College of Stars

College of Stars: Bard College Option

Two cards lay face-up on the table in front of a weary traveler. The half-elven bard sits across from her, deck in hand, ready to reveal the final fortune. With a gesture to the heavens, the bard lays the final card. Skull. The card of death.

The traveler grimaces, sweat running down the side of her neck. "Is...Is the Skull bad?"

The half-elf's lips curl into a knowing smile. "Death is not the end of all things. To many, it also symbolizes imminent rebirth. The passing on to another stage of life, shedding one's old identity and being born anew." He sees it, the tears suddenly flowing from the traveler's eyes. Knowingly, he extends his hand towards her. "You are safe now. They no longer know you are here."

The traveler breathes a sigh of relief, handing him a few silver as a gesture of goodwill, for she has been blessed by the stars. She wipes her tears and disappears into the crowd.

Bards from the College of Stars are bestowed the gift of divination from the heavens. The infinite mysteries of the stars and beyond reveal themselves to a studious bard, who practices day and night honing their ability to read fortunes from a deck of cards.

While the College's most gifted fortune tellers come to learn how to pluck magic from the very heavens and turn them into spells, the powers they are granted are ultimately determined by Fate itself.

Deck of Fates

When you join the College of Stars at 3rd level, you are granted a mystical deck of cards known as the Deck of Fates, which consists of thirteen cards indicated in the Deck of Fates table.

The Deck of Fates is kept inside an ornate box or pouch (your choice), and its cards are made of ivory or vellum (your choice). While inside the container, it resides in a secure extradimensional plane. The deck can be used as your spellcasting focus, and is considered a magical item due to its special properties.

As a bonus action, you may either dismiss the deck into its container, or summon it to your grasp from inside it. If you lose the deck or the container that holds it, you may undertake an hour-long ritual that destroys the previous Deck of Fates and its container, and you summon a new one.

You may also use the deck to tell fortunes, which reveal a cosmic truth when demonstrated on a willing humanoid. Refer to the appendix for how to read fortunes with the deck. As a seasoned diviner, you gain proficiency with the Insight skill, and you can read, write, and speak Celestial.

Fate's Hand

Also at 3rd level, the cosmic power of your Deck of Fates allows you to tap into the magic of the universe and cast a variety of predetermined spells. The Deck of Fates also enhances your magical abilities as a bard. When you finish a long rest, draw cards from the deck at random equal to your Charisma modifier. You gain the ability to cast the corresponding spell on the Deck of Fates table as a first level spell at any time, but only once, before the end of a long rest.

You may cast the spell by spending a usage of Bardic Inspiration, and presenting and announcing the card as the spell's verbal and somatic components. The spell counts as a bard spell for you.

Cosmic Secrets

At 6th level, the secrets of the universe reveal themselves to you through your Deck of Fates. Draw four cards at random from the Deck of Fates. Cards drawn this way permanently gain additional magical effects The card's face glows when revealed or placed face-up while telling a fortune. The card's art becomes magically animated as its movements respond to its surroundings.

In addition, you gain the ability to cast the card's corresponding spell from the Deck of Fates table at any level by presenting the card and using up the appropriate spell slot for that level, and presenting and announcing the card as the spell's verbal and somatic components. The spell counts as a bard spell for you.

Finally, your Fate's Hand feature no longer requires the expenditure of usages of Bardic Inspiration.

Scry the Heavens

At 14th level, you become a timeless diviner of the Deck of Fates, and are able to peer beyond the stars with your cards. You no longer draw cards with your Fate's Hand feature. Instead, you may cast any spell on the Deck of Fates list with your Fate's Hand feature once per long rest. You must present and announce the corresponding card when casting a spell this way.

In addition, as an action, you may draw a card at random from the Deck of Fates to create a magical effect which instantly takes place when the card is drawn. You may use this feature once per long rest. See below.

Sun. A Potion of Superior Healing appears in your hands. It disappears after 10 minutes.

Moon. You regain all uses of your Bardic Inspiration feature.

Star. You may add 2 to the next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you make within the next 10 minutes.

Throne. You gain 1,000 gp.

Key. A rare magic weapon that you are proficient with appears in your hands, then disappears after 10 minutes. The DM chooses the weapon.

Knight. A knight appears in a space within 30 feet of you that you can see. The knight is of the same race as you and serves you loyally until they die or disappear after 10 minutes. You control this character.

The Void. You cast finger of death on a creature you can see. If you cannot see any eligible creatures to cast this spell on, you cast this spell on yourself.

Flames. A fire elemental appears in a space within 100 feet of you that you can see. The fire elemental is hostile, and attacks the creature closest to it that it can see. It attacks relentlessly until it dies or disappears after 10 minutes.

Skull. Your hit points drop to 0 and you fall unconscious.

Ruin. You cast earthquake centered on yourself.

Euryale. You transform into a medusa for 1 minute.

Rogue. You become invisible for 10 minutes. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on your person.

Jester. No effect happens.

Fate's Origin

Most bards don't receive a Deck of Fates upon entering the College of Stars. It is more likely that they were in possession of the deck long before entering. Perhaps it was passed down to them as a family heirloom, or from a seer. Whichever the origin, possession and ownership of the deck led to a calling from the cosmos to seek its power. Those who are in possession of a deck cannot tap into its magical properties until they enter the College of Stars.

Entertainer Variant: Fortune Teller

If you have the Entertainer background, you may choose Fortune Telling as one of your routines. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform divinations in any place that allows it. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with a Deck of Fates. The deck does not have any magical properties unless you are a Bard and have selected the College of Stars as your Bard College.

Appendix: Fortune Telling

If you are in possession of a Deck of Fates, chances are you have the ability to perform divinations with the deck. Even if you are not in the College of Stars (or if you're not a Bard, for that matter), the readings reveal a cosmic truth, ultimately affecting any willing humanoid whose fortune is told.

To read an individual's fortune, draw three cards at random from your Deck of Fates and lay them on a flat surface, face-up. In order from left to right, the cards represent the divination target's past, present, and future, respectively. Refer to the table below.

The Cards and What They Represent

Card	Past	Present	Future
Sun	Childhood	Adulthood	Old Age
Moon	Knowledge	Mystery	Revelations
Star	Wish Made	Good Luck	Wish Fulfilled
Throne	Ambition	Career	Opportunity
Key	Isolation	Secrets	Enlightenment
Knight	A Promise	An Oath	Duty
The Void	Loneliness	Emptiness	Hopelessness
Flames	Love	Passion	Friends
Skull	Sickness	Death	Rebirth
Ruin	Loss	Change	Discovery
Euryale	Scorned Woman	Broken Man	Cold Heart
Jester	Games	Ignorance	Shame

When certain cards are drawn together, they might also interact with each other in special ways that are left up to the interpretation of the diviner. For example, a Moon in the Past with a Throne in the Future could mean that past knowledge will unlock future opportunities.