Advanced Dungéons&Dragons’D Advanced ungeons&Dragons RANT LTT Chronomancer Credits Design: Loren Coleman Development and Editing: Matt Forbeck Additional Assistance: Jim Butler, Andria Hayday, Bruce Heard, Steve Miller, Roger Moore, Jon Pickens, Skip Williams, and David Wise Graphic Design: Stephen Daniele and Paul Hanchette ‘Cover Art: Alan Pollack Interior Art: Thomas Baxa, Adrian Bourne, Terry Dykstra, Jim Holloway, Mark Nelson, ‘Typography: Angelika Lokotz Production: Paul Hanchette Await Dungrins & DRAGoNS, ADKD, A-QADa, BL 4ck3ook Dan& Sun, DNAGONEANCE, FoRCOTTRY REALMS, GRFVHANK Holic Wot Misrana, Ravenicrn Rin rr, an Smfsxnrn are regi omic, Counc oF Werats,Encyctorina Maca, PL “trademark on by TSR, Ine og ae trademarks owed by TSR, Ine ive kenases thewot ae Hades or! by TR, Inc fandom Howse and tsalllat companies have workdwite distribution rights inthe book trade or English language products of TSR, Ine Dstt to the book anata trade he Unites Kings by TS Ls Distrbted to the foy and Robby tadeby regional distor, {P1995 TSR Inc.All eight eserved ih las ofthe United Stats of Americ, Any reproduction or unathorird se ' profited the expres written permission of TSR, ie the United al protected under the. ofthe material ce actor TSR, Ine. TSR Lie. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd 120 Chueh End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI43147 Cambridge CBI 3LB USA United Kingdom IspN oa. sna 008501Beem eli ticg Introduction... Where This Belongs in Your Campaign 3 How to Use This Book .....- 3 Chapter 1: Chronomancers ‘A Note About the Demi ane of Time ...4 Requirements and Restrictions 4 Experience and Advancement eg Benefits and Penalties ......csscessnseeeenT, 7 8 Attitude and Lifestyle Chronomancer Ki Guide faisedoseeieng 8 Historian . neetecinioorsiere SeCr essevereveeseserenee 10 Traveler .......- 12 Chronomancer Subclasses 13 Temporal Champion ...ces.cceo--el3 ‘Temporal Raider . Chapter 2: The Big Picture. Beyond Time ‘The Building Blocks Linear Existence Physical Traces ‘Temporal Prime End of the Line... Inside the Timestrec Chapter 3: The Road To Adventure Slipping into the Scene At the Starting Gate... : More on Timestream Formations ......23 Which Way Is Up? 23 Getting About .... 25 Mapping the Realm 26 Traveling an Objective Mile .......01..27 ‘Temporal Shortcuts ... 27 Changing History. Hazardous Duty. . Creatures Combat ... Natural Hazards . Off the Beaten Path . Encounters...ssssss00 Chapter 4: Chronomancy .... ‘Nonweapon Proficiencies Spells oo... Outtitting the Chronomancer Equipment... ; Items and Artifacts Chapter 5: Protectors of the Realm Who They Are . What They Do How They Do It ‘The Birth of Chronomancy ‘Action and Organization ‘A Word of Caution Chapter 6: A New Source of Magic ..... Where It Comes From ‘The School of Chronomancy Spell Descri Items and Artifacts : Normal Magic on Temporal Prime Guideline #1 juideline #2... celine #3 The Working of Magical Items. Magic Resistance of ‘Temporal Creatures... 74 Chapter 7: Fantasy Futures. Building a Future .... Future Fantasy Magic....... ‘Technology. Fantasy Tech.. Creature Evolution Creationism Made To Order Distant Past Present Future Far Future Appendix: Official AD&D® Worlds Monstrous Comrenpium® Appendix... ml 2» Table of ContentsIntroduction Moving delicately along the fringes of the magical worlds are the members of an elite and secretive school. These myst ures guard the basis of their abilities with paranoid fervor, especially from other wiz- ards. What little is known of them is learned mainly in rumors and legends hinting at a startling truth: Theirs is the mastery of time. Past, present, and future are all merely differ- ent lands within thelr realm. They call them selves chronomancers. Ina magical world, few things are entirel impossible. Still, only a small core of intel- lectuals puts great stock in these legends. In their opinion, not only do chronomancers exist, but these eerie mages are privy toa life unlike any known before. Much evidence has been gathered and weighed, but most people simply cannot (or will not) conceive of a wi ard with power over the natural order of events. Few areas can match the potential for raw power associated with time travel: the chance to experience the far future, the ability to influence the past. Even in a fantastic setting, there would be those infatuated with holding sway over time. Enter the chronomancers, elite wizards with the ability to influence temporal forces. Practicing and developing their unorthodox art, these wizards have turned their backs on traditional destiny to forge new lives for themselves and countless others. Chrono mancers can wind back the clock or send it spinning ahead, expanding the horizons of your game world and blazing a path to adven- tures never before imagined. Where This Belongs In Your Campaign Temporal Prime (the dimension of time) and chronomancers can fit into an existing AD&D® game world at whatever level the Dungeon Master chooses. This information can be used as background for minor adven- tures that might involve time travel, or the DM can embrace these concepts and turn the characters loose on an unwary (well, maybe a little wary) time-space continuum Besides expanding an existing world by allowing access to its past and future, the dis- covery of Temporal Prime makes an unex- plored realm available, complete with new creatures and new puzzles to investigate. The existence of this dimension also gives rise to new character types, a new school of magic, and exciting new magical items for the char- acters to discover and enjoy. How to Use This Book This book is broken up into two large sec- tions. The first section consists of Chapters One through Four. These detail everything about chronomancers and their spells that a chronomancer player should know. The rest of the book contains material for the Dungeon Master’s eyes only. No players should read this part of the book, as it fea- tures all sorts of material that is best discov- ered in the course of play. Players who are not planning to play a chronomancer should not read this book at all. The world at large knows little about these wizards, and it is easier for the players to realistically portray their characters if the players are as much in the dark about chrono- mancy as their characters. ‘As the Dungeon Master, read through this book carefully before considering what sort of a role you want chronomancers to play in your campaign. If you feel that chronomancer player characters would unbalance your cam- paign, then disallow them in play. You can still use the material presented herein as a background for your campaign, but that doesn’t mean that the heroes have to know anything that you don’t choose to reveal to them in play. introduction * 3be Ni a.9 Pe rule I cannot prove the existence of this demiplane yet, this dimension of Time, merely the possibility of its existence. [ have gathered information con- cerning the known planes and their relationship with each other, and nothing contradicts this con- cept. In fact, many of the laws and theories con- cerning the elemental planes help to directly support the possibility of a temporal plane that exists farther in than the elementals, a dimen- sional plane that acts as a cornerstone of reality as ‘we know it. And what exists may be exploited. If power can bbe drawn from the elements, what kind of magic could be made possible by tapping a dimension? If the raw essence of time could be manipulated according to the will of a mortal humanoid, what limits would there be? The potential for reward slacks highly against an equal potential for devas- tation. Practitioners would have to be kept to a minority, a dedicated few who could work this temporal force for the betterment of all life. What kind of person could accept such responsibility without turning toward selfish interests? Could the overall morality of a group of such humanoids be enough of a dricing force to set them to policing their own kind? Perhaps it's best such arguntents remain in the venue of theory. Excerpt from Kandalon’s Theories on Time Chronomancers draw power for their mys- tical ability directly from the energy created by the momentum of time. The lifeline of every living thing forms a current in time- space, and the intertwining currents create the timestream. The flow of one timestream covers a reality, and in vortices (a mild form of time turbulences) several timestreams can flow closely and allow passage from one real- ity to another. Vortices range in size and haz~ ards depending upon how many timestreams flow through them. Temporal Prime is the di- mension in which timestreams can be viewed. A chronomancer can slip between reality and ‘Temporal Prime through the use of spells, items, or permanent portals. —— 4 + Chapter One A Note About the “Demiplane of Time” Few previously published AD&D" game materials have dealt with the issue of time travel to any extent. Those that have done so refer to a place called the “demiplane of time.” While it is understandable that an out- sider might conceive of the dimension of ‘Temporal Prime as some kind of demiplane, it is in fact nothing of the sort. ‘The phrase “clemiplane of time” is simply a misnomer for something that is difficult for any but a chronomancer to fully comprehend. It’s understandable that outsiders, trying to fit Temporal Prime into their own necessarily limited theories of how the universe is con- structed, would make this mistake. Here, however, it is corrected. For this reason, creatures like the “time demielemental” have been given more ap- propriate names, as has the dimension that spawned them. All of this becomes clearer with further study of chronomancy. Requirements and Restrictions As a wizard from an elite school, the chro- nomancer has some unusual requirements and restrictions. Any of them can be modified with Dungeon Master discretion, of course, but it is strongly recommended that this be done only under special circumstances. Ability Scores. Two ability scores govern the chronomancer: Intelligence and Wisdom. A chronomancer must have a minimum Intel- ligence of 17 to understand the abstract theo- ries on which his mystical art is based. A minimum Wisdom of 16 is required as well, to ensure the wizard has the foresight for under- standing the implications of using chrono- mancy, and the discipline to use it responsibly. It is unlikely that a character without these minimums would ever find an apprenticeship with a chronomancer.Racial Restrictions. The school of chrono- many is beyond most demihumans, limiting the allowed races to humans, elves, and half- elves. The innate magic resistance of dwarves, gnomes, and halflings prevents them from channeling the mystical energies properly There may be other races that could build a decent case for learning chronomancy, but chronomancers are secretive enough among, their own kind and are not about to extend trust to such races. Chronomancer families of humans, elves, and half-elves are known. Weapons and Armor. Like most wizards, the