College of Ash

Some bards draw power from living muses - gods, fey, or arcane legends. But you? Yours is long gone. A burned-out divine muse whispers to you through dying embers and crumbling prayers. Once glorious, now faded, your source of power grants you flickers of celestial might - volatile, radiant, and beautiful in its ruin. You sing dirges of fallen angels and forgotten oaths, channeling divine remnants in risky, radiant bursts.

Ember-Touched Inspiration (3rd Level)

Your Bardic Inspiration is now suffused with unstable divine energy.

  • When a creature uses your Bardic Inspiration die, it can choose to ignite the ember within. If it does, roll a d6. Depending on the result, one of the following effects occurs in addition to the die’s normal benefit:

1 Backlash – The target takes radiant damage equal to your Bard level.

2-3 Flicker – The target gains a +1 bonus to AC until the start of their next turn.

4-5 Surge – The target regains hit points equal to the Bardic Inspiration die.

6 Radiant Pulse – The target and all allies within 10 feet deal +1 radiant damage on weapon attacks until the end of their next turn.

If a creature does not choose to ignite the ember, the Bardic Inspiration functions normally.

You can use this feature proficiency bonus times per long rest (separate from Bardic Inspiration uses). You regain all Ember uses after a long rest.

Covenant Hymn (3rd Level)

You learn to sing hymns of your forgotten muse.

As an action, you can perform a hymn of divine ruin. Choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier within 30 feet. Each creature gains temporary hit points equal to your Bard level + Charisma modifier, and sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius for 1 minute.

While the hymn is active, the first time each creature deals damage, it deals extra radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier (once per hymn per creature).

You can use this feature once per long rest, or by expending a spell slot of 2nd level or higher.

Smoldering Surge (6th Level)

You can channel the remnants of divine power into risky surges.

When you cast a Bard spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to overload it with divine residue. Roll a d6 and apply one of the following Smoldering Effects:

1-2 Radiant Backlash – You and one ally within 10 feet each take damage equal to half the spell’s level.

3-4 Divine Echo – The spell echoes; you can target a second creature within range (if applicable).

5-6 Burning Glory – Until the start of your next turn, you shed bright light in 10 feet, and creatures that end their turn within 5 feet of you take radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after a long rest.

Ashen Aria (10th Level)

You can release a burst of divine grief in a haunting melody.

As a reaction when a creature within 60 feet falls to 0 HP, you can unleash your Ashen Aria:

Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = your spell save DC).

  • On a fail, it takes 3d8 radiant damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn.

  • On a success, it takes half damage and is not blinded.

One creature of your choice that can hear you regains hit points equal to your Bard level.

You can use this feature once per long rest, or expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to use it again.

Covenant’s End (14th Level)

You unleash the final verse of your broken muse—glorious and catastrophic.

As an action, you conjure a flare of divine collapse. All creatures of your choice within 30 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = your spell save DC).

  • On a failure, a creature takes 6d10 radiant damage and is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

  • On a success, it takes half damage and is not incapacitated.

All creatures who failed their save shed dim light for 1 minute, during which time they cannot benefit from invisibility or illusions.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.