Temporal Singularity

As part of casting this spell, you place a diamond hourglass in an unoccupied space within reach. Upon placement, the hourglass becomes immovable, completely frozen in space and time, hovering wherever it was set.

The hourglass serves as the epicenter for a 50-foot-radius sphere of violently distorted space-time. The spell remains active for the duration, until you use an action to touch the hourglass and dispel it, or until the hourglass is destroyed.

The Temporal Anchor (The Hourglass)

The frozen hourglass acts as the physical heart of the singularity:

• Object Statistics: The hourglass has an AC of 19, 40 Hit Points, and is immune to poison and psychic damage.

• Temporal Feedback: Reality fiercely protects the anchor. Whenever a creature targets the hourglass with an attack (regardless of whether the attack hits or misses), time snaps back against the aggressor. The attacker must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking $4d6$ force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Outer Horizon (21 ft. to 50 ft. Radius)

Time within this zone moves at double speed. Any creature that enters or starts its turn in this zone gains 1 additional turn per round and a +2 bonus to AC.

• Initiative: The additional turn occurs 10 points after the creature’s normal turn in the initiative order (e.g., an initiative roll of 18 gains a second turn at Initiative 8).**

Inner Singularity (0 ft. to 20 ft. Radius)

Time within this core is violently compressed. Any creature that enters or starts its turn in this zone gains 3 additional turns per round (for a total of 4 turns per round) and a +4 bonus to AC.

• Initiative: The additional turns occur at intervals of 5, 10, and 15 points after the creature’s normal turn in the initiative order (e.g., an initiative roll of 18 gains turns at Initiative 18, 13, 8, and 3). **

Relative Spell Durations

The duration of any other spell is anchored strictly to the caster’s personal turn count (e.g., a 1-minute spell lasts for 10 turns as experienced by its caster). Because local time moves at different speeds inside and outside the singularity, spell effects scale relative to where the caster is standing:

• Caster Outside the Singularity: The caster experiences normal time (1 turn per round). A 1-minute spell lasts for 10 of the caster's turns.

  • Effect Outside: Lasts for 10 normal turns/rounds.

  • Effect Inside Inner Singularity: Because creatures inside experience time 4 times faster, the spell effect will persist for 40 local turns before the caster’s 10 turns elapse.

• Caster Inside the Inner Singularity: The caster takes 4 turns per round. A 1-minute spell will burn through its 10-turn duration in just 2.5 rounds of real-world time.

  • Effect Outside: An effect placed in normal time will expire after only 2.5 turns/rounds pass outside.

  • Effect Inside: Lasts for 10 of the caster's turns inside the singularity.

Temporal Strain

Moving through compressed time taxes physical form:

• Transition Strain: A creature moving into or out of the Inner Singularity or the Outer Horizon must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the end of the round. On a failure, the creature takes $2d6$ force damage as its nervous system struggles to transition between timelines.

• High-Speed Strain: A creature that takes 4 turns in a single round must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throwat the end of the round. On a failure, the creature takes $4d6$ force damage as its nervous system struggles to re-sync with normal time.

Exiting the Field or Destruction

If a creature leaves a temporal zone—or if the hourglass anchor is destroyed—all extra turns and AC bonuses immediately end, and initiative order reverts to normal at the start of the next turn.

** - Note on Low Initiative Rolls: If subtracting an initiative offset reduces a turn to 0 or a negative number, wrap backward starting from 20 (Formula: 20 - Remaining Deficit). For example, a base initiative of 4 taking a turn at -5 points becomes Initiative 19 (4 - 5 = -1 —> 20 - 1 = 19).