chronomancer may use the dagger, staff, dart, blowgun, knife, or sling. Dual-classing, allows for the learning of different we but this is the exception, not the rule. Chronomancers are not allowed to wear armor of any type unless itis elven chain mail and the chronomancer is an elf or half-elf Dual-classing cannot change this fact, and Dungeon Masters are cautioned against al- lowing a kit that permits otherwise Racial Level Limits. The standard raci level limits for wizards apply to chrono mancers, Dwarves, g1 halflings cannot be chronomancers. Elves are limited to 15th level, half-elves are limited to 12th level and humans have no level limits Alignment. Secrecy and paranoia are infused i early stages to ensure the secrets of this school are kept as, quiet as possible. For this reason, a chaotic alignment is not allowed. A chronomancer of lawful or neutral alignment would not be able to trust a chaotic apprentice not take on such a student. A chronoman who has turned chaotic aver time may begin toallow some secrets to slip, but paranoia has an even tighter hold on that wizard, for other 10 the chronomancer at and so wouldchronomancers often attempt to “correct” any such indiscretions that may come to their attention. As such, a chronomancer is unlikel to trust an apprentice of any alignment, muc less a chaotic one. Chronomancers who shift to a chaotic align- ment do not suffer for it directly, Their actions are watched more closely by others, though, and what little help they could have expected from other chronomancers would be long in coming. Dual- and Multiclasses. Humans can become dual-classed chronomancers. If chro- nomancy is their second course of study, the minimum ability scores are raised to an Intel- ligence of 18 and a Wisdom of 17. Regular multiclassing is not possible, since chronomancy automatically requires special- ization. Two subclasses of the chronomancer, however, are available to human, elf, and half-elf characters. These are detailed on pages 13-16. Experience and Advancement How a chronomancer advances in his cho- sen field is nearly identical to any other wi ard specialist. The mechanics remain the same, but the rates at which experience and levels are earned differ a bit Individual Experience Awards As noted on Table 1, chronomancers earn their experience in a slightly different way than other wizards, Due to the relative com- plexity of chronomancy spells, more experi ence is earned for casting them, yet only group experience is earned for casting non chronomancy spells. Note that, due to the rig- ors of their studies, chronomancers never receive a 10% bonus on experience for having, high ability scores in their prime requisites, $< Ge Chapter One Table 1: Chronomancer Experience Action Award Chronomancy spell cast to overcome foe or problems (60 XP/spell level Chronomancy spell suc- cessfully researched 600 XP/spell level Making a potion or scroll XP value (Creating a permanent magical tem XP value Level Advancement Chronomancers advance ata slightly slower pace than normal wizards (see Table 2). This is due to the complicated relationship be- tween Temporal Prime and reality that chro- nomancers must apply to their studies. Level Experience Points Hit Dice (d4) 1 0 1 2 3,000 2 5 6,000 3 4 12,000 4 5 24,000 5 6 48,000 6 7 72,000 7 8 105,000 8 9 160,000 9 10 285,000 10 i 425,000 10+1 12 850,000 1042 13, 1,235,000 1043 u 1,610,000 10+4 15 1,985,000 1045 16 2,370,000 1046 7 2,755,000 1047 18 3,140,000 1048 19 3,525,000 10+9 20 3,910,000 10+10Benefits and Penalties ‘The chronomancer is an elite specialist and, as such, follows many of the rules concerning specialist benefits and hindrances. Even so, there are some rules unique to them. Chronomancer spell progression follows the normal wizard pattern, with the exception that the chronomancer gets one extra spell per spell level gained. The bonus spell must be from the school of chronomancy. This allows a Ist-level chronomancer to memorize two spells as opposed to one. However, chrono- mancers are not permitted to use spells from three opposition schools: abjuration, conjura- tion/summoning, and necromancy. The chro- nomancer may not memorize these types of spells, cast them from scrolls, or use any item that is completely based in one of these mag- ies (such as a wand of conjuration). The bonuses and penalties for a chrono- mancer learning spells is slightly different from normal. The chronomancer receives a +10 bonus when trying to learn a chrono- mancy spell, but is penalized by -25 when learning a spell outside this school. When chronomancer attains a new spell level, he automatically receives one new chronomantic spell (no roll required). The differences here are due to the complexity of chronomantic spells and the source of their power. These complications occupy more of the chrono- mancer’s time than regular specialization would. Also, the chronomancer must keep straight the differences between casting spells, in reality and their effects on Temporal Prime. At first this may seem harsh, but not when it is understood that no other types of wizards can cast chronomantic spells. Since only chronomancers can cast spells, from the school of chronomancy, the usual saving-throw bonus chronomancers would receive against their own school is canceled. Any nonchronomaneer hit by a chronomantic spell still saves at a -1 penalty, though. At 5th level, the chronomancer becomes immune to the effects of slow and haste spells (note that the new 3rd-level spell Articus’s melee manager is not a haste spell). On the down side, the magical bases of the opposi- tion schools are so alien to chronomancers that they receive a -2 penalty to their save if the caster is a specialist of one such school Attitude and Lifestyle Chronomancers are shadowy figures by choice, Nearly all of these strange wizards hide their ability to manipulate time from all but their closest companions, and large num- bers of them take this one step further by hid- ing the fact that they are even a wizard. Some believe that their operations would be hin- dered should chronomancy become wide- spread knowledge. Others wish to retain their elite status. Still others fear how the ignorant masses might react. For these reasons and any number of others, secrecy is deeply ingrained into chronomancers at an early stage of their training and fostered throughout the rest of their lives. It is a puzzle that some chrono- mancers can even trust an apprentice enough to pass on their mystical knowledge. Because of their guarded ways, chrono- mancers do not attract followers, and hire- lings are reluctant to work for them for any length of time. Chronomancers may build a keep and gain the benefit of taxing local peas- antry if they wish, but most opt for a solitary fortress far from people. The one respite of their solitary existence is that, somewhere between 12th and 16th level, an apprentice seeks out the chronomancer. This apprentice has reasoned out that the chronomancer is not a regular wizard and has usually pieced to- gether what it is the chronomancer does. The apprentice is assumed to have the necessary minimums in Intelligence and Wisdom to begin study in the art of chronomaney. He or she is likely to be a relative, Chronomancers + 7Chronomancer Kits Character kits are entirely optional, and players should wait to choose one until after generating the character. If the character chooses to drop a kit, all special advantages and disadvantages are immediately lost. Nonweapon proficiencies that were granted as a bonus for taking the kit are not lost, but the next proficiency slots the character ears must go to pay back the bonus Each kit is easily adapted into most cam- paigns, but the Dungeon Master should watch out for poor matches. A character who prefers, to hoard knowledge has no business taking the F Ifa character’s actions run contrary to his kit for a sufficient length of time (Dungeon Master's call), the kit is con- sidered to be dropped. Guide suides are similar to Travelers (see page 12) in that they are meddlesome. They use their powers to seek out weak points in the natural order of events and change them as they see fit. In their defense, however, Guides usually possess a righteous belief in a certain plan for the world, and when they act they lieve they are bettering reality. Most Guides are benevolent, fighting against evil, but some are destructive, since their plans may run against the welfare of most beings. ‘Chronomancy and time traveling are nat- ural tools for Guides. Since they are wiser than the normal person, they believe they have the right to second-guess history. Guides often come from a well-schooled, upper-class background. This forms the basis for their superior attitudes. Requirements: Guides must have a mini- mum Wisdom of 17. Role: In their natural times, Guides are often accepted members of intellectual circles. This is where they acquire and hone a good many of their ideas on what to change, and they frequently return to judge the difference with their colleagues. Most see them as schol- ars with theoretical models, but no more. Guides prefer this, since it helps them get more honest answers and keep a low profile. When time traveling, Guides are methodi- cal. Before approaching an important event, they reconnoiter before and after it. If new information is turned up that could influence their plans, they return home to consider new plans before attempting the change. Guides know that they receive only one shot at alter- ing any event, and they are determined to make the most of it. When the event to be changed is near, the Guide engineers a bold and powerful stroke. The direction in which they plan to strike is never apparent until the final seconds, since they are aware that other chronomancers are almost certainly watching, Weapon Proficiencies: Many Guides make their changes by judicial application of a weapon at the appropriate time (not always fatally!). Their first weapon must be a staff (for its better damage potential) or a sling (for its range). They are limited to standard wiz- ardly weapons for later choices. