[3.5/PF] Riven Hourglass, a time-manipulating discipline [LoB/ToB]

[ErrantX]

Riven Hourglass

Serge Fenrir, a Riven Hourglass adept

Time exists. No one can deny this fact that time inexorably marches forward and brings all things to crumbling ruin, to death, and to dissolution. For others, time brings great things, as when things mature they grow and change, become more beautiful or potent. At the end of all things, the sand in the hourglass always falls and time passes. Some souls reject this notion, and learn through skill with a blade to cleave the hourglass in twain and alter the passage of time to their benefit. Thus, the Riven Hourglass was born. The adepts of this discipline believe that within each being there is an Hourglass in their soul, and within this hourglass resides the sands that flow endlessly towards the end of a creature's time in the world. By manipulating their own Hourglass and that of others, the practitioners of this art show that through will, determination, and the use of the sands of time within all beings that battle can be won before it has even begun.

A discipline that focuses on the mind's ability to harness the supernatural forces of time manipulation, practitioners of the Riven Hourglass discipline use this art to selectively slow, speed, or even stop, time itself. By manipulating these temporal flows, the adept may unleash the ravages of time upon a foe or wrap himself in its protective eddies to shield himself from harm by removing himself from time itself for a moment. Riven Hourglass adepts are capable of seeing minute flows in the endlessly flowing sands of time and are capable of making decisions in the moments when they need to be made. The associated skill for Riven Hourglass is Perception, and its associated weapons are bastard sword, kukri, two-bladed sword, shortsword, and the flail. This is a supernatural discipline, and all maneuvers within should be considered as supernatural abilities.

Compatibility Note: In Tome of Battle games, then its a Swordsage discipline that replaces Diamond Mind.

[ErrantX]

Maneuver List

1st Level
Sands of Time Approach: Strike – Attack that accelerates time around the adept's weapon briefly, inflicting an additional 1d6 points of damage to living targets.
Strike the Hourglass: Strike – Opponent struck by this attack has their initiative reduced by 4 for the encounter.
Second Hand: Strike – A fast and imprecise strike, inflicting an additional 1d6 points of precision damage but suffers a -2 penalty to the attack roll.
Clockwatcher: Counter – As an immediate action, act in a surprise round the the adept normally would not be capable of.
Sands of Time: Stance – The martial adept may add +4 to his initiative checks and gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Reflex saves.
Distorted Clock: Stance – Beneficial abilities used by or upon the initiator endure as if Extended by metamagic.
2nd Level
Temporal Burn: Strike – Melee attack that inflicts an additional 3d6 points of damage to living targets.
Chronal Aggression: Strike – Temporarily age a foe, fatiguing them.
Stopwatch: Counter – Make an opposed Perception check against an attack, make an immediate 5ft step to avoid the attack if successful.
Unhindered Step: Boost – Add +30ft to the character's base speed for one turn.
Rapid Strike: Strike – As a standard action, make two attacks at the same attack bonus with a -2 penalty on the same target, both strikes inflicting an additional 1d6 points of damage.
3rd Level
Probability Twist: Boost – Reroll the last d20 roll or damage roll the adept has made but the adept must use the second roll for better or worse.
Flickering Display: Strike – Make three rolls against a target, use the best result to resolve this attack.
Time Skitter: Boost – Gain the benefits of a haste spell until next turn.
Flickering Defense: Counter – Force opponent to reroll attack roll three times; attacker must use the lowest result.
Riven Hourglass Stance: Stance – Alters the flow of time around the adept, granting a 20% miss chance on melee attacks and missile weapons targeting the initiator.
4th Level
Gift of Time: Boost – As a swift action donate a standard, move, or full round action to a touched ally.
Break the Hourglass: Strike – Melee attack that inflicts an additional 5d6 points of damage and potentially slows the victim.
Chronal Draw: Strike – Drastically but temporarily age a foe and causes exhaustion.
Temporal Body Adjustment: Counter – Negate any one negative condition that affects the adept.
5th Level
Hour Hand: Boost – A lightning fast but imprecise strike as part of a normal attack or full attack, make an attack at full base attack bonus with a -4 penalty, strike inflicts an additional 6d6 points of damage.
Sands of Time Tornado: Strike – Make a single attack at the adept’s full base attack bonus on any adjacent foe within reach, each attack with a +2 bonus to hit and potentially sickens the targets.
Time-Thief’s Talons: Strike – Melee attack that inflicts an additional 2 points of damage per initiator level (maximum of 60), restores that much health to the target.
Relativity Burst: Boost – Gain a move action.
6th Level
Shatter the Hourglass: Strike – Melee attack that potentially freezes the target in time for 1d4 rounds.
Temporal Wave: Strike – Unleash a 40ft cone of glimmering time energies that slows targets and potentially nauseates foes.
Temporal Distortion: Counter – Instantly gain a readied standard action.
Sand-Bearer’s Attitude: Stance – The adept gains the benefits of a haste spell while this stance is in use and are immune to slow.
7th Level
Sands of Time Hurricane: Strike – A rapid string of attacks, allowing the adept to make two attacks at full base attack bonus against all adjacent foes with a +4 bonus to hit and potentially nauseates targets.
Temporal Dilation: Strike – Melee touch attack that removes a foe from the time-stream for 1d4 rounds
Beat the Clock: Boost – Incredibly quick movement, allowing the adept to move up to a double move as a swift action.
8th Level
Probability Duplicate: Strike – As a full round action, make two full round attacks as temporal twin briefly comes into existence.
Heart of the Time Lord: Counter – When an attack would reduce the adept's hit points below 0, the adept acts as if the spell regenerate had been cast upon him as an immediate action.
God of the Hourglass Stance: Stance – By burning life energy, mimic the effect of a time stop spell for one round per point of Constitution burn.
9th Level
Wrath of Time: Strike – Unleash a massive wave of temporal energy, potentially disintegrating anything within a 60ft cone.

