Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is nearing its first full week of release, and D&D players across the globe have been itching to get a peek at the book’s contents. TCoE has introduced an entirely new set of rules to expand Fifth Edition’s base game. With this new expansion comes optional character creation rules, 30 subclasses finalized and printed, and more.
The College of Creation for the bard is one such subclass, making its first appearance in Unearthed Arcana along with the rest of the subclasses printed in TCoE. The College of Creation believes in harnessing the Song of Creation, or the celestial harmonies that still ring throughout the cosmos.
At 3rd level, Creation bards get the Mote of Potential feature. Whenever you give a creature a bardic inspiration die, you can utter a note from the Song of Creation to conjure a Tiny mote of potential, which orbits within 5 feet of the creature. It is intangible and invulnerable, lasting as long as the creature has the use of the bardic inspiration. The mote takes the form of whatever symbol of life or art that you prefer. When the creature uses the bardic inspiration die, the mote provides an additional effect based on what the bardic inspiration die is affecting from one of the following:
Ability Check – When the creature rolls the bardic inspiration die to add to an ability check, the creature can roll the die again and choose which result to take.
Attack Roll – Immediately after the creature rolls a bardic inspiration die to add to an attack roll against a target, the mote thunderously shatters. The target and each creature of your choice within 5 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take thunder damage equal to the amount rolled on the bardic inspiration die.
Saving Throw – Immediately after the creature rolls the bardic inspiration die and adds it to a saving throw, the mote vanishes with the sound of soft music, causing the creature to gain temporary hit points equal to the amount rolled on the bardic inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point.)
Also at 3rd level comes the Performance of Creation ability. This is more of a flavor ability that has some pretty great in and out of combat capability. As an action, you can create a medium or smaller nonmagical item of your choice worth no more than 20 x Bard level GP. The created item stays for a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus before disappearing.
You can only have one created item at a time and regain all expended uses of this feature on a long rest or if you spend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to recover it. The size of the created item increases as you reach 6th level (Large) and 14th level (Huge).
At 6th level, Animating Performance rounds out the mid-tier features, allowing you to animate inanimate objects of Large size or smaller. The item uses the Dancing Item stat block, and shares your initiative count, taking its turn immediately following yours.
The Dancing Item is pretty decent, with a few damage and condition immunities, a fly speed, and a slam attack that deals force damage.
Finally, 14th level brings the Creative Crescendo feature, boosting your Performance of Creation feature. When you use your Performance of Creation, you can create a number of objects equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of two). Only one item may be of max size, the rest must be Small or Tiny. You’re also no longer limited by GP when using the Performance of Creation feature.
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