Arcane School, Chronomancy (Second Draft)

[AetherShift]

To get to this current version, I've taken into consideration many of the suggestions offered by members of this forum as well as the Wizards forums. I've attempted to address concerns regarding balance and power level, and here is what I've come up with. Let me know if I'm getting close to a playable and balanced version!

Arcane School: Chronomancy

Chronomancy Savant (Level 2)
Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the time you must spend to copy a spell into your spellbook is halved. Additionally, the time you must spend preparing a ritual is also halved.

Hand of Time (Level 2)
At 2nd level, you wield time like a weapon, capable of forcing a creature to experience a sudden burst of temporal drag. You can use an action to make a special melee attack using your spell attack bonus. If you hit, the target takes 1 level of exhaustion. The exhaustion caused by this ability is superficial, and heals at a rate of 1 level every 5 minutes. This ability cannot be used to increase a creature’s level of exhaustion beyond level 3.

Exhaustion Levels
Level 1- Disadvantage on ability checks
Level 2- Speed halved
Level 3- Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws

Temporal Displacement (Level 6)
Starting at 6th level you can use an action to force a single creature or object within 30 feet into the near future. If the target is a creature it must be medium size or smaller. If the target is an object is must be unattended and weigh no more than 300 lbs. To use this ability, you must expend a spell slot, which sets the save DC to resist this effect. If the target is unwilling, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + the level of the expended spell slot. On a failed save the target disappears for 1d4+1 rounds. It then reappears in the space it left or, if that space is occupied, in the nearest unoccupied space. The subject reappears in exactly the same orientation and condition as before. From the subject’s point of view, no time has passed at all.

Phase Dilation (Level 10)
Starting at 10th level, your temporal powers seem to stretch time around you. On your turn you may gain a bonus action. This action can be used only to take the dash, disengage or dodge action. Then, since time magic is erratic and irregular, you must wait 1d4 rounds before using this ability again.

Fate Shift (Level 14)
At 14th level, you can alter the fate of one living creature that you can see. After the results of a creature’s attack roll, ability check or saving throw have been determined, you may use a reaction to force that creature to reroll that attack roll, ability check or saving throw with your choice of advantage or disadvantage. The creature must use the new result. You must then finish a short or long rest before using this ability again.

[Strill]

Hand of Time looks very very impractical. Why would a wizard be in melee range to use it, and use their action on that instead of something more practical, like a cantrip or a spell? There are much more practical ways to give a target disadvantage on attacks, or even stop it from having a turn entirely.

[AetherShift]

I'm thinking of replacing both the 2nd level abilities with these two.

Metronome (Level 2)
Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, your internal clock becomes finely tuned. You are always completely aware of what time it is (year, month, day, hour and minutes) even without external reference points. You can also gauge with perfect accuracy the elapsed time between any two events you were physically present for.

Response Time (level 2)
Your awareness of temporal causality makes it easier to focus on the present while preparing for future possibilities. At 2nd level, whenever you take the ready action, you may cast one cantrip as a bonus action.


The first one is the definition of fluff, but I think it's good, flavorful fluff. (I could tack on a small bonus to initiative or history or something if it really need something extra)

The second one could be strong if used well. It's probably much more practical than Hand of Time.

What do you think?

[StoryKeeper]

Looks good overall to me. Flavorful and interesting without getting too messy. I definitely like Metronome and Response Time better than Hand of Time, but I worry that it might be abused in combination with True Strike. Readying an action to attack as soon as the enemy does anything, then using your bonus action to cast true strike and ensure your attack hits.

[Strill]

Looks good overall to me. Flavorful and interesting without getting too messy. I definitely like Metronome and Response Time better than Hand of Time, but I worry that it might be abused in combination with True Strike. Readying an action to attack as soon as the enemy does anything, then using your bonus action to cast true strike and ensure your attack hits.

How is that abuse? You're spending your bonus action, and concentration in order to get Advantage against a single enemy you choose. Furthermore, if they don't trigger your reaction attack, or if someone else triggers your reaction attack instead, you get nothing from True Strike, AND you only get advantage on your first melee attack.

It's a pointless waste of time when you could just cast Firebolt instead.

[AetherShift]

Designing this subclass has proven challenging when you consider that most of the wizard subclasses available (as templates) provide features that modify and facilitate regularly casting spells from a chosen school. Since there are no "Chronomancy school" spells, my goal with this subclass is to provide the Chronomancer with tools to simulate how someone proficient in time magic would approach a given situation. For example, Temporal Displacement has a wide range of uses both on and off the battlefield, as does Fate Shift. Phase Dilation and Response Time both provide flexibility that a Wizard with just an once of extra time and attention might have.


I wonder if Response Time might be able to scale with wizard level without being broken. For example:

"When you reach 10th level, whenever you take the ready action you may cast one cantrip or one 1st level spell as a bonus action."


What about this alternative ability:

Improved reaction (placeholder name)
Whenever you use your reaction in combat, roll 1d4. On a roll of 4, regain your reaction.
or:
You may make two reactions during a round instead of one

[JNAProductions]

I feel that'd encourage dips too much. Drop a few levels into Wizard as a Fighter or a Rogue to gain oppurtunity attacks instead of spells.

In addition, what would you use it for? Outside a few spells like Hellish Rebuke, Wizards don't do much with reactions. It's a great feature-for another class. Just not a Wizard subclass.

[AetherShift]

I feel that'd encourage dips too much. Drop a few levels into Wizard as a Fighter or a Rogue to gain oppurtunity attacks instead of spells.

In addition, what would you use it for? Outside a few spells like Hellish Rebuke, Wizards don't do much with reactions. It's a great feature-for another class. Just not a Wizard subclass.

Thats a good point. Do you think Response Time is a viable/useful 2nd level ability? Would scaling it to include casting a 1st spell as a bonus action latter on (maybe 10th level) be too potent?

"I'm going to ready an action to cast Cone of Cold at the orc hoard when they breach that gate, and for my bonus Cantrip or 1st level spell, I'm going to cast Mage Armor on myself."
-Said the 10th level Chronomancer

Actually, reading that, I wonder if it's even possible to ready a spell, then cast another spell. You can cast spells while concentrating right? just not another concentration spell without losing the first spell you were concentrating on (readying).