Much like fate, man has always longed for the ability to manipulate time. History is filled with equations and inventions that always fell short. Many of the various mages were able to catch just a glimpse, touch just a piece of this coveted, fragile art. Yet where so many failed, those who studied the grimoires of the Time Mage found unprecedented success. See, the moniker “Time Mage” is a bit misleading. These practitioners of the arcane are not only capable of altering the fabric of time. They frequently synergize this ability with bending the existence of space, as this sorcerer actively toys with the laws of the universe. Time mages are expert strategists, gazing forward into the stream of time to guide their party through any challenge.
Role: Time mages are tacticians. They use their spells to manipulate the battlefield, bending time to gain an advantage on their enemies. Those who find themselves face to face in conflict with a time mage should beware, as they pose an unprecedented and unpredictable challenge. Yet any fortunate enough to count themselves as a time mage’s friend can expect a chaotic but wise ally. One who guides and protects them, often through enhancing their abilities to a level that even the fiercest enemy can’t withstand. Ultimately, the time mage brings a capable protector, an experienced ‘buffer’ and a solid source of damage to any party lucky enough to have one.
Alignment: Time mages may be of any alignment. Because of the confusion that manipulating time often generates, many time mages are chaotic.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gil (average 70 gil.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gil or less.
Class Skills
The time mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Main Ability Scores:
The time mage mainly focuses on DEX for combat, and INT for his class features and spells.
Table: Time Mage
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the time mage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Time mages are proficient with the club, sling, power rod, power staff, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Heavier armor interferes with a time mage’s movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the time mage receives the Limit Breaks (Foresight and Temporal Stasis).
Foresight (Su): This Limit Break grants the time mage a powerful temporal sixth sense in relation to himself. The time mage receives instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four time mage levels after 1st, the time mage can’t be surprised or flat-
Temporal Stasis (Su): This Limit Break allows the time mage to escape into a temporal stasis where he phases from normal time for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four time mage levels after 1st. While in this stasis, the time mage cannot perform any action except to end this Limit Break early on his turn as a free action. He is also unaffected by any spells or effects while in temporal stasis. Enemies and allies alike cannot perceive or detect him.
Spells
A time mage casts chronomancy spells which are drawn from the time mage spell list. A time mage begins play with 3 1st level chronomancy spells of his choice. The time mage also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to his list of spells. Each time a character attains a new time mage level, he gains two spells of his choice to add to his list of spells. The two free spells must be of spell levels he can cast. Like most mages, a time mage can find or purchase scrolls with spells to add to his repertoire.
To learn or cast a spell, the time mage must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Int 11 for 1st-
Spell Proficiency (Ex)
Time mages are considered to have the Precise Shot feat while casting spells, using class features that require ranged touch or using any magical items that require ranged touch.
Cantrips
Time mages learn a number of cantrips, or 0-
Temporal Hiccup (Su)
At 1st level, as an immediate action, a time mage is able to cause a temporal “hiccup” to reroll a single d20 roll the time mage makes. The ability/skill check cannot take more than 1 round. The time mage may spend an additional use of temporal hiccup to affect an ally or enemy within 30 feet. If affecting an enemy, they receive a Will save (DC 10 + half of the time mage’s level + his Intelligence modifier) or they must reroll a single d20 roll and take the worst result. A time mage can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier, once per round.
Motes of Time (Su)
A mote is a tiny split-
Once per round as a free action, even outside of their turn, a time mage can expend a mote to do any one of the following things:
- Take a swift action that does not count against the time mage’s normal limit of one swift action per round that can be used with time mage class features or spells. This does not increase the normal limit of one swift cast spell per round.
- Gain a bonus to one skill check, ability check (including initiative checks), saving throw, or caster level check. The roll must represent a single action that occurs entirely within a single round. (A time mage could use a mote to add a bonus to an Acrobatics check to leap over a chasm, but not to a Craft check made to determine how much progress was made after a day of work.)
The bonus gained is equal to +1d3. This increases to +2d3 at 8th level, and +3d3 at 16th level. The time mage can decide to add this bonus immediately after seeing the result of the original die roll.
At 3rd level, by spending a mote, a time mage gains the ability to extend any spell he casts that has a variable duration by a number of rounds equal to the bonus above.
At 7th level, the time mage may spend a mote to reduce the duration of any negative condition or effect he is suffering. By accelerating the speed with which only the negative influences on his travel through time, the time mage can reduce the duration of any one condition, affliction, or spell effect by 1d6 rounds (to a minimum of 0). This increases to a 2d6 round reduction at 15th level.
At 11th level, the time mage may spend a mote to take a move action as a swift action.
At 15th level, the time mage can spend a mote to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action or less as a swift action. The time mage cannot cast any other spell on the same round this ability is used.
At 19th level, the time mage may use a mote to grant any ally within 60 feet that he can see an additional move action on that ally’s next turn.
A time mage may gain additional options for use of a mote by taking temporal talents, though he is still restricted to spending motes only once each round.
Ahead of Time (Ex)
At 2nd level, the time mage’s growing control over time grants him a +2 bonus to initiative rolls. Whenever the time mage rolls for initiative, he can roll twice and take either result. At 7th level, the time mage can always act in the surprise round, but if he fails to notice the ambush, he acts last, regardless of his initiative result (he acts in the normal order in following rounds). At 11th level, the time mage can roll for initiative three times and take any one of the results. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the improved initiative feat.
Temporal Talents
As a time mage gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. Starting at 2nd level, a time mage gains one temporal talent. He gains an additional temporal talent every two rime mage levels after 2nd. A time mage cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk require a time mage to spend motes, which he may do only once per round.
- A complete list of temporal talents can be found here: Temporal Talents
Time Flicker (Su)
At 3rd level, as a standard action, the time mage can flicker in and out of time, gaining concealment (as the blur spell). He can use this ability for 1 minute per time mage level per day. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. At 7th level, each time the time mage activates this ability, he can treat it as the blink spell, though each round spent this way counts as 1 minute of his normal time flicker duration.
Temporal Precognition (Su)
At 4th level, the time mage gains the ability to see small instances of the future, and gains a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, or saving throws. At the beginning of each round, he can choose where to apply his insight bonus to, and this bonus applies to any actions related to his choice until the end of the round. This insight bonus increases by 1 for every four levels after 4th.
Clear Mind (Ex)
At 5th level, a time mage can regain his MP quicker. The time mage must be relaxed and must be free from overt distractions, such as combat raging nearby or other loud noises. For example, he could be riding in the back of a carriage and benefit from this ability. The time mage does not gain this recovery if he is asleep or unconscious. The time mage regains 1 MP per hour. This increases by 1 for every five time mage levels after 5th.
Reactive System (Su)
At 5th level, a time mage gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against area of effect spells and effects plus an additional +2 every five time mage levels thereafter.
At 10th level, whenever he attempts a Reflex save, the time mage can roll twice and take the best result.
Aevum (Su)
At 5th level, the time mage gains the ability to control aevum—distinct moments of important time, stolen from the future and used to power the time mage’s abilities. Unlike a mote, which is a very minor split second of time, an aevum is a more noteworthy moment, a crucial instance when something important happened. While a time mage has a ready supply of motes to spend on minor effects, aevum represent more major manipulations of time and are thereby a rarer commodity. When first gained, the time mage must select a single power from the list below, and has a single aevum per day to spend. He gains additional aevum powers at 9th, 13th, and 17th level, and also increases his daily aevum pool by +1 at each of the levels. Spending an aevum is a standard action unless the ability description says otherwise.
Bolt Time (Su): By spending an aevum, the time mage can accelerate his movements to a speed that allows him to easily see and react to the movement of a crossbow bolt or other projectile as it flies toward a target. The time mage remains in bolt time for one round per class level. This ability counts as a haste effect. While in bolt time, the time mage gains the following benefits:
- Once per round, the time mage can cast a 1st level spell as a swift action. Every four levels thereafter, the time mage can cast a spell of one higher spell level as a swift action.
- The time mage gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
- All of the time mage’s modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice his normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus and it affects the time mage’s jumping distance as normal for increased speed.
- Each round, the time mage may automatically dodge the first ranged attack he is aware of that would otherwise strike him.
Entropy (Su): The time mage can force a target to suddenly feel the effects of aging, which damages and weakens it. He spends an aevum and makes a ranged touch attack as a standard action against any target he can see within 100 ft. + 10 ft./time mage level. If he hits the target, it takes 1d8 points of damage per class level of the time mage (to a maximum of 15d8). This damage bypasses hardness and DR.
Personal Time (Su): The time mage can take risky actions and, if things go badly, simply reverse his personal timeline to before he made the effort. At the beginning of his turn, the time mage spends an aevum as a free action. He then takes one normal round of actions, with all results noted temporarily. After his round of activity, before the next creature’s turn begins, the time mage must decide if he is going to keep the round of activity he just took, or rewind himself. If he keeps the round of activity, any changes made to any character during his turn become permanent. If he decides to reverse his timeline, he goes back to the moment he spent the aevum, and all changes that occurred during his round are erased from all creatures and items. The time mage is left with a standard action, but is considered to have spent an aevum and made use of his move action already. No one but the time mage remembers actions that took place during a round of time he reverses. If a time mage is killed or knocked unconscious during a round of personal time, he automatically reverses back to the beginning of his turn.
Preferred Timeline (Su): The time mage can rewind time by small amounts to erase any minor mistakes he makes as a result of distraction around him. By spending an aevum, the time mage can use skills reliably even under adverse conditions. Once he spends the aevum, he can take 10 on any skill check made over the next hour, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so.
Reverse Timeline (Su): By spending an aevum, a time mage can draw information from his future or past, allowing him to instantly gain the benefits of considerable study and reflection. He can also peer briefly into the future to see how others react to his various attempts at negotiation or subterfuge. The time mage can make a single ability check or skill check with a result equal to 20 + his total ability or skill bonus.
Shatter Time (Su): The time mage can break up the bigger, more important moments of stolen time under his control into smaller, more easily manipulated pieces. By spending an aevum, the time mage can recharge his daily uses of motes. He regains a number of motes of time equal to 1d4 + his Intelligence modifier. This cannot increase the number of motes available to above his daily mote total.
Temporal Stasis (Sp): Once per day, the time mage can spend an aevum to attempt to inflict temporal stasis (as the spell of the same name) on one touched creature. The time mage uses his class level as his caster level for this ability. If the time mage’s initial touch attack fails, he can attempt this again as a standard action until he succeeds or six rounds pass. Once he successfully touches a target he loses the ability to try again, even if the target makes its Fortitude save. Prerequisite: A time mage must be at least 17th level to select this aevum ability.
Time Cross (Su): The time mage can focus his timeline-
Time Stop (Sp): Once per day, the time mage can spend an aevum to create a time stop effect (as the spell of the same name) on himself. Prerequisite: A time mage must be at least 17th level to select this aevum ability.
Immunity to Slow (Ex)
Also at 6th level, a time mage’s power of time makes him immune to the Slow status effect.
Temporal Attunement (Su)
At 7th level, a time mage is able to manipulate time with spells in relation to himself. A time mage must know or identify (Spellcraft check) the spell being cast upon him. A time mage can only attune himself to one spell per round as an immediate action to a maximum number of spells per day equal to his time mage level. The time mage can have any number of spells attuned to him at once, but only the same spell once. While attuned to a spell, the time mage cannot unattune himself. Any spells that would affect the time mage, that has a duration other than concentration, instantaneous, or permanent, can be attuned to have its duration halved or doubled. When activated, this ability only affects the duration for the time mage and not any other targets that would have been affected by the spell.
Foretell (Su)
At 8th level, the time mage can utter a prediction of the immediate future. While his foretelling is in effect, he emits a 30-
Time Shift (Su)
Beginning at 9th level, three times per week and no more than once per day, the time mage can briefly shift time backwards. He can shift back no further than 1 combat round or 1 minute of noncombat time. Any actions that took place during the time the time mage shifts back before are considered to have not taken place yet, and all actions pick up at the point he shifts back.
Abbreviation Magic (Su)
A time mage can sometimes shorten an opposing spell’s duration. At 11th level, a timekeeper can spend 3 motes of time as a standard action to attempt to decrease the duration of a spell or effect within 30 ft. that has a duration of rounds/level. On a successful caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 11 + the target spell’s caster level, the duration of that spell or effect is decreased by a number of rounds equal to half the time mage’s caster level, rounded down. If the duration is thereby reduced to zero or less, the spell ends immediately. The target spell’s duration can only be shortened once in this way. Additional motes spent to further shorten the duration of a spell are wasted.
