Timeless Gaze spell - Feedback please

[Dennen_D]

Any suggestions on how to improve or balance this spell would be great (as would affirmations that everything looks okay). In the game I'm playing, chronomancers are a type of wizard. 'Chr6' means a 6th level spell only available to chronomancy specialists.

Timeless Gaze
Transmutation
Level: Chr6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Target: The caster
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster’s eyes become timeless whirlpools of temporal energy, granting him a special gaze attack. Any creature meeting the caster’s gaze, as per normal gaze attack rules, must make a Will save or be struck timeless. Creatures can avert their gazes normally, and the caster can target one creature per round with his gaze as a standard action if he so desires. Stricken creatures are separated from time, their lifelines frozen as the temporal stream flows around them. Creatures so separated are placed in stasis for one round per level of the caster, unable to affect the world around them—and, for that matter, not at all aware of the passage of time—and unable to be affected by the outside world. They appear to outside creatures as a purple afterimage that cannot quite be blinked away. Characters who return from stasis do not realize that any time at all has passed but are dazed for one round as they recover from temporal turbulence and the seemingly instantly changed environment around them.
Focus: A small hourglass filled with dust from the Temporal Prime.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Any suggestions on how to improve or balance this spell would be great (as would affirmations that everything looks okay). In the game I'm playing, chronomancers are a type of wizard. 'Chr6' means a 6th level spell only available to chronomancy specialists.

Timeless Gaze
Transmutation
Level: Chr6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Target: The caster
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster’s eyes become timeless whirlpools of temporal energy, granting him a special gaze attack. Any creature meeting the caster’s gaze, as per normal gaze attack rules, must make a Will save or be struck timeless. Creatures can avert their gazes normally, and the caster can target one creature per round with his gaze as a standard action if he so desires. Stricken creatures are separated from time, their lifelines frozen as the temporal stream flows around them. Creatures so separated are placed in stasis for one round per level of the caster, unable to affect the world around them—and, for that matter, not at all aware of the passage of time—and unable to be affected by the outside world. They appear to outside creatures as a purple afterimage that cannot quite be blinked away. Characters who return from stasis do not realize that any time at all has passed but are dazed for one round as they recover from temporal turbulence and the seemingly instantly changed environment around them.
Focus: A small hourglass filled with dust from the Temporal Prime.

That's a powerful spell.
Similar to Maze
Advantages: Multiple targets,
Gaze, so affects anyone coming close,
Duration, so foes have to make multiple save.

Disadvantages: Allows a saving throw,
May affect friendlies.

I'd put it higher than 6th level.

Are chronomancers more or less powerful than regular wizards?

Geoff.

 

[Dennen_D]

Chronomancers aren't necessarily more or less powerful than wizards, but chronomancy spells are slightly more powerful than run of the mill arcane spells of equal levels. Chronomancers give up an additional school of magic, so they get a tiny boost in return.

In comparing the spell to Maze, I would agree that I probably ought to up it. When I tried to balance it, I compared it to Resilient Sphere (which has the same basic effect on affected targets -- they're taken out of the ball game).

The really nice thing about Maze is that there's no saving throw, but I'm not sure how much that's worth.

The big disadvantage with Timeless Gaze is that it can affect allies. I consider that to be major, but I'm not sure how major.

So, in short, I guess I agree that it could use a level upping. To 8, do you think? I certainly don't think it's a level 9 spell because I don't see it at all rivaling other multiple target 9th level spells like Wail of the Banshee, Weird, and Meteor Swarm.

 

[the Jester]

Hm, another thing: this spell allows SR, maze doesn't.

Don't forget the fact that maze lasts up to ten minutes (although less for smart foes- a wizard with a 24 int is 35% likely to escape each round). It's great at getting someone out of the way if you pick your target right.

I do think this one's very powerful, but a couple of things can mitigate it. First, a dispel magic on the afterimage could bring the victim back. Second, you could allow a saving throw for each round that passes (similar to the new hold person rules). Do that and I'd say 6th level is fine.

Also, a quick question- what happens if I move a bookshelf or something into the afterimage and leave it there? Is there trouble when you reappear from stasis?

 

[jlhorner1974]

I agree with Jester. It's obviously similar to maze, so that is a good basis of comparison.

As written, the spell sounds about level 7, given that it allows a save and SR. If you include the save once per round, you could drop it down to level 6.

Another possible idea to consider: what about having a partial Will save? If the target saves, they are affected as if by a slow spell, like the old Hold Monster used to be. Rationale: instead of being separated from the time stream, their connection to the time stream is damaged, as it is "jarred loose" a little by the force of the spell. Thereby, they are only partially removed from the time stream and time flows more slowly for them. This would bring the spell back up in power a bit.

 

[LightPhoenix]

The really nice thing about Maze is that there's no saving throw, but I'm not sure how much that's worth.

The big disadvantage with Timeless Gaze is that it can affect allies. I consider that to be major, but I'm not sure how major.

So, in short, I guess I agree that it could use a level upping. To 8, do you think? I certainly don't think it's a level 9 spell because I don't see it at all rivaling other multiple target 9th level spells like Wail of the Banshee, Weird, and Meteor Swarm.

No Save and no SR is worth a LOT. The only thing that keeps Maze from being a 9th-level spell is the Intelligence-based duration. Even then, any character playing an intelligent wizard is going to use this on the lower-Int creatures. I would even go so far as to say it's the most powerful 8th-level Wizard spell, though Prismatic Wall comes close.

Affecting allies is possibly bad, but you have to consider PCs are going to take that into account.

As it stands, I would say this is a powerful 8th-level spell. It will keep creatures out longer than Maze and will affect many more creatures. On the other hand, it's subject to both SR and Saves, the latter of which complete negates the spell. Also keep in mind that gaze attacks can be avoided. In fact, as soon as an enemy saw it I would think they would avert their eyes. I think the only change I would make is to the stopped duration - I would make it 1 round/2 levels.

It's basically a tactically powerful spell without having (IMO) too powerful effect - it doesn't harm opponents at all.