SangoProduction
2019-01-05, 09:16 PM
I was setting up an encounter for my players, when I found this particular interaction between the Chronomancer archetype in Spheres of Power, and the Time sphere.
Enhanced Teleportation: Starting at 3rd level, the chronomancer’s mastery of time and space begins to become instinctual and inform all his uses of related magic. The chronomancer increases the maximum distance he can travel when using the teleport ability by 10 ft. and extends the duration of all alter time effects by 1 round; if an alter time effect would normally have a duration measured in minutes or hours, the effect is instead extended by 1 minute or 1 hour, as appropriate. The range of his teleport ability increases by an additional 10 ft. and the duration of his alter time effects increase by an additional 1 round for every three chronomancer levels he possesses beyond 3rd.
So...so what? Effectively the same as though increasing the effective caster level for this specific purpose, right? Well, in the large majority of cases. Until you look at things that don't scale with level. And probably should never scale, like the title says.
For Instance:
Steal Time (time) [Core]
You may spend a spell point to attempt to erase a target’s turn from existence. The target is dazed for 1 round (Will negates). If successful, you immediately gain an additional standard action. An individual target cannot suffer the effects of this ability more than once per round. Even if you successfully target multiple creatures in the same round with this ability (such as through the Group Time talent), you cannot gain more than a single standard action in a round in this manner.
Since (time) talents are additional alter time effects, you can inflict a daze for up to 1 + 1/3 level rounds...which seems pretty brutal, even without gaining an additional standard action when doing so.
Enhanced Teleportation: Starting at 3rd level, the chronomancer’s mastery of time and space begins to become instinctual and inform all his uses of related magic. The chronomancer increases the maximum distance he can travel when using the teleport ability by 10 ft. and extends the duration of all alter time effects by 1 round; if an alter time effect would normally have a duration measured in minutes or hours, the effect is instead extended by 1 minute or 1 hour, as appropriate. The range of his teleport ability increases by an additional 10 ft. and the duration of his alter time effects increase by an additional 1 round for every three chronomancer levels he possesses beyond 3rd.
So...so what? Effectively the same as though increasing the effective caster level for this specific purpose, right? Well, in the large majority of cases. Until you look at things that don't scale with level. And probably should never scale, like the title says.
For Instance:
Steal Time (time) [Core]
You may spend a spell point to attempt to erase a target’s turn from existence. The target is dazed for 1 round (Will negates). If successful, you immediately gain an additional standard action. An individual target cannot suffer the effects of this ability more than once per round. Even if you successfully target multiple creatures in the same round with this ability (such as through the Group Time talent), you cannot gain more than a single standard action in a round in this manner.
Since (time) talents are additional alter time effects, you can inflict a daze for up to 1 + 1/3 level rounds...which seems pretty brutal, even without gaining an additional standard action when doing so.