Love them or hate them, Bards are an incredibly popular and useful class in Dungeons and Dragons. Although the stereotypical bard has gained a bit of a reputation for bad jokes, annoying songs, and spending all their time in cities romancing local NPCs, there are actually a lot of different approaches to playing a Bard from both an RP and an encounter mechanics standpoint. The new Mythic Odysseys of Theros sourcebook adds yet another subclass option for the Bard class and gives the support class some new tools for charming and deceiving their way through a campaign.
The Mythic Odysseys of Theros book brings two new subclasses to the table for D&D players with the Oath of Glory Paladin and the College of Eloquence Bard. Both new subclasses take heavy influence from Theros lore and Greek inspiration and offers tools that will be helpful not only in Theros campaigns, but adventures in any Dungeons and Dragons setting.
Like many other classes, Bards have a big decision to make when they hit level three. At third level, Bards will select their College, which helps determine their speciality going forward in the campaign. There's a great variety of Colleges available for Bards already, including the very popular College of Glamour, but the Mythic Odysseys of Theros book adds another great option to the table that could be a perfect fit for players who love a good, emotional forum-style debate.
What is the College of Eloquence?
"Adherents of the College of Eloquence master the art of oratory. Persuasion is regarded as a high art, and a well-reasoned, well-spoken argument often proves more persuasive than facts. These bards wield a blend of logic and theatrical wordplay, winning over skeptics and detractors with logical arguments and plucking at heartstrings to appeal to the emotions of audiences."
Unlike the Theros Paladin subclass, which is all about great feats and athleticism, the new Bard subclass introduced in Mythic Odysseys of Theros is all about well-spoken arguments and being persuasive. For Bards who love to talk their way through social encounters and may be more interested in compelling the emotions of NPCs than frightening them with psychic whispers, the College of Eloquence seems like a fantastic new option.
What sort of abilities for College of Eloquence Bards get?
The low-level College of Eloquence Bard abilities are actually very powerful for early game encounters. The Silver Tongue ability basically makes sure that players never totally ruin an attempt at charm by guarding Persuasion and Deception checks with a new feature. The Silver Tongue features allows Bards to treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10 on those two types of checks.
The other level three ability is a bit situational in use, but will be powerful for Bards who plan to force enemies to make a lot of saving throws (or who have allies that will be making enemies roll saving throws). The Unsettling Words class feature offers a new use for Bardic Inspiration by allowing Bards to spend one use of it to complete the following actions:
"Roll the Bardic Inspiration die. The creature must subtract the number rolled from the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn."
What sourcebook supports this class?
The College of Eloquence Bard is introduced in the character creation chapter of the Mythic Odysseys of Theros campaign setting book. The book is currently available on DnD Beyond and the physical edition was delayed until July 21, 2020.
When can my Bard join the College of Eloquence?
"The way of a bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other out to swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions."
Like any Bardic College, the College of Eloquence can be selected when a Bard hits third level. Choose wisely, because the College that is selected impacts many future abilities that can be unlocked and has a strong influence on the type of role that the Bard will play in future encounters for the rest of the campaign.
Can I use this subclass outside of Theros campaigns?
The magic of Dungeons and Dragons is you can basically do anything that your dungeon master agrees makes sense in their current campaign. Assuming the DM approves these subclasses, there's no reason that you can't work together to come up with a compelling story about why the Oath of Glory exist in The Forgotten Realms, Wildemount, or any other D&D setting.
Is this subclass available on DnD Beyond?
Yes, but your dungeon master will have to allow Magic: The Gathering content for the campaign. Also, you'll either need to own the Mythic Odysseys of Theros or your DM will have to digitally own the book and have content sharing turned on for the campaign.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Dungeons and Dragons news, updates, and strategy guides. Until then, roll well, adventurers!
Dungeons and Dragons: Mythic Odysseys of Theros is now available on DnD Beyond. The physical edition has been delayed to July 21.