Spell Storing Item vs Arcane Abeyance?

[Citadel97501]

Hello all, I was just wondering if anyone has broken down whether Arcane Abeyance is as good with Tiny Servants that Spell Storing Item is? I had been going over the fun that SSI's are and I had forgotten all about the Chronurgist Wizard and this little gem. While I do wish this was Wizard 9 instead then you could have both but dear god would that be broken.

[JackPhoenix]

There are few notable differences between the two.

Spell Storing Item is limited to level 1 and 2 artificer spells with a casting time of 1 action, but it can be used multiple times.

Arcane Abeyance is limited to level 4 spells, but it's got no limit on the spell's original casting time. It can only be used once, and you've only got 1 hour since the original casting.

While the the spells that can be put in SSI are more limited, you can prepare it days before you'll need it, and the multiple use synergies nicely with multiple servants. AA is more versatile, both thanks to higher level spell limitation, and the fact it uses wizard spell list, but the one use and time limitations means the situation to use it will have to come up in the next hour. It's good to pass concentration on someone else (likely someone who's got nothing to concentrate on their own) and, most importantly, to get around long casting times in combat, like if you want to imprison a hostile creature in Magic Circle for the purpose of Planar Binding.

[stoutstien]

I don't have the book in front of me but isn't arcane abeyance 4th lv and lower?

[MaxWilson]

I don't have the book in front of me but isn't arcane abeyance 4th lv and lower?

Yes. Doesn't have to be wizard spells either. A Bard 10/Chonurgist 10 could potentially make magical flying ponies for everyone in the city, via Find Greater Steed and Arcane Abeyance.

Arcane Abeyance is much better for weaponizing spells like e.g. Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Magic Circle, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Snare, Glyph of Warding, and also for spreading out benefits like Find Familiar. You can then hand someone's owl familiar a bead of Polymorph and let the owl concentrate on keeping them a Giant Ape.

SSI is hard to abuse but it's easy to come up with exploits for Arcane Abeyance--and it's not even the Chronurgist's best ability! That book is bonkers.

[Citadel97501]

Yes. Doesn't have to be wizard spells either. A Bard 10/Chonurgist 10 could potentially make magical flying ponies for everyone in the city, via Find Greater Steed and Arcane Abeyance.

Arcane Abeyance is much better for weaponizing spells like e.g. Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Magic Circle, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Snare, Glyph of Warding, and also for spreading out benefits like Find Familiar. You can then hand someone's owl familiar a bead of Polymorph and let the owl concentrate on keeping them a Giant Ape.

SSI is hard to abuse but it's easy to come up with exploits for Arcane Abeyance--and it's not even the Chronurgist's best ability! That book is bonkers.

What do you consider a better Chronurgist best ability?

[MaxWilson]

What do you consider a better Chronurgist best ability?

It depends how you measure it--the 2nd level ability (Chronal Shift) is about as good as Portent, and it comes online very soon and influences many adventures, while the 14th level ability (Convergent Futures) is the most powerful especially in combination with powerful magic like Magic Jar and Wish (Planar Binding) and the Necromancer's Command Undead ability, etc. The 6th level ability is the "worst" (Momentary Stasis), only slightly better than 5 free 1st level spell slots. Arcane Abeyance has a stronger effect than Chronal Shift and comes online earlier than Convergent Futures, so it's probably the 2nd best, with Chronal Shift and Convergent Futures fighting it out for 1st and 3rd place based on how you're measuring.

Personally though, Convergent Futures is my favorite though because my temperament is that I'm okay with waiting for good things. I don't need something to come online at 2nd level for it to be fun for me, although when the awesome ability does happen to be 2nd level (Enchanter's Hypnotic Gaze) I definitely enjoy it.

Chonurgist: strong in the short term, completely broken in the long term. Would not allow at my table in any non-Exandria games, and I have no plans to run Exandria any time soon. (Currently more interested in Eberron, and of course always Spelljammer and Dark Sun.)