Unearthed Arcana Bard college of prestidigitation

peterka9

Explorer
better stage magician, mentalist with a useful familiar. Your opinion ?



Master stage magician

When you join the college of prestidigitation at 3rd level, you gain access to the prestidigitation and thaumaturgy cantrips or 2 other cantrips from your class list if you already know them. The 2 spells are , for you, combined into one. Casting a spell gives you 2 effects from the combined list. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can actively have up to six of their effects at a time, and you can break an effect at the cost of an action.

Mentalist

Also at level 3, your inspiration allows you to overcome the mental resistances of your targets. If a creature within 30 feet roll a wisdom, intelligence, or charisma saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend a use of Bardic Inspiration and subtract your result from the result of the saving throw. If this saving throw is made as a result of a spell you cast, your spell ignores any saving throw advantage and any resistance. The creature is immune if you can't see it or if charms don't affect it.

Level 6:

The voice of his master

From level 6, you learn the Find Familiar spell (by adding the monkey to the list, taking a modified cat as a model). Your familiar, in addition to its usual abilities, is a casting catalyst. Her charisma is changed to 12 and raises to 14 at level 14. The familiar's charisma modifier is added to the bard’s while she is conscious and on the same plane as her master, up to a maximum of 20.

Finally, when you cast a spell that has contact range, your familiar can cast the spell as if it were the one who performed the spell, as usual for familiars. In addition, the spell can be cast without verbal or somatic components, even if you are unable to perform an action, bonus action or reaction normally due to a condition or if you are unconscious but not dying. Your familiar must not be affected by such a condition itself.

Level 14:

Mass hypnotism From level 14, after a performance or speech of 10 minutes or more, for all non-hostile creatures that can hear you within a radius of 150 feet (or more if relays are used), you can implant a suggestion ( according to the terms of the namesake spell) of your choice in the mind of any creature that fails a wisdom saving throw. Your charisma is the casting modifier for this ability. The effect can be used once, then requires a short or long rest before being used again. The effect lasts for an hour.
 
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delph

Explorer
Stack it with 5 lvl of hexblade and it's really powerfull build. All attacks from Charisma - +7 CHA + 6 proficiency bonus, DMG of agonizing blast or melee with hexblade curse, hex, maddening hex invocation are next +1d6 + 16 dmg per hit...

and stack with some save spells as hold person,...

But not overpowered I think. Many classys and subclassys have ways how to get similar numbers
 


delph

Explorer
+5 maximum, not +7. I don't want to break the "20, maximum" rule.
okay, but it's wroted a little bit confusing. Familiar add Charisma modifier to Bards. But Modifier isn't stat. And it make it much weaker subclass. Bard will know he needn't push up his CHA, because on a 14th lvl he will get +5, but until 14, he have to stay 2 lvls (from 4th lvl) 1 CHA behind, than next 6 levels (from 8 lvl) 1 CHA behind again.
I think It's nothing broking when this familiar just adds his modifier to bards modifier, when he is in 10 ft radius from Bard.
 

peterka9

Explorer
Ok. Then, it is like a magic item giving +4 CHA...
Otherwise, the other features are fine ?
One should be creative to benefit from the Prest. 3rd level feature, but it can rock, like any illusion do.
Is the malus to saving throw OP ? Usually, bard spells = charm and the best defense is to be immune, anyway...
 

peterka9

Explorer
I changed the 6th level feature:

b] The voice of her master [/ b]

From level 6, your stage companion becomes a magical creature. You learn the Familiar Call spell. Your familiar, in addition to its usual abilities, is a casting catalyst. Casting a spell through your familiar allows you these perks:

  • To cast any spell, not just any spell with a self range

    No verbal or somatic component is required.

    Any condition preventing you from casting the spell is temporarily lifted, including the dying condition. Your familiar itself should not be affected by such conditions.

    A monkey or a puppet could be added to the list of familiar, on DM call [/ spoiler]
 
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peterka9

Explorer
Do you think the 6th level feature is balanced ?
A free still spell metamagic (no verbal or somatic components)
All spells through familiar (ex: cone of cold from a rabbit!)
Can cast spells even if held, petrified, unconscious or dying!

with the help of your pet!
 

delph

Explorer
Ok. Then, it is like a magic item giving +4 CHA...
Otherwise, the other features are fine ?
One should be creative to benefit from the Prest. 3rd level feature, but it can rock, like any illusion do.
Is the malus to saving throw OP ? Usually, bard spells = charm and the best defense is to be immune, anyway...
Kensei can add +3 to attack and dmg from 11 level, Barbarian attack with advantage,... give Bard +1 and then +2 CHA isn't game breaking when you add condition:

-when familiars is max 5 ft distant

and may be rewrite it as: "add familar CHA bonus to Spell DC and skill checks based on charisma."

And small metamagic - I'm ok when it "verbal or somatic" so where are verbal and somatic, bard still have to do one of them.

And maybe you can get some more ideas from pact of chain. Getting invisible, teleporting creature giving resistance to many dmg is much stronger than this.

Some ideas (not need use them all) with familiar Bard, sorry Bard of Prestidigitation :) :
-In higher lvl changing find familiar on flock of familiars spell (3 familiars from 2nd slot if I remember it right) OR getting medium familiar (imagine Bard going with medium fairie lion/wolf/bird like peacock..)
-Delivering bardic inspiration by familiar
-increasing bardic inspiration by familiar CHA -> 1dX+CHA
-small inspiration 1d4 as a bonus action without spending inspiration dices

And I have to say it's a superb idea - there are many subclasses dipping in other classes, using psionics, etc, but nothing like Pact of Chain warlock flavor
 

peterka9

Explorer
It is not a pact of chain- it is a set of original abilities

b] The voice of her master [/ b]

From level 6, your stage companion becomes a magical creature. You learn the Familiar Call spell. Your familiar, in addition to its usual abilities, is a casting catalyst. Casting a spell through your familiar allows you these perks:


  • To cast any spell, not just any spell with a self range
  • No verbal or somatic component is required.
  • You can use baridc inspiration though your familiar
  • Any condition preventing you from casting the spell is temporarily lifted, including the dying condition. Your familiar itself should not be affected by such conditions.
 

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