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 even level except 20. 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.
Table: Temporal Talents
| Temporal Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerate* (Su) | — | When casting a chronomancy spell, the time mage can spend a mote of time to apply the effects of haste to one creature within 30 feet until the end of the time mage’s next turn. |
| Aging Touch* (Su) | — | The time mage’s touch ages living creatures and objects. As a melee touch attack, by spending a mote of time, the time mage can deal 1 point of Strength damage for every two time mage levels to living creatures. Against objects or constructs, he can deal 1d6 points of damage per time mage level. If used against an object in another creature’s possession, treat this attack as a sunder combat maneuver. |
| Empowered Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Empower Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Erase from Time* (Su) | — | As a melee touch attack, by spending a mote of time, the time mage can temporarily remove a creature from time altogether. The target creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the time mage’s level + his Intelligence modifier) or is inflicted with the banished status effect, vanishing completely for a number of rounds equal to half the time mage’s level. No magic can detect the creature during this time, as it exists outside of time and space—in effect, the creature ceases to exist for the duration of this ability. At the end of the duration, the creature reappears unharmed in the space it last occupied (or the nearest possible space, if the original space is now occupied). |
| Evasion (Ex) | — | The time mage can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the time mage is wearing no armor. A helpless time mage does not gain the benefit of evasion. |
| Extended Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast two spell per day as if they were modified by the Extended Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Familiar (Ex) | Caster Level 2nd. Must be chosen at 2nd level. | The time mage who selects this talent gains the Familiar feat. |
| Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) | Uncanny Dodge temporal talent or class feature | A time mage with this talent can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a thief the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in a class that grants sneak attack than the time mage’s class level. If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level in a class that grants sneak attack required to flank the character. |
| Insight* (Su) | — | As a free action, by spending a mote of time, the time mage can immediately gain a bonus to his initiative roll equal to his time mage level. |
| Knowledge of the Ages* (Su) | — | The time mage can search through time to recall some bit of forgotten lore or information. By spending a mote of time, the time mage can retry any Knowledge skill check he had made within the past minute, gaining an insight bonus on the check equal to his Intelligence modifier. |
| Mage Training | — | The time mage may select an item creation or metamagic feat. The time mage must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums. This talent may be taken more than once. Each time, a different feat must be selected. |
| Momentary Glimpse* (Su) | — | As a swift action, at a cost of 1 mote of time, the time mage can gain a glimpse into his immediate future. On the round he uses this ability, he gains a +2 insight bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check or to his Armor Class until the start of his next turn. |
| Moment of Pause* (Su) | — | As a melee touch attack, at a cost of 1 mote of time, the time mage can stop time for one creature briefly, freezing them in place. For one round, the creature can take no action, cannot be targeted by any ability or attacked in any way, and experiences time as if that round never took place. |
| Old Wounds* (Su) | — | As a standard action, the time mage can channel time into a wound, causing it to experience rapid healing, as if many days had passed. The time mage may spend a mote to heal his own wounds, or the wounds of an ally touched. The wounds heal for 1d8 damage + 1 per class level of the time mage. This ability increases by an additional 1d8 every 4 levels to a maximum of 5d8. |
| Powerful Grab (Su) | Ability to cast Grab, Spellcraft 3 | The time mage increases the weight of objects that he can move with Grab by 5 pounds for every 3 ranks he has in Spellcraft. |
| Prescient Attack* (Su) | — | The time mage may spend a mote as an immediate action after hitting a target with a weapon, ranged touch, or touch attack, allowing him to anticipate his opponent’s defenses. The target is denied its Dexterity bonus against the time mage’s attacks until the end of the time mage’s next turn. |
| Prescient Defense* (Su) | — | The time mage may spend a mote as an immediate action after hitting a target with a weapon, ranged touch, or touch attack, granting him a premonition of his enemy’s intentions. The time mage gains a bonus to his AC and on Reflex saves equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 0) against attacks by that opponent until the beginning of his next turn. |
