[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-509898-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-509898-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","unearthed-arcana-kits-of-old-bard-and-fighter-options","Unearthed Arcana: Kits of Old - Bard and Fighter Options","","Unearthed Arcana adapts classic old-school AD&D character kits into new 5th edition class options, focusing on the bard and fighter. The Bard: College of Swords section introduces weapon-focused blades with double lives, offering bonus proficiencies, two-weapon fighting mechanics, and blade flourishes tied to Bardic Inspiration, plus extra attack, and battle magic at higher levels. The Bard: College of Satire adds jester-themed satire, humor-based control, and playstyle hooks centered on social provocation.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/","Literature",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/unearthed-arcana-kits-of-old-bard-and-fighter-options/509898/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/unearthed-arcana-kits-of-old-bard-and-fighter-options/509898.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"dhado","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-10-05",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the purpose of Unearthed Arcana in this text?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It converts popular classic-era kits into new class options for the bard and fighter in fifth edition.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What features does College of Swords grant at 3rd level?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It provides medium armor and scimitars proficiency, grants two-weapon fighting as a fighting style, and unlocks blade flourishes that use Bardic Inspiration.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does Blade Flourish affect combat for a College of Swords bard?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It allows Defensive Flourish to boost AC, Trick Shooter’s Flourish to improve a ranged dagger attack (with an object-target doubling rule), and Unnerving Flourish that can leave an enemy at 1 hit point and impose fear with additional saving throws.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},509898,1791503788,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,91,95,100,105,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":26,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":33,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":101},5909893218464,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Unearthed Arcana: Kits of Old  \nIf you played AD&D second edition back in the 1990s, you probably remember kits. These character options were introduced in The Complete Fighter’s Handbook, and became a mainstay of the rest ofthe books in the Player’s Handbook Rules Supplement series. Though kits were notorious for providing wildly uneven benefits (some offered all-­‐‑but-­‐‑unnoticeable improvements, while others turned characters into walking engines of destruction), they did add depth and customization to a game that had previously offered few character choices after 1st level.  \nThis month, Unearthed Arcana converts a few of the more popular kits from that era to new class options for the bard and fighter. If you played second edition AD&D, what are some of your favorite kits that you’d like to see converted to fifth edition? Let me know on Twitter (@mikemearls) . Over the course of the year, the kits that inspire the most discussion could very well end up here.  \nBard: College of Swords  \nBards ofthe College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and juggling, and mock combats. But though they use their weapons to entertain, they are also highly trained and skilled warriors in their own right.  \nTheir talent with weapons inspires many blades to lead double lives. One blade might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful. Most troupes are happy to accept a blade’s talent for the excitement it adds to a performance, but few entertainers fully trust them.  \nBlades who abandon lives as entertainers have often run into trouble that makes maintaining their secret activities impossible. A blade caught stealing or engaging in vigilante justice is too great a liability for most performer troupes. With their  \nweapon skills as their greatest asset, these blades either take up work as enforcers for thieves’ guilds or strike out on their own as adventurers.  \nBonus Proficiencies  \nWhen you join the College of Blades at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and with scimitars.  \nFighting Style  \nThe College of Blades emphasizes mastery with weapons, granting you access to the two-­‐‑weapon fighting option for the Fighting Style class feature. Two-­‐‑Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-­‐‑weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.  \nBlade Flourish  \nAt 3rd level, you learn to conduct impressive displays of skill with your weapons. When you use the Attack action on your turn and attack with a dagger, longsword, rapier, scimitar, or shortsword, you can attempt one of the following flourishes.  \nDefensive Flourish. You spin your weapon around you in swift circles, creating a hypnotic display. As a bonus action, you expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and applying the number rolled as a bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.  \nTrick Shooter’s Flourish. This favorite trick of knife throwers allows you to expend one use of Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and apply the number rolled as a bonus to the next ranged attack roll you make with a dagger this turn. If the target of the attack is an unattended, inanimate object, the bonus equals double the die roll.  \nUnnerving Flourish. Your deadly display of combat prowess unnerves your opponents, leaving them cowering in fear and at your mercy. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, and instead leave the creature at 1 hit point.  \nThe creature is frightened of you for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier. It must  \n©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC 1  \nalso make a Charisma saving throw with a DC equ","cbCaifd1msZGK5Di","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifd1msZGK5Di","pdf",79447,"English","# Bard: College of Swords\n## Bonus Proficiencies\n## Fighting Style\n## Blade Flourish\n## Extra Attack\n## Battle Magic\n# Bard: College of Satire\n## Jester identity and role\n## Satire-based playstyle","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of Unearthed Arcana in this text?\",\"answer\":\"It converts popular classic-era kits into new class options for the bard and fighter in fifth edition.\"},{\"question\":\"What features does College of Swords grant at 3rd level?\",\"answer\":\"It provides medium armor and scimitars proficiency, grants two-weapon fighting as a fighting style, and unlocks blade flourishes that use Bardic Inspiration.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Blade Flourish affect combat for a College of Swords bard?\",\"answer\":\"It allows Defensive Flourish to boost AC, Trick Shooter’s Flourish to improve a ranged dagger attack (with an object-target doubling rule), and Unnerving Flourish that can leave an enemy at 1 hit point and impose fear with additional saving throws.\"}]","Unearthed Arcana: Kits of Old - Bard and Fighter Options | PDF",1791237784]