The Fantastic Finbin

The Fantastic Finbin is a travelling Bard, recently arriving in Newharbour from the mainland. He is currently a member of the West Marches Adventuring Company.

Personality
"To fool an individual is an achievement. To enthrall an audience is a masterpiece."

Finbin is a cunning, jovial Half-Elf who uses the fine arts of disguise, magical enchantments and boisterous performances to make his way in the world. Always ready to speak his mind, Finbin's mouth oft gets him into more trouble than his "foolish" trickery. A performer at heart, Finbin always has a tune on hand and a convincing story of escape from ill-doers and slighted foes.

Background.
Finastro, son of Giovanni Binetti, Monarch of the Northern Kingdoms, grew up within a Royal Court. From a young age, he began to grasp the intrigue involved in court affairs. Dukes and Dames vying for power played a significant role in Finbin's upbringing. He would often sit in the corner of the throne room, playing with various whittled wooden toys, listening to conversations about taxation, crop yields and border disputes.

As he grew older, his father desired Finastro to become a soldier in the Royal Army, however he proved incapable of participating and following training drills, and showed no desire to continue down this career path. He did however enjoy the sport of fencing, and in his adolecent years, grew to be capable with a rapier with private tutoring. Finbin also attempted to master the arcane arts under the guidance of the Court Wizard Den'vir Everflame. Although he was able to mainfest some magical talent, reading from a spellbook and channeling the weave through a spell focus proved beyond him.

Although he was inept at several skills, what Finbin was most capable of, and what he enjoyed the most was skulking around the castle depths, evesdropping on political and private conversations, then utilising the information gathered at court the next day to great effect. Although disappointed that his son would not be a mighty solider or powerful wizard, the intelligence provided directly to the king by his son was invaluable, and allowed the Binetti Kingdom to grow mighty and powerful. It appeared Finbin would be destined to play an important role in his Father's court for the rest of his years, living amongst riches, safe at the heart of his kingdom.

This however did not come to pass, due to a grave error on Finbin's behalf.

Prince-ipally, Murder.
A time came where the Kingdom of Binetti and another neighbouring Kingdom, the Grogia Kingdom, were on the precipace of war. King Grogia and his son Adam Grogia travelled many miles with armed guards to speak directly with Giovanni Binetti to resolve these political issues and save hundreds of thousands of lives.

King Giovanni, wishing to gain the upper hand, requested the visiting royal party to enjoy the festivities the city had to offer, and sent Finbin to gain any information at all to turn the next day's proceedings in their favour. Finbin tailed the royal party across the city, lurking in dark corners of bars and skulking behind buildings, attempting to gather as much info as he could.

The night ended as they usually do, in the local brothel, the Sulty Maiden. Disguised as a patron, Finbin crept up to the room that Prince Adam was using and pressed his ear to the door, hoping to gain any potential blackmail or useful information he may accidently provide to his hired help.

Finbin stood there for some time, waiting to hear something other than the sounds of fornication, when suddenly the door opened and he fell into the room. As he stumbled forwards, without thinking, Finbin grabbed the dagger from it's sheathe and plunged the blade deeply into the neck of Adam Grogia. Rarely had he been caught before and was not prepared for this eventuality. The cries of the prostitute fell on deaf ears as Finbin stood there, stunned, as the armed escort protecting Prince Grogia stomped up the stairs of the brothel and saw to their horror, their Prince dead, killed at the hands of Finbin.

Finbin was placed under arrest and King Grogia demanded justice. One of his sons was murdered in the heart of the Binetti Kingdom. King Giovanni was accused of plotting murder, which was denied repeatedly. The only recompense would be the execution of Finbin and various other concessions related to the two Kingdoms.

Entertaining Escape.
Finbin was hauled to jail, where he spent many days awaiting his demise. The night before his scheduled execution, King Grogia requested a banquet be held in the Royal Halls in an attempt to further smear and belittle King Binetti. Finbin heard the festivities above and sunk further into depression.

Later into the evening, one of the entertainers strode into the dungeons and began chatting to the prisoners. He would often look for able-bodies to assist with the travelling troupe and would pay to have them freed, where they would work for their eventual freedom.

As the man approached Finbin's cage and they chatted for a short while. The man admired Finbin's natural wit and charm and would have hired him in an instant. Eventually however, the man placed his hand upon the cage and stated it would be impossible to purchase Finbin's freedom, what with the amount of political turmoil it would create. Finbin nodded sadly and looked up at the stranger. They locked eyes and for the briefest of moments, he swore he could see a shiny golden glimmer within the strangers'. The man then left as quickly as he came.

