Base Class: Wizard
Time mages: practitioners of a meta-school of magic of such potential for havoc that its very existence might be one of the most fiercely-guarded secrets even from some of the most learned grandmasters of magic. Chronomancy - the power of Time itself. Chronomancers are most typically taught this secret power by other Chronomancers, often who have been watching the candidate in secret, at multiple points in their life, and frequently from another time period than the candidate; most typical, but still extremely rare. Even more unlikely, sometimes a Chronomancer learns this secret art by stumbling upon some text or scroll that contains knowledge of the demiplane of time, or advanced magical theory on manipulating temporal flow while also containing the paradoxical repercussions of such meddling. Most rare of all, though it happens, a studying wizard might come to hypothesize - correctly - about the nature of time all on their own.
Depending on the setting, Chronomancy may be a profoundly secret art, or it may be a commonplace field of study. Given the delicate nature of their art, Chronomancers might strongly tend to guard the secret of their power and their study above all else. If it is a secret, then should this secret be let slip too publicly, or too frequently, the offending Chronomancer may find that they have a host of other Chronomancers to contend with; or worse: the native creatures of the demiplane of time. An adventuring Chronomancer may choose to divulge their own nature to close, trusted companions, or even mentor and train a spellcasting companion in the ways of Chronomancy, but in realities where Chronomancy is unspoken of (DM discretion), the Chronomancer should avoid selling, trading, or carelessly discarding Chronomantic spells or literature. In settings where Chronomancy is secret, Chronomancers often masquerade as Transmuters, Diviners, or a "peculiar student of magics that fall somewhere in between the two".
A Chronomancer may be an eager historian, travelling back and forward through time to record events of history with unmatched accuracy; or may be an opportunist, jumping to points in time when things are (or will be) known to have gone mysteriously missing... only to return home to fame or profit; or could be an idealist who leaps through time, righting wrongs, restoring timelines to "what they ought to be", or attempting to alter events to suit their own personal ideal history of a family, city, or realm - though often things work out in a way unexpected by the meddler.
In all cases, Chronomancers understand the dangers of recklessly meddling with the histories of reality, at best trying to repair or prevent damage to the fabric of reality whenever they see problems, and at least attempting to avoid getting caught up in any untempered temporal paradoxes personally. Even those who manipulate time for selfish gain or personal ideology understand that there are some laws of nature that should not be carelessly ignored.
DMs Note: Chronomancy and time travel are very advanced and complex concepts to include in a single-author story, let alone a multi-author role playing campaign. Be sure you are familiar with this subclass and any spells published here or created by you or your players before you consider allowing this subclass to be used by a player. Regardless of whether it is a player or an NPC who is granted the Chronomancer subclass, it is also recommended that you decide beforehand upon some in-game nature of time for resolving changes to the story due to time travel (examples: if you go back and change something: did you really just branch into an alternate reality? ; or did you actually change things in the future but are still able to remember the original past events? ; or did you actually change nothing at all and this was how things were ALWAYS meant to happen? ; or do changes made to the past always result in a series of unexpected events that end up producing the same outcome no matter how hard anyone tries to change it (the time traveller's fiance always dies on Tuesday by some means no matter what is changed) ? ; etc). Also be sure to talk with your player(s) beforehand and make sure this material is used with the goal of everyone having fun and making a more interested and exotic story together, rather than one player gaining more power than the other players, or being destructively disruptive to the campaign or setting.
Version Notes: This is Version 1 of the Chronomancer Subclass. Due to the way homebrew material must be submitted currently, I am going to attempt to publish this Subclass WITHOUT ANY HOMEBREW CHRONOMANCY SPELLS associated with the class listing. Once this Subclass is approved and published publicly, I will then associate all (currently about 50) of the Chronomancy spells I have made so far with it, and attempt to submit all of those for publication. Once all Chronomancy spells have been published with a valid Subclass association, I will create and submit a Version 2 of Chronomancer with all these homebrew spells linked. Please enjoy!
Alternate Reality
Beginning when this subclass is selected at 2nd level, the Chronomancer learns how to create small variations in the probabilities of reality. Each variation lasts only a moment, but creates alternate results for one recently-past event. When altered in this way, any one event attempted by a target the Chronomancer could see during the previous round is recalculated, essentially allowing (or forcing) that character or creature to make a new die (or dice) roll. Only events that begin and end in a single round can be affected in this way. Only one roll-event can be rerolled. If the target is a willing recipient, the Chronomancer can choose which roll (the original or the new roll) affects them. If the target is unwilling, they must reroll the action and accept the new result, whatever its outcome.
