Wizard only - Just because the 2e class did something lame doesn't mean you have to repeat it. A 1-1 translation probably isn't going to be very good, but an improvement along the same theme might be.
2. It does make the character MAD, though...which can limit your options (do you jack up your Int or your Wis with a magic item?).
Not really. You still only care about int, but if you have a wis bonus at all, you get awesome save DCs. This isn't really mad, its just "how much of a free bonus do you want". Mad would be split casting like the archivist.
5e comments and thoughts all in one place. Check it out to provide feedback, mock, or steal ideas. http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/28835423/Krusks_5e_Design_Goals?sdb=1
Thanks for the info! I'm going to drop the WIS bonus to DC, though as I mentioned I'm still hoping to somehow incorporate high INT and high WIS scores into the prereqs and/or features of this prestige class. I have a new design, but I'm stuck mainly on the prereqs, so I'll post the new form of what I've got in the hopes of hearing some suggestions (and that what I've made is an improvement).
The first change I made was in the Chronomancy spell list...I went back to the 2E book, included everything from the 3E PHB, and even dragged out my Spell Compendium to add a couple of spells from there. I turned some of those spells (in particular, the ones that involved transitions to/from Temporal Prime or somehow involved interacting with features of Temporal Prime) into abilities for the Chronomancer, and dropped the rest entirely. So the spell list uses the forces of time, can affect lifelines, and can even alter history...but all from within normal reality (roaming Temporal Prime isn't necessary for any of these spells). So, full access to this entire list is available to all Chronomancers at all levels:
Chronomancy Spell List--
Level 0--
Incite: Enchantment spell that compels a group of creatures to not delay or ready actions (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Inhibit: Enchantment spell that compels a creature to delay its action (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Slow Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can slow the onset of poison and need for food & drink.
Speed Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can starve & weaken a target (gets -1 CON) with need for food & drink.
Level 1--
Advance Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's future self over him, for a +1 atk bonus.
Delay Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's past self over him, for a +2 AC bonus and a +1 save bonus against magical attacks targeting him.
Cheat: Transmutation spell that influences the outcome of a nonmagical game of chance that takes place within the spell's duration (from Spell Compendium).
Nerveskitter: Transmutation spell that gives target creature a +5 bonus to initiative rolls during the encounter in which this spell is cast (from Spell Compendium).
Level 2--
Precognitive Sense: Divination spell that gives general knowledge of a single event affecting the Chronomancer to a limited extent in his future.
Temporal Disjunction: Enchantment spell that confuses a target's sense of the passage of time; it automatically can be surprised, loses all initiative rolls, and loses one attack per round (if it has more than one attack per round).
Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Slow: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 3--
Melee Manager: Enchantment spell that grants a creature an extra melee attack, as well as bonuses to initiative, surprise, and AC for its duration.
Time Snare: Enchantment spell that compels a target to repeat his last action in a continuous loop.
Shift Reality: Transmutation spell that forces a target to reroll a single event from the previous round; includes atk/dmg/saves/skills.
Timeheal: Transmutation spell that alters a target's physical body to its previous physical condition (the past physique is "brought forward" to replace the current one) from only a few moments earlier.
Level 4--
Prophecy: Divination spell that grants the Chronomancer a vision of an important event that directly affects another person.
Savage Evolution: Transmutation spell that alters target's biology to a more feral/primitive form; STR/DEX/CON are improved at the greater expense of INT/WIS/CHR.
Temporal Push: Transmutation spell that throws a creature through a partial opening to Temporal Prime, instantly depositing them a short "distance" into the future.
Permanency: Universal spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 5--
Temporal Wall: Evocation spell that creates a wall made of the strange mist-smoke of Temporal Prime; any person or object passing through the wall suffers the effects of Temporal Disjunction and 2 cumulative Slow spells. Dispel Magic cannot affect this Wall.
Ray of Entropy: Necromancy spell that weakens a living creature with -4 penalties to STR/DEX/CON (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Mass Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Minor Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to take back an action he took, or to insert an action where he had previously taken no action. The action (in either case) is limited to several rounds in the past.
Level 6--
Temporal Eye: Divination spell that sends a scrying device across Temporal Prime, allowing the Chronomancer to view people and places in other eras.
Delayed Blast Fireball: Evocation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Accelerate Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to advance the age of another creature with a touch (shortening that creature's lifeline).
Regress Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to reduce the age of another creature with a touch (extending that creature's lifeline).
