Time Stop

[Physiker]

Can somebody explain the rules of Time Stop to me ?

I understand that your buffs or summoned monster you cast while beeing under the effect of time stop fade normaly. (I mean that the rounds in time stop count to the maximum round limit.)
But what is with summoned monster or buffs which you cast before time stop ?
What is with the buffs an other caster cast on you before time stop?
What is with the debuffs an other caster cast on you before time stop?

I realy need to understand Time stop in the next five hours
Good tactics for Time Stop are also appreciated.

 

[FEADIN]

You can play it like time is accelerated for you and everything on you is affected so are your buffs, if you roll 5 rounds for the duration that's 5 rounds for all your spells and others duration or you can keep the normal time going, in fact you act in a "concentrated round" that last....only one round and the count for every duration is kept normaly.
I think the second part is more logic and there is no exception written about modifications for durations in the spell.

From the SRD:

. You are free to act for 1d4+1 rounds of apparent time.

 

[Dandu]

Cast Time Stop. Cast AoE spells with a duration of longer than Time Stop. Buff yourself. Summon monsters.

 

[Physiker]

It's very likely that the NPC caster will have to face the PC's alone first, so should he use Time Stop to summon monster which might hold the PC's a while and teleport away to get help. Or should he message the guards and buff himself ?

I don't like both methods...
The summoned monsters might just be dispelled, and if he buffs himself and faces the PC's he is very likely to be killed.

 

[FEADIN]

Cast a wall of something and cast a quickened teleport to raise the alarm then buff and come back when not alone.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Cast a wall of something and cast a quickened teleport to raise the alarm then buff and come back when not alone.

if you're facing a bad guy that can cast Time Stop, it means you'll have access to things like Dimension Door & Teleport.

The best "damage" option for the mage that casts Time Stop is to cast things like Delayed Blast Fireball or something that deals ongoing damage... you can also use Wall spells to divide your opponents. Put the melee types in the hemispheric wall of ice - it will take them a round to get out, but it will buy you time.

Gate to summon an ally is great. If you're able to cast Time Stop, it means you're at least level 17, so can Gate in a single 34 HD monster (planar dragon is a good choice there, thanks Shin Okada on that one) is likely a better choice than several creatures that total 17 HD.

 

[Physiker]

The mission for the PC's was:
Find the secret factory and hamper it if possible.
Find out how much warmachines have been build and destroy them if possible.
The archmage (the NPC with time stop) wasn't expecting any trouble from intruders, since the factory was a secret.

I thought that the NPC would be confronted by the sneaking PC's and thus alone.
Well, it didn't come so far today. The Party srew the stealth part and were confronted by an unbeatable force which took to of three players hostage. The NPC used only to spell to watch:
See invisible and wall of force.

But if he had had to use time stop I would still not know which spell he should have cast...
because it is unlikely that the NPC would prepare Gate since he doesn't expect any trouble from intruders and he probably can't gate in a huge monsters, since there is little space and much components and maschines which must not be harmed. And the contoll of such gated monsters is limited.

But thanks for all your help, I just save your suggestions for the next confrontation with the said archmage.

 

[Runestar]

Time stop can be used by the npc wizard to quickly divide the party.

Timestop, then forcecage the fighter, summon a grappler next to the wizard (and note that certain monsters like hezrou qualify for the mage-slayer feat, which you can grant via heroics+imbue summoning), a wall or 2 to further stymie them.

Then when timestop ends, prepare the maze the cleric.

 

[Suzaku]

Time stop can be used by the npc wizard to quickly divide the party.

Timestop, then forcecage the fighter, summon a grappler next to the wizard (and note that certain monsters like hezrou qualify for the mage-slayer feat, which you can grant via heroics+imbue summoning), a wall or 2 to further stymie them.

Then when timestop ends, prepare the maze the cleric.

Except at that level the wizard will have have a ring a freedom and quicken spell take care of Hezrou...

 

[unan oranis]

another time stop trick:

vs enemies who are generally immune to magic, wish for anvils and bowling balls to appear above their heads. They hang in mid air until time stop ends, and then blam. 10d6 is fair in my opinion (half a fireball).

Dig a pit under the enemy and throw a prismatic wall underneath them.

There's some spell out there that summons a copy of yourself from the future, that's a good one to cast while in time-stop.

These are all tricks my parties wizard used to great effect... summoning monsters of course always a solid choice. Been awhile but I'm pretty sure the monsters get to attack the second time-stop ends.