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Patron Exclusive: College of Mourning Archetype for Bard (Patreon)

Published:
2019-05-07 15:01:17
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Hello, welcome, and thank you patrons!

For the May exclusive, one of you asked for a necromantic themed archetype for bard. This sounded familiar so I looked through some old documents and, sure enough, right when the Patreon started I had written a bard college just like that! While this suggestion didn't get the most votes, I wanted to honor it anyway by updating the work I'd previously done to create an all new, College of Mourning.  The password for this entry is: dirge0519.

BUT WAIT, THAT'S NOT ALL!

The option that won the May exclusive was the "Lethal Weapon" archetype for Pugilist that allows the Pugilist to master weapons the way a Monk Way of the Kensai does. I tried to come at this idea from a few different angles but none of them felt good to me so now I'm soliciting your suggestions for how to implement the archetype. My first inclination was to make it specifically a master of improvised weapons - is that in the spirit of the request or should I broaden it out? How should this archetype be different from Way of Kensai? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

As always, thanks for your support,

Benjamin

Files

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Patreon Exclusive: College of Mourning

Original Content for D&D 5th Edition

Comments

Anonymous

I got ideas for the Pugilist, a "I'm too old for this shit" feature, a loose cannon, a mullet, bikinis and a small annoying lawyer. You're welcome!

Ken Marable

I'd love the idea of a pugilist archetype focused on improvised weapons. Honestly, proficiency with improvised weapons is the feature that originally jumped out at me and drew my attention to the class. So I am all for that! Could add a small, but useful thing like being able to grab an improvised weapon as part of an attack. That way, you could do things like grabbing mug after mug off the table to smash into someone. Or shoving a torch into one monster, kicking a rock at another, etc. Or being able to use improvised weapons to get a bonus to grappling, trip, etc. - thinking along the lines of Jackie Chan with a chair or ladder.

K. A. Winter

Person above me said Jackie Chan and I have to admit that might be a good inspiration for a Pugilist who focuses on improvised weapons!

Ben Fowler

Improvised weapons, yeah, but also using *anything* as a melee or even thrown weapon. Maybe even including people. Grapple an enemy and use them as a great club, dealing damage to them and whatever you hit with them.

Joel David Allport-Cohoon

I mean, I personally like the idea of choosing a specific weapon to be good with (and this could include selecting "improvised weapons"), and gaining proficiency with your selected weapon and making it a pugilist weapon, giving a slightly increased selection for how your pugilist fights

Anonymous

I'm not on board with ranged weapons, I don't know why, but thrown weapons could be cool.

sterlingvermin
>>22498691

I always pictured pugilists being able to use guns in settings that have them...that's why they have proficiency with hand crossbows. That said, one of my hesitancies to make them use any weapon was that I wasn't sure 1.) how to differentiate it from Kensai monk features and 2.) how to keep it feeling distinctly pugilist.

S L Hall

So, my take is to take the ways the monk and pugilist differ and use that to inform how the Lethal Weapon would work. A monk is dexterous and wise, using their mysticism to stay mobile and avoid attacks. Therefore, the kensei uses weapons that aren't heavy, using their agility to maneuver and parry. A pugilist is tough, with staying power. Whereas the kensei uses weapons that lack the heavy or special property, I could see the subclass using weapons that lack the light or special property ("lethal weaponry"). At 3rd, they could use their moxie to strike back after being hit ("counter-affront)", or make an extra attack with a ranged weapon against a different enemy ("collateral damage"). At 6th they could have magical lethal weaponry as that's kind of mandatory, but gain the ability to spend moxie to make an extra attack when swinging haymakers ("wild weapons"), at 11th they could have an ability to take half damage from an attack... but damage one of their weapons in the process ("scrap-blocker"), and at 17th they could have an ability to, upon hitting with a lethal weapon, treat it as a critical hit... by breaking it across the enemy ("breaking blow"). Just some suggestions. I'd love to hear what you think.