Level 7--
Delayed Damage: Abjuration spell that shifts half of all physical damage to the Chronomancer into his future, allowing him time to prepare, heal, take potions, etc.
Item Supercharger: Transmutation spell that alters properties of a magical item. The duration of the item's effect may be doubled, or the frequency of uses/day may be doubled, or time needed to recharge the item is halved.
Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event in which he participated within the past month.
Level 8--
Foresight: Divination spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Temporal Stasis: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Time Stop: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 9--
Major Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event he had control of that occurred up to one year in the past.
Temporal Shell: Transmutation spell that creates a bubble within which the Chronomancer (and all others within) experience time normally, but outside the bubble, time has frozen.
Since this means access to standard spells at lower levels, I figure the prereqs should be pretty strong, and as you've probably noticed Chronomancy is pretty heavy in Transmutation (since it is about altering reality). So I changed the feat prereqs to a strong focus in Transmutation (which also opens up the prestige class to non-Wizard casters), but I'm sure that more will be needed, and that's where I could really use some help...if there are any suggestions on what I could do with the prereqs to emphasize high INT (and if possible, also high WIS), I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, I've made other adjustments to the class abilities and features, so here's what I have so far for the Chronomancer prestige class...
Class Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (any), Speak Language, Spellcraft, Craft, Profession Skill Points at each level: 2+INT modifier Proficiencies: No additional weapon/armor proficiencies Class Features-- Lvl BAB Fort Refl Will Spells/day Special 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +1 lvl spellcasting class Timebender 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class Lifeline Sounding 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 lvl spellcasting class Metamagic Distortion 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 lvl spellcasting class Time Traveler 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Transcendent Culturist 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Temporal Mastery 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class Vortex Vigilance 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 +1 lvl spellcasting class Time Lord
Spells Per Day: When a new Chronomancer level is gained, he gets new spells per day as if he had gained a level in his pre-existing spellcasting class.
Timebender: The Chronomancer's studies have produced knowledge of the magics that will allow him to wield the forces of Temporal Prime. The Chronomancy spell list is added to the list of spells the character can learn, and his mind is unaltered by changes in the timeline.
Lifeline Sounding: The Chronomancer, with a successful touch, can connect with a creature's lifeline and roughly determine its length forward and backward from that moment in time. Usable 1/day.
Metamagic Distortion: The Chronomancer gains either the Extend Spell feat or the Quicken Spell feat.
Time Traveler: The Chronomancer gains the ability to thin the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime and slip between the two, along with an additional mass and/or other people (within limits set by the number of Chronomancer levels). Arriving in Temporal Prime places travelers slightly downstream among the network of lifelines; the Chronomancer must focus on a lifeline to effect the transfer back to reality, arriving within 1d10 miles of the creature associated with that lifeline. Usable 2/day.
Transcendent Culturist: The Chronomancer, having experienced different eras, can now apply his Speak Language skill to learn past & future dialects of any language, and his Knowledge (History) skill can be applied to past & future events. Note that extensive experience in a particular era--or alterations to the timestream--by this or other Chronomancers can alter the DC of the Knowledge check.
Temporal Mastery: The Chronomancer gains the Spell Mastery feat (as a Wizard), but the spells chosen must come from the Chronomancy spell list.
Vortex Vigilance: The Chronomancer can attempt to detect or detach the presence of a vortex (a type of temporal anomaly, usually the result of a disturbance in the timestream) on Temporal Prime. Usable 1/day.
Time Lord: The Chronomancer has determined a ritual that will permanently detach himself from his own lifeline; it will be the end of his linear existence, but not the end of his life. He becomes a nonlinear entity and is henceforth considered a native of Temporal Prime. He no longer ages and cannot be affected by lifeline-related effects, and may "double" himself any number of times when visiting reality (including visiting his former, linear-existing self).
And, that's the current design. I made the Timebender/Time Traveler/Time Lord into some actual features, added/tweaked a couple of abilities, and left a couple levels blank. The spell level progression I left in place, but allowed for other classes (though that could change again, depending on the final version of the prereqs). Once again, any and all feedback is much appreciated, and I hope this is at least an improvement over the initial design.
Lifeline Sounding: This is so "fluff ability" that I don't think unlimited use would be out of line.
Time Traveler: I honestly can't tell what this means or does. You should probably reword it. I think it is the way they plane shift to the temporal plane, and if so why not just make it "You go to the temporal plane, as per the plane shift spell but only to that plane." or something.