| Reach Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast two spell per day as if they were modified by the Reach Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Reaching Grab (Su) | Ability to cast Grab, Spell Proficiency class feature or Reach Spell feat | The time mage can focus as a swift action before casting Grab to increase its range to 50 ft. + 5 ft. per caster level. If the target of his Grab spell is outside of the spell's standard range at the start of his turn, the time mage must spend another swift action to focus again or the spell immediately ends. |
| Reserve Training | — | The time mage may select a Reserve feat as a bonus feat. The time mage must still meet all prerequisites for this bonus feat. |
| Silent Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast two spell per day as if they were modified by the Silent Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Spell Focus | — | The time mage may select a school of magic, he gains Spell Focus as a bonus feat for that school. The time mage must still meet all prerequisites for this bonus feat. |
| Spell Guard (Su) | — | Whenever the time mage casts a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action, he may instead cast it as a full round action. The time mage channels some of the energy of the spell into a defensive shield around him, giving him a deflection bonus to his AC equal to the level of the spell being cast. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the time mage’s next turn. |
| Spell Lore (Ex) | — | The time mage adds his level to all Spellcraft checks made to identify a spell being cast. (This is most often useful when attempting to counterspell.) |
| Spell Sage (Ex) | — | When the time mage attempts a Use Magic Device check to cast a spell from materia, he gains a +4 competence bonus to the check. |
| Steady Hand* (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 a mote, the time mage may use skills reliably even under adverse conditions. Once he spends the mote, he may take 10 on any single skill check made before the end of his next round, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so. |
| Steal Fate* (Su) | — | As a standard action, the time mage can attempt to steal a crucial moment from a target’s future, reducing the chance the target will enjoy a happy and prosperous future. The time mage spends a mote and the target must make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the time mage’s level + his Intelligence modifier) or suffer a penalty to all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saving throws. This effect lasts for 1 round per time mage level. The penalty suffered is equal to –1, and increases to –2 at 8th level, and –3 at 16th level, while the time mage gains this as a bonus as he uses the stolen fate to carefully plan each action he takes. Steal Fate has a range of 30 feet. |
| Steal Time* (Su) | — | As a standard action, with this talent, a time mage can steal time from a target. The time mage spends a mote and the target must make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the time mage’s level + his Intelligence modifier) or suffer a penalty to AC, Reflex saves, and movement speed. This effect lasts for 1 round per time mage level. The penalty suffered is equal to –1 to AC and Reflex saves as well as a –5 foot movement speed, and increases to –2 and –10 foot at 8th level, and –3 and –15 at 16th level, while the time mage gains this as a bonus as he uses the stolen time to move quickly. Steal Time has a range of 30 feet. |
| Steward of the Great Beyond (Su) | Time Mage 10 | Whenever a creature attempts to use a teleportation effect or summon a creature within 30 feet of the time mage, he may attempt to block the effect. Make an opposed caster level check (1d20 + caster level) as an immediate action. If the check succeeds, the spell or effect fails and is wasted; otherwise, it is unaffected. He can use this ability once per day plus one additional time for every five time mage levels he possesses beyond 10th. |
| Still Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast two spell per day as if they were modified by the Still Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Surecast (Su) | — | The time mage exercises caution when in danger, casting his spells with more care. While in a threatened square, he may choose to spend a full-round action to cast a spell, with a casting time of standard action or less. Doing so allows him to cast the spell without needing to cast defensively. Prerequisite: The time mage must have the Combat Casting feat to select this talent. |
| Time Hop (Su) | — | As a move action, at a cost of 1 mote of time, the time mage can teleport up to 5 feet per time mage level. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The time mage must have line of sight to his destination to use this ability. He can bring other willing creatures with him, but he must expend an equal amount of distance for each creature brought. |
| Time Stutter (Sp) | Time Mage 10 | The time mage can briefly step out of time, pausing the world around him. This ability acts as the time stop spell, except that you gain only 1 round of apparent time. He can use this ability once per day plus one additional time for every five time mage levels he possesses beyond 10th. |
| Uncanny Dodge (Ex) | — | A time mage with this talent can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A time mage with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him. |
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.
