Whisperkeeper

Whisperkeeper bards are secret holders whose capacity to memorize and then lock away information, even from their own conscious minds if needed, makes them invaluable allies. They are often contracted to relay vitally important messages, overthrow corrupt governments, or safeguard ancient and dangerous knowledge.

Bonus Proficiency and Specialties

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you gain proficiency in Arcana and its forbidden knowledge skill specialty, as well as your choice of Deception or Stealth. 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 Arcana or the chosen skill.

Rare Secrets

At 3rd level you gain access to secret and uncommon knowledge. When performing the Research Spellcraft downtime activities to create, recreate, or research rare spells, you make your check at advantage and require half the usual amount of time and gold to do so.

Mind Like a Steel Trap

Also at 3rd level you can rapidly memorize and compartmentalize information you have seen, heard, or felt and recall it perfectly. You can use an action to memorize up to one page’s worth of words, one song, or other visual, auditory, or tactile information you experience during your action. You can retain a number of such memories equal to your bard level. When you exceed this number, you must choose a retained memory to replace. You do not forget the memory happened, but your recollection is dulled. You can choose whether you are aware of the contents of a retained memory and set a specific condition under which you will eventually remember it, such as when a creature speaks a particular phrase. When lying about the contents of such memories, you use Persuasion instead of Deception.

As a reaction, you can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to add your Bardic Inspiration die to saving throws against effects that would read your mind, detect lies, or similarly attempt to discover information. If the information includes one of your retained memories, the size of the die increases by one step. Once your Bardic Inspiration die becomes 1d12, you instead gain an expertise die . Alternately, you can grant this bonus to a creature that you have granted Bardic Inspiration to within 30 feet, as long as you can see it.

Mnemonic Hypnosis

At 6th level you have learned to hypnotize with a whisper, a song, or other artistic expression. You can use an action to target one creature that can hear you within 20 feet. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or becomes charmed. It has advantage on its saving throw if you or your companions are fighting it.

A creature charmed by your Mnemonic Hypnosis becomes incapacitated and its Speed is reduced to 0 for one minute, until it takes damage, or until you release it (no action required). Whenever you use this feature, choose one of the following options.

Erase

The charmed creature forgets the last 5 minutes. It is aware of this discrepancy, but not the cause. The Narrator may deem an event practically unforgettable and that it can be recalled correctly when another creature succeeds on a Persuasion check to stir the target’s memories. This check is made with disadvantage if the creature does not have indisputable proof on hand that is relevant to the altered memory.

Impart Memory

You transfer one memory from your Mind Like a Steel Trap feature (that you are aware you have) to the charmed creature, which it then immediately forgets. It recalls the memory when a specific condition you define is met (for example, “when the sun rises tomorrow”) or when you use a bonus action to remind it or take back the memory. You can choose to retain the memory yourself, forget it entirely, or remember only a general idea of it. You can only have a number of such memories imparted to your proficiency bonus at a time. If the condition is not met within a number of days equal to your proficiency bonus, the memory is expunged from even the creature’s subliminal memory.

A creature that recalls a transferred memory is aware that the memory is not its own and can connect you to the phenomenon with an Insight check against your spell save DC. Depending on its Intelligence and context, a creature may not be able to properly parse or act on the memory.

Suggest

The charmed creature is under the effects of a suggestion spell as if you had cast it with a 2nd-level spell slot.

Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Adamantine Mind

At 14th level, you gain an expertise die on saving throws against spells of the compulsion school, as does a creature that uses your Bardic Inspiration die on such saving throws. Additionally, when you succeed on a saving throw against an effect that would read your mind, detect whether you are lying, or force you to tell the truth, you are aware of the magical intrusion and can present false information or make a lie appear to be true. You can also use a reaction to expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to allow an ally you can see within 30 feet to benefit from this feature for a number of hours equal to your Charisma bonus.

False Memories

When you succeed on a saving throw against an effect that would read your mind, detect whether you are lying, or force you to tell the truth, you are aware of the magical intrusion and can present false information or make a lie appear to be true. You can also use a reaction to expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to allow an ally you can see within 30 feet to benefit from this feature.