Vortex Vigilance: This is a great opportunity to bring in a high wis. Make it useable wis mod times a day.
5e comments and thoughts all in one place. Check it out to provide feedback, mock, or steal ideas. http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/28835423/Krusks_5e_Design_Goals?sdb=1
Incite: Enchantment spell that compels a group of creatures to not delay or ready actions (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Inhibit: Enchantment spell that compels a creature to delay its action (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Slow Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can slow the onset of poison and need for food & drink.
Speed Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can starve & weaken a target (gets -1 CON) with need for food & drink.
Level 1--
Advance Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's future self over him, for a +1 atk bonus.
Delay Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's past self over him, for a +2 AC bonus and a +1 save bonus against magical attacks targeting him.
Cheat: Transmutation spell that influences the outcome of a nonmagical game of chance that takes place within the spell's duration (from Spell Compendium).
Nerveskitter: Transmutation spell that gives target creature a +5 bonus to initiative rolls during the encounter in which this spell is cast (from Spell Compendium).
Level 2--
Precognitive Sense: Divination spell that gives general knowledge of a single event affecting the Chronomancer to a limited extent in his future.
Temporal Disjunction: Enchantment spell that confuses a target's sense of the passage of time; it automatically can be surprised, loses all initiative rolls, and loses one attack per round (if it has more than one attack per round).
Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Slow: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 3--
Melee Manager: Enchantment spell that grants a creature an extra melee attack, as well as bonuses to initiative, surprise, and AC for its duration.
Time Snare: Enchantment spell that compels a target to repeat his last action in a continuous loop.
Shift Reality: Transmutation spell that forces a target to reroll a single event from the previous round; includes atk/dmg/saves/skills.
Timeheal: Transmutation spell that alters a target's physical body to its previous physical condition (the past physique is "brought forward" to replace the current one) from only a few moments earlier.
Level 4--
Prophecy: Divination spell that grants the Chronomancer a vision of an important event that directly affects another person.
Savage Evolution: Transmutation spell that alters target's biology to a more feral/primitive form; STR/DEX/CON are improved at the greater expense of INT/WIS/CHR.
Temporal Push: Transmutation spell that throws a creature through a partial opening to Temporal Prime, instantly depositing them a short "distance" into the future.
Permanency: Universal spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 5--
Temporal Wall: Evocation spell that creates a wall made of the strange mist-smoke of Temporal Prime; any person or object passing through the wall suffers the effects of Temporal Disjunction and 2 cumulative Slow spells. Dispel Magic cannot affect this Wall.
Ray of Entropy: Necromancy spell that weakens a living creature with -4 penalties to STR/DEX/CON (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Mass Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Minor Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to take back an action he took, or to insert an action where he had previously taken no action. The action (in either case) is limited to several rounds in the past.
Level 6--
Temporal Eye: Divination spell that sends a scrying device across Temporal Prime, allowing the Chronomancer to view people and places in other eras.
Delayed Blast Fireball: Evocation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Accelerate Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to advance the age of another creature with a touch (shortening that creature's lifeline).
Regress Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to reduce the age of another creature with a touch (extending that creature's lifeline).
Level 7--
Delayed Damage: Abjuration spell that shifts half of all physical damage to the Chronomancer into his future, allowing him time to prepare, heal, take potions, etc.
Item Supercharger: Transmutation spell that alters properties of a magical item. The duration of the item's effect may be doubled, or the frequency of uses/day may be doubled, or time needed to recharge the item is halved.
Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event in which he participated within the past month.
Level 8--
Foresight: Divination spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Temporal Stasis: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Time Stop: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 9--
Major Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event he had control of that occurred up to one year in the past.
Temporal Shell: Transmutation spell that creates a bubble within which the Chronomancer (and all others within) experience time normally, but outside the bubble, time has frozen.
Since this means access to standard spells at lower levels, I figure the prereqs should be pretty strong, and as you've probably noticed Chronomancy is pretty heavy in Transmutation (since it is about altering reality). So I changed the feat prereqs to a strong focus in Transmutation (which also opens up the prestige class to non-Wizard casters), but I'm sure that more will be needed, and that's where I could really use some help...if there are any suggestions on what I could do with the prereqs to emphasize high INT (and if possible, also high WIS), I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, I've made other adjustments to the class abilities and features, so here's what I have so far for the Chronomancer prestige class...
Spells Per Day: When a new Chronomancer level is gained, he gets new spells per day as if he had gained a level in his pre-existing spellcasting class.