----

Rewrote Riven Hourglass; the author of that discipline is no longer on the project and thus this is the official version now.

[ErrantX]

Maneuver List

1st Level

Spoiler

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Sands of Time Approach
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

By wrapping a bit of time-stuff around his weapon in the form of a glittering aura, the adept of the Riven Hourglass discipline is capable of striking a foe and burning through the time that he has left. The character makes a melee attack which inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage to living creatures.

Strike the Hourglass
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: One encounter

With a simple strike, the adept may influence time's attitude towards a foe and their ability to act in battle. The character makes a successful attack against a target for, and for the rest of the encounter, the target's initiative result is reduced by 4. This maneuver may be used multiple times against an opponent, but their initiative may not be reduced below 0.

Minute Hand
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

The adept makes an incredibly swift strike, that while lacking in accuracy, gains in power. The character makes a successful attack against a target with a -2 penalty on the attack roll, but inflicts an additional 1d6 points of precision damage.''

Clockwatcher
Riven Hourglass (Counter)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

By pulling his perception forward in time for the barest of moments, the Riven Hourglass adept is able to cheat time and act when most would be caught unaware. As an immediate action on a turn in which he surprised, the adept may act during that surprise round normally is not caught flat-footed.

Sands of Time Stance
Riven Hourglass (Stance)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

By attuning himself to the ebb and flow of time, the adept may feel the very sands of time falling through the metaphorical hourglass in his soul and learn to manipulate his place within the time-stream. While in this stance, the character gains a +4 bonus on Initiative checks and a +2 circumstance bonus to his Reflex saves.

Distorted Clock
Riven Hourglass (Stance)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

As magic is a fickle thing, influenced by time, it wanes in power as the sands glitter through the hourglass of existence. The Riven Hourglass adept halts this progression within his own person, and is capable of sustaining abilities that would normally only last a few minutes. While in this stance, beneficial abilities or spells used upon the initiator or by the initiator with a duration longer than instant have their durations extended as if the effect was augmented by the Extend Spell feat until the adept leaves this stance and their normal durations resume and expire, or the effect ends with this extended duration, whichever comes first.

2nd Level

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Temporal Burn
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

By swallowing his weapon with a bubble of vastly accelerated time, the adept of Riven Hourglass is able to strike at a foe and attack at their very lifespan. The character makes a melee attack against a targeted living creature and this attack inflicts an additional 3d6 points of damage.

Chronal Aggression
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round or 1 minute
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

The Riven Hourglass adept must end fights quickly, as the Sands of Time halt for no man within the Hourglass. This logic developed this maneuver, granting the adept the ability to attack at their foe’s reserves of enduring strength. The character makes a successful melee attack against a target foe and fatigues the foe for one minute (DC 12 + primary initiator attribute modifier Fortitude save reduces this to one round.)

Stopwatch
Riven Hourglass (Counter)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

With a seemingly dizzying burst of incredible speed, a Riven Hourglass adept learns how to step out of time to adjust his position to be able to avoid an attack he is aware of. The character makes an opposed Perception check against the attacker’s attack roll; if successful the character may make an immediate 5ft step as part of this counter which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Unhindered Step
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One turn

By slowing down the falling sands within the Hourglass inside his soul, the adept is capable of greatly accelerating his movements as he slips between the grains of time-sand. As a swift action, the character may add an additional 30ft to his base movement speed for one turn.

Rapid Strike
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

Within the span of a single blow, the adept of Riven Hourglass has mastered the technique of striking twice with one swing of his weapon by compressing the time used in the attack and releasing it with the attack. As a standard action, the character makes two attack rolls at the same attack bonus with a -2 penalty on the attack roll. Each successful attack inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage.

3rd Level

Spoiler

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Probability Twist
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

The flows of time are constantly moving but it is possible for an adept to pull back a few grains and try one's luck again when a situation proves to be unfavorable, to try time's hand once more when those grains are released into the time-stream once more. As a swift action, the character may reroll the last d20 roll or damage roll that he has made, but must accept the second result regardless of outcome.

Flickering Display
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

The adept of the Riven Hourglass discipline learns that time takes many paths, and each choice creates more of these endless paths in existence which lead to many realities. By tapping into the potential energies of these paths, the adept may make an attack against a foe from three different reality paths and choose which one to call into existence against his foe. The character makes three attack rolls against a target and uses the best result of this to resolve this attack.

Time Skitter
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One round

By accelerating his personal time-stream, the Riven Hourglass adept may speed his movements and accelerate his ability to fight for a few moments. As a swift action, the character gains the benefits of a haste spell for one round (+1 to attack rolls, +1 to initiative, +1 to Reflex saves, +30ft enhancement bonus to base speed, and one additional attack on a full round attack).

Flickering Defense
Riven Hourglass (Counter)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

As all actions cause new potential features, the adept of Riven Hourglass can force unlucky futures upon his foe by choosing the future of his choosing. When attacked in combat by an attack that he is aware of, as an immediate action the character may force his attacker to make three attack rolls to resolve his attack against the character and choose the lowest result to resolve the attack.

Riven Hourglass Stance
Riven Hourglass (Stance)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

By altering the flow of time around himself, the adept flickers in between potential time paths as he slips quietly between the very grains that fall within the Hourglass. The adept appears somewhat ghost-like as the him in many different time-paths flicker over each other, changing the way he looks or stands while this stance is maintained. While in this stance, the character gains a 20% miss chance against all melee or missile weapon attacks targeting him.

4th Level

Spoiler

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Gift of Time
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

By pouring the sand from within the Hourglass of the soul into his hand, the Riven Hourglass adept is capable of pouring his time into another creature and grant them more time with which to act with. As a swift action, the adept may touch an adjacent ally and donate to them his standard, move, or a full round action (and summarily lose his ability to use that action that turn). The ally must then immediately use those actions granted to them or lose them. Swift and immediate actions cannot be donated in this fashion.

Break the Hourglass
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant, 1d6 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

By wrapping a field of killing time-energy around his weapon, the adept strikes at his foe's own inner Hourglass and seeks to disrupt the flow of his time. The character makes a melee attack against a target foe and if successful, the foe takes an additional 5d6 points of damage. Additionally, the target must make a Fortitude save or be slowed for 1d6 rounds (Fortitude save DC 14 + primary initiator attribute negates slow effect).

Chronal Draw
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: One minute
Saving Throw: Will (partial)

By damaging the time-flow on a target, he may temporarily cause the physical effects of aging a foe and exhausting them. The character makes a melee attack against a target creature and if successful, the foe must make a Will save (DC 14 + primary initiator attribute) or be exhausted. A successful saving throw reduces this effect to being fatigued, and regardless this effect persists for one minute.

Temporal Body Adjustment
Riven Hourglass (Counter)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

As time flows straight through the Hourglass within the adept, by turning back the stream of sand within their own Hourglass, they can reverse what has happened by reversing their own time line. As an immediate action, the character may negate any one negative condition (such as being dazed, sickened, or paralyzed) that is currently effecting the character or has just been placed upon him.

5th Level

Spoiler

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Hour Hand
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: One Riven Hourglass maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

With a time-accelerated strike, the Riven Hourglass adept makes a lightning-fast strike by compressing it into a fraction of the time it would normally take at the cost of precision. As part of a full attack or a standard attack action, the character may use his swift action to make a melee attack against a foe at his full base attack bonus with a -4 penalty. If successful, this strike inflicts an additional 6d6 points of damage.

Sands of Time Tornado
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: Any adjacent foe
Duration: Instant, 1d4 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

With a great acceleration of time within himself, the Riven Hourglass adept brings his perception of time down to nearly a standstill while to observers he seems to move like a blur as he attacks all foes around him as he pumps out a glittering aura of phantom, glittering smoke. The character may make one attack at his full base attack bonus against each adjacent foe within his reach with a +2 bonus to the attack roll. Foes struck by the character must make a Fortitude save (15 + primary initiator attribute) or be sickened for 1d4 rounds.

Time-Thief's Talons
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant

Every living being holds within it the sands of time that mark how long they will reside in this world, and the Riven Hourglass adept has learned to strike at a foe and steal from them their sand to replenish his own. The character makes a melee attack against a foe and if successful, the strike inflicts an additional 2 points of damage per initiator level the character possesses. This initiator is healed a number of hit points equal to this bonus damage (example, a 16th level initiator is healed for 32 points of damage).

Relativity Burst
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

By changing the dynamic within his own personal time, the adept may manipulate his present by rearranging how his time is managed. As a swift action, the character use this boost to gain a move action or a move equivalent action.

6th Level

Spoiler

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Shatter the Hourglass
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

Within the soul of each being is their own personal Hourglass, and with this strike the adept can shatter his foe's and freeze them in time. The character makes a melee attack against a foe and if successful, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 16 + primary initiator attribute) or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. A successful saving throw negates the paralysis and instead the foe is slowed for 1d4 rounds.

Temporal Wave
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 40ft
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: 1d6 rounds
Saving Throw: Will (partial)

The Riven Hourglass adept reaches deep within his own soul and pulls forth a handful of his own time-sand to cast at his foes to wreak havoc upon their ability to act. This strike manifests a 40ft cone-shaped wave of glittering time-sand that slows targets within it for 1d6 rounds on a failed Will save (DC 16 + primary initiator attribute), and all targets regardlessly are nauseated for one round.

Sand-Bearer's Attitude
Riven Hourglass (Stance)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

The adept of the Riven Hourglass opens the floodgate within his soul and releases time-accelerating energies through his body that no force can deny. While in this stance, the character is considered under the effects of a haste spell, and he cannot be affected by the slow spell.

7th Level

Spoiler

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Sands of Time Hurricane
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: All adjacent enemies
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

By pouring time-accelerating energies through his form, the adept's perception of time grinds to a halt as he lashes out in a whirlwind of glittering time-stuff and supernatural speed. The character may make two attacks against any adjacent foe within his reach with a +4 bonus to attack, and any foe struck by these attacks must make a Fortitude save (DC 17 + primary initiator attribute) or be nauseated for one round.

