Hi Folks, First time posting one of these so be gentle 
Basically when I saw the Bard in the PHB I thought it was generally uninspiring, so I've been working on this class homebrew. It's not even remotely balanced compared to other classes, I've basically been looking at ways to make the bard feel more based on controlling the weave through song and dance rather than the bog-standard spell list approach.
The sort of feedback I'm after is whether it would put too much strain on the Bard's action economy, whether the specialist routes seem balanced to each other and in particularly whether the approach for Bardic Spells & Songs seems like a good one. Besides that general feedback and criticism is always appreciated.
Bard
Feature List
Lv. 1: Bard Song - Using one of your actions each turn you may chant any one of your known songs to boost allies or debuff enemies, with effects depending on the action used to sustain it. You begin with knowledge of 1 bard song.
Lv. 1: Spell Casting - Bards gain access to 1 spell from the list detailed below. Spellcasting for bards is tiring however and they may only cast a number of spells per day equal to their Charisma bonus or risk getting Exhausted.
Lv. 1: Bardic Implement - Choose one instrument, you must use this instrument when casting spells or songs.
Lv. 1: Bardic Learning - Bards have two ways to learn songs and spells. Firstly they may automatically learn either 1 song or 1 spell at level up. (Representing their increase in skill and worldly experience). Second they may learn songs or spells during travels from other bards, ancient manuscripts and legends or other circumstances (at the GM’s discretion)
Lv. 4: Jack of All Trades - Add half proficiency bonus to all skills you’re not proficient in
Lv. 9: Powerful Presence - Gain advantage on all Persuade, Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks
Lv. 13: Singing Weapon - Choose a weapon you have proficiency with. When you attack using this weapon, it deals 1d6 extra sonic damage.
Lv. 15: Distracting Show - You may use your standard action to target one enemy that can see you, they must make a will saving throw or grant advantage to your allies for 1 round.
Bard Songs
Bard songs are activated using one of the Bard’s actions in their turn, they have differing power of effects based on the action spent to sustain them. An example is:
Ode to the Great Heroes
Oh fight now my friends/ For the glory to come/ Make proud our ancestors/ Beat the war drum
Bonus Action: Allies may add 1d4 to their attack roll
Move Action Allies may add 1d6 to their attack roll
Standard Action Allies may add 1d6 to their attack and damage roll
Bard Spells
Bards manipulate the weave around them through song and dance, their enchanting words and motions cause the tides of the weave to ripple and crash against their foes.
When attempting to cast or sustain a spell, the bard must make a Performance check with a difficulty DC of 8 + (Spell Difficulty * Spell Timer).
Bard spells occur over several rounds, to begin a spell is a Standard action, every round afterwards the spell must be sustained using Free actions and progressively harder performance checks. If a performance check fails, the spell immediately dissipates as the weave returns to it’s normal flow, alternatively a bard may choose to stop a spell at any time as a Free Action.
Unless otherwise stated, all enemies get an opportunity to make a saving throw to avoid taking the negative effects of the spell (half damage in case of a damaging effect), DC: 8+Prof+Cha Bonus
Example:
Elemental Discharge
Spell Difficulty: 3
Round 1 (DC: 11) Round 2 (DC: 14)
1d6 Cold to 1 target within 60 feet 1d8 Fire burst(1) centred on 1 target within 60 feet
Round 3 (DC: 17) Round 4 (DC: 20)
1d10 Lightning to 2 targets within 60 feet 2d8 Acid, sprayed in a cone of 60feet
Round 5 (DC: 23)
2d8 Fire,Cold,Lightning & Acid to every enemy within 80 feet.
Options
These replace the Bardic School Options chosen at level 3
Student of the Dance
Lv. 3: Inspiring Dance - Bard song (optionally) no longer requires a vocal component. However allies and creatures that cannot see you are unaffected by it. Additionally you may perform the move effect of a bard dance whilst also moving up to your normal speed. You also gain proficiency in Acrobatics.
Lv. 7: Whirling Dervish - Whenever you use an attack action to make a Melee attack, you may attack the same or another enemy within 5ft of you as a free action
Lv. 11: Fleet Feet - While you are wearing light or no armour, you gain +2 AC and have advantage for all Dex based saving throws
Lv. 14: Dancing Blades - You may enchant a number of weapons in your inventory up to your charisma bonus to move as if by their own power. They occupy spaces adjacent to you and move when you move but must be adjacent to you at the end of your movement. Enemies that occupy the same space as any of the weapons are attacked by the Bard as a free action (Weapon Bonus + Prof Bonus + Cha Bonus), if they are hit they take that weapon’s damage value (damage from singing blades is added on, but no STR bonus may be added). Once a weapon hits or misses with this attack it harmlessly falls to the floor at the enemy’s feet. This ability is regained after a long rest
Student of the Melody
Lv. 3: Deafening Strum - With an instrument equipped, you may make a Ranged attack as a Standard action. This attack deals 1d8+Cha damage and has the Magic type for purposes of damage resistance and immunity. This damage increases to 1d10+Cha at lv.8 and 1d12+Cha at lv.13.