Timebender: The Chronomancer's studies have produced knowledge of the magics that will allow him to wield the forces of Temporal Prime. The Chronomancy spell list is added to the list of spells the character can learn, and his mind is unaltered by changes in the timeline.
Lifeline Sounding: The Chronomancer, with a successful touch, can connect with a creature's lifeline and roughly determine its length forward and backward from that moment in time. Usable 1/day.
Metamagic Distortion: The Chronomancer gains either the Extend Spell feat or the Quicken Spell feat.
Time Traveler: The Chronomancer gains the ability to thin the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime and slip between the two, along with an additional mass and/or other people (within limits set by the number of Chronomancer levels). Arriving in Temporal Prime places travelers slightly downstream among the network of lifelines; the Chronomancer must focus on a lifeline to effect the transfer back to reality, arriving within 1d10 miles of the creature associated with that lifeline. Usable 2/day.
Transcendent Culturist: The Chronomancer, having experienced different eras, can now apply his Speak Language skill to learn past & future dialects of any language, and his Knowledge (History) skill can be applied to past & future events. Note that extensive experience in a particular era--or alterations to the timestream--by this or other Chronomancers can alter the DC of the Knowledge check.
Temporal Mastery: The Chronomancer gains the Spell Mastery feat (as a Wizard), but the spells chosen must come from the Chronomancy spell list.
Vortex Vigilance: The Chronomancer can attempt to detect or detach the presence of a vortex (a type of temporal anomaly, usually the result of a disturbance in the timestream) on Temporal Prime. Usable 1/day.
Time Lord: The Chronomancer has determined a ritual that will permanently detach himself from his own lifeline; it will be the end of his linear existence, but not the end of his life. He becomes a nonlinear entity and is henceforth considered a native of Temporal Prime. He no longer ages and cannot be affected by lifeline-related effects, and may "double" himself any number of times when visiting reality (including visiting his former, linear-existing self).
And, that's the current design. I made the Timebender/Time Traveler/Time Lord into some actual features, added/tweaked a couple of abilities, and left a couple levels blank. The spell level progression I left in place, but allowed for other classes (though that could change again, depending on the final version of the prereqs). Once again, any and all feedback is much appreciated, and I hope this is at least an improvement over the initial design.
It may be an improvement over the initial design but it is yet way too powerful. It's still full casting and with some of the toned down abilities it may work with the couple feat prereqs (although Spell Focus-Transmutation isn't a bad use of a feat) but what pushes it over the top is lowering the spell level of those various spells. When you're talking three 9th-level spells (including one of the game's more popular spells) and pushing them down to 8th-level you can certain justify losing at least a couple casting levels along the way.
I'd also warn that making a new spell list can have far reaching effects in an otherwise RAW game. Some characters can access things from various spell lists and when you're making a bunch of spells available at a level lower then normal you make them that much more accessable to those characters.
Question: what does the acronym RAW mean (assuming it is an acronym)?
Also, as I mentioned, the Spell Focus prereqs are only the *beginning* of the prereqs...I'm thinking that there should be a total of 4 feat prereqs, and the 2 versions of Spell Focus on Transmutation are the only ones I could think of so far. Any suggestions for two more would be greatly appreciated, preferably with ones that would encourage the character towards high INT/high WIS, though just about any that would help the character "feel" like he's working towards cracking the concepts of time and Temporal Prime would be good. Maybe a Skill Focus in one or two of Concentration/Spellcraft/Knowledge (Arcana/History)?
I've been reluctant to give up on the advancement of the spellcasting class, as the 2E Chronomancer was a regular wizard-style class, and holding it back would seem to go against that...but given that the Chronomancer gets major adventuring opportunities at level 5 (when he can journey to other times) and at level 10 (when he can overlap his personal history), I could see removing the spellcasting advancement at those two levels.
For Lifeline Sounding, I think it's best to keep it limited...while it doesn't give much in terms of game mechanics or combat, it provides the Chronomancer character with a reasonable estimate on how much longer the target will live for, which in turn can affect what actions he chooses to take or not take, if he wants to attempt to alter that value. It'd be up to the DM to decide if that attempt does anything, but it'll also be up to the DM to report the initial estimate (and any subsequent ones) every time the Chronomancer uses the power, which could become a real nuisance if it can be used without limit. Since it's more of a story/plot-driving ability, I'm thinking that it would be appropriate to make Lifeline Sounding's limit be something like 3/month. That should be plenty of opportunity to use it productively over the course of an adventure without being abusive to the DM's patience.