Typical uses of this ability include: allowing a fighter to reroll an attack; forcing an opponent to reroll a successful saving throw; or allowing a wizard to reroll the damage caused by a weak fireball.
In order to use this ability, the Chronomancer character throws a small, unmarked die. Each alternation can be made only once per turn, and only two such alternations can be made by the Chronomancer until a long rest is taken.
Exclusive Studies
When this subclass is selected at 2nd level, the Chronomancer permanently gains access to a new meta-school of magic: Chronomancy. While this isn't actually a school of magic, but rather a new way of thinking about magical properties of many of the existing schools of magic, only a Chronomancer may learn and cast these spells. Anyone may attempt to read your spellbook, but only a Chronomancer would ever be able to make sense of any spells of the Chronomancy meta-school recorded therein. To all other magically fluent readers, these spells simply appear nonsensical. When this subclass is selected, the Chronomancer immediately trades at least two of their currently known level 1 Wizard spells for an equal number of level 1 Chonomancy spells, and trade at least one of their known Wizard Cantrips for an equal number of Chronomancy Cantrip. It is strongly recommended that at least one of the Chronomancer Cantrips taken is Detect Temporal Anomaly. Finally, the Chronomancer may now trade one of their weapon proficiencies for a future or forgotten version of that weapon. For example, anachronistic versions of a light crossbow may included a springbolt gun, flintlock pistol, revolver, or laser pistol. Other versions of quarterstaff may be nightstick, collapsible baton, or cattle prod.
Temporal Agency
At 6th level, you can unconsciously sense some ebb and flow in the momentum of time. As a result, you act as though immune to time flow effects such as Haste or Slow. This is really an unconscious reaction to the change in which you unknowingly alter your own flow of time in the opposite direction to compensate for and cancel the effect. Your base movement speed is also increased by 5.
Immunity: Haste spell
Immunity: Slow spell
Base Speed +5
Reverse Causation
Upon reaching 10th level, you can begin to consciously sense the subtle reflections of causality travelling back up the timestream ahead of your own lifeline. When a creature makes a successful attack against you, or when you fail a saving throw against hostile magic or traps, you can opt to automatically succeed the save, or force the opponent to miss, instead, as you take last moment action to avoid the sensed danger. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Greater Improbabilities
At 14th level, Alternate Reality can now be used up to 3 times per long rest.
Hello! Sorry to anyone who's been waiting. I've been extremely busy for the past year working on our new game.
It hadn't originally been possible to publish a subclass associate with homebrew spells, but it looks like it is now. I've created a Version 2 of Chronomancer that has all my current Chronomancer spells automatically associated with it in the spell list. You can find that here:
[https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/522102-chronomancer]
I also added a new Bonus Action attack Cantrip, Tachyon Burn, available here:
[https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/483072-tachyon-burn]
From this point on, I'll be updating the Version 2 comments with new links (when I'm able - I'm likely to be extremely occupied with work until Holiday 2020 when our project releases).
Chronomancer, Version 2 - [https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/522102-chronomancer]
Hiya! I saw this subclass and I'm thinking of playing it. Has there been any development on an updated version?
Hi Lowraith, just wanted to say i absolutely love this subclass, the effort that went into making all the spells must have been immense and i wanted to thank you for all your hard work!
I was also wondering if you're still working on time demielementals and wanted to offer my help if you need to bounce ideas off someone.
The subclass and the spells are very interesting and I plan on including them in my campaign, but there's one major problem I found with the spells specifically: the lack of explicit clarification about spell attacks and savings throws made to resist an effect. Maybe I looked it over as I skimmed through everything, but I think there's a lot of unnecessary description about the lore of the spell and less how it mechanically works.
Okay, here is Temporal Jaunt, let me know what you think Lowraith
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/163085-temporal-jaunt
Okay, so I created a new cantrip called Time Steal, Lowraith, if you get a chance take a look and let me know what you think...
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/163133-time-steal
I'm moving onto my other one Temporal Jaunt
Just submitted my new variant version of this class, all credit goes to Lowraith for creating the base of it here.
Please take a look at this Lowraith and let me know what you think man.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/159248-chronomancer
So, I've been loving the class so far, and I am in love with the unique spells. I made a variant version to present to my DM as I wanted to make a few tweaks as I felt some of the class abilities could use a little extra flavor. I hope this is alright with you and I will totally give you full created for the base of my version, but in the end it is just another version of your class. In fact I'd like to still have it reference the many awesome spells you have created. Also, I am in the process of creating two additional Cantrips which I will be submitting as well if you'd like to try them out. They are...
