CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
It's an unpopular opinion, but I'd replace the bard class with a modified version of the Arcane Trickster. Something like this:
It's something I've been working on for a little while; it's going to need some extensive playtesting and revision but at the moment the gears all turn in the right directions. It's an Arcane Trickster, but with bard spells instead of wizard, and bard abilities instead of the rogue-y, thief-y stuff.
This was roughly copied from Roll20 and spliced into a Rogue archetype...but you get the idea...
Some rogues enhance their musical talent and performance ability with magic, learning tricks of enchantment, influence, and distraction. These rogues include minstrels and skaalds, but also jesters, mischief-makers, and a significant number of adventurers.
BARD ABILITIES
Musical Talent. At 3rd level, musical talent awakens within you. You become proficient with Perform, and with two musical instruments of your choice.
Bardic Inspiration. You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can year you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add thenumber rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the D20 before deciding to use the bardic inspiration die, but must decide before the DM announces whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the bardic inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one bardic inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once.) You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Your bardic inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
Jack of All Trades. Starting at 3rd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Song of Rest. Starting at 3rd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regain an extra 1d6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
Font of Inspiration. Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
Countercharm. At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a Performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required.)
Magical Secrets. By 10th level, you have plundered magical knwoledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard Table, or a cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number of spells known on the Bard Table.
You learn two additional spells from any classes at 14th level, and again at 18th level.
Superior Inspiration. At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of bardic inspiration left, you regain one use.
SPELLCASTING
When you reach 3rd Level, you gain the ability to cast Spells. See the general rules of Spellcasting and the Bard spell list.
Cantrips. You learn three cantrips, chosen from the Bard spell list. You learn another bard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Bard Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. Your regain all expended spell slots when you finish a Long Rest.
For example, if you know the 1st level spell charm person and have a 1st level and a 2nd level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1st level Bard spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Bard Spellcasting table shows when you learn more bard spells of 1st level or higher. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the bard spells you knwo with another spell of your choice from the bard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells, since you learn your spells through talent and artistic expression. You use your charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Bard Spellcasting
Ritual Casting. You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a musical instrument (see Chapter 5, "Equipment") as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
Some rogues enhance their musical talent and performance ability with magic, learning tricks of enchantment, influence, and distraction. These rogues include minstrels and skaalds, but also jesters, mischief-makers, and a significant number of adventurers.
BARD ABILITIES
Musical Talent. At 3rd level, musical talent awakens within you. You become proficient with Perform, and with two musical instruments of your choice.
Bardic Inspiration. You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can year you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add thenumber rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the D20 before deciding to use the bardic inspiration die, but must decide before the DM announces whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the bardic inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one bardic inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once.) You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Your bardic inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
Jack of All Trades. Starting at 3rd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Song of Rest. Starting at 3rd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regain an extra 1d6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
Font of Inspiration. Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
Countercharm. At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a Performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required.)
Magical Secrets. By 10th level, you have plundered magical knwoledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard Table, or a cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number of spells known on the Bard Table.
You learn two additional spells from any classes at 14th level, and again at 18th level.
Superior Inspiration. At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of bardic inspiration left, you regain one use.
SPELLCASTING
When you reach 3rd Level, you gain the ability to cast Spells. See the general rules of Spellcasting and the Bard spell list.
Cantrips. You learn three cantrips, chosen from the Bard spell list. You learn another bard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Bard Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. Your regain all expended spell slots when you finish a Long Rest.
For example, if you know the 1st level spell charm person and have a 1st level and a 2nd level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1st level Bard spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Bard Spellcasting table shows when you learn more bard spells of 1st level or higher. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the bard spells you knwo with another spell of your choice from the bard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells, since you learn your spells through talent and artistic expression. You use your charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier
Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier
Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier
Bard Spellcasting
| Rogue Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots, 1st Level | Spell Slots, 2nd Level | Spell Slots, 3rd Level | Spell Slots, 4th Level |
| 3rd | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||
| 4th | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 5th | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 6th | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 7th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 8th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 9th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 10th | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 11th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 12th | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 13th | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 14th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 15th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 16th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 17th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 18th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 19th | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 4 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Ritual Casting. You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a musical instrument (see Chapter 5, "Equipment") as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
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