The Time Traveler ability is the effect from the Timeslip spell (which appears in the spell list for my first draft of the prestige class...it's been removed from the current version of the spell list). Basically, it takes the Chronomancer (the caster) plus a variable-but-increasing-with-level amount of mass from "reality" into Temporal Prime. Everything that's transferred fades out of reality and simultaneously fades into Temporal Prime (like the way the TARDIS travels on Doctor Who, but without the wheezing sound). Now, all living creatures with a linear existence have lifelines with a physical presence on Temporal Prime; they're all networked and intertwined in a configuration that somehow represents how they all relate to (or are isolated from) each other. When a Chronomancer has used his Time Traveler ability to get to Temporal Prime wants to return to reality, he chooses a section of a lifeline (it can be upstream or downstream in the timestream) and focuses intently on it; doing so will then return himself (and everything else brought to Temporal Prime) to reality, arriving at whatever moment he's chosen, and within 1d10 miles of the individual whose lifeline he focused on. Returning to reality this way is not an expenditure of the Time Traveler ability (in the 2E book, there's no need to use the Timeslip spell to return to reality, it's done in exactly this way I've described). Since it's 2/day, this means that a Chronomancer could use his Time Traveler ability, journey across Temporal Prime, return to reality in another era, take some actions (altering history, viewing the future, etc), then use his Time Traveler ability, journey back across Temporal Prime to where he started, and return to reality...all in the course of 24 hours.
Since the Time Traveler ability comes with a slew of adventuring possibilities (Temporal Prime has its own hazards, not to mention the ramifications of messing about in other eras), a DM that doesn't want to put up with the hassle could cut off players and restrict them to only using the first 4 levels of this Chronomancer prestige class. But if the DM is willing to allow a player to advance into these levels, then I figure the tradeoff for opening up all of history as a playground for the players could be a complete lack of spellcasting advancement for the Chronomancer (he's already getting a powerful spell-like ability anyway).
I like the idea of using the WIS modifier to determine the use of Vortex Vigilance; it'd indicate a certain intuitive connection to the "flow" of the timestream, which in my estimation is pretty much the point of the high WIS score in the 2E prereqs.
Class Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (any), Speak Language, Spellcraft, Craft, Profession Skill Points at each level: 2+INT modifier Proficiencies: No additional weapon/armor proficiencies Class Features-- Lvl BAB Fort Refl Will Spells/day Special 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +1 lvl spellcasting class Timebender 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class Lifeline Sounding 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 lvl spellcasting class Metamagic Distortion 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Time Traveler 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Transcendent Culturist 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Temporal Mastery 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class Vortex Vigilance 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Time Lord
Spells Per Day: Except at levels 5 and 10, when a new Chronomancer level is gained, he gets new spells per day as if he had gained a level in his pre-existing spellcasting class.
Timebender: The Chronomancer's studies have produced knowledge of the magics that will allow him to wield the forces of Temporal Prime. The Chronomancy spell list is added to the list of spells the character can learn, and his mind is unaltered by changes in the timestream.
Lifeline Sounding: The Chronomancer, with a successful touch, can connect with a creature's lifeline and roughly determine its length forward and backward from that moment in time. Usable 3/month.
Metamagic Distortion: The Chronomancer gains either the Extend Spell feat or the Quicken Spell feat.
Time Traveler: The Chronomancer gains the ability to thin the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime and slip between the two, along with an additional mass and/or other people (within limits set by the number of Chronomancer levels). Arriving in Temporal Prime places travelers slightly downstream among the network of lifelines; the Chronomancer must focus on a lifeline to effect the transfer back to reality, arriving within 1d10 miles of the creature associated with that lifeline. Usable 2/day.
Transcendent Culturist: The Chronomancer, having experienced different eras, can now apply his Speak Language skill to learn past & future dialects of any language, and his Knowledge (History) skill can be applied to past & future events. Note that extensive experience in a particular era--or alterations to the timestream--by this or other Chronomancers can alter the DC of the Knowledge check.
Temporal Mastery: The Chronomancer gains the Spell Mastery feat (as a Wizard), but the spells chosen must come from the Chronomancy spell list.
Vortex Vigilance: The Chronomancer can attempt to detect or detach the presence of a vortex (a type of temporal anomaly, usually the result of a disturbance in the timestream) on Temporal Prime. Usable 1/day.