Table: Advanced Temporal Talents
| Advanced Temporal Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviate Magic* (Su) | — | A time mage can sometimes shorten an opposing spell’s duration. A time mage can spend 2 motes of time as a standard action to attempt to decrease the duration of a spell or effect within 30 feet that has a duration of rounds per 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 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. |
| Arrest the Flow* (Su) | Time Mage 14 | As an immediate action, at a cost of 2 motes of time, the time mage can attune himself to the timeless nature of time itself to halt the effects of one condition or affliction (such as paralyzed, stunned, a poison, or a curse), including permanent and instantaneous conditions, until the end of his next turn. The time mage can use this ability even when a condition or affliction would normally prevent him from doing so, regardless of whether he is targeting that prevention effect’s source. At the end of his next turn, the condition or affliction resumes its normal effect and the round delayed by this ability does not count toward the condition or affliction’s duration. This ability has no effect on hit point damage, ability damage, or the dead condition. Alternatively, the time mage can use this ability to extend the duration of any one effect affecting him until the end of his next turn; this does not extend the duration for any other creatures under the effect. |
| Back to the Future* (Su) | — | The time mage can spend two motes to fling himself briefly into the future to observe the results of proposed acts or decisions in his present. Since the time mage is only in his future for a moment, he is not certain to receive meaningful information. The base chance for receiving meaningful information is 70% + 1% per class level. This roll is made secretly by the GM. If the ability succeeds, the time mage gets one of the following four results: Weal (if the action will probably bring good results). Woe (for bad results). Weal and woe (for both). Nothing (for actions that don’t have especially good or bad results). If the ability fails, the time mage gets the “nothing” result. There is no way to tell if a “nothing” result is the consequence of an action with no particular results or a failed use of this ability. This ability can see into the future only about ten minutes per level of the time mage, so anything that might happen after that does not affect the result. Thus, the result might not take into account the long-term consequences of a contemplated action. All efforts to use this ability by the same person about the same topic use the same die result as the first use of the ability. |
| Butterfly Effect* (Su) | — | As an immediate action, the time mage can make minor changes in his past, which creates a cascade of minor changes in the timeline to generate brief favorable circumstances for an ally in his present. The time mage can spend two motes to add a bonus to one attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw made by an ally within 30 feet. 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 ally’s Acrobatics check to leap over a chasm, but not to his Craft check made to determine how much progress was made after a day of work.) The bonus gained is equal to +2d3. This increases to +3d3 at 16th level. The time mage can decide to add this bonus immediately after seeing the result of the original die roll. |
| Complex Contingency* (Su) | Time Mage 14, Must have the Contingency spell. | The time mage can specify two trigger conditions when casting contingency. In addition, when the time mage’s contingency would trigger, the time mage can expend 1 mote of time as an immediate action to prevent the contingency from triggering, saving the stored effect for later. |
| Déjà Vu* (Su) | Steady Hand temporal talent | By spending two motes, 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 even 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 Intelligence-, Wisdom- or Charisma-based skill check with a result equal to 20 + his total skill bonus. |
| Improved Evasion (Ex) | Evasion class feature or temporal talent | This works like evasion, except that while the time mage still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless time mage does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. |
| Parallel Self* (Su) | Time Mage 20 | If the time mage is killed, he can immediately expend 10 motes of time to summon an alternate version of himself from a parallel existence, appearing up to 30 feet away. This alternate version is identical to the time mage except he is a member of a random race, determined using the table that accompanies the reincarnate spell. The alternate version has half the time mage’s total hit points (but not any temporary hit points) and MP when he died. The alternate version has the same equipment as the time mage but does not bear any artifacts the time mage was carrying. Any expendable items, charges, or expensive material components the alternate version uses are also expended for the time mage. This alternate version remains for 1 minute before the duplicate and its equipment are ripped back to their reality. |
| Quickened Magic (Su) | — | The time mage can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Quicken Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost of the spell. |
| Retroactive* (Su) | Steady Hand temporal talent | By spending two motes, a time mage can attempt the same physical action over and over, hopping back to his starting point each time if things don’t work out for him. The time mage can make a single Strength-, Dexterity- or Constitution-based skill check with a result equal to 20 + his total skill bonus. |
| Rewind* (Su) | — | As an immediate action, after losing a spell due to a failed concentration check or after casting a spell that had no effect (such as due to successful saving throws, a failed caster level check to overcome spell resistance, or other immunities), the time mage can spend two motes of time to immediately gain half the MP spent (minimum 1). |
| Temporal Roll* (Su) | The time mage can use 1 mote of time to grant any ally he can see a +3d6 bonus to any one skill check or ability check that occurs entirely within 1 round. | |
| Time After Time (Su) | — | The time mage gains advanced ability to manipulate time. The time mage may now spend motes twice per round, if he wishes. |
| Time Bandit (Su) | — | The time mage’s access to motes increases. The time mage can spend an additional number of motes per day equal to his Intelligence modifier. |
| Time Runner* (Su) | — | The time mage can move briefly through time, taking an action that does not exist in the normal sequence of reality. The time mage spends two motes to gain an additional move action. The time mage does not set off traps during this move action (though he may cause them to be triggered if, at the end of his run, the proper triggering situation still exists). He does not provoke attacks of opportunity during this move action, nor may other characters make Perception checks to notice the time mage during this move action. After the move action time catches up to the time mage, allowing triggered traps to go off and other creatures to immediately notice the time mage where he now stands. |
| Time Slip* (Su) | Accelerate temporal talent | A master of the fabric of space-time, the time mage learns how to tug some threads while avoiding others. As a free action while casting a chronomancy spell with a duration longer than instantaneous, the time mage can spend two motes to cause 1 object or allied creature per three time mage levels (max. 6 targets) within 90 feet of the time mage to be unaffected for the duration of the spell. Once a target has been excluded, they cannot become affected by that spell, even by leaving the area and returning. If the spell can affect both creatures and objects, creatures and their equipment must be targeted independently. Due to their nature as space-time aberrations, summoned creatures cannot be designated for a Time Slip. |