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Hotshot

Every bard performs to inspire, to demotivate, to bring joy or hope or victory. Some are orators, some are musicians, others dance or paint. For hotshots, however, the movement of the body isn’t enough. Instead, they perform on horseback or from behind the wheel of a flying machine, dazzling onlookers with daring maneuvers and spurring others to greatness. 


3rd LevelBonus Proficiencies and Specialties

When you select this archetype at 3rd level, you choose where to focus your skills. Choose one of the following options.

Machine

You gain proficiency with Engineering and a vehicle of your choice. If you are already proficient, you gain an expertise die . In addition, you gain additional specialties in Engineering equal to your proficiency bonus, and you gain another specialty whenever your proficiency bonus increases. Additionally, you gain proficiency with your choice of smith’s tools or woodworker’s tools. You also gain an expertise die on checks made to repair a vehicle of the appropriate material with the chosen kit and may do so during a short or long rest. See Repairing Vehicles in Chapter 4: Equipment of Adventurer’s Guide for details.

Finally, when a vehicle you are operating has to roll on the Malfunction table, you may roll twice and pick between the two results.

Mount

You gain proficiency in Animal Handling and Medicine. 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 Animal Handling or Medicine.


3rd LevelEvasive Maneuvers

Starting at 3rd level, your prowess inspires the movements of others. When you have granted a creature Bardic Inspiration, it can use the Bardic Inspiration to instead take the Dodge action as a bonus action.

In addition, you can use Bardic Inspiration on yourself, but only for this purpose.


Mounted Artistry3rd Level

Also at 3rd level, you may now count a mount or vehicle as an instrument for the purposes of using your visual Art Speciality, whether that means rearing your horse in a picture-perfect pose or wheeling an airship into a daring maneuver.


6th LevelInspiring Dodge

At 6th level, when an attack misses you, you can use your reaction to grant Bardic Inspiration to a creature that meets the requirements (excluding yourself).

Additionally, when you take the Dodge action you can apply its effects to your mount or the vehicle you are operating. Once you have used this feature a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest .


14th LevelGalvanizing Figure

At 14th level, your larger-than-life presence is especially inspiring. You can grant Bardic Inspiration to a number of creatures equal to or less than your Charisma modifier as a bonus action, as long as they meet the requirements for Bardic Inspiration. Each creature inspired still counts as one use of Bardic Inspiration. Once you have used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest .