Friday, August 25, 2006

Gods: Hemera and Nyx (Domain of Time)


The twin gods Hemera and Nyx share domain over Time.

Hemera: Lawful Neutral Female God of Day (Symbol: Sundial)
Nyx: Lawful Neutral Male God of Night (Symbol: Hourglass, and occasionally a Moondial)

Followers of the twin time gods have often display the sundial and the hourglass proudly, but in more superstitious regions of the world, magically working with time has been cast as an evil act, and the practioners have gone into hiding.

During the day, Hemera is more powerful, and her effects are experienced as if cast at a level (or more at the discretion of the DM) above the caster's level. Once the sun sets, the effects are felt as if cast at a level (or more) below the caster's level. The opposite follows for Nyx, where the powers are greater at night.

Philosophically, Hemera is an absolutist, and Nyx a relativist. Nyx can provide time based on an event, and Hemera can provide the time of day (at least during the day). These two gods constantly bicker about their differences, wasting a lot of time on details.

Clerical Domain: Time

Granted Power: Clerics choosing the Time domain cast time spells at +1 caster level.

Time Domain Spells:
0 Detect Temporal Disturbance
1 True Strike
2 Haste, Dispel Temporal Effect
3 Slow
4 Scry the Ages. You can see and hear some creature, who may be at any distance or in any time frame past or future.
5 Hastening of Age. The subject loses Ste, Dex, and Con levels as his body ages prematurely.
6 Mass Haste or Phase Object (description to come), Scry the Ages.
7 Wellspring of Youth. The subject gains Str, Dex and Con as his body regains its youth. Or Phase Self (desciption to come).
8 Time Stop or Phase Other (description to come).
9 Temporal Stasis or Mass Phase(description to come).

New Cleric Spells

Detect Temporal Disturbance
Universal (Time)
Level: Clr 0, Sir/Wiz 0
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 ft
Area Quarter circle eminating from you to the extreme of the range
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute / level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You can sense the presence of a disturbance in the natural flow of time up to 60 feet away in your own time frame. This includes the use of spells that manipulate time is any way, natural temporal distortions or gateways, objects that are displaced from their original time, and temporal creatures such as the time elemental. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area, as in the detect magic spell.

1st round: You can detect the presence or absence of temporal disturbances.

2nd Round: Number of different temporal disturbances and the amount of time between the origin and current temporal position of the most powerful disturbance.

3rd Round: The location and amount of time between the origin and current temporal position of each temporal disturbance. If the disturbances are in line of sight, you can make multiple spellcraft checks to determine the exact nature of the temporal disturbances; this would include information such as the caster level and type of spell, or the type and level of the creature.

Note: Each round you can turn to detect things in a new area. The spell can penetate barriers, but one foor of stone, one inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or three feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

Dispel Temporal Effect
Abjuration [Time]
Level: Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10 ft/level)
Target or Area: One temporal effect
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The caster can dispel any spell cast on a creature or object that manipulates time (such as haste, time stop, temporal stasis or slow) or has “time” as a descriptor, causing it to end as if its duration had expired. It can also suppress the time-related abilities of a magic item, temporarily close an individual temporal disturbance such as a temporary gateway or time distortion, or dissipate a creature relying on an ongoing time spell for its presence. In addition, it is able to counter another spellcaster's time spell, or dispel the ongoing effects of supernatural or spell-like effects that manipulate time. This spell can be used as a targeted dispel or a counterspell, like the dispel magic spell.


Scry the Ages
Divination [Time]
Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 5, Time 4
Components: V,S,M/DF, F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: See text.
Target or Area: Magical sensor
Duration: 1 minute / level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

You can see and hear some creature, which may be at any distance, but also in any period of time past or future (the time must be specified by the caster beforehand). If the subject succeeds on a Will save, the scrying attempt simply fails. The difficulty of the save depends on how well you know the subject and what sort of physical connection (if any) you have to that creature. Furthermore, if the subject is on another plane, it gets a +5 bonus on its Will save.


Knowledge

Will Save Modifier:

None* +10
Secondhand (you have heard of the subject) +5
Firsthand (you have met the subject) +0
Familiar (you know the subject well) -5
* You must have some sort of connection to a creature you have no knowledge of.

