Based on the comments/answers from the first version I have updated some of the features, dropped some, and moved others around. I'm including the original intro, but have adjusted the text explaining the features to reflect the updated concepts.
I wanted to play a bard, but personally lack any musical talent. While it's not vital to actually sing in real life, it got me thinking that there should be a College that focuses more on the spoken word rather than some sort of musical instrument. To that end, I did see the "College of Eloquence" in Tasha's, but that also didn't sit right. I wanted someone more akin to a stand-up comedian. They are used to things being thrown at them, liked and unliked at the same time, and bring levity to even the darkest of times.
So I created a College of Comedy Bard. I'll also be adding one or more non-musical musical instruments to work as a spellcasting focus, like a megaphone. But that's not part of the scope of this question.
I also envision this being more of a support/spell character as opposed to a martial/weapon character.
Here is the feature set I created:
3rd level
College of Comedy
When you choose this college at 3rd level, you automatically learn Tasha's Hideous Laughter spell, and it does not count against the number of Spells Known.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter (THL) is going to be a mainstay of the Comedy Bard. It will get powered-up in the next round of Bardic College features. All this does is add a "Domain" spell.
No heckling
You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, which doesn't count against the number of bard cantrips you know. If this is already a Bardic Known cantrip, you learn a different bard cantrip of your choice. For you, you can cast Vicious Mockery as a Bonus Action.
Another go-to spell is Vicious Mockery (VM), so I need to make sure the character has the spell.
I equate it on par with choosing two-handed fighting. A way to cause a little extra damage on your Bonus Action. The rider of disadvantage is a perk but the build does not depend on it. And while it's usefulness may peter out at higher levels due to creatures having multiple attacks, I'd rather they have one attack at disadvantage than all of them at full strength.
Laughter is the best medicine
When you use a spell slot to cast a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, each target also heals the bard's proficiency bonus in addition to any other bonus.
Bards get access to most all of the standard healing spells (plus any gained via Magical Secrets) so I figured it would be a good match. When called upon to be support/healer, this would make the target feel just a little bit better. Originally, this was going to be a level 14 feature, but since this is keyed off of the proficiency bonus, it stays on-par with the Life Cleric's Disciple of Life feature. It will give a little more on lower level spells, and a little less on higher level spells. It should all balance out in the end.
However, due to the wording of Disciple of Life, a character can dip for one level of Life Cleric to stack features and suddenly all healing spells are; {normal healing} + 2 + {level of spell} + {proficiency bonus}. That's a minimum of +5 to every heal. I do not think this is game-breaking; the variables are level controlled, spell level and proficiency bonus, it maxes out at +17 with a 9th-level spell and level 17 character. But it is still something to consider. I don't think there is a precedence for cancelling out another class's feature when multi-classing.
6th Level
Laughter is contagious
When you use a spell slot to cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and target multiple creatures you choose in a 20-foot cube. All targets are considered independent in terms of saving throw, spell ending, and other spell effects.
Originally, this was a feature the Bard got at 3rd level that would allow them to twin THL. One of the critiques in the previous version was that when the bard reaches 5th-level, they would have access to other, better, battlefield control spells like fear and hypnotic pattern that also need Concentration. This made the feature good when first acquired at 3rd level, but very low priority by 5th-6th level, even with the addition of You're killing it. Now, instead of the original two targets at level 3, we skip that and at level 6 the bard can pick and choose multiple targets.
Because this is still a 1st-level spell, I made the AOE much smaller than fear and hypnotic pattern. I chose a 20-foot square as that is the area for a number of other status-affecting, 1st-level spells such as calm emotions, entangle and faerie fire.
You're killing it
For the initial casting, and each subsequent round you concentrate on Tasha's Hideous Laughter, all affected creatures take your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of 1) in psychic damage. This damage does not trigger a saving throw to break the spell.
The second part of enhancing THL. It adds a little on-going damage to a spell that normally would discourage causing damage. I played around with half proficiency bonus, full proficiency bonus, and ability modifier - Ability modifier won out.
I wanted to make this as a bonus at level 3 when the bard first gets the spell, but with a potential of 4-5 hit points of damage a round that would be too lethal that low of level (in my opinion).
Tough crowd
Your Countercharm feature gains the following benefit:
- In the same radius, you can also suppress any effect causing one creature to be charmed or frightened. When this performance ends, any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime. You can change the selected target at the end of your turn each round you use the Countercharm feature.
Basically, the Countercharm feature now has a benefit similar to the Calm Emotions spell: suppression of charm and frightened. This gives a boost to an otherwise lackluster feature. I modified the benefit to a single creature as the possibility to remove fear/charm from a 30 foot radius seemed a bit much. I added verbiage to clarify you can change who was affected once each round to prevent confusion about switching mid-round.
Originally, this had an element that would affect enemies but it was too easy to exploit out of combat due to unlimited tries and no repercussions from failing.
14th Level
I'm on a roll
When you successfully inspire someone, you can't help but spread laughter. When a creature within 60 feet of you adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll succeeds, you can use your reaction to inspire a different creature (other than yourself) that can hear you within 60 feet of you, giving it a Bardic Inspiration die without expending any of your Bardic Inspiration uses.
You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
This is verbatim of the Eloquence Bard's Infectious Inspiration.