Time Lord: The Chronomancer has determined a ritual that will permanently detach himself from his own lifeline; it will be the end of his linear existence, but not the end of his life. He becomes a nonlinear entity and is henceforth considered a native of Temporal Prime. He no longer ages and cannot be affected by lifeline-related effects, and may "double" himself any number of times when visiting reality (including visiting his former, linear-existing self).
The rules for "doubling" oneself and info about the timestream (they're related) are pretty extensive, so I'll leave that for another time. I assume there's some interest in that, although either way it might help for me to write it out anyway as a reference so you'll know what I'm talking about when I refer to the timestream, lifelines, and so on and why certain aspects of the spells and abilities work in certain ways. In the meantime, any suggestions for the remaining prereq feats would be helpful.
Why do you want so many prerequisites? The more you have the less people will be interested in using your class.
If you want to encourage a high-ish wis, how about saying "Wisdom 15+" as a prereq.
5e comments and thoughts all in one place. Check it out to provide feedback, mock, or steal ideas. http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/28835423/Krusks_5e_Design_Goals?sdb=1
Well, I'm responding to the criticism that the Chronomancy spell list is a big advantage that makes the class too powerful. In my design, the spell list is made available right at level 1 (as a Timebender), and as pointed out, it not only gives several new spells but also makes some of the well-used "standard" spells available at lower levels. I suppose one way to deal with it is to edit the spell list, but to be honest I really like the way it is at the moment:
Incite: Enchantment spell that compels a group of creatures to not delay or ready actions (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Inhibit: Enchantment spell that compels a creature to delay its action (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Slow Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can slow the onset of poison and need for food & drink.
Speed Metabolism: Transmutation spell that can starve & weaken a target (gets -1 CON) with need for food & drink.
Level 1--
Advance Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's future self over him, for a +1 atk bonus.
Delay Image: Illusion spell that puts an image of the caster's past self over him, for a +2 AC bonus and a +1 save bonus against magical attacks targeting him.
Cheat: Transmutation spell that influences the outcome of a nonmagical game of chance that takes place within the spell's duration (from Spell Compendium).
Nerveskitter: Transmutation spell that gives target creature a +5 bonus to initiative rolls during the encounter in which this spell is cast (from Spell Compendium).
Level 2--
Precognitive Sense: Divination spell that gives general knowledge of a single event affecting the Chronomancer to a limited extent in his future.
Temporal Disjunction: Enchantment spell that confuses a target's sense of the passage of time; it automatically can be surprised, loses all initiative rolls, and loses one attack per round (if it has more than one attack per round).
Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Slow: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 3--
Melee Manager: Enchantment spell that grants a creature an extra melee attack, as well as bonuses to initiative, surprise, and AC for its duration.
Time Snare: Enchantment spell that compels a target to repeat his last action in a continuous loop.
Shift Reality: Transmutation spell that forces a target to reroll a single event from the previous round; includes atk/dmg/saves/skills.
Timeheal: Transmutation spell that alters a target's physical body to its previous physical condition (the past physique is "brought forward" to replace the current one) from only a few moments earlier.
Level 4--
Prophecy: Divination spell that grants the Chronomancer a vision of an important event that directly affects another person.
Savage Evolution: Transmutation spell that alters target's biology to a more feral/primitive form; STR/DEX/CON are improved at the greater expense of INT/WIS/CHR.
Temporal Push: Transmutation spell that throws a creature through a partial opening to Temporal Prime, instantly depositing them a short "distance" into the future.
Permanency: Universal spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 5--
Temporal Wall: Evocation spell that creates a wall made of the strange mist-smoke of Temporal Prime; any person or object passing through the wall suffers the effects of Temporal Disjunction and 2 cumulative Slow spells. Dispel Magic cannot affect this Wall.
Ray of Entropy: Necromancy spell that weakens a living creature with -4 penalties to STR/DEX/CON (from Spell Compendium, but one level lower).
Mass Haste: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Minor Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to take back an action he took, or to insert an action where he had previously taken no action. The action (in either case) is limited to several rounds in the past.
Level 6--
Temporal Eye: Divination spell that sends a scrying device across Temporal Prime, allowing the Chronomancer to view people and places in other eras.
Delayed Blast Fireball: Evocation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Accelerate Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to advance the age of another creature with a touch (shortening that creature's lifeline).
Regress Lifeline: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to reduce the age of another creature with a touch (extending that creature's lifeline).
Level 7--
Delayed Damage: Abjuration spell that shifts half of all physical damage to the Chronomancer into his future, allowing him time to prepare, heal, take potions, etc.
