D&D finally fixes one of the worst Ravenloft subclasses in new book

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within updates the College of Spirits bard, a 5.5 edition version of the subclass that first appeared in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and later in Unearthed Arcana. The concept — bards who draw power from stories and spirits — was strong, but its core ability, Spirits from Beyond, consistently underperformed.

Originally, the feature required spending Bardic Inspiration, rolling on a table for a random effect, then using an action later to trigger it. Results often arrived at bad moments — healing when no one was hurt or melee damage when enemies were out of range — so players tended to save Bardic Inspiration for immediate boosts.

At my table, a player who multiclassed warlock and College of Spirits bard became so frustrated they almost abandoned the character. The new version changes that.

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