Connection

Will Save Modifier:
Likeness or picture -2
Possession or garment -4
Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc. -10

If the save fails, you can see and hear the subject and the subject’s immediate surroundings (approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject). If the subject moves, the sensor follows at a speed of up to 150 feet.

As with all divination (scrying) spells, the sensor has your full visual acuity, including any magical effects. In addition, the following spells have a 5% chance per caster level of operating through the sensor: detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, and detect magic.

If the save succeeds, you can’t attempt to scry on that subject again for at least 24 hours.

Arcane Material Component: A jewelry “eye” fashioned of a diamond set in gold, with a minimum cost of 250 gp, which vanishes upon being cast into the focus when the spell is cast.

Wizard, Sorcerer, or Bard Focus: A mirror of finely wrought and highly polished silver costing not less than 1,000 gp. The mirror must be at least 2 feet by 4 feet.

Cleric Focus: A holy water font costing not less than 100 gp.



Hastening of Age (Necromancy) [Time]
Level: Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7, Time 5
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: Ray of negative temporal energy
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Used as a directed attack, the creture struck ages at an extremely rapid rate – cells degrade and bones turn brittle before their time. The victim of this attack ages one step as per the aging chart in the PHB: Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity are modified the amount specified below for his new age. For adulthood to middle age Str, Con and Dex are reduced by 1. For middle age to old age they are reduced by 2. For old age to venerable age they are reduced by 3. And for childhood to adulthood they are increased by 3. A character's ability scores cannot be reduced below 1 in this way. Undergoing hastening of age multiple times produces cumulative affests, but casting the spell on a character of venerable age changes his only cosmetically; the spell cannot kill. When aged in this way, you may feel and look older, but the time alloted to your soul remains the same; for instance, though and adult human character is now middle aged for all intents and purposes, he still has his full original 55+2d20 years left to live. Note that the bonuses to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma given to normally aging characters do not apply to this spell, as the target doesn't undergo the experiences that would add to these abilities.

Much like energy drain, hastening of age requires that twenty-four hours after the attack the subject must make a Fortitude saving throw (using the spell DC) to negate the effects. If he fails, the damage to his abilities and his apparent age become permanent. Success means that the effects begin to fade away. The permanent reduction to the character's ability scores can be dispelled by restoration, but not lesser restoration; it is a permanent ability drain. Wellspring of Youth can also counteract it. Hastening of Age can only affect mortal creatures that suffer the affects of normal aging; undead creatures and the like are immune.



Wellspring of Youth (Conjuration) (Healing) [Time]
Level: Clr 8, Time 7
Components: V,S, M, XP
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Directed at a single target, this spell allows one person to regain his youth at a rapid rate – cells repair themeselves, and wrinkled skin regians its youthful firmness and glow. The recipient of this spell becomes one aging step younger as described below; his Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity are modified the amount specified by his new age. For venerable to old age, Ste, Con and Dex are increased by 3. For old age to middle age they are increased by 2. for middle age to adulthood they are increased by 1. And for adulthood to childhood they are reduced by 3. A character's ability scores cannot be reduces below 1 by this spell. Undergoing wellspring of youth multiple times produces cumulative affects, but casting the spell on a character of childhood age changes his only cosmetically; the spell cannot kill and is not able to undo death. When aged in this way, you may feel and look younger, but the time alloted to your soul remains the same; for instance, though and adult human character is now middle aged for all intents and purposes, he still has his full original 55+2d20 years left to live. Although this spell doesn't provide immortality, it is very sought after by the wealthy classes as a way to preserve beauty and vigor throughout a lifetime.

Wellspring of youth works to counteract the effects of hastening of age, as mentioned above. It can only affect mortal creatures that supper the affects of normal aging; undead creatures and the like are immune.

Note that an unwilling target (such as an adult who does not wish to be reduced to a child's body in the middle of combat) is entitled to a Will saving throw if he or she so chooses.

Material Component: diamond dust worth 100 gp that is sprinkled over the target.



note: the Time Domain and new spells presented here are open gaming content (with the exception of the Phase spells and the description of the Gods) originally published in The Tide of Years by Atlas Games.

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