Bards that have joined the College of Trophy Hunters (more simply known as ‘Treasure Hunters’) are swashbuckling, romantic adventurers that roam the world, searching for the beasts and monsters that legends are made of. It is not enough for them to simply experience the thrill of the hunt, however. They must also bring back a prize from their kills, using them as the set pieces of epic tales that they are sure to tell over and over again.
While many see the Trophy Hunters as simple braggarts, they actually carry with them ancient traditions of animism that imparted great power to objects and to the histories contained within them. They are able to hear the hidden stories these trophies have to tell and use this knowledge to inspire and empower their companions around them.
Trophy hunters are very often found in adventurer’s guilds or mercenary halls, happily showing off their many trinkets to wide-eyed recruits who are just at the start of their monster-hunting journeys. It is also not uncommon to find old trophy hunters sitting in a cozy spot by the tavern fire, ready and eager to explain where the dragon head above the hearth came from. And, if they were to embellish a detail or ten, what’s the harm? All that matters is that they inspire the listener to their own yearnings of adventure.
| Bard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Harvest Trophy |
| 6th | Grim Keepsake |
| 14th | Join the Hunt |
When you join the College of Trophy Hunters at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Survival checks and harvesting kits, and you always add your proficiency bonus when making Appraise checks, even if you do not have the relevant skill for that creature type.
Starting at 3rd level, you gain a true appreciation for the history of objects and keepsakes, allowing you to draw inspirational power from the materials you harvest. Whenever you successfully harvest a material from a creature you helped kill, you may designate it as one of your trophies. A trophy must weigh less than 10 pounds and be able to be held aloft in one hand. You may have a number of trophies equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). If you exceed this number, you must replace one of your current trophies with your newest addition.
When you use your Bardic Inspiration, you may choose to also hold one of your trophies aloft, granting an extra benefit to the creature you inspired. In addition to the normal bonus gained from your inspiration dice, a creature that used that dice may also roll their ability check, attack roll, or saving throw with advantage if that roll was made in relation to a creature that has the same creature type as the one the trophy was made from. For example, if your target gained inspiration from a trophy taken from an aberrant, they would be able to gain advantage on attack rolls made against aberrants, saving throws made to resist an aberrant’s spells, and ability checks made to track an aberrant if they used the inspiration die on that roll.
When you reach 6th level, you learn how to impart an intimidating presence to your trophies, using them to assert your dominance over lesser quarries. As an action, you may hold one of your trophies aloft. All creatures within 60 feet of you that can see you and that are of the same creature type as the one the trophy was made from must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute. A frightened creature may make the saving throw again at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on either of these saving throws is immune to this feature for the next 24 hours. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses once you finish a long rest.
Beginning at 14th level, your love for the hunt becomes so great, that you are able to whip you and your companions up into a frenzy merely at the sight of your next trophy.
As an action, you may designate a target within 60 feet of you that you can see as your quarry. For 1 minute, you and all of your allies that start their turn within 60 feet of you gain the following benefits: