Hourglass Sage [4e Paragon Path]

[Alteran]

With apologies to Afroakuma, Shadow_Elf, and Zeta Kai...

Hourglass Sage
“I shall wipe you from existence, like a cyclone across the sand.”



Prerequisites: Wizard, trained in History, experience in deserts.

You have become wise in the ways of the desert. You have learned to manipulate time through careful study of the natural rhythms of life. You carry with you an hourglass, as a symbol of the mutability of time. Eons may pass in seconds at your command, and you can freeze your opponents in their tracks. You can summon incredible sandstorms that consume all in their path. All fear your might, though few understand it. You are an Hourglass Sage.

Hourglass Sage Path Features

Desert Bound (11th Level): While you are in the desert, your speed increases by 1. In addition, you gain a bonus equal to half your wisdom modifier to all skill checks pertaining to activities specific to the desert. This includes tasks such as:
Acrobatics checks to tumble down a sand dune without taking damage.
Diplomacy checks to negotiate with desert tribes.
Nature checks to identify flora and fauna in the desert.
Intelligence checks to plot a course through the desert.
You still gain this bonus if the skill uses Wisdom as its base stat for determining bonuses.

Temporal Action (11th Level): When you spend an action point to take another action, you or one of your allies can take a move or minor action in addition to the extra action granted by the action point.

Hourglass Manipulation (16th Level): When you score a critical hit against an enemy, that enemy is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Hourglass Sage Spells

Time Warp (Hourglass Sage Attack 11)
You slow time around your enemy, until he appears to freeze in place.
Encounter * Arcane, Implement
Standard Action – Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d4 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target is dazed and immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Sand Step (Hourglass Sage Utility 12)
You take a step and dissolve into sand, carried on the wind to your destination.
Daily * Arcane, Teleportation
Move Action – Personal
Effect: You teleport 8 + Wisdom modifier squares, and become insubstantial until the beginning of your next turn.

Sands of Time (Hourglass Sage Attack 20)
You summon a raging sandstorm that tears and reforms time as you command.
Daily * Arcane, Implement, Zone
Standard Action – Burst 2 within 10
Target: All enemies in burst.
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier damage and dazed until the end of your next turn.
Effect: The burst creates a zone of whirling sand that blocks line of sight. Squares in the zone count as difficult terrain. You can move the zone 4 squares as a move action.
Sustain Standard: Repeat the attack against all enemies in the zone.


I quite like how this turned out, but I'm still a bit unsure about the daily power. I can see how it would be useful in theory, but not how debilitating it would be in practice. I guess that's what you guys are for!

[paddyfool]

I foresee a vs thread with an executioner. The [Unspeakable] Sage should begin tied down to a block, and the Executioner should start 5' away with a surprise round.

[Siosilvar]

Your head cut off.

lol, in before afro. Also, my magic talisman protects me from having my head cut off.

[afroakuma]

“I shall wipe you from existence, like a cyclone across the sand.”

My thoughts exactly.

[Shadow_Elf]

Considering this is blasphemy, I think you did a pretty good job.
I was too busy fuming to do a good review of it though .

You should stat up one of these for, say, I don't know, level 18? I'll make an 18 Executioner and we'll see who wins next DND night .

[Alteran]

Considering this is blasphemy, I think you did a pretty good job.

Considering D&D is largely polytheistic, I thought blasphemy might be a little less serious.

[Cejer]

Neat flavor. I think the daily power is a little odd when compared to the other wizard paths. I would increase the size and range to Area burst 3 within 20, but I would attach the daze effect to a successful hit.

Concerning the Desert Bound ability, would it really hurt to give the Hourglass Sage +1 speed everywhere? If the increased speed comes from time manipulation it seems odd it's only effective in a desert. On the other hand, knowledge of the desert doesn't seem like it would grant a speed increase.

[Moff Chumley]

Why is this blasphemy, exactly?

[Shadow_Elf]

Moff, read the VUACS thread from the setting name vote, and you'll see why this is blasphemous in the eyes of the build team.

[Alteran]

Neat flavor. I think the daily power is a little odd when compared to the other wizard paths. I would increase the size and range to Area burst 3 within 20, but I would attach the daze effect to a successful hit.

Concerning the Desert Bound ability, would it really hurt to give the Hourglass Sage +1 speed everywhere? If the increased speed comes from time manipulation it seems odd it's only effective in a desert. On the other hand, knowledge of the desert doesn't seem like it would grant a speed increase.

