College of Requiem

Bards of the College of Requiem are called Mementos, as they act to remember the fallen. Be it through song, play, or tale, Mementos serve to remind the world of the pain that comes through the death of another. They help soothe those suffering from loss, commemorate the dead so that they may never be forgotten, and encourage others to push forward in life. After all, it is through pushing forward that one can keep remembering the folks they loved.

Touching Words

When you join the College of Requiem at 3rd level, you learn to aid and encourage others, especially when death is close. Whenever a creature uses one of your Bardic Inspirations, they gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the roll + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). If a creature within 30 feet of them dies between the time you gave them this Bardic Inspiration and them using it, the die is maximized.

Caretaker

Also at 3rd level, you know the Aid and Gentle Repose spells, and they do not count against the number of bard spells you now. Once per long rest, you can cast one of these spells as a 2nd level spell without expending a spell slot. Doing so grants them the following benefits.

Requite the Fallen

At 6th level, you are capable of avenging or aiding a creature when they approach deaths door. Whenever a creature you can see or hear within 60 feet of you falls to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to cast a spell. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action, and must target only that creature, yourself, or their attacker.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Seek out the Dead

Also at 6th level, you know how to summon the souls of the dead in order to converse with them. As an action, you can summon the spirit of a dead creature into a space within 5 feet of you. You must be holding some physical or personal connection to the dead (a body part, their favorite toy, wedding ring), or personally know them in order to use this feature. This feature fails to work if the target is undead. If the creature's soul is free and willing, they manifest as an intangible ghost in one of the following ways (your choice).

While summoned in this manner, the creature can't speculate about future event, and can only answer simple questions. It does not remember how it died, doesn't comprehend how it died if told, but it knows it is dead. Its spirit leaves once the duration has been completed, or when you dismiss it (no action required).

Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. You cannot use this feature on the same creature again until 7 days have passed.

Dying Reprisal

At 14th level, if a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration die to their attack roll and causes a creature drop to 0 hit points as a result, you regain a use of your Bardic Inspiration.

Additionally, you can conjure the recently dead to act one last time. Whenever a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can spend your reaction to command its spirit to manifest from its previous space. This apparition immediately acts next in the initiative order, following any order you give it at the start of its turn. If you do not give it an order, it will move its full movement and attack the creature that killed it if it is within range. If that creature is not within range, it will instead use its full movement to attack the nearest creature (DM's choice) within range.

This apparition possesses the same game statistics it had in life, and gains a bonus to its damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1). The apparition remains until the end of its turn, at which point it fades away into the afterlife.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.