Time Stop resolution?

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

In what order do spells cast within time stop resolve? I ask because it could be important, such as the following:

Round 1: Cast Time Stop
Round 2: Cast "Harm" (such as from a ring of spell storing)
Round 3: Cast "Magic Missile" on target of "Harm"
.
.
.
Time stop ends.

Which spell resolves first? I would assume it would be the harm..

If it isn't, it would make a huge difference, right?

 

[Omegium]

You can't cast harm within a timestop: it requires an attack, and the description states you can't attack while in timestop.

 

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

It says they are invulnerable to attacks.. but you aren't attacking them (yes, you need an attack roll, but it isn't trying to physically cause them damage), you're just discharging a spell effect..

 

[Ruvion]

If I had to rule this IMC as a DM, I would say that any instantaneous effect that targets someone (or many someone) is an attack an therefore the target is invulnerable to this form of spell discharge. A spell with a greater duration than instantaneous, such as melf's acid arrow, however is a different matter, and I would rule that this spell would affect the target as normal after 1d4+1 rounds with reduced duration (reduced by 1d4+1 rounds of course).

 

[Cloudgatherer]

Ouch, that sounds like a nasty combination. Looks like you might have one dead target there...

I think by the rules it works. Instantaneous effects linger until time stop ends. So if you wanted to, you could leave 5 fireball spells in the air to strike the opponent when time stop ends. Harm seems to work the same way, as it is also an instantaneous spell.

I'd probably rule the target was dead (if SR fails him) since the damage is likely going to be enough to kill or drop it. If you wanted to be sure, cast harm during the timestop, maybe some other random spell, then ready the magic missle for timestop to end to finish off the target.