Bardic College: College of Ravens

Bards of the College of Ravens have many friends, or so the saying goes. Whether perched on balconies overlooking cities, or stalking the deep hearts of umbral forests, these clever spies and sinister information brokers rely on their shadowy allies to acquire secrets. The College of Ravens relies on always having just the right secret to tip the balance in their favour. To their mind, it's not brute force that will win the day, but a small push in just the right place, at just the right moment.

name = 'College of Ravens'
description = "***Bardic College: College of Ravens.*** Bards of the College of Ravens have many friends, or so the saying goes. Whether perched on balconies overlooking cities, or stalking the deep hearts of umbral forests, these clever spies and sinister information brokers rely on their shadowy allies to acquire secrets. The College of Ravens relies on always having just the right secret to tip the balance in their favour. To their mind, it's not brute force that will win the day, but a small push in just the right place, at just the right moment."

Shadow Friend

3rd-level College of Ravens feature

You gain a shadowy companion that takes the form of a small winged beast of CR0. This creature follows your instructions, and can understands any languages you speak. Your shadow friend is unable to speak, but can mimic with precision anything it has heard in the last 24 hours in response to your questions. It can also squeeze through a hole as small as 1 inch in diameter by melting into shadow and reforming on the other side. If your shadow companion dies, it reforms at dusk the next day.

def level3(npc):
    npc.traits.append("***Shadow Friend.*** You gain a shadowy companion that takes the form of a small winged beast of CR0. This creature follows your instructions, and can understands any languages you speak. Your shadow friend is unable to speak, but can mimic with precision anything it has heard in the last 24 hours in response to your questions. It can also squeeze through a hole as small as 1 inch in diameter by melting into shadow and reforming on the other side. If your shadow companion dies, it reforms at dusk the next day.")

Picture Show

3rd-level College of Ravens feature

You gain a perfect memory, and can recall anything you've heard or seen in the past with clarity. Furthermore, you can use an action to manifest a minute long scene from your memory in front of you, composed of illusory shadows. You cannot alter any memory you project with this ability (which is to say, you cannot alter the details to deviate from the truth as you perceived it) but you may limit the duration of the scene to be misleading.

    npc.traits.append("***Picture Show.*** You gain a perfect memory, and can recall anything you've heard or seen in the past with clarity.")
    npc.actions.append("***Picture Show.*** You manifest a minute long scene from your memory in front of you, composed of illusory shadows. You cannot alter any memory you project with this ability (which is to say, you cannot alter the details to deviate from the truth as you perceived it) but you may limit the duration of the scene to be misleading.")

Discorporation

6th-level College of Ravens feature

You gain the ability to transform yourself as an action into a swarm of ravens or a swarm of bats. While in this form, you can't speak, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your swarm must remain contiguous. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. Anything you are wearing transforms with you but nothing you are carrying does. You revert to your true form if you die, if your swarm is forcibly scattered (such as by a gust of wind spell), or if you spend 1 minute reassembling yourself.

def level6(npc):
    npc.actions.append("***Discorporation.*** You transform yourself into a swarm of ravens or a swarm of bats. While in this form, you can't speak, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your swarm must remain contiguous. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. Anything you are wearing transforms with you but nothing you are carrying (that is, in your hands) does. You revert to your true form if you die, if your swarm is forcibly scattered (such as by a gust of wind spell), or if you spend 1 minute reassembling yourself.")

Umbral Subterfuge

14th-level College of Ravens feature

You become very difficult to remember. People forget what you looked like after you finish a conversation with them, and they struggle to recall what you talked about unless they are magically forced to remember. This ability has no effect on any creature that has spent more than 1 hour in your company.

In addition, you can fake your own death by vanishing into your shadow. When you would die, instead your soul travels to your Shadow Friend, and you reform from inside your companion at the next dusk. Your original body remains at the scene (where relevant) and you generate a new one without any of your possessions. If your shadow friend is not available, then you may not use the ability, and if your Shadow Friend is killed whilst harbouring your soul, then you die as normal. Whilst inhabiting your shadow friend, you can see and hear everything going on around you, and you can telepathically direct your shadow friend.

def level14(npc):
    npc.traits.append("***Umbral Subterfuge: Hazy Memories.*** You become very difficult to remember. People forget what you looked like after you finish a conversation with them, and they struggle to recall what you talked about unless they are magically forced to remember. This ability has no effect on any creature that has spent more than 1 hour in your company.")

    npc.traits.append("***Umbral Subterfuge: Shadow Death.*** When you would die, instead your soul travels to your Shadow Friend, and you reform from inside your companion at the next dusk. Your original body remains at the scene (where relevant) and you generate a new one without any of your possessions. If your shadow friend is not available, then you may not use the ability, and if your Shadow Friend is killed whilst harbouring your soul, then you die as normal. Whilst inhabiting your shadow friend, you can see and hear everything going on around you, and you can telepathically direct your shadow friend.")

Custom Bard Spells

The College of Ravens has developed many spells for use by their bards.