College of Nature

Bards from the College of Nature endeavor to protect the balance that exists between all living things. Members of this college are more at home in the wilderness than a rowdy tavern or royal court. They feel the connection that binds all life together and sustain its harmony.

Most of these bards revere the forces of nature themselves, but some devote themselves to Aubori or one of the many nature gods in the multiverse. While all life is precious to College of Nature bards, they also know that nature can provide sustenance and utility to those who only take life when needed.

When a member of this college performs, it can seem as if nature itself joins in with rustling leaves, whistling winds, crashing waves, and singing birds. They harm only those who needlessly take lives, despoil nature, or use dark magic to go against nature’s balance. For their protection of nature, they receive magical energy in return. Each bard connects with a specific natural environment, anywhere from the bottom of the sea to the mountains high above.

College of Nature Features
Bard Level Features
3rd Bonus Proficiencies, Natural Focus
6th Environmental/Elemental Magical Secrets
14th Natural Inspiration

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join the College of the Nature at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice selected from Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival. In addition, you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit.

Natural Focus

Also at 3rd level, you learn one druid cantrip of your choice. This counts as a bard cantrip for you.

In addition, you gain a natural focus, a specific environment that you feel a connection with. Select one of the environments below and gain the abilities associated with that environment.

  • Arctic. Frozen wastelands are a second home to you. You have resistance to cold damage, and slick ice is not difficult terrain for you.
  • Coast. You are as comfortable on land as in the water. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.
  • Desert. The blazing sun and blistering heat of the desert is a comfort. You have resistance to fire damage and you require only half a gallon of water per day.
  • Forest. You feel at home high in the tallest trees. You have a climbing speed of 30 feet. Also, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while in a forest environment.
  • Grassland. The vast grasslands have taught you to travel quickly and quietly. Your speed increases by 5 feet while you are not wearing heavy armor. Also, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while in a grassland environment.
  • Mountain. The storming skies high above the mountains bring you calm and peace. You have resistance to lightning damage. Also, you’re acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
  • Swamp. You enjoy spending time in thick, foggy swamps. You have resistance to poison damage and can ignore difficult terrain while in a swamp environment.

Environmental Magical Secrets

Starting at 6th level, whenever you learn a new bard spell, you may instead choose a spell from the druid or ranger spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, and the spell must be of 1st level or higher.

A chosen spell counts as a bard spell for you, and is included in the number in the Spells Known column of the bard table.

In addition, your connection to your natural focus is stronger, and you can draw from the magical energies found in nature. Select the environment in the Environmental Magical Secrets Spells table that matches your natural focus and gain the listed spells. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.

Natural Inspiration

At 14th level, you enhance the fragrant smell of flowers, the sound of trickling water, or the touch of a gentle breeze, to soothe, relax, and inspire your allies. A creature that uses a Bardic Inspiration die from you when rolling an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw ignores any disadvantage to that roll, in addition to adding the Bardic Inspiration die to the result.

Environmental Magical Secrets Spells
Environment Spells
Arctic hold person, sleet storm
Coast misty step, call lightning
Desert scorching ray, wind wall
Forest barkskin, conjure animals
Grassland pass without a trace, wind wall
Mountain spider climb, meld into stone
Swamp acid arrow, water walk
Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Seas of Vodari Copyright 2020, Tribality (Innovaworks Inc.) and Shawn Ellsworth.