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: Fu- ture History or Ancient History. Recommended: (Chronomancer) Future Languages; (Priest) Religion; (Wizard) Ancient Languages, Read- ing/ Waiting, Spelleaft Equipment: Guides take advantage of the fact that those traveling in the timestream are immune to alterations. Before they make any changes to the timestream, Guides must pur- chase excellent histories concerning the event and its ramifications. Then they take these books with them so that the books are not changed. When they return, they purchase new books so they can judge their accom- plishments by more than their memories. A Guide thus eventually owns one of the largest, most inaccurate libraries in existence. ——Se SSE eee 8 + Chapter OneSpecial Benefits: Guides have an advan- tage when planning an event alteration. The player is allowed to ask the Dungeon Master for a piece of advice on any proposed alter ation, assuming the Guide carefully considers and researches the subject. The advice should be more of a suggestion than an answer. After all, there are so many variables involved. Special Disadvantages: Due to the nature of their mission, Guides are often hounded by other chronomancers who wish to undo the “crimes” the Guide has committed against the timestream. Guides can expect visits from, the Guardians and other independent chrono- mancers on a regular basis unless they take great pains to disguise their nature. Once they are revealed, they are surely doomed. Wealth: Since Guides are often something less than thrifty concerning their research materials, they receive only (Id4+1) x 8 gold pieces to purchase initial equipment ‘ila a Fl Historian This chronomancer is a scholar deeply infatuated with the past. Learning and accu- rately recording historical events drives the wizard to study hard and develop skills that allow him to become a fine recorder of his- tory. Most Historians never let on that they are wizards, and even if they should happen to, they are more likely to describe themselves as “diviners of past events.” Historians are adamant about not changing the past and are always careful when time traveling. They prefer subtlety and intrigue to combat, but always fight to protect them- selves or the continuity of the timestream Historians can be found almost anywhere, but most seem to come from the upper class, where they first found their love for histories. Large urban areas are popular with this type, due to the convenience of libraries, museums, Chronomancers * 9and a larger percentage of important people to observe. Historians are good at learning a great deal about others while revealing litte. Requirements: A Wisdom of 17. Role: A Historian is normally an accepted member of society and has a local reputation for a superior knowledge of the past. Whether at home or traveling, the wizard can easily find work (for a cover or just for the money) asa scribe, sage, or adviser. General adventuring is good for this type only when it leads to an area of interest or if information on the past is likely to turn up. Time travel is looked upon as an excellent tool for learning, and companions who exercise some discretion while in another time are usually welcome. Future travel is rare, but the Historian might arrange it as an occasional favor to the others in the party, and some- times there may be a particular insight that can be achieved only by looking at an event from further awa} Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, knife, and staff. A Historian may convert weapon profi- ciencies into nonweapon proficiencies. If all three weapons are learned, the conversion is automatic thereafter. Nonweapon Prot Required: Read- ing/Writing. Recommended: (General) Modern Languages, Etiquette; (Chronomancer) An- cient History, Ancient Languages, Disguise, Local History. Equipment: A Historian must purchase pens, ink, and parchment with his starting, ‘money and should never be without them for the rest of the game. Special Benefits: The Historian can usually find anally ina learned person, receiving a +2 on reaction checks with such people when discussing intellectual matters. Those who react favorably offer shelter and food to the Historian and any companions. If the Histo- rian is attempting to sway someone of learn- ing from his normal duties, citing historical cases to back his reasoning, the subject of the 10 + Chapter One attempt must make a morale check at a -1 to avoid being convinced of the Historian’s cor- rectness in the matter at hand. Special Disadvantages: The Historian is a reluctant time traveler. Just by being in the past, he risks causing some sort of change to the history that he wants to study. Historians refuse to interfere with the natural order of things under any circumstances. Also, due to a preference of books over fighting instru- ments, the Historian makes physical attacks as if one level lower than he really is, Wealth: A Historian starts with 100 gp, plus the wizard’s normal (1d4+1) x 10 gp. This is from research work and minor papers on history completed as an apprentice. Most wealth acquired while in a different time is used while there, in keeping with making few disturbances. Decent sums are usually made on the history books the Histo- rian writes during spare moments. These can be considered part of the wizards training. Seer Seers are most interested in future events: prediction, prophecies, and shaping. Though these chronomancers are extremely public, they hide their true nature by posing as nor- mal wizards. If their ability to meddle with time were discovered, their prophecies would appear to be promises instead, and this could affect the outcome of their “predictions.” The predictions of these secretive wizards are usually based upon actual experience. They have no qualms about influencing time if they are fairly sure about succeeding, but they are usually content to simply observe the future and report it in the past, however obliquely. Speaking too specifically of the future could cause events to transpire differ ently, fouling any prophecy made about them. Seers prefer an obscure background, and most cannot be traced further back than their first public predictions, Urban areas are popu-lar with them, especially those facing troubles with war, succession, or any major problem among the ruling class. Requirements: The character must have a Charisma of 14 or better to become a Seer. Role: Society averts its gaze from the Seer, fearful of what he may know. Seers’ reputa- tions often precede them. Commoners know of them through largely false legends, but most of noble birth have accurate accounts of the Seers’ “past” and treat them accordingly. Seers are rarely looked down upon for fear that they might deny their services or, worse, spread secret knowledge to enemies. Unlike Guides, who are content to make changes in the past and quietly reap the bene- fits in the future, Seers like to study the future so that they will be noticed in the past. They always seem to put in an appearance at awk- ward moments. They speak in riddles and half-truths that can be twisted to mean any number of things. Rarely is this chronomancer type seen entering or leaving the area, a minor theatrical ploy to help increase the mysticism. Also, its not unusual for the Seer to have cer- tain props (like erystal balls) which have no use except as window dressing. Once a new time is reached, Seers usually travel extensively through reality, finding new areas in which to practice their handi- work. Seers love the glamour a prophecy can bring them, and they often go out of their way to promote themselves through demonstra tions of power. No matter how public th lives, though, they jealously guard the source of their powers. Seers prefer to travel far back in time, then proceed forward slowly, capitalizing on their growing reputation for accuracy as well as tumors of immortality. If a Seer fails drasti cally, he may attempt fo correct the blunder or simply jump forward far enough that the one mistake has (hopefully) been forgotten. Weapon Proficiencies: The Seer is required to take the staff as his initial weapon choice. Later choices are limited to the normal wiz~ ardly weapons. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: Pro- phecy. Recommended: (Chronomancer) F ture History, Future Languages, Time Sen: (Priest) Religion; (Warrior) Gaming, Weapon- smithing; (Wizard) Reading/Writing, Equipment: A Seer must purchase an item. during initial outfitting that could be in- cluded in a prophecy. A sword or dagger of unusual decoration or design would be a good choice, but more colorful items could be chosen for esoteric purposes (try having the character work a brass hourglass into a good prophecy). This item must be kept in brand- new condition, or it detracts credibility from any prophecy. The balance of the character's starting money may be spent or saved as desired. Any major prophecies the character makes should always include a magical item assigned a spe- cial purpose. This item is usually the respon- sibility of the Seer to acquire and introduce to s ties, its: If a Seer has a string of accurate predictions, especially involving an influential person, a reputation for infallibil- ity precedes him. This grants a +3 reaction adjustment with any important individuals, since they can find use for such a person and fear upsetting the Seer, Positions in royal courts are not uncommon for seers of out- standing ability. Special Disadvantages: If the Seer has had a string of failures or one extremely bad fail- ure, the Seer has a —5 reaction adjustment from people who have heard of him. People hate a con artist, and that is what they assume the Seer to be. Wealth: A Seer starts out adventuring with (1d6+1) 10 gold pieces, This excellent chance for a higher starting level of wealth is mostly owed to the possible sideline income from “fortune telling” in the Seer’s apprenticeship days. Chronomancers * 14Traveler Travelers are most akin to the standard adventuring wizard in that they have no set goal but to learn and advance in their chosen profession. All aspects of chronomancy and ‘Temporal Prime fascinate this character type. Most known chronomancers are Travelers, as they take no pains to hide their status as a wizard and sometimes go to great lengths, even flaunting their ability to manipulate time, to be sure people remember them. Even so, they guard the mechanics of their magic as well as any other chronomancer, ensuring that they remain unique among wizards. Travelers visit other times like most adven- turers visit the local ruins. They tend to look ‘out for number one, being very self-important and always watching the scene unfolding around them to figure how it might best bene- fit them. Like most chronomancers, Travelers tend to head for the action. This character can be found near important events or people— rarely in hiding, Requirements: Any chronomancer can be a Traveler. Role: Travelers are normally considered the “black sheep” of chronomancy, since they tend to cause trouble, purposefully or inad- vertently, wherever they go. They have no set goal or rules that they live by, but they like to be involved in important events. Most people give them the respect due a wizard, but their meddling can cause their welcome to be worn thin rather quickly. Travelers love being on the road, whether on Temporal Prime or dawdling about in the past or future. Their travels usually begin as a set of random hops to different time frames, and they rarely stay in reality for longer than necessary before time traveling again. Even- tually they find some type of chronal puzzle or inconsistency and begin tracking it. This leads to more time hopping, but now with a purpose. Weapon Proficiencies: Initially, Travelers are required to take either the knife or dagger. Later, they may choose any sort of weapon that they wish, within the normal wizard restraints ‘Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: None. Recommended: (Chronomancer) Disguise, Future History, Future Languages, Local His- tory; (Thief) Reading Lips, Tumbling; (Wiz- ard) Ancient History, Ancient Languages, Reading/Writing, Spelicraft. Equipment: Due to the predicaments in which Travelers often find themselves, it is recommended that several knives or daggers be bought and secreted about their persons. There are no other requirements, Special Benefits: The Traveler spends so much time learning about chronomancy and practicing it that the usual problems most chronomancers suffer when dealing with temporal forces are lessened or done away with altogether. In effect, when any kind of Wisdom check for something related to time traveling is required, the Traveler gains a +1 bonus. This would apply, for instance, toa character covered with strands (see page 34) trying to return to reality Special Disadvantages: Due to their self- promoting nature, Travelers tend to attract a Jot of attention. This can work against them in several ways. If Guardians determine that their presence is harmful to the timestream, they are easy to find. Also, powerful people in nearly every age are bound to covet a Trav- cler’s powers, whether they wish to alter the past or to ensure a particular vision of the future. These people are not likely mince ‘words about getting what they want. There is nothing that Travelers can really do about this problem. Their overwhelming attraction to the spotlight eventually causes them to seek the notoriety from which they then suffer. Wealth: Travelers receive the standard wiz- ard’s wealth of (Id4+1) x 10 gp.