Bard College - College of the Songbird

Though many bards are taught in a scholastic, academic environment, or learn their trade from taverns on the roadside, a few form a more natural bond for their skills. These bards bind themselves to songbirds of all varieties who aid them battle and performance both.

Songbird bards are often found among druidic enclaves or other forest dwellings, with a deep appreciation for the natural world and its protection. Those that travel with adventuring parties often find comradeship with druids, rangers, barbarians, and others who are dedicated to nature or just generally friends with animals.

Natural Bond

A bard of the Songbird college has a deeper conection to the natural world than most other bards. You gain proficiency in either the Nature or Survival skill, and can add your charisma bonus to any ability check rolls using your chosen skill. In addition, you learn one druid cantrip, which counts as a bard cantrip for you.

Bonded Bird

From 3rd level you form a bond with a bird of your choice, though whatever type of bird you choose it uses the Raven statistics with the following adjustments:-

Its maximum hits points are increased by 5 * your bard level.
It adds your proficiency bonus to its armour class and all saving throws.
It adds half your proficiency bonus to its attack and damage rolls.
Its Intelligence score is increased to 10. It can understand you, but cannot speak any languages.
If it is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your Reaction to immediately restore half of its hit points at the cost of a 1st level or higher spell slot.
If it is killed, you can expend a 2nd level spell slot or higher as part of a 10 minute ritual to restore it to life, even if its body was destroyed.
It gains proficiency in the Performance skill, and can make Charisma (Performance) checks to mimic speech or other sounds, with a contested Wisdom (Insight) check to verify it as mimicry. This is strictly mimicry, and cannot be used conversationally.
It shares your initiative, and acts on your turn. You can command it to act verbally at no action cost.
Instead of expending your own bonus action to use Bardic Inspiration, your Bonded Bird can use their bonus action in your place to do so, drawing from your pool of Bardic Inspiration dice. You cannot enhance either yourself or your Bonded Bird with Bardic Inspiration in this way. You may still only expend one Bardic Inspiration dice per round.

Harmonisation

When you reach 6th level you are able to harmonise with your bonded bird. If you or your Bonded Bird use a bonus action on Bardic Inspiration, the other can expend their bonus action in turn to improve it. The inspired creature adds your charisma modifier to the bardic inspiration roll.

In addition, whenever a spell affects you, you can choose to extend that effect to your Bonded Bird as well at the same time.

Proper Perch

From 6th level your Bonded Bird learns how to share its tricks with another friendly creature. When your Bonded Bird takes the Dash, or Disengage actions, it can perch on a friendly creature. That creature gains the benefit of the chosen action until the start of your next turn. From 14th level the Dodge action can also be used with this feature.

While Perched on a creature, your Bonded Bird gains resistance to all damage.

Grand Chorus

From 14th level you and your Bonded Bird can combine your voice into a Grand Chorus, which takes both your actions. You expend two Bardic Inspiration dice to grant Bardic Inspiration to all friendly creatures who can hear you within 30ft, excluding yourself and your Bonded Bird. If either of you also expend your bonus actions at the same time, you can grant the Harmonisation bonus to one creature for each of the bonus actions expended.

Evasive Song

From 14th level whenever your Bonded Bird is hit by an attack or fails a saving throw, they may use their reaction to make a Performance ability check. If the roll is higher than the attack roll or the saving throw DC, they instead evade the attack or succeed on the save.