Aura (Theous)

Aura (Theous Setting)

Aura is a Innate energy that is held in a person's heart. Aura is unknown and unseen by the untrained—but seasoned practitioners understand that aura is linked directly to their own heartbeat. The faster one's heartbeat, the greater aura they can draw from themselves. Though this skill comes at a cost: the more aura you tap, the more you exhaust your body. Too much use over a period of time or uncontrolled outburst can cause a state called Burnout.

Burnout

When burned out, the body closes all aura channels. All active skills and magic, both magical and physical, are turned off for one minute, and the user becomes completely helpless. Burnout normally follows too much exertion or panic, and skilled practitioners develop the ability to walk the thin line between control and collapse.

What Can Aura Do?

Aura comes in many different forms and manifests differently for each person. Not everyone is born with the capacity to use aura, but for those who are, it usually manifests in one primary form. A few instances of aura usage are: Aura Imbuement: Imbuing aura into a weapon to exponentially increase its deadliness, force, or special attributes. Aura Armor: Creating a faint, barely noticeable layer of aura across the skin, which acts as a buffering barrier that reduces incoming damage. Aura Casting: Some individuals can shape aura into discernible spells or techniques, separate from traditional magic, to directly manipulate energy, elements, or even one's own body. Aura Expression: Sometimes aura will also manifest in more abstract forms, such as threads, constructs, tools, or half-living extensions of oneself. Every expression has a strong relation to the user's identity, experience, and feelings.

Awakening Aura

Aura doesn't awaken by itself in the majority of people. It requires an increase in heart rate, more than 120 beats per minute, a condition most often met during the heat of battle or under extreme emotional or physical strain. This moment, quite popularly known as an Adrenaline Rush, creates the internal conditions for the first aura awakening of a person. Awakenings are chaotic and risky, more often than not triggering during near-death experiences, periods of intense fear, or after a personal emotional breaking point. Initial aura emergence can be exhilarating, confusing, or completely overwhelming.

Reverse Awakening

There is a phenomenon so unusual it is referred to as a Reverse Awakening. This occurs not when the heart accelerates, but when it stops. When a person who is trained in aura dies, the body can automatically replenish itself with stored aura, attempting to jump-start the heart or restart life functions. This is an unusual phenomenon and typically occurs only in those with deep training, fierce will, and a very robust aura core.

Aura Surge

Under extreme stress or danger, one can incur an involuntary event known as an Aura Surge. This experience, an often-termed adrenaline rush, is where the body automatically fills itself up with aura in a final desperate attempt to live, adapt, or overpower said danger. This rush is euphoric for the user: a wave of clarity, power, and life force that courses through every cell. For a brief moment, the limitations of the body are transcended and the pure potential of the aura is unleashed. Yet this power comes with volatility. In the upheaval of an Aura Surge, a person's talents or abilities may shift or evolve, typically in unexpected ways. Known abilities may become more potent, acquire new properties, or temporarily shift into something completely different. Aura Surges are typically a precursor to awakening in beginner aura users, but even veteran warriors can experience them when pushing themselves past their limits. Learning to comprehend and control the Aura Surge is a major milestone in a practitioner's training.

Aura Awakening conditions

Aura lies dormant within most people, waiting for the right moment of crisis to awaken. Unlike magic or talent, aura is born from intensity—from pushing the body and soul beyond their breaking point. While many train for years to control aura, it cannot be truly accessed until one has been tempered by adversity. To awaken your aura, the following core condition must be met: You must be below 50% of your maximum hit points during the triggering event. Once this threshold is reached, you may unlock your aura by experiencing one of the following awakening triggers:

Awakening Triggers

Three Natural 20s in a Row Fate bends around you. If you roll three natural 20s in a row on d20 checks, saving throws, or attacks while under 50% HP, your body forcibly tears open your aura core, flooding your system with power.

Take Double Your Max HP and Survive If you survive an amount of damage equal to or greater than twice your maximum HP in a single combat encounter (even across multiple hits), your aura awakens in response to the sheer trauma your body has endured.

Kill a Powerful Enemy While Critically Wounded If you defeat a creature with a 4 times your level in CR while under 25% HP, your aura may awaken in recognition of your dominance under pressure.

After you meet a condition to unlock aura you instantly enter into aura surge. Then you unlock Aura as well.

Reverse Awakening

A reverse Awakening can only be achieved while you are unconscious on the ground and dying. When you make a death-saving throw, you can also make a DC25 Constitution saving throw on three successes you instantly enter into aura surge. And you also unlock Aura.