(Chronomancer Subclasses As the chronomancer school is a special one, demihumans are not allowed to multi- class with it, but chronomancy is an elite school. A character able to meet the chrono- mancer’s ability score prerequisites would have the potential to excel in many areas, Branching out into other fields cuts into a chronomancer’s spellcasting abilities, but only slightly compared to the potential gain. ‘Two subclasses exist for chronomancers, one with warrior qualities and one with rogue qualities. A member of these subclasses may il take the character kits from the preceding section. The characters who follow these subclasses are assumed to be devoting almost all of their time to studying and learning. Dungeon Mas- ters should closely watch any characters who choose one of the subclasses. A lapse in proper study habits on their part (at least in circum- stances under their control) means the loss of one half of the experience points gained since their last level increase. Common Ground Elves, half-elves, and humans (who cannot be dual-classed) can opt for a subclass. These subclasses have a few guidelines in common when dealing with restrictions and level lim- its. Unless a change is specified here or under the subclass heading, the original chrono- mancer guidelines apply. Restrictions: Armor can be worn according to the chronomancer’s secondary class (war- rior or thief), but unless the armor is elven chain worn by an elf or half-elf, the character may not cast spells. Weapons may also be chosen according to the secondary class, but spellcasting may not be accomplished while any nonwizard weapon is in hand. Racial Level Limits: Demihumans who choose to follow a subclass are limited by the racial level limits for the secondary class. A halt-elf is therefore limited to a 14th-level ‘Temporal Champion (chronomancer/war- rior) or a 12th-level Temporal Raider (chrono- mancer/rogue). An elf is limited to the 12th level, regardless of subclass Temporal Champion The Temporal Champion is a combination of chronomancer and warrior, originally based on characters that time traveled to engage in combats in other times or against legendary or future opponents. The subclass has changed in the years it has been known, and while it still demands great discipline, the driving force is not necessarily combat. Some still search for the ultimate battle or the “promised” fight. Others are now stressing their chronomantic heritage and applying their fighting skills in service to their intellec- tual pursuits. Many find reasons on both sides of their nature that motivate them to follow this path. Besides the normal Intelligence and Wis- dom minimums, a Temporal Champion also, requires a minimum Strength of 15 and a Constitution of 14. Champions attack using fighter attack tables, but cannot specialize in particular weapons or use the multiple attack bonus. Although they do not get the Constit tion or Strength bonuses of the warrior class, ‘Temporal Champions may attract followers as per normal warrior rules. Changes to the normal experience awards for warriors are listed on Table 3. Table 1, con- cerning chronomancer awards, also applies to the Temporal Champion. As with regular chronomancers, the character never receives the 10% bonus to experience points for having high ability scores. ee Chronomancers * 13Spell-level progression proceeds at a pace equivalent to the normal chronomancer, but fewer spells are available to memorize. Table 14 » Chapter One Table 3: hampton 5 details the rate of spell progression but does ledMded Eipertenve not include the bonus spell every chrono- mancer receives with access to a new spell ‘Action XP Value level. The Temporal Champion gains the Per hit die of creature other specialist benefits and hindrances of the defeated 10 XP/hit die chronomancer, with one exception. The +10 Per hit die of temporal bonus when attempting to learn a chrono- creature defeated 25.XP/hit die mancy spell is eliminated. Champions proges between levelsmore | abie 3 Temporal Champlin slowly than normal chronomancers, and their Hit Dice are on the low side of an average | Wizard Spell Level between the Hit Dice of the two classes. Con- level 12345678 9 sult Table 4 for level advancement and Hit 1 1_——— Dice. They make saving throws as wizards. 2 f= - rr Table 4; Temporal Champion 4 21—-—--~—--—-— Experience Levels § 211------ Level Experience Points Hit Dice (d6) 7 2211-—-—-——— 1 0 1 8 te ed 2 4,000 2 9 222241—--—-= 3 8,000 3 10 2222 1—-—-—— 4 16,000 4 n 22222———— 5 30,000 5 12 222221-—-— 6 60,000 6 13 3$33221—-—— 7 120,000, 7 i 3332211-—— 8 200,000 8 15 $333 311-—-— 9 350,000 9 16 333392 11— 10 700,000 942 17 $3383 3221— W 1,000,000 944 18 333332211 12 1,500,000 946 19 333332221 13, 2,000,000 948 20 3333 3 2221 4 2,500,000 9410 15 3,000,000 9412 16 4,000,000 9414 Temieovel aise 17 4,500,000 9416 ‘The Temporal Raider is a combination of 18 5,000,000 9418 chronomancer and rogue. The Raider began. 19 5,500,000, 9420 with greedy chronomancers wanting to steal 20 6,000,000 9422 things in other times. Unskilled, these chrono- mancers soon recognized the need for rogue abilities. They slowly acquired the necessary skills, until the Raider is now equally at home ina thieves’ guild or a wizard’s library.A number of Temporal Raiders still prac- tice their skills in the pursuit of acqui wealth. Others simply use their rogue abilities asa secondary means of achieving their (often) more honorable ends. Besides the normal minimums a chrono- mancer must have in Intelligence and Wis- dom, a Temporal Raider requires a minimum Dexterity of 14 and a Charisma of 13. Raiders get the thief’s attack rolls, ability to backstab, and use thieves’ cant, and the normal restric- tions a thief has for building a stronghold and attracting followers apply to the Raider. Most importantly, the Raider has the use of thiev- ing skills, although the base levels of these skills differ from a thief’s as described later. Individual experience awards are modified slightly from the usual thief awards. Consult Table 6 for guidelines on Temporal Raider awards. Table 1, concerning chronomancer experience, still applies. As with other chrono- mancers, Raiders never receive a 101% bonus to experience for their ability scores. | Table 6: Temporal Raider Individual Experience Action Use of a special ability Treasure obtained through thievery Use ofa special ability to further chrono- mancer goal XP Value 100 XP/success 2XP/gp 0 XP/success Temporal Raiders progress between levels ata slower pace than the standard chrono- ‘mancer, but not nearly as slowly as the Tem- poral Champion. Consult Table 7 for the Temporal Raider’s level advancement and Hit Dice. The Hit Dice are on the low side of the average between the chronomancer and rogue classes. In fact, the Raider’s Hit Dice are treated the same as any other chrono- mancer’s would be. Raiders save as wizards Table 7: Temporal Raider Experience Levels Level Experience Points Hit Dice (d4) 1 0 Z 2 3,500 2 3 7,000 3 4 14,000 4 5 28,000 5 6 55,000 6 7 110,000 7 8 220,000 8 9 400,000 9 10 840,000 10 an 1,280,000 10+1 12 1,720,000 10+3 2B 160,000 1044 4 600,000 1046 15 3,040,000 10+7 16 3,480,000, 109 7 3,920,000 10#10 18 4,360,000 10H12 19 4,800,000, 10413 20 5,240,000 10+15, ‘The Temporal Raider’s spell level pro- gression proceeds at a pace equivalent to the normal chronomancer, but fewer spells, are available to memorization. Again, the penalty is not quite as harsh as with the Tem- poral Champion. Table 8 details the rate of the Temporal Raider’s spell progression, but it does not in~ clude the bonus spell every chronomancer re~ ceives when access to a new spell level is gained. The Temporal Raider gains the other specialist benefits and hindrances of the chronomancer with one exception. The +10 bonus when attempting to learn a chrono- mancy spell is eliminated. Just as with the ‘Temporal Champion, though, this does not affect the chronomancer’s ability to automati- cally learn one chronomancer spell with each new level of a Chronomancers © 15be Terre ed | Table 8: Temporal Raider Spell Progression | Wizard Spell Level Level 23456789 16 7 18, 19 20 pee eeenueNneH| i Rois ii | Raider thieving skills differ only in their base scores (see Table 9) and modifying points. allotted. A Raider begins with only 40 points (instead of 60) to distribute among the scores and every level gains only another 20 points {instead of 30) Table 9: Raider Skill Base Scores Skill Base Score Pick Pockets | Open Locks Find /Remove Traps Move Silently Hide in Shadows Detect Noise Climb Walls Read Languages 16 + Chapter OneBia ita Cet kis done. This day have I accomplished something worth ‘my decades of study, experimentation, and failure; Htouched a new dimension and walked on a new world. The momentum of time not only can be ‘manipulated, but observed, measured, and moved through. There is a higher state of existence, or a more basic one, depending on viewpoint, and 1 ssessor of its secrets —The final entry in The First Journal of Kandalon ‘Temporal Prime is a pseudo-reality that permeates every plane of existence among the alternate realities. There, time exists in a phys- ical state that can be looked at, measured, and moved through. It is from Temporal Prime that a chronomancer draws mystical energy, and itis by traveling Temporal Prime that one may journey to the past or future. ‘Temporal Prime has been referred to as one of the innermost planes, beyond even the ele- mental