Lv. 7: Skilled Performer - Your bard songs are more effective and require less effort on your part. You may use your bonus action to activate the Move effect, your Move action to activate the Standard effect and Bonus effects are Free actions (only 1 Bonus action song may be active at one time)
Lv. 11: Musical Forte - You are proficient in every instrument for the purposes of casting bard spells. Additionally it takes 1 round less for Bard spells to reach their ultimate effect.
Lv. 14: Enchanting Tunes - As a standard action the bard plays mystic notes on his instrument. All humanoid and animal type creatures within 30 metres must pass a Will saving throw with a penalty equal to the bard’s CHA bonus or be dominated for 1 round. The bard must have a long rest to regain this ability.
Student of the Stage
Control focus, focus on team work, movement and misdirection
Lv. 3: Stage Fright - Standard Action. Each creature in 20 ft must make a Will Save or be immobilised for 1d4 rounds. Reload on short rest.
Lv. 7: Rallying Shot - You make a ranged attack against a target. If you hit, all allies may immediately spend their reaction this round to attack that target if able. Restored after a long rest.
Lv. 11: Director of the Stage - As a Minor Action, you may move any mix of creatures, ally or enemy up to 2* your Cha bonus squares. This forced movement cannot provoke attacks of opportunity. (E.g a Bard with 16 Cha would be able to move creatures 6 spaces. They could move an enemy 3 spaces and an ally 3 spaces, or 1 enemy/ally 6 spaces, or even 6 enemies 1 space.) (Not sure about this one, it seems potentially really powerful and/or difficult to explain without being exploitable)
Lv. 14: Encore! - As a standard action, make a performance roll vs DC10+No. of Allies. If successful all your allies may make a second standard action this turn. Restored on a long rest (Even as an ultimate ability this may be extremely powerful depending on how large the party is)
So, any thoughts?
Basically when I saw the Bard in the PHB I thought it was generally uninspiring, so I've been working on this class homebrew. It's not even remotely balanced compared to other classes, I've basically been looking at ways to make the bard feel more based on controlling the weave through song and dance rather than the bog-standard spell list approach.
The sort of feedback I'm after is whether it would put too much strain on the Bard's action economy, whether the specialist routes seem balanced to each other and in particularly whether the approach for Bardic Spells & Songs seems like a good one. Besides that general feedback and criticism is always appreciated.
Bard
Feature List
Lv. 1: Bard Song - Using one of your actions each turn you may chant any one of your known songs to boost allies or debuff enemies, with effects depending on the action used to sustain it. You begin with knowledge of 1 bard song.
Lv. 1: Spell Casting - Bards gain access to 1 spell from the list detailed below. Spellcasting for bards is tiring however and they may only cast a number of spells per day equal to their Charisma bonus or risk getting Exhausted.
Lv. 1: Bardic Implement - Choose one instrument, you must use this instrument when casting spells or songs.
Lv. 1: Bardic Learning - Bards have two ways to learn songs and spells. Firstly they may automatically learn either 1 song or 1 spell at level up. (Representing their increase in skill and worldly experience). Second they may learn songs or spells during travels from other bards, ancient manuscripts and legends or other circumstances (at the GM’s discretion)
Lv. 4: Jack of All Trades - Add half proficiency bonus to all skills you’re not proficient in
Lv. 9: Powerful Presence - Gain advantage on all Persuade, Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks
Lv. 13: Singing Weapon - Choose a weapon you have proficiency with. When you attack using this weapon, it deals 1d6 extra sonic damage.
Lv. 15: Distracting Show - You may use your standard action to target one enemy that can see you, they must make a will saving throw or grant advantage to your allies for 1 round.
Bard Songs
Bard songs are activated using one of the Bard’s actions in their turn, they have differing power of effects based on the action spent to sustain them. An example is:
Ode to the Great Heroes
Oh fight now my friends/ For the glory to come/ Make proud our ancestors/ Beat the war drum
Bonus Action: Allies may add 1d4 to their attack roll
Move Action Allies may add 1d6 to their attack roll
Standard Action Allies may add 1d6 to their attack and damage roll
Bard Spells
Bards manipulate the weave around them through song and dance, their enchanting words and motions cause the tides of the weave to ripple and crash against their foes.
