Immediate-action Spell - Revised and Now Named "Kelleris's Antecedent Assailment"

[Arkhandus]

Cool beans......

I wouldn't really use Orb of Force for comparison's sake, don't trust Complete Arcane's stupid balance-destroying-spells idiocy.

I'd leave it at its current state, considering that it deals force damage with no save and such..... It may warrant 5th-level instead, but 6th seems a safer bet and more appropriate considering Quicken Spell and Lightning Bolt by comparison (and considering that metamagic is less efficient than normal spell levels in exchange for its versatility).

I'd name it Aeon Blade, Aeon Lance, or Flux Knife. Seems closer to a D&D-appropriate name rather than a sci-fi/psionic sort of name (temporal implies sci-fi somewhat, while tachyon and quantum and chronoton or whatnot are most definitely sci-fi only).

 

[Ferrix]

Despite peoples discomfort with using spells from Complete Arcane for balance, it's good enough.

Other possible ideas for names:

Chrono(s) Something
Moment Blast
Kelleris' Antecedent Assailment

Aeon doesn't make sense as that implies an infinitely long period of time, Flux also implies a semi-sci-fi feel to it.

 

[Chorn]

Cool spell. I really like the flavor and mechanics. Very original and creative. You're just missing the [Force] descriptor next to the school since it deals force damage.

I have some questions about the paradox correction. What happens with a paradox correction when the target is disintegrated before it occurs? What about its effects when used against an object?

One more thing, could a creature that was somehow immune to force damage, such as the epic level force dragons, use paradox to heal itself of damage? If so, then wouldn't that create another paradox where the creature heals itself of damage that it never took in the first place because of its immunity only it never did heal itself because it never took damage, but it really did only it didn't and thus eventually distorting and ripping apart the fabric of space-time destroying the multiverse as we know it? Isn't that a bit too powerful for a sixth level spell?

Temporal Lash is probably a better description than Tachyon Blade since the latter tends to evoke the imagery of creating a magical weapon like spiritual hammer or mage's sword rather than an energy blast. As for my suggestion for a name, how about Chronoton Blast and identifying the particles as such?

 

[Quip]

Awesome spell!

Tachyons are all well and cool, but for a fantasy setting I'd call it "A Stitch in Time" or somesuch. Shooting a ray of tachyons is sorta like stabbing a needle through time.

In the case of the backlash, instead of healing the targets just remove whatever damage was dealt by the spell. That prevents the multiverse destroying paradox outlined by Chorn, which is always a good thing.

 

[Storyteller01]

Considere it yoinked for my DS campaign!!

 

[Kelleris]

First, the suggested names:
A Stitch in Time
Chronoton Blast
Moment Blast
Kelleris' Antecedent Assailment
Aeon Blade
Aeon Lance
Flux Knife
Quantum [Something]

Hmm... All good suggestions. Well, better than my original anyway. I think I like "Kelleris's Antecedent Assailment" best, so I'll use that for now. I'm a sucker for the alliterative and attributed name conventions, and this does seem like something my archmage alter-ego would cook up.

Regarding the Chorn Effect:
I don't think that's a problem for my purposes, especially as the only resistant/immune force creature I can think of right offhand is the Force Dragon. (This is why I made the spell deal force damage, in addition to flavor reasons.) And I just like the image, anyway. I think I'll just change the description a bit and make it two spells, the version I prefer and the version that has fewer rules problems.

Also, I think I'll add another line to the effect that Quickening Kelleris's antecedent assailment reduces the secondary move action as though it were the spell's casting time. Or perhaps I should make the casting time 1 standard action and put the immediate action in the previous round bit in the body of the text. Hmm...

Thanks for the positive comments! I feel like a fabulous-internet-quasi-celebrity-for-a-day!

 

[Ferrix]

Hmm... All good suggestions. Well, better than my original anyway. I think I like "Kelleris's Antecedent Assailment" best, so I'll use that for now. I'm a sucker for the alliterative and attributed name conventions, and this does seem like something my archmage alter-ego would cook up.

I'm honored! Thank you, thank you. I'd like to thank my artistic director, my... oh wait... yeah, nevermind.

Cool spell still.

 

[Chorn]

This chronomancer appreciates the nod for a paradox safe version. Just to be clear, I hope you realize I wasn't serious about the multiverse destroying paradox question. Hence, the huge run on, stream of consiousness style sentence. I'm glad you kept the overcompensation in true version of the spell. That's one of the things that really sells it as a cool spell.

I still would like to know if it should have any weird effects or oddities when used on objects, assuming you can use it to zap objects at all. Your spell description says that "you may strike a creature with it as an immediate action" which implies that it either does not affect or does not have the temporal cheating ability when used against an object. Changing it so it says "target" instead of "creature" and adding a short bit about objects rebuilding themselves should suffice if there's nothing different.

Am I correct in assuming that by the use of the "back to life" bit in the paradox free version in lieu of "from negative hit points" that the poor guy who got atomized in the meantime would rewind Time so that everyone could watch him un-atomize? So this means the real version would allow your buddies to finish off the Time sliced guy before your turn and possibly gain you a free cast right? If so, cool. Yet more nifty temporal meddling.

I didn't really think of the effects of applying Quicken Spell to it since immediate actions ordinarily preempt its use. What you have there sounds fine, but just to be safe you may want to add that quickening antecedent assailment counts as your one quickened spell for that round so you can't cast another quickened spell.

Now for a stupid idea that came to mind for a "tactic" involving this spell. Since the caster can choose both when the initial blast occurs and whether he wants to actually cast it or not, he could blast immediately after his turn and have an entire round's worth of time pass before his turn comes up for him to refuse to cast. So what? So he could blast a wall open, allowing his allies to rush through, then let paradox fix the wall. The chronomancer could also zap the BBEG's uberweapon while his buddies ready some actions, paradox hits and restores the weapon, which then promptly falls to the ground from midair since BBEG's hands are in a different position, the Chronobuddies' ready triggers activate and they scoop up the uberweapon and run off with it. Even dumber? How about an ally who can't move out of the way of a friendly charge because he goes after in the order, but for some preposterous reason the charge must happen by the charger's count. So the chronomancer zaps the blocking ally to to kill him so the field will be clear. When the chronomancer's turn comes up, he lets paradox heal his buddy back to life. The possibilities are endless!

 

[Anabstercorian]

Oh my GOODNESS, this is SUCH a great spell.

 

[Quip]

*snip temporal mischief*

That's just beautiful!

I say all those options are great and should be valid uses of the spell. However, I suggest adding wording to the spell so that even if the caster doesn't cast it the spell slot is still lost. Otherwise you could mess with the space-time continuum for free all day.

Also, what prevents a wounded creature killed by this spell, which is then not cast the following round, from getting healed to more HP than it started with?