Aurumancer

Aurumancy — known colloquially as the Enlightened Art — is a unique and revered school of magic, distinguished by its veneration of gold, not merely as a precious metal but as a symbol of perfection and enlightenment. Aurumancers, the practitioners of this venerable art, regard gold as the embodiment of the highest ideals to which all things aspire. To them, gold's lustrous beauty and its remarkable resistance to tarnish and corrosion are metaphysical representations of an unblemished, perfected state – a state they strive to achieve in both the magical and mundane realms.

Aurumancy's teachings revolve around the belief that, just as gold resists decay and maintains its brilliance over time, so too can the Soul be refined and elevated to a state of purity and perfection. Aurumancers use their magic to emulate gold's properties – seeking to purify, enlighten, and elevate. Their spells and rituals often manifest visually as glistening golden energy, embodying the school's philosophical underpinnings. This visual representation is more than aesthetic; it is a constant reminder of the Aurumancer's ultimate goal – to reach a state of spiritual and magical perfection, untarnished by the baser elements of existence. In temples, academies, and libraries where aurumancy is taught, one can find symbols of gold prominently displayed, and texts on aurumancy are often adorned with gold leaf, further symbolizing the school's deep connection to this most revered element. Aurumancy is not just a practice of wielding arcane power; it is a path to transcendence, an ever-ascending journey toward an enlightened state of being that mirrors the untarnished and enduring nature of gold itself.

Apotheotic Augmentation

At 2nd level when you select this tradition, you learn to employ magical augmentations that are fueled by your aurumantic powers and allow you to elevate yourself and your magic to a more perfect form. These augmentations are taxing to perform, and your ability to do so is represented by a pool of special dice called Apotheosis Dice, which are each a d6 (when you reach 10th level, they become d8s). You have a number of these dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and you recover all expended Apotheosis Dice when you finish a long rest. You can use any number of augmentations simultaneously, unless otherwise specified, although you can’t use the same augmentation more than once at a time. At 2nd level, you know the following two augmentations, and you learn more as you gain levels in this class.

Gilded Spell: When you cast a spell that deals damage or grants hit points to one or more creatures, you can expend a number of Apotheosis Dice up to half your wizard level (rounded down) to cast a gilded version of the spell infused with aurumantic power, granting it a golden appearance and increasing its potency. Roll the Apotheosis Dice and add the result + your Intelligence modifier to one of the spell’s damage or healing rolls. The additional damage’s type is radiant.

Imperious Spell: When you cast a spell that forces one or more targets to make a saving throw, you can expend and roll 1 Apotheosis Die, increasing that spell's saving throw DC by half the result (rounded down, minimum 1) until the start of your next turn.

Boundless Potential

At 2nd level when you select this tradition, you can use an action to draw on the restorative properties of aurumancy, regaining a number of Apotheosis Dice equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You cannot gain more than the maximum Apotheosis Dice for your wizard level in this way. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Radiant Aegis

At 6th level, when you take damage, you can use your reaction to expend up to two Apotheosis Dice, invoking a protective augmentation to summon a shimmering magical barrier that surrounds your body. Roll the Apotheosis Dice and gain temporary hit points equal to the total multiplied by your proficiency bonus. Additionally, you gain resistance to the triggering damage type, including against the triggering effect. If the triggering effect deals multiple types of damage, you choose which type to resist. This damage resistance lasts until the temporary hit points granted by this augmentation are depleted, and you cannot summon a new Radiant Aegis while you still have temporary hit points from this augmentation.

When you first invoke the aegis, and then as a reaction after you take damage from an attack or spell on subsequent turns, as long as you have temporary hit points from this augmentation, you can cause the aegis to magically retaliate against the attacking creature. Select a number of your current temporary hit points equal to a maximum of half the damage received (rounded down). You lose those temporary hit points, which are then dealt to the attacking creature as radiant damage.

Inevitable Spellcraft

At 10th level, your Apotheosis Dice become d8s. Additionally, your magic becomes more difficult to disrupt thanks to the potency of your aurumantic abilities. Whenever a creature attempts to cast counterspell or dispel magic against one of your spells, it has disadvantage on the ability check to do so. If counterspell or dispel magic is cast at a level that would normally not require a creature to succeed on an ability check to cancel your spell, it must make the ability check anyway, although it does so without disadvantage.

Power Overwhelming

At 14th level, you learn an augmentation that draws on the full potency of aurumancy to unleash tremendous magical power. Once per long rest, when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals damage or grants hit points to one or more creatures, you can also expend four Apotheosis Dice to cast that spell in a perfected form. When you cast a spell in this way, choose one of the following effects:

• Instead of rolling dice to determine the spell’s damage or healing, you instead use the spell’s maximum. This maximization also applies to any additional damage or healing granted to the spell from your other augmentations.
• The spell's attack roll or saving throw DC gains an additional +5 until the end of your turn. This option cannot be used in combination with any other ability (including other augmentations) that increases your spell save DC.
• You cast the spell without using a spell slot.