The festivities eventually died down and the sounds of silence were only broken by the snoring of other prisoners. Finbin sat their sadly and begrudgingly pushed against the door of his cage, willing it to open.

And with the smallest of creaks, the door casually swung open, completley unlocked.

With a moment's hesitation, Finbin crept out of the dungeon. Utilising his knowledge of the castle and his stealthiness, he made his way out of the city. He knew he could never return home, for the executioner's axe awaited him.

Eventually he met up with the same group of entertainers, and disguised himself as one of them. As the travelling band never stayed still for long, he was able to flee from his Kingdom. He continued to perform as an actor and jester in the courts of various noblemen across the Sword Coast. Over time, he learnt that he was able to channel the magical weave through his performances and his music.

Eventually, Finbin parted ways with the entertainers and decided to travel to the West Marches in search of some power or some way of returning home to his Kingdom.

Finbin currently uses his down time study the magical secrets of the College of Lore.

More recently, Finbin has become an indoor hermit. Once performing at various taverns across Dawnhaven, he now is rarely seen and recognised in public. When he does venture outdoors, he utilises a disguise, magical or otherwise.

Notable Accomplishments

 * Was able to enchant the leader of a cult-sect, causing him to laugh himself silly as his allies around him were crushed by the Adventurer's Guild. This leader, Thornwhip, was unable to act for the entire encounter.
 * Once played "Flight of the Bumblee Bee" on a flute.
 * Neutralised the deadly effects of magical darkness cast by an "Oni" through the use of supportive spell Farie Fire.
 * Neutralised the effects of mind control at #Bardstock by casting silence on the performers, thus preventing the summoning of a dragon
 * Identified the location of Odette through the use of detect thoughts, alongside fellow party member Eadric's zone of truth.
 * Won the prestigious #Bardstock event through no means of cheating or manipulation.
 * Assisted the party in saving the life of Azazel through ingenious use of "Leomund's Tiny Hut"
 * Saved the life of the Independent Councillor Chamberlain, thus keeping the city of Dawnhaven in a stable state during a siege.
 * Died when he stupidly used a magic circle teleport into the middle of an orc encampment and asked to meet the BBEG
 * Successfully used the disguise of a hired assassin, infiltrated a besieging orcish camp and obtained vital information for the defence of Dawnhaven.
 * Animated the corpse of Odette DeGrey and made her dance for all of Dawnhaven
 * Faced the Deck of Many Things and came out (relatively) unscathed
 * Saw through an almost perfect illusion of a Red Dragon, thus saving the entire party from certain death.
 * Resurrected the Leader of Newharbour, Sigmund DeGrey
 * Resurrected a member of the Dawnhaven Council,
 * Rescued the lifeless body of Sigmund from Maria Mournhell's grasp
 * Counterspelled at least 6 spells cast by the Para-Lich Damon

Roleplay Style

 * Finbin will dive into grave danger - if it results in fame!
 * Finbin typically does not murder without cause... unless it brings him infamy without repercussions.
 * Finbin is an "ends justify the means" type of half-elf
 * Finbin will strive to fight at a distance using spells, only using weapons as a last resort - a costume looks no good covered in blood.
 * Finbin will perform at a moment's notice - but not too often. Everyone bores at repetition.
 * Finbin will aim to save his allies in peril - who else would spread stories of his acomplishments if they have all perished?
 * Finbin will cause chaos for his and others amusement
 * Finbin abhors imprisonment.
 * Finbin also fears parsley.
 * "Revenge is a dish best served fancy"
 * Fame or fortune? - Fortune can be spent or stolen, and lasts meager minutes in the hands of a fool. Fame lasts a lifetime, maybe even longer, can open doors, and can be more powerful than a crown or title - in the hands of a fool.

Cantrips

 * Prestidigitation
 * Vicious Mockery (DC:18 WIS)
 * Minor Illusion
 * Mending

Level 1

 * Disguise Self (Suspicious creatures can perform a DC 19 Investigation check to see through the disguise) (Cast at will via Hat of Disguise)
 * Faerie Fire (DC: 19 DEX) (Concentration required)
 * Feather Fall
 * Cure Wounds (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)
 * Find Familiar (Ritual Spell) {Additional Magical Secrets}
 * Fog Cloud (Concentration Required) (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)
 * Protection from Evil and Good (Concentration Required) (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)

Level 2

 * Aid
 * Barkskin (Concentration required) (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)
 * Invisibility (Concentration required)
 * Levitate (Concentration required) (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)

Level 3

 * Dispel Magic
 * Hypnotic Pattern (Concentration required) (DC: 19 WIS w/ Disadvantage)
 * Counterspell {Additional Magical Secrets}
 * Fly (Concentration required) (Cast via Instrument of the Bards)