The idea behind Sands of Time is that being in the zone is what dazes you, not the attack. I figure it would be too complicated to daze through an attack and a zone, and if the zone doesn't do it then it doesn't serve its purpose. I originally wrote it as a burst 3, then I decided it would be too much. You're already only taking 1 move action across difficult terrain. 3 may not be excessive, it was a last-minute decision. I'd like to hear a bit more input about that.

The speed didn't come from time manipulation, but rather experience walking in the sand. If I "decide" to make it time-based, then I would consider having it apply elsewhere. I just don't think it fits into that feature well in that case.

[Juhn]

Good Lord this is turning into a subforum-wide meme.

What have you people done?

[Moff Chumley]

Can you guys summarize the meme on the first page of the thread, for simplicity? I'll just pretend I know what I'm doing...

HOURGLASS!

[afroakuma]

How many times will I have to do this?

Your head cut off.

And since I can clearly see you're not getting it:

I cut things.

Those things are necks.

Which support heads.

Some of which are yours.

Those heads will not be yours anymore.

Because I know where your head is.

And I will cut it.

Off.

[Juhn]

*facepalm* Why is this everywhere?

Seriously though afro, you're starting to come off as really bitter about the name vote...

[Mewtarthio]

Can you guys summarize the meme on the first page of the thread, for simplicity?

The name of the VUACS setting was decided via democratic process to be "Hourglass of God" (later changed by executive fiat to "Hourglass of Zihaja," since "Zihaja" is the setting's only god). Afrokuma disliked the vote because somebody posted an inaccurate description of the "Hourglass of God" (since there are two planes, he described the planes as the bulbs of an hourglass, while the cosmology had been worked out already and the vote itself was purely for flavor), which might have unfairly swayed the voting. Then everybody started clamoring for the Hourglass of God to make an actual appearance in the setting, so afrokuma killed us all. The end.

[afroakuma]

*facepalm* Why is this everywhere?

Seriously though afro, you're starting to come off as really bitter about the name vote...

Oh dear... I was hoping to come across as really happy about my new head-choppy axe.

I don't care about the name, just the stupid backlash that came after I told them not to. Now I'm just knocking off virtual heads for fun. and PROFIT!

[Alteran]

Don't worry Afro, you're free to cut off my head as frequently as you'd like!

[AgentPaper]

I'd just like to note that, when I run the Hourglass of Jihaiajajia campaign, this PP will be allowed.

[KKL]

I like this a lot.

[Moff Chumley]

Thread derailed successfully, captain!
Good good. Carry on!

[Zeta Kai]

The name of the VUACS setting was decided via democratic process to be "Hourglass of God" (later changed by executive fiat to "Hourglass of Zihaja," since "Zihaja" is the setting's only god).

It was not executive fiat. It was stated at the very beginning of the title poll that "Hourglass of God" would be changed to "Hourglass of [One Single God's name]" as soon as we figured out what the One Single God's name was. We followed through on our statement. I suspect that many people neglected to read that part, as I suspect that some people didn't read the polling rules regarding the swaying of votes, which ultimately led to all these vitual decapitations.

[Enlong]

Question for Afroakuma: Say an intelligent Hydra starts talking about the "timepiece" or the "desert stuff". What do you do?

[afroakuma]

Its heads cut off.

Then cauterized by either fire or acid; I prefer acid since it might be a pyrohydra.

[Owrtho]

So, assuming traditional hydra, that would be infinitee heads, or would you burn each stump right away?

Owrtho

[Shadow_Elf]

I just realized something rather broken with the daily. If you can reliably prevent the opponent from leaving the sandstorm (Ray of Frost, Dimensional Distortion Aura, Polearm Master Fighter), they are Stunned (no save). I think it needs to make an attack to renew the dazed condition.

[Alteran]

Technically, dazed (no save). They would, however, be effectively stunned if they had no reach, area, or close attacks. Which is to say, quite a few enemies. I'm thinking perhaps a new attack roll as a sustain standard, with more damage as well.

[Mewtarthio]

It was not executive fiat. It was stated at the very beginning of the title poll that "Hourglass of God" would be changed to "Hourglass of [One Single God's name]" as soon as we figured out what the One Single God's name was. We followed through on our statement. I suspect that many people neglected to read that part, as I suspect that some people didn't read the polling rules regarding the swaying of votes, which ultimately led to all these vitual decapitations.

Where?

Anyway, I'm not disagreeing with you for changing the name: It makes more sense to use the name of the setting's god rather than the generic term, and whoever submitted it in the first place was probably expecting it (or, at the very least, didn't mind it).