Advanced Temporal Talents
Beginning at 12th level, a time mage adds the following advanced temporal talents to his choices when picking a new temporal talent. Many advanced talents require a time mage to spend two of his daily uses of his mote of time ability. This still qualifies as spending a mote once during his turn, even though multiple motes are spent.
- A complete list of advanced temporal talents can be found here: Advanced Temporal Talents
Time Sight (Su)
At 13th level, the time mage can peer through the mists of time to see things as they truly are, as if using the true seeing spell. At 16th level, this functions like moment of prescience. At 19th level, this functions like foresight. The time mage can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to his time mage level, but these minutes do not need to be consecutive.
Immunity to Countdown and Doom (Ex)
At 14th level, a time mage’s superior manipulation of time makes him immune to Countdown and Doom spells and effects.
Immunity to Stop (Ex)
At 17th level, a time mage’s mastery of time makes him immune to the Stop status effect.
Additionally, whenever a creature under the effects of time stop is within 60 feet of the time mage, the time mage may choose to join the time stop, allowing him to act for its remaining duration. Neither creature is frozen in time with respect to the other, and each can target and affect the other with attacks, spells, or other effects they create, though neither can affect other creatures.
The choice is final; the time mage cannot leave leave the time stop early, even if he moves farther than 60 feet away from its source. If the time mage declines to join the time stop at first opportunity, he cannot choose to do so later. The time mage can perceive his surroundings as if he was in the time stop before making his choice.
1 MP Spell (Su)
At 18th level, three times per day, as a free action, a time mage can reduce the cost of his next spell to 1 MP. This MP reduction is applied after any metamagic cost increases. Additional metamagic cannot be applied after this cost reduction.
Temporal Manipulation (Su)
At 19th level, once per day, the time mage can use his mastery over time to modify the duration of a 7th level or lower spell. He increases the duration of a spell the time mage casts by 1 step. Rounds → Minutes, Minutes → 10 Minutes, 10 Minutes → Hours, to a maximum of 24 hours.
Time Wizard (Su)
At 20th level, the ultimate expression of the time mage’s power is the ability to eliminate time and age from his personal time line. The time mage no longer ages physically, preventing him from dying of age or suffering any reduction to his ability scores due to age. If he is older than middle age for his race he reverts to a physical form at the prime of his health, gaining back any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution lost due to aging. He is now immune to age effects. Additionally, the time mage’s daily pool of aevum increases by an amount equal to his Intelligence modifier, and can spending aevum now counts as a move action (unless a power specifies otherwise). The time mage can spend a maximum of two aevum in a single round. In addition, when the time mage regains his MP and abilities for the day, he can also re-assign his skill points, feats, and spells known as he wishes. The time mage must meet the prerequisites for any new feats he selects, and he cannot change out a feat he is using as a prerequisite for other feats or abilities. The new selection of skill point allotment, feats, and spells known is instant, remaining until the time mage changes them again with this ability.
Favored Class Bonuses
Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have time mage as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.
- Dwarf: Add 1/6 of an additional d3 to one saving throw when you spend a mote to boost a saving throw. (+1d3 for every six times you select this option.)
- Elvaan: Add +1/2 mote per day. (One additional mote for every two times you select this option.)
- Galka: Add 1/6 of an additional d3 added to attack rolls when you spend a mote to boost your attack rolls. (+1d3 for every six times you select this option.)
- Genome: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Guado: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Half-Breed: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Hume: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Kindred: Add +1/2 mote per day. (One additional mote for every two times you select this option.)
- Lambkin: Add +1/6 of an additional d3 to one skill check or ability check when you spend a mote to boost such a check.
- Mithra: Add +1/4 of an additional d3 to a roll when the time mage spends a mote to boost an Acrobatics or Climb check.
- Moogle: Add +1/6 of an additional d3 to one skill check or ability check when you spend a mote to boost such a check.
- Nu Mou: Add +1/6 of an additional d3 to one skill check or ability check when you spend a mote to boost such a check.
- PuPu: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Qiqirn: Add 1/6 of a temporal talent. (One additional temporal talent for every six times you select this option.)
- Tarutaru: Add +1/6 of an additional d3 to one skill check or ability check when you spend a mote to boost such a check.
Archetypes
- A complete list of time mage archetypes can be found here: Time Mage Archetypes