Item Supercharger: Transmutation spell that alters properties of a magical item. The duration of the item's effect may be doubled, or the frequency of uses/day may be doubled, or time needed to recharge the item is halved.
Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event in which he participated within the past month.
Level 8--
Foresight: Divination spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Temporal Stasis: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Time Stop: Transmutation spell from PHB, but one level lower.
Level 9--
Major Paradox: Transmutation spell that allows the Chronomancer to alter an event he had control of that occurred up to one year in the past.
Temporal Shell: Transmutation spell that creates a bubble within which the Chronomancer (and all others within) experience time normally, but outside the bubble, time has frozen.
So, the only prereqs to gain access to all this are the Chronomancer prereqs, and my thought was that to "balance" the power offered by getting that first level of Chronomancer was to make it more demanding to become a Chronomancer in the first place. Again, this is my first time at this so that's all I could figure for making adjustments. Now, I certainly don't want to prevent people from choosing this as a prestige class, but I also think that the prereqs should reflect the rather unique "niche" of conceiving/studying/philosophizing about the nature of time. And the only feats I can think of that specifically reference high scores in INT or WIS are things like Expertise or Stunning Fist, which have nothing to do with those intellectual pursuits. But I also know that the regular prestige classes don't list specific INT or WIS minimums, so I'm trying to avoid that here while still encouraging high scores there. However, my interpretation of the high-WIS requirement for the 2E Chronomancer is that it's important for that class to have an intuitive sense of the flow of time and how their actions might alter the timestream. I think that relegating that to the "Vortex Vigilance" ability--which involves sensing and/or fixing disturbances in the actual timestream--is a good equivalence. So I'm actually left hoping to encourage a high INT in the prestige class prereqs, in addition to the other basics I listed, to demonstrate the character's grasp of the sophisticated concept of Temporal Prime, and to shore up the possible abuse of the Chronomancy spell list I've devised. Now that I've had some time to think it over, I'm thinking that if I add another skill prereq, that could help encourage high-INT characters (of any spellcasting class), and maybe then I'd only include one other feat on top of the doubled-up Spell Focuses, so the question I have now is, does this design help balance the benefits provided by the prestige class (and most notably, the additional spells provided by the above spell list):
Class Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (any), Speak Language, Spellcraft, Craft, Profession Skill Points at each level: 2+INT modifier Proficiencies: No additional weapon/armor proficiencies
Class Features-- Lvl BAB Fort Refl Will Spells/day Special 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +1 lvl spellcasting class Timebender 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class Lifeline Sounding 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 lvl spellcasting class Metamagic Distortion 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Time Traveler 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Transcendent Culturist 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Temporal Mastery 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class Vortex Vigilance 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Time Lord
Spells Per Day: Except at levels 5 and 10, when a new Chronomancer level is gained, he gets new spells per day as if he had gained a level in his pre-existing spellcasting class.
Timebender: The Chronomancer's studies have produced knowledge of the magics that will allow him to wield the forces of Temporal Prime. The Chronomancy spell list is added to the list of spells the character can learn, and his mind is unaltered by changes in the timestream.
Lifeline Sounding: The Chronomancer, with a successful touch, can connect with a creature's lifeline and roughly determine its length forward and backward from that moment in time. Usable 3/month.
Metamagic Distortion: The Chronomancer gains either the Extend Spell feat or the Quicken Spell feat.
Time Traveler: The Chronomancer gains the ability to thin the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime and slip between the two, along with an additional mass and/or other people (within limits set by the number of Chronomancer levels). Arriving in Temporal Prime places travelers slightly downstream among the network of lifelines; the Chronomancer must focus on a lifeline to effect the transfer back to reality, arriving within 1d10 miles of the creature associated with that lifeline. Usable 2/day.
Transcendent Culturist: The Chronomancer, having experienced different eras, can now apply his Speak Language skill to learn past & future dialects of any language, and his Knowledge (History) skill can be applied to past & future events. Note that extensive experience in a particular era--or alterations to the timestream--by this or other Chronomancers can alter the DC of the Knowledge check.
Temporal Mastery: The Chronomancer gains the Spell Mastery feat (as a Wizard), but the spells chosen must come from the Chronomancy spell list.
Vortex Vigilance: The Chronomancer can attempt to detect or detach the presence of a vortex (a type of temporal anomaly, usually the result of a disturbance in the timestream) on Temporal Prime. Usable (WIS bonus)/day.
