Joss Master & Jinx (5e Bard variants)
by Marc SaindonRather than serve as an entertainer, this type of Bard is found in gambling dens playing at the mahjong tables, at the tracks betting on horse races, or at the docks wagering on fighting tournaments... or elsewhere, running from creditors. As the name implies, Joss Masters cultivate “joss”, which roughly can be translated as luck. Game mechanics-wise, Joss and Inspiration are pretty much the same thing, although rather than inspire with song, the Joss Master will use his hunches to improve the luck of his companions. Naturally, this Bard variant is always Chaotic in Alignment. College of Lore seems to work best for the mechanics of this subclass.
joss
A Joss Master focuses his spellcasting abilities differently than a standard Bard: rather than sing and play music to inspire his companions, the Gambler calls the odds, makes a bet, and manipulates tools of probability such as dice, playing cards, mahjong pieces or even flipping a coin. In some aspects, this similar to the card tricks of our own stage magicians, but keep in mind that their prestidigitation summons the chaotic energies, and that a 10th level Joss Master that gains Magical Secret could summon a Fireball by tossing a handful of dice at a target. (See Deadlands’ Huckster archetype for how gambling and magic mix together).
A typical symbol for these spoony Bards is the Pig, taking inspiration from the Chinese horoscope (and its ties to fortune and prosperity), from the typical piggy bank, and from the Zhu Bajie anthropomorphic pig character in Journey to the West. (Rumors of similar Joss Masters in distant Yasuko say that these distant cousins honor the Good Fortune Cat instead the Prosperity Pig).
Because he devotes his entire lifestyle to the whims of luck and fortune, the Joss Master is exceptionally allowed to purchase the Halfling racial feat Bountiful Luck (Xanathar’s Guide) as a standard feat (it can't be taken twice). The Lucky feat is also obviously common.
Bountiful Luck
Lucky
A variant of the Joss Master, the Jinx, would be a College of Whispers Bard who improves his own situation by reducing the luck of those around him. Rather than the pig symbol, a Jinx is associated with the number 4, considered unlucky (additionally, maybe the Fox could serve as an animal motif for the Jinx). Jinxes and Joss Masters see themselves as two sides of the same coin, and conflict between them is more on individual basis than based on factionalism. The real rivalries are in the high-stakes gambling tournaments only a select few are invited to attend.
(image from: https://www.deviantart.com/ianllanas/art/Rolling-Dice-493721406)