Temporal Jaunt - Another bonus action cantrip, it basically allows you to pause time and move an additional 10 feet, if you use it at the beginning of your move action you can freeze time for the entire movement.
Time Steal - On a failed save it does 1d4 (2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 17th level) points of force damage, and causes the target to be temporarily "slowed", you gain an additional bonus action on your next turn and an additional 10 feet of movement.
Let me know what you think, I'll post a link to the new class variant for you to look at and review. Also, I'm going to add a link in my comment section referencing your original work and spells that should be fully compatible with this variant class version.
Updated the description, just made it's duration last for 1 round or as I worded it in the spell, until the start of your next turn. Hoping it simplifies it a bit more.
Glad to see I got you re-engaged into content creating for this, please feel free to plagiarize my cantrip and add it into your list of spells. You obviously don't have to, but I'm 100% okay with it. I just figure if you like it, to me it makes sense to keep it in the context of the class and the rest of your work.
Ah, I misread the "Freeze Time" part of the cantrip. I was actually a little worried about how it would compare to the Sorcerer's Sculpt Spell ability. I was also thinking about Bonus Action as a benefit, rather than as a cost (it is both, but I got caught up with the former).
I will be trying this cantrip out starting this Thursday, but I will go over this again with my DM with the definition as originally written, and take into consideration the single-turn duration and the loss of the turn's Bonus Action to cast it. Sometime in the next week, I should also be posting another 4 to 8 brand new Chronomancy spells that are directly resultant from your cantrip shaking loose a bit of writers block in my head, so thank you for that :)
I will update Chronomantic Orb tonight and post a new link. I think I'll have to go through a bunch of the others as well. The creation interface has been updated since I created a lot of the earlier ones.
I am very glad that you've enjoyed this content so far!
One other thing, for Chronomatic Orb (which I love btw), can you make that a Spell Attack with the damage as 2d8 as you described in the spell, just so it shows up on my character's options for attack?
Also, played this last night and it was pretty fun, the character was only 1st level so I did not get to really utilize the sub class yet, though my DM allowed me to start with my homebrewed cantrip spell at 1st level as she already had a spell book of time. We hit 2nd level, so on/after April 14th I'll have more input, but I am super excited to play more into this class.
So, when I created Sculpt Time Pockets cantrip the idea was this was a 1 turn effect, not even a full round. The idea is this will not affect spells beyond your current turn.
For the reverse time affect it can reverse time up to 10min ago and effect any non magical non living objects in within the area of the pocket. My best visual interpretation is when Harry and Dumbledore first visited Horace Slughorn in Half Blood Prince and they wave their magic wands and fixed up the place that Horace was hiding out in.
As for the freeze time aspect, this is used for instantaneous spells such as burning hands or fireball to protect the caster's allies. It will not protect people from ongoing effect spells such as firewall as it only lasts for the caster's one turn.
The accelerate time aspect is also still within the caster's turn, meaning for this effect to work on allies, the caster must initiate the combat.
I really wanted to make sure this cantrip didn't have too much power creep as that may be considered so I tried to make it useful in a multitude of situations, but only for so much. The idea is since it is a cantrip you could cast it over and over each and every round if you wanted. Maybe I can create an amped up version that maybe lasts for longer durations as an actual higher level spell that could effect longer duration spells. Maybe call it Improved Time Pockets
Either way, let me know how your playtest went with it set to 5min, I have yet to really use it in combat. I used it to clean up a mess my character accidentally made, which was fun.
Is there a better way I could indicate the duration in the spell template. I'm fairly new with using d&d beyond homebrew creation. I will try to see if there is a duration of 1 turn, which would work better.
EDIT: So, just to simplify it, I made it 1 round, no "Concentration" though.
Being a cantrip, just not sure I like it having a longer duration as it could get abused. Also, don't want it to over shadow the sorcerer's metamagic ability careful casting and evocations sculpt spells. I like that it costs a cantrip spot and it requires a bonus action to use, plus it take longer to get extra "pockets". I mean those other abilities it is similar to take up their respective class abilities and with that I felt this really needed to balanced.
Bah, ignore me, I just checked....
Well thought out! But shouldn't sub-classes be added at 3rd level rather than 2nd level?
This is a really cool idea. I love that this is a metaspell effect cantrip that casts at Bonus speed.
The only bit of critical feedback I have for you so far is:
Duration: I don't see where you have clearly defined how long a Time Pocket lasts after casting the Cantrip. You have duration listed as "Instantaneous", which implies either a one-and-done effect, or a permanent effect. The description for each ability of the cantrip, along with the limit to how many a caster can maintain at a time, suggests that the pockets are of a limited duration instead.