Time Lord: The Chronomancer has determined a ritual that will permanently detach himself from his own lifeline; it will be the end of his linear existence, but not the end of his life. He becomes a nonlinear entity and is henceforth considered a native of Temporal Prime. He no longer ages and cannot be affected by lifeline-related effects, and may "double" himself any number of times when visiting reality (including visiting his former, linear-existing self).
So, the only prereqs to gain access to all this are the Chronomancer prereqs, and my thought was that to "balance" the power offered by getting that first level of Chronomancer was to make it more demanding to become a Chronomancer in the first place.
Got you. The general consensus on prestige classes that ask you to suck now in order to be great later is that they are a bad idea.
In real play what happens is that no one plays it unless they start high enough level to already by at the awesome part. Alternatively, someone plays the class and pays the cost up front, and then is weak early and so they die before they get the good powers.
5e comments and thoughts all in one place. Check it out to provide feedback, mock, or steal ideas. http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/28835423/Krusks_5e_Design_Goals?sdb=1
Okay, I think I've decided to reduce the prereqs to just the Spell Focus feats, and make the rest about the skills, though with a couple of tweaks. I think the following design is sufficiently accessible to all spellcasting classes while also preserving the main intent of the original class designs:
Class Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (any), Speak Language, Spellcraft, Craft, Profession Skill Points at each level: 2+INT modifier Proficiencies: No additional weapon/armor proficiencies
Class Features-- Lvl BAB Fort Refl Will Spells/day Special 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +1 lvl spellcasting class Timebender 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class Lifeline Sounding 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 +1 lvl spellcasting class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 lvl spellcasting class Metamagic Distortion 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Time Traveler 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Transcendent Culturist 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 lvl spellcasting class Temporal Mastery 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class Vortex Vigilance 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 +1 lvl spellcasting class 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Time Lord
Spells Per Day: Except at levels 5 and 10, when a new Chronomancer level is gained, he gets new spells per day as if he had gained a level in his pre-existing spellcasting class.
Timebender: The Chronomancer's studies have produced knowledge of the magics that will allow him to wield the forces of Temporal Prime. The Chronomancy spell list is added to the list of spells the character can learn, and his mind is unaltered by changes in the timestream.
Lifeline Sounding: The Chronomancer, with a successful touch, can connect with a creature's lifeline and roughly determine its length forward and backward from that moment in time. Usable 3/month.
Metamagic Distortion: The Chronomancer gains either the Extend Spell feat or the Quicken Spell feat.
Time Traveler: The Chronomancer gains the ability to thin the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime and slip between the two, along with an additional mass (up to 25lbs per Chronomancer level) and/or other people (1 additional person per two Chronomancer levels). The Chronomancer must focus on one of the lifelines within the network on Temporal Prime to effect the transfer back to reality, arriving within 1d10 miles of the creature associated with that lifeline. Usable 2/day. Note: Traveling through time via Temporal Prime introduces an entirely new level of adventuring to a campaign, so DMs may choose to halt Chronomancer progress at level 4. For those who do want to try this and the upper levels of the prestige class, I'll post some info about Temporal Prime and some of the rules (such as not being able to interact with your own past/future self) and effects of time travel later.
Transcendent Culturist: The Chronomancer, having experienced different eras, can now apply his Speak Language skill to speak past & future dialects of any language he knows, and his Knowledge (History) skill can be applied to past & future events. Note that extensive experience in a particular era--or alterations to the timestream--by this or other Chronomancers can alter the DC of the Knowledge check.
Temporal Mastery: The Chronomancer gains the Spell Mastery feat (as a Wizard), but the spells chosen must come from the Chronomancy spell list.
Vortex Vigilance: The Chronomancer can attempt to detect or detach the presence of a vortex (a type of temporal anomaly, usually the result of a disturbance in the timestream) on Temporal Prime. Usable (WIS bonus)/day.
Time Lord: The Chronomancer has determined a ritual that will permanently detach himself from his own lifeline; it will be the end of his linear existence, but not the end of his life. He becomes a nonlinear entity and is henceforth considered a native of Temporal Prime. He no longer ages and cannot be affected by lifeline-related effects, and may "double" himself any number of times when visiting reality (including visiting his former, linear-existing self).
So, how does this look? It's not exclusive to Wizards, but I think it does generally favor them between the feats and the skills, so that it encourages much of what the original book had in its designs. As always, feedback is appreciated!