Level 4

 * Polymorph (Concentration Required)
 * Dimension Door
 * Find Greater Steed {Magical Secrets}

Level 5

 * Dream (DC: 19 WIS if used aggressively)
 * Bigby's Hand {Magical Secrets}
 * Modify Memory (Concentration required) (DC: 19 WIS w/ Disadvantage)

Level 6

 * Mass Suggestion (DC: 19 WIS w/ Disadvantage)
 * True Seeing
 * Provides  True Sight 
 * See through regular + magical darkness
 * See invisible creatures and objects
 * Automatically Identify Illusions and pass saving throws associated with them
 * Perceives the original form of any shapechanger or creature transformed by magic
 * Notices Secret Doors hidden by magic
 * Can see into the Ethereal Plane to a range of 120ft
 * If a creature/object exists on the etheral plane, they can normally not be seen/interacted with by those on the Material Plane
 * Truesight allows the user to see these creatures/objects, however, they still cannot be interacted with directly
 * This allows users of spells such as Blink and Etheralness to be observed, as well as creatures who interact with the Ethereal Plane, such as Phase Spiders and Ghosts
 * Truesight does not allow the user to observe creatures on the Material Plane through solid objects on the Material Plane. It can observe creatures on the Ethereal Plane through such obstacles, as objects on the Material Plane are not "solid" on the Ethereal Plane.

Level 7

 * Forcecage (DC: 19 CHA to exit cage via teleportation or extraplanar travel)
 * Teleport
 * Mordenkainen's Magnificant Mansion
 * Resurrection

Actor:
You have an advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.

You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.

Lucky:
You have 3 luck points per long rest. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw (or when an attack roll is made against you), you can spend one to roll an additional d20 and you choose which die to use. You can choose to spend luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. All points are regained on a long rest.

Bardic Inspiration:
As a bonus action, a creature (other than you) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d10). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words:
When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Font of inspiration:
You regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Song of Rest:
If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d8 hit points.

Additional Magical Secrets:
You can add two additional spells from any class list as bard spells to your known spells.
 * Find Familiar
 * Counterspell

Jack of All Trades:
You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down ( = +2 ), to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include it. (This includes initiative rolls, counterspell rolls and dispell magic rolls)

Countercharm:
As an action, you can perform until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 ft. that can hear you gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. This does not have any effect on allies already frightened or charmed.

Magical Secrets:
You can add spells from any class lists as bard spells to your known spells (choose 2 at 10th, 14th, and 18th level).


 * Find Greater Steed
 * Bigby's Hand

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Magic Items
The diadem of wisdom is a small, silver crown-like object imbedded with a saphire in the centre. The diadem increases the wearer's spell attack modifier and spell save DC by +1.
 * The Diadem of Wisdom
 * Wondrous Item, uncommon

The Ring of Polymorph expands the wearer's spell list to include the 4th level spell " polymorph".
 * Ring of Polymorph
 * Wondrous Item, uncommon

The caster must have  polymorph  on their spell list and casting the spell through the ring uses a spell slot as per normal.


 * Decanter of Endless Water
 * Wonderous Item, uncommon

This stoppered flask sloshes when shaken, as if it contains water. The decanter weighs 2 pounds.

You can use an action to remove the stopper and speak one of three command words, whereupon an amount of fresh water or salt water (your choice) pours out of the flask. The water stops pouring out at the start of your next turn. Choose from the following options:
 * "Stream" produces 1 gallon of water.
 * "Fountain" produces 5 gallons of water.
 * "Geyser" produces 30 gallons of water that gushes forth in a geyser 30 feet long and 1 foot wide. As a bonus action while holding the decanter, you can aim the geyser at a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or take 1d4 bludgeoning damage and fall prone. Instead of a creature, you can target an object that isn't being worn or carried and that weighs no more than 200 pounds. The object is either knocked over or pushed up to 15 feet away from you.


 * Instrument of the Bards (Mac-Fuirmidh Cittern) - Requires Attunement
 * Wonderous Item, uncommon
 * You can play the instrument while casting a spell that causes any of its targets to be charmed on a failed saving throw, thereby imposing disadvantage on the save.
 * Adds various spells to the Bard's Spell List
 * Hat of Disguise - Requires Attunement (Created by Elon via Articifer class Feature)
 * The wearer can cast Diguise Self at will
 * Cloak of Protection - Requires Attunement
 * The wearer adds a +1 to AC and Saving Throws

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Countering Finbin the Fantastic (For DM usage)