College of Whispers 5e
Sinister bards specializing in espionage, fear, and identity theft. They deal psychic damage and can steal a creature's appearance after killing them.
At a Glance
Parent Class
Bard
Subclass Level
3rd level
Source
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Focus
Espionage and psychic damage, stealing identities
Key Features
| Feature | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychic Blades | 3rd | When you hit with weapon attack, expend Bardic Inspiration to deal extra psychic damage (2d6, scaling to 8d6). |
| Words of Terror | 3rd | After 1 minute talking to humanoid, they're frightened of a creature you choose for 1 hour on failed WIS save. |
| Mantle of Whispers | 6th | When a humanoid dies within 30ft, capture their shadow. Use action to assume their appearance for 1 hour and gain basic info about their life. |
| Shadow Lore | 14th | Whisper to creature for 1 minute, then they're charmed and obey you for 8 hours on failed WIS save. Once per long rest. |
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
Using Psychic Blades instead of giving Bardic Inspiration to allies
Common Mistake
Forgetting Mantle of Whispers requires the creature to die within 30ft
Common Mistake
Not leveraging Words of Terror for social manipulation before combat
DM Tips
DM Tip
Whispers Bards are spy characters - give them infiltration opportunities
DM Tip
Mantle of Whispers creates excellent roleplay scenarios
DM Tip
Psychic Blades competes with giving inspiration - it's a tradeoff
Sources & Further Reading
- Bard: College of Whispers — D&D 5e Wikidot — Full SRD subclass text
- Bard — D&D Beyond — Official class reference