planes. There is a certain measure of truth to this, since time is a basic component of every plane of all known realities, as impor- tant as length, width, and depth. This notion is not quite accurate, though. Alll planes of known realities are reflections cast by the existence of linear spirits and sub- stances within the dimensional plane of Tem- poral Prime. The elemental planes are the first reflection, that of linear substance. The outer planes are the last reflection, that of linear spirit. And the basic Prime Material plane of reality that balances between them is a merger of substance and spirit: life Although the planes of existence stem from the dimensional planes, and the proper view- point for explanations might be from this direction, it is the specific interaction of linear creatures with Temporal Prime that this book is most concerned with. To make matters a: clear as possible, the following information i presented from the viewpoint of such crea- tures when possible. CHAPTER Beyond Time Temporal Prime would not be the only imensional plane, of course. Beyond it would be length, width, and depth. The concept of these planes escapes the grasp of the human mind, and it is unlikely that life or matter as we know it could exist there. So from where do life and matter spring? Are there dimensional planes nestled between depth and time that contain the building blocks of matter? What about magic or physi cal laws such as gravity? If deities created the multiverses, are they made of these blocks, or did they make the blocks? Where does the DM call a stop? The answer is: Wherever he wants. Players who wish to spend time inves tigating these questions can be swayed by the simple statement, “It is beyond the ken of understanding, and likely fatal if tampered with.” The Building Blocks To truly understand Temporal Prime, one must first understand linear existence and the way in which linear organisms are repre- sented in this pseudo-reality. Linear Existence Born at point A and dying at point Z, living, organisms experience every point in between as a separate event. Shrink the points down to the smallest observable unit, and still no two points ever occur simultaneously. Now consider an inanimate object, such as a rock, which does not observe its environ ment. It may be eroded by the weather, moved by a passing animal, and fall into a stream. with other rocks and help divert the stream's course. These events can be established as dif- ferent points in the rock’s existence. There fore, an inanimate object also interacts with its environment in a linear fashion. The Big Picture + 17This creates the basis for motion. Any form at rest with its environment still progresses through linear time. If looked at from the re- verse view, time flows past the form in a sin- gle direction. This motion is one current in the stream of time, A timestream is developed from an endless number of these currents, some stronger than others, and the way these currents interact with each other. The main difference between living and inanimate forms is that life deliber- ately acts upon its environment, while lifeless matter is acted upon. A plant has a limited form of intelligence that drives it to extend roots and seek nutrients in the soil. A creature operates on instinct and cunning, other times with logic and reason, to decide where to hunt, how to hunt, and what to hunt. In either case, an event has occurred and time is altered downstream. Possibly, in the case of the crea- ture that just hunted down a less intelligent creature for food, time has been altered for more than one lifeform. This ability to make decisions and influence other lifeforms, other currents, makes living organisms important variables in time-space. Ata higher level, consider a humanoid creature born at point A who becomes power- ful. At point V, this humanoid dies, but the current does not immediately dissipate. Through others with whom this being has left an impression, the humanoid’s influence is still felt—a hand reaching from beyond the grave to interact with the living, The current, and therefore time, has momentum that drives it beyond the humanoid’s death. At point Z, the current dissipates. The direct influence of the humanoid is no longer felt (the dissipation takes longer with those who make stronger impressions), but its dri- ving force has added strength to those about it The momentum has not been lost but spread among nearby currents. The stream’s overall momentum builds toward infinity in this way, downstream currents shaped by the 18 + Chapter Two upstream ones. This temporal force is what people call destiny. It does not remove free will from any creature, but it resists radical changes to the flow of time-space. If the child of a peasant wished to follow a political life, that child would encounter heavy resistance. Tr might seem to come from those nearby, but it is the driving force of time, its momentum, that is the underlying cause. Motion, current, momentum—these are the basics of the linear temporal existence of most lifeforms, laws that govern the planes of real- ity, as does gravity. These basics also shape the physical existence of Temporal Prime. Physical Traces With a basic idea as to the mechanics of interaction between time and linear organ- isms, the next step is understanding the rep- resentation of linear life on Temporal Prime. As any lifeform moves through reality, the temporal current sweeping around it marks a physical trail on Temporal Prime. This is simi- lar toa worm burrowing through the earth; however, the entire wormhole is present from start to finish, and the worm moves along it. The worm has had free choice of which turns, to make, but on Temporal Prime, all of these decisions exist at once, so the trail looks com- pletely formed. These trails are known as life lines, and their characteristics approximate the importance of that lifeform to time-space. Lifelines appear as cablelike lengths from a quarter-inch to several inches thick. Thickness represents the elevation of the lifeform above others, separating general groups by their potential for greater influence, Humanoids and the more intelligent or dangerous crea- tures, for example, leave some of the thickest lifelines, while the lines of domestic animals are thin. Plant life leaves the thinnest lines of all. In fact, these lines usually have no sub- stance to them. Called ghostlines, they are dis- tinguished by a hazy edge and can be passedthrough without disrupting them. It takes a very important plant, such as one that pre- vents a person from starving, to have a line of substance. There are no documented cases of a humanoid having a ghostline until after death. The ghostline exists for as long as the humanoid’s momentum affects others. It grows thinner as the momentum spreads its driving force to nearby lifelines, finally disap- pearing as all its momentum is transferred. Lifelines range from a normal pale silver, almost translucent, to a rare bright silver. This, indicates the importance of the individual organism at that particular time. A common peasant might have a pale lifeline for most of her life, but it can run bright silver at certain points. She might think up a better design for a harness or walk within 20 feet of the em- peror. The new harness might never be invented, or she might not say anything of consequence to the emperor, but the potential still exists, even if not acted upon. By contrast, \g would probably have a brighter line entire life, since the slightest event could inspire him to great changes. By definition, a person who travels Temporal Prime is impor- tant to time-space—because of the changes they could make—and always has a thick, bright silver line. Chronomancers use these telltale signs to know where the action is. Temporal Prime Temporal Prime appears as an infinite expanse of black space with an infinite num~ ber of timestreams flowing through it. The timestreams a creature can perceive are sepa- rated by vast distances partially filled with a thick, bluish gray mist-smoke. Viewed from afar, if the mist-smoke wasn’t obscuring the observer's view, a timestream, would appear as a pale silver cord, or perhaps arriver, stretching from one horizon to another in a basically straight course. Each plane of all possible realities is represented on Temporal Prime by a separate timestream that, upon moving closer, is seen to be a collection of intertwined silverish lines—the lifelines of the that plane’s residents. A timestream repre- sents the course of history for that plane from hypothetical beginning to speculative end. A chronomancer’s perception is locked into whatever plane he was on before entering Temporal Prime, so the timestream of this plane, and the alternate versions of this plane, are all that can be seen. This accounts for the vast areas found between timestreams, space in which the timestreams of other planes are flowing but cannot be seen. If, for example, a chronomancer entered ‘Temporal Prime from the plane of Elemental Fire, every timestream he could perceive would be an alternate version of Elemental Fire. If he were to travel back to reality, some- how move over to the third plane of the Abyss, and re-enter Temporal Prime, each time stream he can now perceive is an alternate third plane of the Abyss. This phenomenon is due to several factors, such as the different rate at which time flows within different planes, but it is a natural limitation of the humanoid mind, Conceivably, the chronomancer could find a way to open the timestreams of other planes directly, but the difference in temporal current would be dangerous. Also, if he somehow made all timestreams visible, the chrono- mancer would only see masses of lifelines and would not be able to tell where one real- ity/plane ended and another began. End of the Line If the chronomancer managed to travel back or ahead far enough, an end to the life lines would be found. These ends correspond toa time before life appeared on the world and a time after all life disappears from the world, Neither is an end to the timestream. The Big Picture + 19Linear substance does not leave a physical trace on Temporal Prime, but it still exists. Within the timestream, the mist-smoke still travels in thinner, more turbulent patterns, while in the true void, it condenses and flows together much more smoothly. Travel within the boundaries of the timestream past the life- lines is exactly the same. The characters can still slip into reality, though the conditions may be unsuitable for humanoid life. Inside the Timestream A chronomancer in Temporal Prime ap- pears near the middle of the timestream, ap- parently floating in midair, surrounded by a vast wilderness of lifelines. Some lines run straight with no major twists, while some writhe as living things in reality interact with each other, but all lifelines run in roughly the same direction. They could be left to right, back to front, or up to down, depending on the viewer's orientation, but the lines are always running from the past