portal up to 20 feet in diameter linking an unoccupied space you can see within 10 feet of you to a precise location you are very familiar with within 1 mile of you on the same plane of existence as you. You can orient the portal in any direction you choose. The portal lasts for 1 minute. Anything that travels through the portal is instantly transported to the location you chose, appearing in an unoccupied space nearest to the location.

Euphony of Self-Destruction

Prerequisite: Level 14+

You carve the ancient symbol of the convergence of light, unleashing a portal to realms untold. Choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. It must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be drawn through it to an unknown destination. At the end of your next turn, the target returns to the space it previously occupied, or the nearest unoccupied space. If the target isn’t an aberration, it takes 5d12 Psychic damage and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or gain a long-term madness.

Nightmare of the Abyss

Prerequisite: Level 14+

You recite the forbidden incantations of He Who Lies Dreaming, summoning forth a vision of the being’s power. Each creature of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your next turn.

Whispers of the Flesh-Defiler

Prerequisite: Level 14+

You recite forbidden lore learned from a tome of flesh, summoning forth a swarm of buzzing, entrail-eating creatures. For 1 minute, a 30-foot-radius sphere of writhing worms appears at a point that you can see within 60 feet of you. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is devoured by it and must make a Constitution saving throw. It takes 5d6 Necrotic damage and is Poisoned for 1 minute on a failed save, or half as much damage and isn’t Poisoned on a successful one. A Poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. On each of your turns after you summon the swarm, you can use a Bonus Action to move it up to 30 feet in any direction. This effect ends early if you take Fire or Radiant damage.