Tzarevitch
First Post
Here's how I run timestop
Personally, I thought the 3e Timestop spell was a load of crap the minute I read it. I house-ruled it a long time ago and it has seemed to work out well. The spell was simply too unbalancing and was inconsistant as written.
The way I run timestop is that it gives the caster a "frozen moment". When the caster casts the spell he and 50 lbs of possessions on his person step into the space of time literally between the ticks of a clock. Time does not pass for anyone or anything else.
Since time does not pass for anyone or anyone or anything else, during the Timestop rounds, everything that was not part of the caster + 50lbs, appear to be frozen in space and time as they have not entered the new timeframe that the caster has created for himself.
Things and beings that are not in the timeframe with the caster cannot be affected by anything that happens in that frozen time because literally that time does not exist for them. No time has passes for them so they cannot be affected by anything that would change their situation in the smallest way from what it was when the spell was cast.
Time does however pass for the caster, his possessions and any spells that he had cast on him. (In other words, spells the caster has on him continue to count time as he does, so they DO count the timestop rounds toward their durations. Spells that the caster had cast before the timestop and are not on his person do not enter the frozen moment. I.e. the caster's stoneskin cast on himself counts the duration. The caster's wall of fire over yonder does NOT count the timestop rounds. The caster's stoneskin cast on someone else also does not count the timestop rounds.)
Spells cast in the timestop rounds take effect immediately as per their descriptions, but they cannot affect anything that is non-timestopped in any way. Since they came into being during the timestopped rounds they do count those rounds against their duration.
Once real-time resumes, there is a momentary flicker as everything in the timestop falls back into realtime. During that flicker, everyone and everything receives their entitled saves vs. effects with durations that were created in the timestop and now threaten them.
Summation of effects:
1. The caster and 50 pounds of his possessions (plus all spells on his person) count real rounds AND timestopped rounds.
2. Beings, objects and any spell not on the caster's person NEVER count the timestop rounds toward thir duration because that time does not exist for them. (This CAN result in the same spell having different durations for different people.)
3. People and objects that do not count the timestopped rounds cannot be affected by anything that goes on in the timestopped rounds. (It is possible for them to be affected once the timestop ends if the effect is a lingering one. ) Objects and beings cannot be harmed, displaced or manipulated by any force. Instantaneous effects cannot affect them in any way.
4. Spells and effects created by the caster of the timestop while he is in the timestopped rounds always take effect as per their descriptions. They share the timestop and count its rounds towards their duractions as do whatever effects they create (conjured creatures DO also count the timestopped rounds and can act freely in the timestop so long as they were summoned while the the timestop was in effect.)
5. People and objects that did not count the timestopped rounds see a momentary flicker as those who were in the timestop rounds catch up at the end of the duration. During that flicker time re-joins itself and everyone and everything who was entitled to receive a saving throw against an affect that was created during the timestop and is still around as it ends. The creature or object recieves whatever save it was entitled to when the spell effect was created. If the spell grants additional saves against a ligering affect, those now affected by the spell can choose to save vs. the later effect of the lingering spell instead if it would produce a more favorable result.
(For example, say a spell grants an initial Reflex save for partial damage, but grants later Reflex saves to avoid for rounds after the first and said spell has already counted off three rounds during the timestop. You can choose to make a Reflex save to avoid since the spell is on round three instead of the Reflex save vs. the initial effect (Reflex save for half)).
In short the nonsense about spells hanging in the air never happend since the caster is the one who is affected by the spell not the world around him. If a spellcaster wants to have a spell affect someone once the timestop is over he'd better learn Delay Spell, Delayed Blast Fireball or cast a spell with a duration long enough to last out the timestop (not hard at minimum 17th level).
Tzarevitch
Personally, I thought the 3e Timestop spell was a load of crap the minute I read it. I house-ruled it a long time ago and it has seemed to work out well. The spell was simply too unbalancing and was inconsistant as written.
The way I run timestop is that it gives the caster a "frozen moment". When the caster casts the spell he and 50 lbs of possessions on his person step into the space of time literally between the ticks of a clock. Time does not pass for anyone or anything else.
Since time does not pass for anyone or anyone or anything else, during the Timestop rounds, everything that was not part of the caster + 50lbs, appear to be frozen in space and time as they have not entered the new timeframe that the caster has created for himself.
Things and beings that are not in the timeframe with the caster cannot be affected by anything that happens in that frozen time because literally that time does not exist for them. No time has passes for them so they cannot be affected by anything that would change their situation in the smallest way from what it was when the spell was cast.
Time does however pass for the caster, his possessions and any spells that he had cast on him. (In other words, spells the caster has on him continue to count time as he does, so they DO count the timestop rounds toward their durations. Spells that the caster had cast before the timestop and are not on his person do not enter the frozen moment. I.e. the caster's stoneskin cast on himself counts the duration. The caster's wall of fire over yonder does NOT count the timestop rounds. The caster's stoneskin cast on someone else also does not count the timestop rounds.)
Spells cast in the timestop rounds take effect immediately as per their descriptions, but they cannot affect anything that is non-timestopped in any way. Since they came into being during the timestopped rounds they do count those rounds against their duration.
Once real-time resumes, there is a momentary flicker as everything in the timestop falls back into realtime. During that flicker, everyone and everything receives their entitled saves vs. effects with durations that were created in the timestop and now threaten them.
Summation of effects:
1. The caster and 50 pounds of his possessions (plus all spells on his person) count real rounds AND timestopped rounds.
2. Beings, objects and any spell not on the caster's person NEVER count the timestop rounds toward thir duration because that time does not exist for them. (This CAN result in the same spell having different durations for different people.)
3. People and objects that do not count the timestopped rounds cannot be affected by anything that goes on in the timestopped rounds. (It is possible for them to be affected once the timestop ends if the effect is a lingering one. ) Objects and beings cannot be harmed, displaced or manipulated by any force. Instantaneous effects cannot affect them in any way.
4. Spells and effects created by the caster of the timestop while he is in the timestopped rounds always take effect as per their descriptions. They share the timestop and count its rounds towards their duractions as do whatever effects they create (conjured creatures DO also count the timestopped rounds and can act freely in the timestop so long as they were summoned while the the timestop was in effect.)
5. People and objects that did not count the timestopped rounds see a momentary flicker as those who were in the timestop rounds catch up at the end of the duration. During that flicker time re-joins itself and everyone and everything who was entitled to receive a saving throw against an affect that was created during the timestop and is still around as it ends. The creature or object recieves whatever save it was entitled to when the spell effect was created. If the spell grants additional saves against a ligering affect, those now affected by the spell can choose to save vs. the later effect of the lingering spell instead if it would produce a more favorable result.
(For example, say a spell grants an initial Reflex save for partial damage, but grants later Reflex saves to avoid for rounds after the first and said spell has already counted off three rounds during the timestop. You can choose to make a Reflex save to avoid since the spell is on round three instead of the Reflex save vs. the initial effect (Reflex save for half)).
In short the nonsense about spells hanging in the air never happend since the caster is the one who is affected by the spell not the world around him. If a spellcaster wants to have a spell affect someone once the timestop is over he'd better learn Delay Spell, Delayed Blast Fireball or cast a spell with a duration long enough to last out the timestop (not hard at minimum 17th level).
Tzarevitch