to the future. A birth can be detected by a second lifeline splitting from the original, and a death by the gradual fading of the line into a ghostline and then nothing. The lifelines of people involved in intense interactions (a husband and wife, or a band of adventurers being devoured by a black dragon) would intertwine so tightly that one could not pass a hand between them. The lifeline belonging to any organism that slips to Temporal Prime stops at that instant, and a trail of silvery mist follows it in the same way as an astral tether. The tether is not permanent, but any given portion does not fade until the owner is at least two days of normal travel distant. When the lifeform slips back to reality, the tether completely fades, and the lifeline on Temporal Prime continues from the point entered. On a plot of time, it appears that the lifeline has a large gap in it More of this is covered in detail in the follow- ing chapter. es Chapt Some areas in the timestream have few or no lines, and some areas are impassable due to the event tangle of thousands of lifelines. The location of the lifeform in reality often dictates which lifelines are close. Normally there is room enough between lines for a person to pass easily. Even in areas corresponding to crowded cities, the lifelines do not normally impede passage. Event tangles are usually small, only a few dozen lines, easily passed quickly by, but they can grow large enough to impede progress for several days or prevent a chronomancer from reaching the nexus. An event tangle usually occurs by at least one bright silver line (and probably more) tying large numbers of others together, but it could also begin with something as simple as anatural disaster. Fither way, the event equates toa focal point of time-space affecting any- where from dozens to thousands of lifeforms. The deciding battle of a war, the assassination of a monarch, and councils between coun- tries, large cities, or very powerful wizards might be possible event tangles. A light, bluish gray mist-smoke exists among the lifelines—the same substance found in the voids between timestreams. This a representation of the momentum of time, it being so great it has begun to intrude in a physical sense, Within the timestream, it alter- nates between thin sheets and wispy tendrils drifting in the direction of the future as if blown by an unfelt wind. Regardless of a character's speed of travel, the mist-smoke always drifts slightly faster. Within the mist- smoke are small threads of matter known as strands. These vary in length from one to six inches, and are usually invisible. Those that can be seen appear as small white threads, and their effect is discussed later. Many features of Temporal Prime have not been discussed in detail or at all. Most of them can be classified as disruptions to the normal flow of time, and their explanations are best withheld until later.Several small forays into this new world leave ‘me with questions and new directions for study that overwhelm what little I learn. Hours spent twithin the same fragment of what I believe to be a dimensional plane are yielding few results. ‘My plan is for a prolonged stay in this pseudo: reality. Lhave assembled the equipment I may need tokeep myself safe and aware of my route of travel Perhaps I may learn more of the larger picture and might begir pnly the slightest of which I have penetrated. to understand its secrets, Opening lines of The Second Journal of Kandalon Anyone traveling Temporal Prime must understand that there is much unknown about it. Questions arise. How did Temporal Prime come about? Where did the creatures come from? How can linear beings exist out side of their natural time-space? Good ques- tions, but if the chronomancers know, they aren't telling. Many general aspects, and even some spe- cifies, are common knowledge among those who study the phenomena of Temporal Prime: how to get there and back, the effect of grav- ity, how to travel through time, the hazards of this pseudo-reality. These are details which are easily discovered through a bit of testing by anyone traveling Temporal Prime Travel to Temporal Prime has been referred to.as expanding on the planes of existence are reflections of this pseudo-reality, Temporal Prime must always be present within any plane, but at a level too basic for linear creatures to comprehend. In e's consciousness. Sincetheory, instead of traveling to reach Temporal Prime,a character remains at rest and expands his Wisdom to overlay the reality about him- self with Temporal Prime. In effect, he men- tally forms Temporal Prime around himself, Timeslip is the normal method of reaching ‘Temporal Prime, but unless you are a chrono- mancer or know one, it is hard to come by. Chronomancers guard their secrets well, often to the point that it is amazing that they manage to ever trust an apprentice. Tinvslip is relatively weak, only a 2nd-level spell, which suggests that the barrier between reality and Temporal Prime is extremely thin. The spell manipulates the Wisdom of the recipient, making the caster more conscious of the flow of time. Itis less like opening a door- way, and more a matter of shifting into a state of higher temporal activity or becoming less linear. If the highest state of temporal activity could be reached by a creature, it would exist much like a time dimensional (see page 94), its consciousness extending through time. Create slipgate does establish a doorlike channel between reality and Temporal Prime, meaning that stepping across the threshold triggers a timeslip effect. Limited wish can duplicate these effects, and wish should open a channel to the pseudo-reality, but only used by a chronomancer. Other spells make temporary contact with Temporal Prime, but only these that have been mentioned can actually get characters there and back. Ifa magical item’s effect is similar to any of the spells mentioned above, it should allow travel between reality and Temporal Prime. Lisker’s portal key is the best known of such items. The weir of Kandalon and certain of the ‘weir’ gems also allow such travel, There have been rumors that at least one amulet of the planes has a setting for Temporal Prime, but it is unlikely, since travel between planes differs from slipping into Temporal Prime. ‘The temporal dog (see page 90) can slip between Temporal Prime and reality, but only 22 + Chapter Three the time dimensional (see page 94) can trans- port another being with it, and getting it to cooperate can be difficult. If the characters were inside an extra-dimensional space, such as a portable hole, fastened to a temporal dog, they would find themselves transported to the timestreams attached to that pocket di- mension—not too useful. The final way of traveling to Temporal Prime is the timestorm (see pages 36-37). Where a timestorm springs up, the chance that it takes “riders,” and where “riders” are deposited on Temporal Prime are up to the winds of fate (or the DM). These storms are impossible to predict, and they are a one-way ticket, They do not occur on Temporal Prime. At the Starting Gate When you slip to Temporal Prime the first time, youi always seem to be near the middle of the timestream—never dead center, but close. Reasons for this vary, but the truest is that when a creature is able to reach that higher level of temporal activity, it overlays reality with Temporal Prime. In a creature's mind, the center of the world is never too far away from it. That and the basic will to sur- vive, the belief that its life is the most pre- cious, focuses everything around itself This doesn’t work perfectly, though. Other creatures slip to Temporal Prime, also for their first time, forming the timestream around themselves. A median range occurs that places all slipped creatures close to the same range from middie. Interestingly enough, if an observer on Temporal Prime watches a new creature slip in, the time- stream does not rearrange itself to place the creature toward the middle. The dimension has apparently already adjusted the time stream to account for the various slips. A few lifelines can be seen to move—the lines the creature would have affected if it had remained in reality.More on Timestream Formation Careful deliberation on the mechanics behind the timestream turns up some discrep- ancies. Ifthe timestream exists outside of lin- ‘ear time, why don’t the characters meet them- selves in Temporal Prime? Also, if linear time exists at a single point, eventually a chrono- mancer would be timeslipping to or from every point in a world. How does the time- stream arrange for the characters to appear neat the middle of the timestream? It comes back to temporal activity. While the timestream may exist outside of linear time, the character does not. If the character became nonlinear, he would effectively be a time dimensional, and it’s unlikely that he could again interact with the known world So, time still exists on Temporal Prime. With that in mind, it is understandable that, atany stant, only a certain number of slips occur—very few, when the total number of chronomancers is considered. The tir stream interacts along this limited form of time and shifts very subtly, beyond human detection, to ensure the slips take place closer to center. Though lifelines appear to run a straight course, they actually angle just enough to travel from the middle of the timestream ut to the edge and back again. If a character could stand outsice of linear time completely (a5 a dimensional), the lifelines would be seething in the timestream to keep the slip page from reality toward the center. Which Way Is Up? ‘Temporal Prime is adaptable to the individ- ual, as much of it is governed by perception. Time, air, gravity, distance—all of these nor- mally fixed physical conditions are depen- dent on the observer. Technically, none of these except time exist on Temporal Prime. Time Differential. Time exists here in forms never before imagined. This can cause some uncertainty about spell durations, how a character ages, and so on. Remember that any visitors here are still a part of the reality to which they belong; they are merely at a higher state of temporal activity. A round still seems like a round. Spell durations are treated the same, unless noted otherwise in Chapter 6, as are potions and magical item effects. Sleep is still required at normal intervals, as are food and water, and these indicate how much time has passed subjectively. The amount of game world (“real”) time that passes, however, is quite different. Being less linear while on Temporal Prime, charac- {ers can accomplish more than those in reality. The differential is about four to one. For every round that passes in reality, four pass on Temporal Prime. This is one of the greatest benefits of being on Temporal Prime. A chro- nomancer could slip from reality in the mid- dle of a battle, spend four rounds on Temporal Prime fixing himself up (three rounds of drinking healing potions, one round to slip back), and return to reality to find only one. combat