Mentalist

Bards pick up knowledge from many places: lore passed down through the ages, words that slip from the lips of an unsuspecting target, and the unspoken information that a shrewd observer can pick up from a line of questioning, just to name a few. These bards well know that what one does not immediately notice still holds great power and what is seen but not necessarily interpreted at first lives within a person’s subconscious. Those that can tap into that unprocessed knowledge can do so to great effect.

Bonus Proficiency and Specialties

What follows are archetypes designed to help the curious explore for themselves the untapped abilities of the mind. If you are already proficient with either skill, you instead gain an expertise die . In addition, you gain additional specialties equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain another specialty whenever your proficiency bonus increases. These bonus specialties must be in Insight or Investigation.

Sudden Realization

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to remember that which you have seen but didn’t take note of at first. When a friendly creature (including yourself) that can hear and understand you fails an ability check to deduce or learn something, such as getting a read on a mark, surveilling a hideout, or researching a topic, you can spend a use of Bardic Inspiration after at least 1 minute has passed to briefly hypnotize the creature and allow it to make the check again, adding your Bardic Inspiration die.

If the second check is high enough to reveal additional information, the creature mentally relives the moment when it made the first check and catches something it missed, such as a footprint it initially dismissed as irrelevant, a nervous tick it had not previously picked up on, or a factoid it had initially overlooked. This new knowledge does not undo any consequences of the initial failure (if any). In addition, if you roll the maximum result for your Bardic Inspiration die, you regain a use of Bardic Inspiration. You can only use this feature to reroll a specific failed roll once and can’t use it to reroll a failed roll after a number of hours equal to your proficiency modifier have passed.

Intuit Weakness

Starting at 6th level, you can use your collected knowledge and observances to make an inductive leap about one humanoid you can see. As a bonus action, make an Insight check opposed by the target’s Deception check. On a success, you realize a shortcoming, vice, or similarly compromising piece of information (though this does not involve specifics, such as accomplices, organizations, or the like) about the target and announce it, shaking its composure. Until the start of your next turn, the target rolls its next Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw at disadvantage .

You can only use this ability on humanoids with an Intelligence of 3 or higher. Creatures that have failed a save because of this feature make their opposed Deception checks against Intuit Weakness at advantage for the next 24 hours.

At the Narrator’s discretion, you may be able to use this on other creature types whose behavior you are exceedingly familiar with; for instance, a character with the Dragonbound culture may be able to use it against dragons of a certain CR. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest .

Expert Advice

Starting at 14th level, you find you know your allies’ capabilities even better than themselves at times. When a friendly creature within 30 feet that can hear and understand you makes an attack , saving throw , or ability check , you can use your reaction to advise it on the best course of action and grant it Bardic Inspiration. If you roll the maximum result for your Bardic Inspiration die, it also gains an expertise die .