When attempting to cast or sustain a spell, the bard must make a Performance check with a difficulty DC of 8 + (Spell Difficulty * Spell Timer).
Bard spells occur over several rounds, to begin a spell is a Standard action, every round afterwards the spell must be sustained using Free actions and progressively harder performance checks. If a performance check fails, the spell immediately dissipates as the weave returns to it’s normal flow, alternatively a bard may choose to stop a spell at any time as a Free Action.
Unless otherwise stated, all enemies get an opportunity to make a saving throw to avoid taking the negative effects of the spell (half damage in case of a damaging effect), DC: 8+Prof+Cha Bonus
Example:
Elemental Discharge
Spell Difficulty: 3
Round 1 (DC: 11) Round 2 (DC: 14)
1d6 Cold to 1 target within 60 feet 1d8 Fire burst(1) centred on 1 target within 60 feet
Round 3 (DC: 17) Round 4 (DC: 20)
1d10 Lightning to 2 targets within 60 feet 2d8 Acid, sprayed in a cone of 60feet
Round 5 (DC: 23)
2d8 Fire,Cold,Lightning & Acid to every enemy within 80 feet.
Options
These replace the Bardic School Options chosen at level 3
Student of the Dance
Lv. 3: Inspiring Dance - Bard song (optionally) no longer requires a vocal component. However allies and creatures that cannot see you are unaffected by it. Additionally you may perform the move effect of a bard dance whilst also moving up to your normal speed. You also gain proficiency in Acrobatics.
Lv. 7: Whirling Dervish - Whenever you use an attack action to make a Melee attack, you may attack the same or another enemy within 5ft of you as a free action
Lv. 11: Fleet Feet - While you are wearing light or no armour, you gain +2 AC and have advantage for all Dex based saving throws
Lv. 14: Dancing Blades - You may enchant a number of weapons in your inventory up to your charisma bonus to move as if by their own power. They occupy spaces adjacent to you and move when you move but must be adjacent to you at the end of your movement. Enemies that occupy the same space as any of the weapons are attacked by the Bard as a free action (Weapon Bonus + Prof Bonus + Cha Bonus), if they are hit they take that weapon’s damage value (damage from singing blades is added on, but no STR bonus may be added). Once a weapon hits or misses with this attack it harmlessly falls to the floor at the enemy’s feet. This ability is regained after a long rest
Student of the Melody
Lv. 3: Deafening Strum - With an instrument equipped, you may make a Ranged attack as a Standard action. This attack deals 1d8+Cha damage and has the Magic type for purposes of damage resistance and immunity. This damage increases to 1d10+Cha at lv.8 and 1d12+Cha at lv.13.
Lv. 7: Skilled Performer - Your bard songs are more effective and require less effort on your part. You may use your bonus action to activate the Move effect, your Move action to activate the Standard effect and Bonus effects are Free actions (only 1 Bonus action song may be active at one time)
Lv. 11: Musical Forte - You are proficient in every instrument for the purposes of casting bard spells. Additionally it takes 1 round less for Bard spells to reach their ultimate effect.
Lv. 14: Enchanting Tunes - As a standard action the bard plays mystic notes on his instrument. All humanoid and animal type creatures within 30 metres must pass a Will saving throw with a penalty equal to the bard’s CHA bonus or be dominated for 1 round. The bard must have a long rest to regain this ability.
Student of the Stage
Control focus, focus on team work, movement and misdirection
Lv. 3: Stage Fright - Standard Action. Each creature in 20 ft must make a Will Save or be immobilised for 1d4 rounds. Reload on short rest.
Lv. 7: Rallying Shot - You make a ranged attack against a target. If you hit, all allies may immediately spend their reaction this round to attack that target if able. Restored after a long rest.
Lv. 11: Director of the Stage - As a Minor Action, you may move any mix of creatures, ally or enemy up to 2* your Cha bonus squares. This forced movement cannot provoke attacks of opportunity. (E.g a Bard with 16 Cha would be able to move creatures 6 spaces. They could move an enemy 3 spaces and an ally 3 spaces, or 1 enemy/ally 6 spaces, or even 6 enemies 1 space.) (Not sure about this one, it seems potentially really powerful and/or difficult to explain without being exploitable)
Lv. 14: Encore! - As a standard action, make a performance roll vs DC10+No. of Allies. If successful all your allies may make a second standard action this turn. Restored on a long rest (Even as an ultimate ability this may be extremely powerful depending on how large the party is)
So, any thoughts?