round has been missed, So why can’t the chronomancer study the lifelines and slip back to reality directly after leaving? Even though the traveler’s lifeline ended at the instant he slipped from reality, it continues to grow while the chronomancer spends time on Temporal Prime. This is re- ferred to as a shadow line, and it’s created by the ties between the chronomancer’s body and his home plane. This raises a better question. Why can’t the chronomancer slip back in time before he left and have two of himself ata time? The mater- ial on pages 36-37 focuses on just that, but for now, there is a simple answer. Existing at the same time as yourself, a procedure called dou- bling a lifeline, is not possible for all intents and purposes. DMs should expect some whin- ing from players over this, but should pay no mind. Air, A creature can breathe on Temporal The Road to Adventure * 23Prime. Fires can be lit. Aren’t these indications of air? Not exactly: It is thought that the medi- um needed for breathing is present through the creature's link to its reality. In this way, water breathers, oxygen breathers, and non- breathers could all live together on Temporal Prime. Likewise, the materials needed to build a fire, since they must be brought from reality, retain a link that allows the process to work. Other chemical reactions that require an at- mospheric element work similarly. This effect fades with exposure to Temporal Prime. It is the only condition that operates in this way, and this can cause hardship. Flammable materials become harder to ignite the longer they're on Temporal Prime. If there for 10 subjective days per pound of material, they cannot be ignited. If taken back toa plane of reality, the materials burn, but if brought back to Temporal Prime before an- other 10 days (per pound) have passed, they are still nonflammable. ‘A creature that remains on Temporal Prime for longer than six months discovers that breathing is no longer necessary. If it returns to reality, a-1 is applied to its Constitution for one week. If a full month is spent in reality before slipping back to Temporal Prime, the condition does not repeat for another six months. Otherwise, the condition worsens. After another six months, breathing is lost as an autonomic function. The first round the creature spends in atmosphere, it is helpless while struggling for breath. For the next turn, it can do little but defend itself and work on breathing. A ~4 penalty is applied to the crea- ture’s Constitution. One point is recovered every month spent in atmosphere. Unless the fall four months are spent in atmosphere, the condition relapses immediately. Gravity and Direction. There are no north, south, east, west on Temporal Prime, since it lacks the normal references. Instead, there are upstream, downstream, and cross-stream— directions referenced to the lifelines and the 24 + Chapter Three flow of the mist-smoke. Cross-stream is a bit vague, since it covers such a wide variety of directions, but a sensible group of adventur- ers can sort it out by staring downstream and establishing a high, low, left, and right. ‘A creature that slips to Temporal Prime feels as if normal gravity is acting upon it. Its hair (fur, feathers, and so on) lies flat. Weight seems to rest upon it, Everything seems nor- mal, except for the mist-smoke sky filled with lifelines. About then, it notices that there is no ground beneath that interesting skyscape. Gravity relies strongly on a creature's per- ception. Again, it falls back to the fact that the creature is still bound by the physical laws of its home plane. Whatever normal gravity would be for this creature (standard, weightlessness, or the neutral buoyancy of most water crea- tures), that is what this creature perceives. There is no changing the strength of the gravitational field, but “down” may be any direction wished. Changing orientation does. not mean falling. The creature simply spins slowly until its feet are pointing in the correct, direction. The high, low, left, and right assign- ments could become meaningless if much of this reorientation is done, but it takes a small amount of concentration, so there should be no accidental changes in gravity. Besides, the trail of silver mist all linear creatures leave on. Temporal Prime can be used to reestablish a proper orientation should an accident occur. Gravity applies to each creature on an indi- vidual basis and extends to anything carried. An item picked up becomes a part of that creature's field, and weight is acquired ac- cordingly. An item dropped and then picked up by a creature with a different gravitational strength becomes heavier or lighter as the case warrants. Two creatures that contact each other weigh according to their own physical laws concerning personal weight, and the other’s laws when being acted upon. An example: Creature A weighs 50 pounds on its normal plane. Creature B, which comesfrom a reality where gravity is twice as strong, weighs 100 pounds. In a struggle, they lock embraces and try to lift each other. Creature A still weighs 50 pounds, and its opponent seems to Weigh 50 pounds as well. Creature B weighs 100 pounds, and to it, Creature A also weighs 100 pounds because B's stronger grav- ity is affecting it. In the end, it all balances out, since being from a stronger gravity makes creature B twice as strong. Distance. There are two ways to measure distance on Temporal Prime, and it is neces- sary that both be understood. One is subjec- tive—the measure of feet, yards, and miles with respect to the creature. The other is ob- jective—a preliminary topic that leads into time travel Subjective distances on Temporal Prime do not change. A yard is still a yard. If another creature appears to be 10 yards away, for all intents and purposes, it is. Subjective distance is used for combat range, area of spell effe and dimensions of an item or creature. Objective distance can be a difficult con- cept. It defines distance within the timestream with respect to the plane it corresponds to. If traveling among the lifelines, upstream or downstream, objective distance equates to how many days, months, or years are passing, within reality: A character who travels along- side a single lifeline for a day might slip back to reality and find that he is six months into the future, but he is in the same building from which he left, This is because the lifeline be- longed to the innkeeper who never left the place. Or, if the lifeline being followed be- longed to a traveling merchant, it is still six months into the future, but the character might be halfway around the world. IF traveling cross-stream, objective distance is the measure of true miles passing in reality. The benefit here is not quite as clear. A char- acter could leave reality at noon, travel eross- stream for four days on Temporal Prime, slip back to reality and find that only one day has passed (remember the four-to-one differen- tial) and he has traveled approximately 100 miles. This is not the instantaneous effect of a teleport, and is not nearly as accurate, since the character has no real idea where his path may lead to, but it’s not a bad effect for the use of a couple 2nd-level spells. Visibility. Visibility on Temporal Prime is limited by the mist-smoke to 60 feet inside a timestream, falling to 30 feet in the voids. Getting About As covered in the previous section, subjec- tive distance seems to function normally. When a character paces off 10 yards from another character, they are 10 yards apart when considering combat, spell range, and so on. But there was also mention of a lack of solid ground and the problem with gravity being an independent sensation. How, then, does a character walk at all? And what hap- pens to a dropped item? Movement. How characters move is af- fected by their perception. The character knows that 10 paces should carry a person so far, and that running covers that distance so mutch faster. The character’s mind is provid- ing the force needed to move forward. Does it look like walking? Yes. Does it feel like walk- ing? Yes. Do the muscles get tired? Yes. So can characters mentally propel them- selves forward and not pretend to walk at all, like on the astral plane? No. Their minds are still linked with reality and must behave under the proper laws. Consequently, swim- ming behaves the same way, since the force of buoyancy surrounds a waterbome creature, but flying does not. Flight depends on the force of aerodynamics in defiance of gravity, not propulsion against a solid. Winged crea- tures must walk Inertia. On Temporal Prime, inertia is a stored force, not an active one. This means is that, once a thrown or mechanically launched The Road to Adventure * 25object leaves contact with its hurler, itis frozen in place. Drop a stone from arm's length, and it hangs there, seemingly weight- less, until another creature takes hold of it, and weight and inertia return. Shoot an arrow or throw a dagger, and it freezes as soon as it loses contact with the bow or hand. Now remember, the force is stored, not lost. If another creature were to touch one of these fired arrows or thrown knives, the stored inertia kicks in once again, and the arrow pulls out of his grasp. As soon as the item loses contact, it freezes again. If the creature was stupid enough to touch the pro- jectile while standing in front of it, it would penetrate, doing normal damage. This effect pretty much nullifies ranged combat on Tem- poral Prime, but a few of these inertia~ charged weapons make passable booby traps. Also, any such frozen item that is brought back into reality immediately ex- pends its inertia and continues on its way unhindered. Note: It must be a creature, not plant life, that contacts the object. Also, creatures native to Temporal Prime do not trigger the latent inertia, since their own physical laws work differently. Mapping the Realm The driving interest behind the study of chronomancy is time travel, the ability to visit the past or future, the wielding of power over the natural course of events. What else holds as much potential for personal gain and ex- pands the horizons of every world in exis- tence?Traveling an Objective Mile ‘Travel through Temporal Prime is accom- plished through the power of the mind, and subjective distances are unchanged. Objective distance, however, is related directly to the Wisdom of the creature. When a creature moves downstream, it travels into the future. But doa dozen paces equal one minute or one day of time passed in reality? If the creature travels cross-stream, does each pace equal one yard or one mile? ‘The answer to both questions depends on the state of temporal activity the creature has reached—how less linear it has become. A ‘creature with a high Wiscom reaches a higher state and can encompass more of Temporal Prime. In effect, itis increasing the objective distance covered per day of travel. To figure out objective distance for one day's travel upstream or downstream, square the Wisdom of the creature. This is how many days pass in reality. For