Recommendation: A set duration would be useful. Perhaps set at something like "10 rounds" or "10 minutes" with a caveat of "or until you cast this spell again". But I like the idea of balancing the power of this Cantrip-level spell by making it require Concentration for that time as well. Especially since you can benefit from its effects the same round that you cast it.
I'm definitely going to run this by my current DM and see if my own Chronomancer can start slinging this spell, though. (I'll default to a "Concentration up to 5 minutes" duration in the mean time and see how that feels.) Please let me know if you update it :)
I created another cantrip, can you tell me what you think...
*UPDATED
Sculpt Time Pockets
LEVEL Cantrips
CASTING TIME 1 Bonus Action
RANGE/AREA 120 ft
COMPONENTS S
DURATION 1 round
School: Chronomancy (Transmutation)
(Intended for use with the Chronomancer subclass)
You create small pockets of time where you can manipulate the time within it in slight ways. The area these small pockets of time cover are just 5' cubed areas and within them you can reverse, freeze and accelerate time respectively. You initially can only create one pocket, but as you go up in level you will be able to create more.
Reverse Time: You can reverse a series of events within a 10 minute span of time inside the pockets of time you create, this only affects nonliving objects and it does not really reverse time. It merely places things back to the way they were up to 10 minutes in the past, this adjustment happens in the span of just one round. This can only be done outside of combat as it requires too much concentration. The effects of this spell can mend non magical items, but it does not change any effects that may have occurred from the items moving in the first place. For example, if a lever was switched, the spell will merely reset the switch, but if there was a triggered event created by moving the switch in the first place, it may still be in effect. This is up to DM discretion.
Freeze Time: You are able to freeze time in these respective pockets so that your own spells will not affect those within them. Any area effect spell that you cast that includes those pockets of time makes anyone within them immune to that spells effects until start of your next turn.
Accelerate Time: You are able to give those who are standing in these pockets +2 on Initiative. This must be cast prior to initiating combat, typically this is usually only available if you and your group are initiating combat as the locations of the pockets need to be decided beforehand.
This number of pockets you can create increases by 2 when you reach 5th level, 11th level, and 17th level.
I don't currently have anything up on DMs Guild yet. I've been told to consider that by a few people, so once I'm able to carve out some free time I will see if that's an option for me.
In the mean time, for your friends who are without DnDBeyond accounts: this subclass description page (and all my public homebrew on here) should still be viewable, even if you are logged out. It's not as tidy as a pdf, but links to all of my published spells, backgrounds, items, classes, monsters, etc can be found in the comments of page 1 of this subclass.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/6582-chronomancer
I will private message you directly once I get around to filling out those WIP spells. I really appreciate your encouragement, and it makes me happy to hear that people are enjoying this content. Constructive feedback to help improve fun or balance of these entries is also very welcome. I'm looking forward to hearing about how this works out in your game!
That is perfectly understandable, I went ahead and copied the spell description and used Haste as the base of the spell, finally I just changed it to a 2nd level spell from the 3rd. Thanks for the quick response, again, I'm looking forward to playing this. Our new campaign starts March 24th, it's a monthly game, I'll let you know how it plays, but so far I am super excited!
I did notice you had a couple more spells that are a work in progress, they are later spells anyways, but keep me posted if you every get around to finishing them. Thanks again for all the work you put into this, you really cared about this and it shows!
Last question, only because I have a few friends interested in this who don't use dndbeyond, is there a pdf version of this on DMs Guild or anything?
Hi Burticus,
Accelerate Ally got rejected by mods for being too similar to an existing spell (which was necessary on my part).
Chronomancers are meant to be able to learn and cast "normal" time-related spells as though the spell is one level lower. Accelerate Ally was just a level 2 version of the level 3 spell "Haste". The vast majority of the spells in the list are new spells, but there are about 4 or 5 which are just existing 5e spells lowered by 1 level to allow a DnDBeyond character to learn and cast them at the intended level.
For your own game, creating your own homebrew copy would be the way to go. Sorry about that.
Thank you for your kind words! Let me know if you have any questions or feedback after seeing some of this content in-game.
Hi Lowraith,
First I gotta say, this class looks awesome and I look forward to playing it in my friend's next campaign. Which happens to be based off our previous campaign where we totally messed up the time continuum and created all sorts of butterfly effects/paradoxes
Everything looks fairly balanced, which is key for me as a fellow DM, I hate when a player asks to play an unbalanced homebrew anything.
However, I noticed the link to the Accelerated Ally spell is broken, or it does not exist? Any chance you can update that, I can create my own homebrewed version based on your comment post here, but it would feel better if I got it from the source as it were.