Way of the Golden Dragon

*Version 2.1*

"For every kind of magic, somewhere in the world exists a monastic school devoted to its cultivation and study. Hidden in the Sunset Mountains, near the Well of Dragons, existed a monastery specializing in the raw power of fire. Legends hold that the school was founded by the ancient and mythical dragon, Xalereth the Aurum, one of the few gold dragons reputed to have existed. Though such creatures are subject to debate amongst scholars, none can doubt the power that lesser dragons still wield in the modern world; so when that monastery was reduced to ash as a dragon's echoed between the lofty mountain peaks, no one wondered what was the cause. I was fortunate to have met one of the remaining monks from that place, and although he was blind as a grimlock and as constantly drunk as a mountain dwarf during a festival, his power radiated off him even stronger than the smell of drink. So far, he has been a great friend, but I do not look forward to the day I incur his wrath. Dragons are fickle beasts; men that wield their power are even more so."

-Lord Sildar Halwinter, of the Lords Alliance

 

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Way of the Golden Dragon

Monks who follow the Way of the Golden Dragon are men and women who hold unpredictable power in their battle-tested hands and revere the wisdom of dragons. They alter their own ki to resonate with draconic might, channeling it to augment their prowess in battle, soar through the air, and to bolster their allies.

As a follower of this Monastic Tradition, you decide how you unlocked the power of dragons through your ki. Perhaps you were a monk trained at a monastery founded by a golden dragon? Or maybe you took residence in an ancient dragon lair, meditating upon their words and power? The choice is yours, but no matter how you have come upon this power, it is a great responsibility to not only shield it from others, but yourself as well. The power of dragons can be unpredictable and dangerous, and many followers of the Way of the Golden Dragon seek out and neutralize those who abuse or exploit the power of dragons... even if that abuse of power comes from a dragon itself.

Wild Magic

The power of a Golden Dragon is not truly meant to be harnessed by mere mortals. As such, whenever you activate any of the subclass abilities marked with a star, roll 1d20 for a Wild Magic check. Starting at 1 and going to 20, the check increases in difficulty by 1 the more you use your powers until you take a long rest, or at your DM's discretion, when it will reset back to 1. Failing a Wild Magic check will still perform the action, but will trigger a Wild Magic Surge, resulting in an effect decided by the roll of 1d100, and the DC of the Wild Magic check resets to 1. Use a Wild Magic Sorcery table, or create your own using other tables as inspiration.

Draconic Disciple
Choose one primary draconic discipline, between acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison, to use from 3rd-level onwards. At 3rd-level, you can channel your draconic ki to imbue your unarmed strikes with the essence of a dragon’s breath and to use your connection with draconic creatures to magnify your presence.

You gain Draconic Control points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier (PB + Con), used to perform some subclass abilities without expending a ki point. You also gain the following benefits:

• When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to your draconic discipline.
• If you can’t already, you learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
• *If you fail a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, as you tap into the mighty presence of dragons. Once this feature turns a failure into a success, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.*

Your Draconic Control points are refunded during short and long rests. During a short rest, restore 1d4 Draconic Control points. During a long rest, all Draconic Control is restored. Should you need to expend more Draconic Control points than you have that are necessary for an ability, ki points may be used in addition, at a 1:1 rate.

Whenever your last Draconic Control point is expended, roll an additional Wild Magic check alongside the Wild Magic check done for the ability used.

At 13th-level onwards, restore 2d4 Draconic Control points during a short rest.

 

Breath of the Dragon*

At 3rd-level, you can channel your ki into destructive waves of energy like the dragons you emulate. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with an exhalation of draconic energy in either a 20-foot cone or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice). The damage done will be of your draconic discipline: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity (DEX) saving throw against your ki save DC, taking damage of the chosen type equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failure, or half as much damage on a success.

At 11th-level, the damage of your breath increases to three rolls of your Martial Arts die.

The use of this feature expends one Draconic Control point per attack

While you have no Draconic Control available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.

