Chronomancers (CB)

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:I cannot prove the existence of this demiplane yet, this dimension of Time, merely the possibility of its existence. I have gathered information concerning the known planes and their relationship with each other, and nothing contradicts this concept. In fact, many of the laws and theories concerning the elemental planes help to directly support the possibility of a temporal plane that exists farther in than the elementals, a dimensional plane that acts as a cornerstone of reality as we know it.
:And what exists may be exploited. If power can be 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 stacks highly against an equal potential for devastation. 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 driving force to set them to policing their own kind? Perhaps it's best such arguments remain in the venue of theory.
:: — Excerpt from Kandalon's Theories on Time
Chronomancers draw power for their mystical 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 reality to another. Vortices range in size and hazards depending upon how many timestreams flow through them. Temporal Prime is the dimension in which timestreams can be viewed. A chronomancer can slip between reality and Temporal Prime through the use of spells, items, or permanent portals.
==A Note About the Demi-Plane 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 outsider might conceive of the dimension of Temporal Prime as some kind of demiplane, it is in fact nothing of the sort.
The phrase "demiplane 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 constructed, would make this mistake. Here, however, it is corrected.
For this reason, creatures like the "time demielemental" have been given more appropriate 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 chronomancer 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 Intelligence of 17 to understand the abstract theories on which his mystical art is based. A minimum Wisdom of 16 is required as well, to ensure the wizard has the foresight for understanding the implications of using chronomancy, 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 chronomancy 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 weapons, but this is the exception, not the rule.
Chronomancers are not allowed to wear armor of any type unless it is elven chain mail and the chronomancer is an elf or half-elf. ﻿Dual-classing cannot change this fact, and Dungeon Masters are cautioned against allowing a kit that permits otherwise.
Racial Level Limits. The standard racial level limits for wizards apply to chronomancers. Dwarves, gnomes, and 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 into the chronomancer at 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, and so would not take on such a student. A chronomancer who has turned chaotic over time may begin to allow some secrets to slip, but paranoia has an even tighter hold on that wizard, for other chronomancers often attempt to "correct" any such indiscretions that may come to their attention. As such, a chronomancer is unlikely to trust an apprentice of any alignment, much less a chaotic one.
Chronomancers who shift to a chaotic alignment 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 chronomancy is their second course of study, the minimum ability scores are raised to an Intelligence of 18 and a Wisdom of 17.
Regular multiclassing is not possible, since chronomancy automatically requires specialization. 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 chosen field is nearly identical to any other wizard 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 complexity of chronomancy spells, more experience is earned for casting them, yet only group experience is earned for casting non-chronomancy spells. Note that, due to the rigors of their studies, chronomancers never receive a 10% bonus on experience for having high ability scores in their prime requisites.
 Table 1: Chronomancer Experience
Action 	Award
Chronomancy spell cast to overcome foe or problems	60 XP/spell level
Chronomancy spell successfully researched 	600 XP/spell level
Making a potion or scroll 	XP value
Creating a permanent magical item 	XP value
===Level Advancement===
Chronomancers advance at a slightly slower pace than normal wizards (see Table 2). This is due to the complicated relationship between Temporal Prime and reality that chronomancers must apply to their studies.
﻿
 Table 2: Chronomancer Experience Levels
Level	Experience Points	Hit Dice (d4)
1 	0 	1
2 	3,000 	2
3 	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
11 	425,000 	10+1
12 	850,000 	10+2
13 	1,235,000 	10+3
14 	1,610,000 	10+4
15 	1,985,000 	10+5
16 	2,370,000 	10+6
17 	2,755,000 	10+7
18 	3,140,000 	10+8
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 1st-level chronomancer to memorize two spells as opposed to one. However, chronomancers are not permitted to use spells from three opposition schools: abjuration, conjuration/summoning, and necromancy. The chronomancer may not memorize these types of spells, cast them from scrolls, or use any item that is completely based in one of these magics (such as a wand of conjuration).
The bonuses and penalties for a chronomancer learning spells is slightly different from normal. The chronomancer receives a +10 bonus when trying to learn a chronomancy 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 chronomancer'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 nonchronomancer 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 opposition 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 numbers of them take this one step further by hiding the fact that they are even a wizard. Some believe that their operations would be hindered 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 chronomancers can even trust an apprentice enough to pass on their mystical knowledge.
Because of their guarded ways, chronomancers do not attract followers, and hirelings are reluctant to work for them for any length of time. Chronomancers may build a keep and gain the benefit of taxing local peasantry 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 together 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 chronomancy. He or she is likely to be a relative.
Category:Chronomancer Book