College of the Ancients

Bards of the College of the Ancients study long lost civilizations. They learn more than simply history, but also study the lost lore of such things as architecture, engineering, religion, and legal codes. Many do not spend their entire lives in dusty libraries, though these are certainly a main source of their knowledge, but go out on adventures to see ancient wonders for themselves and delve into long forgotten ruins after the greatest treasure of all, lost lore.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you join this college at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in History and thieves’ tools. Furthermore, you gain proficiency in one ancient language and are considered to be proficient with any armor, weapon, tool, or vehicle made by that culture.

Font of Lore

Also at 3rd level, you can use an artifact from an ancient civilization as your spellcasting focus. Furthermore, if you cast a spell with the ritual tag and utilize locations and artifacts of ancient civilizations you may turn the ritual in to a lecture. A lecture takes one hour to complete but does not consume any spell components, and must have at least two living creatures as an audience.

Evasion

At 6th level, years spent in ancient tombs and ruins has taught you to be on the lookout for danger. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you take no damage on a successful save and half damage if you fail.

Wonders of the Ancients

Starting at 14th level, you may imbue an artifact created by an ancient and long-dead civilization with your bardic inspiration. You must hold the item and perform an hour long monologue about how it works, where and why it was made, and other aspects of its history. Afterwards, you may assign one of your bardic inspiration dice to the item. Anyone who uses that item gains the benefits of the bardic inspiration die, and the die is not expanded when it is used. However, this reduces your maximum bardic inspiration dice by one. You may use this feature once, and regain uses of it following a long rest. You may transfer the bardic inspiration die to another artifact, but this requires another hour long monologue. You may remove the inspiration die from an item that has one assigned to it during a long rest.