Time Stop & Magic Items

[Asisreo1]

Time Stop is a contentious 9th-level spell because it is the highest level spell slot cast to get roughly 3 actions when you can only have one in a turn. The catch is that affecting anyone other than yourself with any effect during this time stop immediately ends the spell.

While there's some good spells you can cast under these restrictions, your options are still rather limited. A common strategy is casting the spell, then going any Non-conc Buffs > Concentration spell > damage/effect spell, with any non-conc buffs being any of the "extra" actions, when the total extra actions are 3 and above.

This isn't glamorous since the spell directly competes with Wish and any other 9th-level spell like True Polymorph and Gate. But what's interesting is that casting Time Stop doesn't prevent Wish, it just means you can't do both without using an external spell slot (Epic Boons) or by using magic items like Spell Scrolls. Another thing, you can stack quite a few buffs from potions such as potions of invulnerability and potions of healing.

So is Time Stop really as bad of a spell as is usually believed, in your opinion?

I bring this up because a player of mine did just this. He Time Stopped the party and used one of my Scrolls of True Polymorph and a Potion of Speed to turn himself into an Adult Gold Dragon with 2 actions doing a Multiattack on one and Breath Weapon on the other (not sure if this was correctly ruled by me or not but I thought it would make the awesome scene more awesome). I don't mind players occasionally doing these awesome stunts at dramatic moments. Its not like I have any problem giving them an actual challenge.

This even caused me to reevaluate Time Stop and not take it for granted. Thoughts?

[SteadyAim]

Time Stop is a contentious 9th-level spell because it is the highest level spell slot cast to get roughly 3 actions when you can only have one in a turn. The catch is that affecting anyone other than yourself with any effect during this time stop immediately ends the spell.

While there's some good spells you can cast under these restrictions, your options are still rather limited. A common strategy is casting the spell, then going any Non-conc Buffs > Concentration spell > damage/effect spell, with any non-conc buffs being any of the "extra" actions, when the total extra actions are 3 and above.

This isn't glamorous since the spell directly competes with Wish and any other 9th-level spell like True Polymorph and Gate. But what's interesting is that casting Time Stop doesn't prevent Wish, it just means you can't do both without using an external spell slot (Epic Boons) or by using magic items like Spell Scrolls. Another thing, you can stack quite a few buffs from potions such as potions of invulnerability and potions of healing.

So is Time Stop really as bad of a spell as is usually believed, in your opinion?

I bring this up because a player of mine did just this. He Time Stopped the party and used one of my Scrolls of True Polymorph and a Potion of Speed to turn himself into an Adult Gold Dragon with 2 actions doing a Multiattack on one and Breath Weapon on the other (not sure if this was correctly ruled by me or not but I thought it would make the awesome scene more awesome). I don't mind players occasionally doing these awesome stunts at dramatic moments. Its not like I have any problem giving them an actual challenge.

This even caused me to reevaluate Time Stop and not take it for granted. Thoughts?

Tome of the Stilled Tongue gets you a second 9th level spell.

One of the things you can do is buff up a Shapechange. Ideally you bonus action your casting of Shapechange if possible and then use your action to apply a buff or cast an innate spell from the creature's statline. For example, you could Shapechange into a Couatl, Deva, Oni, and/or Barghest and apply the magical polymorph(s) from their statline(s). Incidentally, per RAW the magical polymorphs are continuous/permanent until dispelled.

[Ghost Nappa]

If I'm allowed to cast Cloud of Daggers during the effect, then Time Stop is a must have, 5/5. Otherwise, it's bad.


More seriously, I understand why Time Stop isn't as strong as it is, but it's kind of lame to have a 9th level Spell be a reshuffled Action Surge.

[CheddarChampion]

I think Time Stop is best used when you're ambushed and really need to turn situation around.

You can move 3x your speed to reposition without fear of opportunity attacks, cast a defensive spell such as mirror image, trap some non-magicians with Wall of Force/Stone/Fire, and Disintegrate a threatening mage/Cone of Cold a big group of things. In the right situations, such a combination of spells can turn an encounter from "Bad news" into "Handled." But so will a well placed Meteor Swarm (and with much better spell slot economy).

So it can be quite potent... but you might not get more out of it than you would other 9th level spells.