Aura’s Appearance

Aura is seen as a thin magical energy that glows from a location which is usually dependent on where the aura is imbued. Other people can see this aura while it is being emitted, however There are not many people who actually know about aura. So when most people see this ability.,People usually just think that it's some kind of magical power. However those who fight against an aura user definitely know something's up.

Aura Feats

When you meet a condition to unlock aura, you will gain one of the following Aura feats, Additionally, you gain the aura surge feat

Blade Aura

You have learned to infuse magic into your attacks— a fundamental skill for all swordsmen. You gain the following benefits: Elemental Infusion. As a bonus action, you can imbue your weapon or unarmed strikes with one elemental affinity you possess. While imbued, your attacks deal an additional 1d8 damage of the chosen element. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. Additionally, you can make this effect last an extra number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. However you will experience burnout. Multi-Element Infusion. If you have multiple elemental affinities, you may imbue a second element while the first is still active. Overcoming Resistances. Any attack made with a weapon that is imbued with aura overcomes any Aura based immunities or resistances & your attacks are considered magical. Elemental Effects Each chosen element grants an additional effect: Acid: Corrodes soluble materials that aren’t being worn or carried. Cold: Extinguishes any open, non-magical flames within 5 feet of the target. Fire: Ignites flammable materials that aren’t being worn or carried. Lightning: Generates a gust of wind that clears fog or smoke in a 5-foot cube occupied by you or the target. Poison: Causes all tiny, non-magical plants within 5 feet of the target to immediately wilt and die.

Armor Aura

You have mastered the art of defensive aura manipulation, creating a radiant shell of energy that shields your body from harm. This technique is fundamental for those who value survival above all else, allowing you to turn your aura into a fortress. You gain the following benefits: Aegis-Bound. Increase your Intelligence or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Aura Armor. As a free action, you can activate your innate aura armor. While active, you gain the following benefits: You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-aura attacks. You also gain resistance to all damage types you have a known elemental affinity with This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). When this duration ends, you may choose to force the armor to remain active for an additional number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. If you do, you immediately enter Burnout at the end of the extended duration.

Aura Mana Imbuement

By channeling aura through your magical core, you fuse spellcasting with raw willpower. Your aura enhances your elemental force, turning every spell into a burst of personalized power. You gain the following benefits: Elemental Surge. Increase your Constitution or Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Mana Imbuement. As a bonus action, you can activate this ability for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). While active, you gain the following benefit: When you deal damage with a spell, you may add 1d4 extra damage per elemental affinity you possess. This additional damage is applied to one instance of damage dealt by a spell once per turn. Once the duration ends, you may choose to extend the effect for an additional number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. If you do, you immediately enter Burnout at the end of the extended duration.

Aura Expression

You have gained the ability to manipulate Aura in an unique way. Whether you create threads to slice down your enemies. Create a bow from Aura to strike down your foes. It's all up to you how you use it! Work with your DM to see what this feature would look like. You should have at least one passive and one active benefit. And one of these benefits should be made stronger from how many elemental affinities you have. Also, the ability should have a way where you can experience burnout and bypass your duration limit.

Aura Surge

When pushed to the edge of death, your body unleashes the last reserves of its power. Through sheer instinct and willpower, your aura erupts in a moment of raw, explosive force—a temporary transcendence known as the Adrenaline Rush. You gain the following benefits: Adrenaline Ignition. When you start your turn with 20% or less of your maximum HP, you may attempt to enter an Aura Surge. Make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a success, your body is flooded with aura, entering an Adrenaline Rush for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier. While in this state, you gain the following benefits: You receive a +2 bonus to all ability scores, and your maximums for each score also increase by 2 for the duration. Choose a number of additional benefits equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). These are selected by you or your DM. Each benefit may only be chosen once, unless stated otherwise.

Adrenaline Rush Benefits

Benefit	Effect
Regeneration	Your body begins healing itself. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to twice your character level.
Enhanced Tendons	Your movement speed increases by 4 × your character level.
Enhanced Muscles	You gain advantage on all Strength and Dexterity saving throws, as well as Strength and Dexterity ability checks.
New Awakening	Once during an Adrenaline Rush, you may take an action to attempt a completely new technique or surge of power. Make a DC 30 saving throw using any ability score of your choice. On a success, choose one of the following: Gain a new skill, unlock a new elemental affinity, or add a permanent feature to an existing skill. Then resolve the action you attempted. This benefit can only be used in combat.
Enhanced Swordplay	You gain a +2 bonus to weapon attack rolls for the duration.
Enhanced Strikes	The damage die of all your weapon attacks increases by two tiers.
Unarmed Master	The damage die of your unarmed strikes increases by two tiers.