College of Entropy

What is the end of all things? Bards of the College of Entropy know that order is but a fleeting construct imposed, for a time, on an inherently anarchic universe. At their most socially graceful, these bards serve as comfort at funerals and in times of war and famine. At their most abrasive, they chant doomsday prophecies in the town square and act as grim seers who foretell only death and failure.

Every bard joining this college learns a portion of a dark song called “the dirge.” It is said this song’s rhythm is the last beat of a dying heart, its melody the sound of fading stars, and the lyrics are the epitaph to life. No bard knows the entire song, but the College of Entropy works to complete it. When performed, this symphony of pandemonium brings all of existence to a grand close.

College of Entropy Features

Barbarian Level	Feature
3rd	Dark Prophesy, Dirge of Entropy
6th	Woeful Enunciation
14th	Crescendo of Annihilation

Dark Prophesy

Starting at 3rd level, you can prophesy violence and misfortune.

If you spend at least one minute talking to a humanoid who shares a language with you, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to mark that humanoid for failure. The next time that creature attempts an ability check, you can cause it to automatically fail. If you cannot observe the creature when it attempts the ability check, you instead magically sense that it is attempting an ability check. You are aware of what kind of ability check is being attempted, but not the nature of the situation in which it is being attempted. The mark lasts until expended, or until you or the marked creature finishes a short or long rest.

Dirge of Entropy

At 3rd level, you learn how to perform a profane melody that debilitates all who hear it. You may take an action and expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration dice to begin the dirge. The dirge is a powerful song that lasts for one minute and requires concentration (as though concentrating on a spell). While performing the dirge, you cannot communicate verbally or cast spells that require verbal components. The dirge ends automatically if you become unable to speak.

The dirge affects all creatures of your choice within 60 ft. of you, as long as they can hear the dirge.

• Once per turn when an affected creature fails a saving throw, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage. This damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 6th level and 4d6 at 14th level.
• If an affected creature rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll during its turn, its turn ends immediately, forfeiting any other attacks, movement, or actions it might have taken.

Woeful Enunciation

At 6th level, you learn to merge your verbal magic with your dirge of entropy, weaving them together in a flawless performance. While you are maintaining your dirge of entropy, you may cast spells that require a verbal component of a spell level equal to or lower than one-third your bard level (rounded down).

Crescendo of Annihilation

At 14th level, your dirge of entropy gains a terrifying movement, the crescendo of annihilation. At the start of your turn while you are performing your dirge of entropy, you may choose to have it enter its crescendo. Your dirge of entropy gains the following properties for one minute, in addition to its normal effects. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

• Once per turn, if an affected creature fails a saving throw by 5 or more, it takes an additional 4d6 necrotic damage.
• Affected creatures cannot regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. If an affected creature is reduced to 0 hit points, it dies instantly, its body moldering into sickly black paste over the next minute.

Epic Bard College

Your dirge of entropy can be woven into your masterpieces and spells so that you may better bring the world to ruin. While you are concentrating on your Dirge of Entropy subclass feature, you are no longer prevented from communicating verbally or producing effects with verbal components. Additionally, you learn the masterpiece grand finale, which does not count against the number of masterpieces you can have memorized.