Wings Unfurled*

At 6th-level, on your turn, you may unfurl golden spectral draconic wings from your back as an action. The wings persist until the exhaustion of your Draconic Control points, at one point expended per turn at the end of your turn. Should your Draconic Control run out, the wings dissipate. You can also choose to have the wings willingly dissipate at the end of your turn, but will still expend a Draconic Control point. Your wings are smaller and weaker at first, but at level 11 they gain additional effects.

So long as the wings exist, you can perform a new effect with your base ki abilities. As a bonus action, you may choose to do one of the following on your turn:

Step of The Wind*: You are able to fly, and your flying speed is equal to your walking speed, but you must end your turn on the ground. At level 11, you may end your turn in the air.

Flurry of Blows*: Choose a primary attack target that you can see within your normal attack range. Your whip your wings in a wide arc, hitting your target(s) and whipping up a mighty gust of wind. The primary target and any additional enemies within 5 feet of them not behind cover perform a Strength (STR) saving throw against your Ki save DC.

On a failure for the primary target, they are knocked prone and dealt 3 Martial Arts die in Force damage, or 2 Martial Arts die on a success and remain upright. The primary target also remains upright if the creature's size is one larger than yours or above. On a failure for other enemies within five feet of the primary target, deal 1 Martial Arts die in Force Damage, or no damage on a success. This attack only hits once per bonus action and always consumes a ki point, even if the wings are active using Draconic Control points. At level 11, any enemy that succeeds the Strength (STR) saving throw takes an additional 1d4 of Force Damage.

Patient Defense*: Your wings envelop you and one friendly creature within 5 feet of you until the end of your next turn. The wings provide +1 AC when active. At level 11, the bonus increases to +2 AC. Attacks can be made freely from behind the wings.

Should you have no Draconic Control points left, your wings may subsist off your ki energy instead, at a rate of 1 ki point per turn and 1 ki point per modified ki ability used.

Draconic Reputation

At 11th-level, your draconic power is apparent to all. You gain the following abilities:

• A golden pseudodragon seeks you out and becomes your familiar. It assumes the stats and abilities of a normal pseudodragon and follows the rules of the (Conjuration) Find Familiar spell. However, the pseudodragon is able to perform a single attack action per turn, and the damage type of its sting is the same as your draconic discipline. If this damage is not poison, the target is not poisoned, but instead takes additional damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus (PB).
• You can cast the Find Familiar spell to summon and unsummon your pseudodragon familiar.
• You gain an additional use of your Draconic Discipline Charisma (CHR) reroll. Both uses reset during a long rest.

Of The Aurum*

At 17th-level, you have mastered the fragile balance between your mortal body and draconic soul. As a result, your mind sharpens and your body hardens.

As an action on your turn, at the cost of 6d4 Draconic Control points, you can assume a special meditative state, focusing all the ki energy around you inward. A golden, shimmering rune 10 feet in diameter manifests beneath you, serving as a gateway of your soul to the Dragon Eyrie, a mountainous, time-warped outer plane inhabited by the souls of dragons and the draconic pantheon. It is here that you find your true potential. You may choose a golden dragon, if you know of one, that inhabits the plane and commune with them, proving to them your martial prowess, steadfast courage against evil, and sage wisdom. This meditative state lasts for 15 turns (1m30s) minus your Proficiency Bonus, Wisdom (WIS) Modifier, and Constitution (CON) Modifier: (15 - (PB + WIS + CON)).

During this meditative state, your body weakens significantly. The following effects apply to you:

• You forfeit the ability for any further actions until the meditative state ends.
• You forfeit the ability for any bonus actions until the meditative state ends.
• You forfeit the ability for any reactions until the meditative state ends.
• You forfeit the ability for all movement until the meditative state ends.
• Your hit points (HP) are reduced to 1.
• You are blinded, deafened, restrained, and paralyzed until the meditative state ends.
• If you are knocked unconscious, you automatically fail 2 death saving throws as your body withers from your soul's absence. Should you fail 1 more death saving throw, or otherwise die, the meditation fails and your soul is trapped in the Dragon Eyrie. If you are made stable, the meditation resumes normally.
• Should you have failed the Wild Magic check made when entering the meditative state, the Wild Magic Surge takes effect after the meditative state concludes, whether successfully or not.

