Time Stop , Time Loop

[Dragon Mage]

I have an idea for a high level NPC Sorcerer that just seems to good and I want to run it by you all. Can a caster use the last round of a Time Stop to ready an action? For example the caster wins inititive, cast Time Stop and puts up some buffs. However, with the last round of the Time Stop he readies an action to cast Time Stop before the next PC takes any action.

So then before the rogue attacks the NPC cast another Time Stop. He uses all of these rounds to cast Delayed Blast Fireballs, except for the last round he uses to ready an action again. He could do this till he ran out of 9th level slots.

Does this seems right?

 

[pallandrome]

Huh, never thought about it, but it sure looks possible to me.

 

[green slime]

Sure, if you know exactly when your time stop ends:

Time Stop
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Trickery 9
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1d4+1 rounds (apparent time); see text

We play it that the character doesn't know exactly how long the time stop functions. Of course, the character could still be willing to sacrifice a few rounds of time stop, or take a risk.

So basically. Yes this is doable.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Also, if you can cast that many time stops in a row, why not just obliterate people with your arcane might, instead?

 

[pallandrome]

One might argue that obliterating people is EXACTLY what is about to happen, as a dozen or so Delayed Blast Fireballs go off at once. Or dozens of summoned monsters tear the baddies to shreds, or whatever else might happen.

 

[Dragon Mage]

Also, if you can cast that many time stops in a row, why not just obliterate people with your arcane might, instead?

The NPC Sorcerer in question is 23rd level and the party is 28th. If they get 1 round on him he is toast. But he could effectively get his entire arsenal of 7th - 10th level spells off.


I like the idea of not knowing how many rounds he has coming to him, so there is a big risk if he tries to cast too many DB Fireballs during the Time Stop.

 

[moritheil]

Easy fix - give him Maximize Spell-Like Ability and the PGF version of Innate Spell. Sure, it eats his feats up, but he can Time Stop 3/day for 5 rounds as a spell-like ability!

 

[Salthorae]

As long as you are using attack spells that have duration longer than Instananeous, it looks like it is workable.

Oh, that and pray that none of the PC's have Spell Stowaway (Time Stop) as a feat

 

[Li Shenron]

I have an idea for a high level NPC Sorcerer that just seems to good and I want to run it by you all. Can a caster use the last round of a Time Stop to ready an action? For example the caster wins inititive, cast Time Stop and puts up some buffs. However, with the last round of the Time Stop he readies an action to cast Time Stop before the next PC takes any action.

So then before the rogue attacks the NPC cast another Time Stop. He uses all of these rounds to cast Delayed Blast Fireballs, except for the last round he uses to ready an action again. He could do this till he ran out of 9th level slots.

Does this seems right?

It doesn't feel that straightforward to me...

The first time you do this, it seems ok: you ready at some point during time stop, this should mean as usual that you can act _just_ before the triggering action (e.g. an opponent moving).

But then usually the ready rules are such that the triggering action is completed after the readied action (unless the triggering character dies or something similar).

Maybe it's technically correct, but doesn't feel completely fair to me that the triggering action can never be completed (until the last round) because the sorcerer keeps readying a new time stop every time.

 

[Jack Simth]

You can skip the Innate Spell and Maximize Spell-Like Ability feats; just give the Sorcerer two or three Rods of Maximize Spell, Greater. Fixes the Time Stop to a flat 5 rounds, which is what you need, seeing as how that's the limit of delay on a DBF.

If you don't want any funny rules trickery in such a thing, you start with your Sorcerer somewhere else, have him cast a Rod-Maximized Time Stop, Teleport (to the PC's), DBF * 3, Teleport (away from the PC's); requires the Sorcerer know where they are in advance, of course, but gives the Sorcerer three attacks without them knowing what happened (other than identifying the DBF's). Makes for quite the assasination. Especially if you Maximize the DBF's, too. Surely someone in the party isn't immune to them and has less than 360 hp. Also deals with the Spell Stowaway issue (this can actually be done by any Sor-20 with the apropriet spells and items; the Epic aspect of the Sorcerer doesn't matter in this case, except perhaps getting an extra DBF in by way of the Familiar Spell Epic Bonus Feat).

However...
You're the DM. If you're doing this kind of cheese, your players are laible to step up to imitate it. When you do this kind of thing, you're setting the precident that it is by the book, and a reasonable thing to do. Once to get five DBF's off isn't so bad (or four, and teleport away - he's only 23rd vs. a full party of 28ths). Now, if your players are already dripping in cheese, this won't be a problem. If they aren't.... well... this can be mimiked quite effectively with just the spells and a few items.