Roguish Archetype - Minstrel

Though most of the musically inclined follow the bard's path, some never quite grasp the full sense of magic that the bardic colleges teach. Nevertheless the music they play seems to have an energy all of its own and by dedicating themselves to their music they follow instead the path of the Minstrel, whose songs themselves become a form of magic, though not quite spells.

Minstrels are often found wherever bards are - taverns, courts, street corners. Their flashy demeanour makes them the centrepiece of any party (adventuring or otherwise), and their skills can come in high demand; a demand which Minstrels are often happy to fill as adventuring is usually a surefire way to make money and gain new songs and stories.

Minstrel's Proficiencies

A minstrel's bread and butter is their instrument. When you take this subclass at 3rd level you gain proficiency with 1 instrument and the Performance skill. You apply your proficiency bonus twice when making any ability checks involving these. If you already had proficiency with your instrument of choice, you can trade this for one language or tool. If you already had proficiency with Performance, you can instead gain proficiency with one skill. You still apply your proficiency bonus twice to Performance and your instrument, however.

Sforzando

While many rogues use daggers or crossbows as their tool of the trade, you use music. As an action on your turn you may unleash a stinging chord of sound, using either your singing voice or your instrument, against one enemy within 60 feet of you. Your attack modifier for this ranged spell attack is your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier, and on a successful hit it deals 1d6 thunder damage. In addition, Sforzando can deal sneak attack damage so long as it meets the other normal qualifications for it, despite not being a ranged or finesse weapon attack.

Minstrel 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 hear you. That creature gains one Minstrel Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number 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 Minstrel Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Minstrel Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Minstrel Inspiration die at a time. They may have both a Bardic and Minstrel inspiration dice, but they can only apply one to a single roll, not both.

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 Minstrel 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.

Magical Performance

At 9th level you learn a number of magical performances, detailed below. Each performance can be started as a bonus action on your turn and lasts until you choose to stop it, start a different performance, become incapacitated, or fall to 0hp. You can only perform one song at a time, but otherwise there are no limits to how long you can perform for. You don't need to spend any action to maintain the song once started, but you continue to make use of your instrument or singing voice. For example if your instrument requires two hands, you cannot stop to attack with a weapon, and if you are singing, you cannot stop to talk, otherwise the Performance ends and must be restarted. You may still use Sforzando while performing however, weaving it into your melody.

Your performance options are as follows:-

Mage's Crescendo. When a friendly creature within 30' of you that can hear you casts a spell that deals damage, they add your charisma modifier to one damage roll against a single creature. This damage does not apply to Sforzando.
Warrior's Diminuendo. Enemy creatures within 30' of you that can hear you reduce their ability modifier contribution to weapon damage rolls by your charisma modifier.
Stalwart's Forte. Friendly creatures within 30' of you that can hear you add your charisma modifier to saving throws against the Frightened and Charmed conditions.
Priest's Encore At the end of your turn, friendly creatures within 30' of you that can hear you regain hit points equal to your charisma modifier, if they are below half health.

Sforzando Furia

From 9th level your Sforzando now adds your charisma modifier to the damage roll. The damage dice also increases to a d8.

Warding Paean

When a creature other than yourself who can hear you makes a saving throw against the blinded, charmed, frightened, paralyzed or stunned conditions, you may use your reaction to sing a song of reinforcement to them. They make the roll with advantage. In addition if they succeed on the saving throw, they become immune to the condition they saved against for one minute.

Warding Hymn can be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, refreshing on a long rest.

Glissando Duet

From 18th level you can now perform two Magical Performances at the same time, instead of only one, effortlessly switching between both at such speed that the medley melds together seamlessly. Both can be started with the same bonus action and you can change one or both current performances with a single bonus action also. In addition, the radius of your Magical Performances also doubles.