• Another meditative state cannot be attempted for 48 hours, whether successfully completed or not.

Once the meditative state concludes successfully, your soul forcefully returns to your body with interplanar velocity, causing 3 Martial Arts die (3d10) in Force damage in a 30 foot radius to enemies. Creatures that are considered Evil take an additional 1 Martial Arts die (1d10) in Radiant damage. A brilliant aura surrounds you, as you are blessed with power from the Dragon Eyrie, and you polymorph into an Adult Golden Dragon. The polymorph can only be used on yourself. At your DM's discretion, your Golden Dragon Form assumes the normal Adult Golden Dragon stats and abilities, excluding Legendary Actions, and you forfeit the use of all skills, stats, equipment, and spells on your character sheet until the polymorph ends. 

Your Dragon Form requires Concentration, but any damage received on an attack roll less than a critical hit defaults to a DC 20 saving throw to maintain Concentration. The polymorph costs 2 ki points per turn to maintain in-combat, deducted at the beginning of your turn. Should your ki reserves be exhausted or your Concentration be broken, you revert to your humanoid form with 1 hit point (HP). If your Dragon Form is reduced to zero hit points (HP), then you revert to your normal form and are rendered unconscious. Out of combat, your Dragon Form lasts for 1 hour unless your Concentration is broken.

The rune remains after your transformation, subsisting off of your remaining ki energy, and applies the following effect to creatures that enter its radius (10ft):

Aurum Justice: The presence of evil cannot be tolerated, so long as a golden dragon exists to smother it where it dares grow. You will bring all who wish harm on the innocent to a swift and decisive justice.

•  One friendly creature that enters the rune area becomes wreathed with golden levitating spectral chains. The creature can forgo a normal physical or magical attack action to attempt to wrap a visible primary target within 30 feet in the chains.
  • The target must succeed a Dexterity (DEX) saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, the creature takes 2 Martial Arts die (2d10) of damage of your draconic discipline type, and is Restrained. If the target is considered Evil, it takes an additional Martial Arts die (2d10) of initial Radiant damage. At the beginning of each of the target's turns, it takes 1d10 of damage of your draconic discipline type, and then can attempt a Dexterity (DEX) saving throw against your ki save DC.
  • Should the target fail again, more chains wrap around each enemy within 10 feet of the primary target. These secondary targets may also attempt a Dexterity (DEX) saving throw. On a failure, a secondary target is treated like a primary target.
  • On a success for any Dexterity (DEX) check, the chains dissipate. The target is no longer Restrained if it was previously, takes no further lingering damage, and cannot be targeted again by Aurum Justice for 24 hours.
    • Every 2 hostile creatures that take damage expends 1 ki point from your pool. The chains dissipate upon the depletion of your ki points, if you manually end the spell, or if your Dragon Form ends.

 Only one friendly creature may activate Aurum Justice at a time. Should you revert back to your humanoid form, the rune and all its effects end.

When your dragon form is not active, you may activate the following ability, at the cost of 8 Draconic Control points:

Aurum Scales: You offer a quick prayer to your draconic patron, creating a  golden rune 10 feet in diameter where you stand. A friendly creature that enters the rune area is enveloped in a golden aura, forming a shimmering set of spectral scales on the body that act like armor. While the Scales are active, each affected creature gains the following effects until the beginning of their next turn:

• +1 to AC
• Incoming physical attacks and magical attacks not of your draconic discipline are made with a damage penalty equal to 3 Martial Arts die (3d10) + your Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Incoming magical attacks of your draconic discipline are made with disadvantage and receive a damage penalty equal to 4 Martial Arts die (4d10) + your Constitution (CON) modifier.
• While the Scales are active, if the damage penalty completely negates the damage done on an damage roll, reflect half the damage back to the attacker as Radiant Damage. 
  • Each friendly creature that activates your Aurum Scales synergy will result in the expenditure of 2 ki points, expended from your ki pool at the end of that creature's turn.