example, if the crea- ture possesses a Wisdom of 10, one day of downstream travel places the creature 100 days into the future, This is all in addition to the normal four-to-one time differential, so it could be said that, for the downstream travel- ing creature in the example, 100 days plus six hours passed! in reality By comparison, cross-stream travel is not quite so generous. Wisdom is still the decid- ing ability score, but the number of true miles covered is limited by the laws of Temporal Prime. The main limit is that the timestream has a set diameter, while the plane it repre- sents is infinite. Also, as objective distance shrinks in the cross-stream direction, the physical obstacles of the lifelines begin to interfere with travel. Consult Table 10 for the cross-stream objective distance modifier. Take the modifier and multiply it by the creatute’s, normal movement rate. A creature with a Wisdom of 10 and a movement rate of 12 would have a modified movement rate of 18. This does not take the four-to-one time differ- ential into account, so after a normal day's travel (in this case, around 36 miles), only six hours have passed in reality. Table 10: Travel Modifiers Wisdom Distance Modifier 14 1.00 59 125 10415 1.50 16-23 175 2a 2.00 Spells or magical items that increase move- ment only work if they affect the need for rest. (This rule does not nullify a spell like Articus’s ‘melee manager, since it affects the mind, not the. body.) A typical day of travel calls for 10 hours of movement, allowing for rest stops and meals. This allows double the creature's movement rate in miles per day. A forced march can increase this to 2.5 times the move- ment rate, but then physical exhaustion can become a problem. A potion of vitality would cure this difficulty. After all modifiers have been applied, the creature with a movement rate of 12 and a Wisdom of 10 would be able to make 45 forced-march miles per day (again, not counting for the time differential). Note that groups move at the rate of the slowest member of the group. Temporal Shortcuts ‘Turbulence is the result of an unnatural dis- turbance in the timestream. The physical indi- cations vary, but there is always a heavy disruption in the mist-smoke of Temporal Prime. Possible effects are alternating dense and thin pockets, whirlpooling, color changes, and, in the most severe cases, a temporary reversal of flow. All of these directly represent a disruption to the momentum of time. If Road to Adventure + 27properly read, turbulence can indicate the location, severity, and type of disturbance. Roll 1d20 and consult Table 11 to determine the types of turbulence encountered. Table 11; Turbulence Sources Roll Source 110 Vortex ul Maelstrom 144 ‘Timestorm 15418, Spell effect 19-20 Change in history Vortex. Follow any turbulence to its source, and the chances are good that its cause is a vortex. These phenomena look like whirlpools of energy and the mist-smoke of Temporal Prime. The energy flashes in a spiraling de- scent from top to tip, several bolts always pre- sent within the vortex, and bolts entering and leaving every few seconds. Mist-smoke trails down the funnel much slower, and most of it escapes before reaching the bottom. The mist- smoke usually keeps the whirlpool moving and veers off in the small spinning tendrils, characteristic of vortices. A vortex connects to one or more other points in the timestream, allowing days, weeks, or even years to be covered in just a few hours. All a traveler has to do to utilize this convenient bypass is follow the spiral along the wall (travel within a vortex is lim- ited to the sides) from top to spout. This helps the creature synchronize with the change in time’s momentum so it can pass through the spout. If the vortex connects to more than one point, the flashes of energy and trails of mist- smoke overlap in Id4 confusing spirals. Each piral corresponds to another point the vortex connects to. A Wisdom check must be made to be able to follow a particular path, and a~1 penalty is applied for each additional spiral in the vortex 28 * Chapter Three After passing through, the creature is in the bottom of another vortex, which could be located anywhere within the timestream. The creature may leave by traveling straight up the side (no spiraling is necessary). Moving downward sends the creature back to the vor- tex it just left, or in the case of a vortex with multiple spirals, throws the creature to a ran- dom point of contact. To determine randomly how far the vor- tices span, roll 14100. The result is the num- ber of days between any two points. If the result is 95-98, roll again and consider the span to be in months. If the first result was 99-00, or the second result a 95-00, roll again and consider the span to be in years. Vortices can also be within a few days of each other and span large distances cross-stream. Vortices range in size from 10-60 yards across and deep according to how long they've been around. This also affects the distance they span and how many connections they have. A four-point vortex, or a vortex which spans years, is extremely large and very old. Vortices are numerous and can be found nes- tled within the lifelines at irregular interval ‘The minimum distance between them is about three days’ travel; the maximum is about two weeks apart. Vortices are relatively stable, which means they can be mapped out, giving, the chronomancer a rough map through time and reality, but they can also be created and closed, so the map is not always accurate. Maelstrom. A maelstrom is a large net- work of vortices that connect on a specific timestream to each other as well as to those of different planes of existence and other worlds. A maelstrom looks like a giant storm brewed. from the mist-smoke, with large vortices (the 60-yard type) fighting for dominance, and smaller vortices branching off from these. The turbulence can range for several days’ worth of subjective distance, and lifelines bend sharply to avoid this obstacle. Anywhere from four to seven (1d4+3) largevortices are present in a maelstrom. Called anchor vortices, these all have four spiral pat- terns, and a few have smaller vortices spiral- ing out inside walls. Consult Table 12 to determine these vortices’ connections. For all large vortices, apply the ~3 penalty to Wis dom for multiple spiral patterns, regardless of the number of connections. The smaller vor- tices are standard types, the only difference being an extra -1 penalty to Wisdom checks due to their positioning inside another vortex. Roll The Vortex’s Connections 1s Four-point vortex, all same time- stream 6-10 int vortex with a span of 1-12 Two-point vortex to another plane, same world 1344 — One-point vortex to another plane, different world (nearby). 16-18 One-point vortex to another world, different crystal sphere.* |19-20 Two-point vortex to another | world, different crystal sphere.* While maelstroms have never been closed (whether by design or on their own), the vor- tices within them sometimes change tions (25% likely with each visit). Often likely with each visit), the number of vo shrinks until a maelstrom has only the mini mum of four. The changes are thought to come from direct manipulation of t Istrom by time dimensionals or Guardians (see page 59) Timestorms, Spell Effects, and Changes in History. These types of disruptions are dealt with in the appropriate sections (timestorms: pages 36-37; spell effects: Chapter 6). Hlistori- cal ch re discussed as follows. *See the SrELijaMnare® boxed setChanging History Some of the biggest DM headaches from time traveling are the problems a change in history brings. What happens to the memo- ries? How quickly do the changes proceed forward? What is the effect on Temporal Prime? Most of these questions are left to the judgment of the Dungeon Master, since it is hard to place set rules on all possible tamper- ings with time. By following the basic guide- lines of the momentum of time, however, much of this chore is covered. Mechanics of a Paradox Any change to the natural order of events produces turbulence on Temporal Prime. This turbulence usually begins at the point of the event and spreads downstream in a cone- shaped field of mist-smoke disruption as the change’s area of effect spreads to include more creatures. Limited patches of upstream turbulence are common, since changing the natural order of events is one of the most severe disruptions to the momentum of time. ‘The subjective dimensions of the affected area and the length of subjective time for which the turbulence exists depend on the magni- tude of the change. A sleeper change, in which a piece of information or an action is inserted into the natural order with no effect until a later date, is slightly different. The turbulence pattern here is a long, thin ribbon that blos- som into a major disruption at the activation point. The momentum of time resists any radical change and attempts to smooth out the trou- ble as soon as possible. It rearranges the lives of certain individuals to account for the change without major restructuring. Lifelines, which are usually set in place, writhe and shift slowly as the creatures they represent are molded into the new history. The overall effect is usually a drastic change to short-term history but little change, if any, to long-term history. It’s a gradual process, but eventually everything works out. By appearing in the past or future, a char- acter automatically causes a slight turbulence that lasts for as long as he remains. The trav- eler’s potential to change events puts thi time period into a state of flux, and the longer the traveler remains, the more likely he is to cause a dramatic change. The turbulence pat- tern is widespread until the chronomancer applies his influence. f the chronomancer performs a minor change in this time period (say, preventing the robbery of the town treasury), the turbu- lence might extend for a few months’ worth of distance on Temporal Prime. The area sur- rounding the lifelines of all affected people would be in a state of readjustment. Slowly, starting at the event point and moving down- stream, the turbulence would clear, and the timestream would appear normal. For a minor change, the time it takes for turbulence to clear is roughly one fourth the objective distance affected. If two months of actual time (the downstream objective dis- tance) were affected, two weeks would pass ne before the turbulence If the event was much more prominent preventing the assassination of a great ruler), it would Set up a chain of events that would rearrange lifelines and create turbu- ence for years. This is more than an extended version of the above scenario, since such activity is not always advantageous for the chronomancer. Dealing with the Paradox A chronomaneer can change history with ease, but the effect of the change is doubtful. ‘The chronomancer cannot always predict the exact nature of the changes, since the wizard and the momentum of time are probably working toward two separate ends. ess 30 + Chapter Three