Temporal Dilation
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1d4 rounds
Saving Throw: Will (partial)

By summing up a time-altering aura into his hand and placing it upon a foe, he can simply remove a foe briefly from time with a touch. The character must make a melee touch attack against a foe, and if successful, this for disappears from reality for 1d4 rounds and returns to that exact spot as if nothing had happened to him at all, his perception unaltered from his removal from time. While removed from time, the target may not make any actions and cannot be harmed by any force, and when he returns he does not know that anything has transpired in his moments of absence. A successful Will save (DC 17 + primary initiator attribute) reduces the duration of this to one round.

Beat the Clock
Riven Hourglass (Boost)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

With a flash of time-stuff, the adept of the Riven Hourglass moves as a blur towards his destination. As a swift action, the character may move up to the equivalent of two move actions as if he had made a double movement action.

8th Level

Spoiler

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Probability Duplicate
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: Three Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full round action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One turn

By pulling a duplicate of himself from another potential time-path, the Riven Hourglass adept may become doubly deadly. As a full round action, the character and his time duplicate twin (which occupies a square immediately adjacent to him) may both make a full round attack against any foe or foes that are within their reach. Both the character and his twin can make a free 5ft step (assuming the character has not already taken one) to better position himself before making the full round attack.

Heart of the Time Lord
Riven Hourglass (Counter)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: Two Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant

When the sands within his Hourglass would run dry, the Riven Hourglass adept may force his time to restart, forcing the sand to reverse within his soul and restore what was lost to him. If an attack would reduce the character's hit points to 0 or less, as an immediate action the character acts as if the regenerate spell had been cast upon him.

God of the Hourglass Stance
Riven Hourglass (Stance)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: Three Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

One of the highest expressions of the Riven Hourglass discipline is the ability to burn one's own time-sand to simply halt time for his local reality for a bare moment to allow him to act with impunity. While in this stance, the character is immune to the slow spell and may always have a standard action during an opponent or ally's time stop spell or effect. Additionally, the character may suffer one point of Constitution burn to initiate time stop for one round per point of Constitution burned in this way.

9th Level

Spoiler

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Wrath of Time
Riven Hourglass (Strike)
Level: 9
Prerequisite: Four Riven Hourglass maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 60ft
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)

By opening the Hourglass within himself and of his foes, he may use his own will over time itself to extinguish the very existence of his foes and remove their time from ever happening. As a standard action, the character unleashes a 60ft cone of temporal energy which disintegrates anything (people and objects both) within its path. Foes and objects may make a Fortitude save (DC 19 + primary initiator attribute) to resist being instant disintegrated into dust. Success indicates that the target only suffers 10d6 points of damage. If this damage is sufficient to kill the target, they are instantly destroyed as if disintegrated.

[ErrantX]

For those of you who follow the Libram of Battle project, I had to rewrite Riven Hourglass due to an author leaving the project and in effort to not steal his work, I took a crack at it.

Its a time-twisting discipline and I tried to make this feel like it had influences of Prince of Persia with the whole sands of time angle. PEACH! Telling me you like or loathe it is fine, but please offer constructive criticism and solutions if possible.

-X

[bobthe6th]

the first level stance seems useless. from the wording, the only benefit is the initiator can dismiss the affect by leaving the stance?

is this bad wording, or really wired desine?

[ErrantX]

The wording was awkward (I presume you speak of Distorted Clock), reworded it so its clearer.

-X

[Ziegander]

Distorted Clock is WAAAAAAAY broken. Was it your intention to hand out free Persistent Spell (but better) for every possible effect the character can think of, including non-spell effects? Drink a potion of Enlarge Person, boom, permanent. Drink any number of potions. Permanent. Prepare every boost you know, use them outside of combat, then Adaptive Style them away, all of them permanent.

EDIT: Hrm... well, nevermind, what I said isn't exactly true, but you can't use an effect like this and balance it around the extremely fuzzy notion of "until the end of the encounter." What happens when the stance is used outside of combat?

[bindin garoth]

Distorted Clock is WAAAAAAAY broken. Was it your intention to hand out free Persistent Spell (but better) for every possible effect the character can think of, including non-spell effects? Drink a potion of Enlarge Person, boom, permanent. Drink any number of potions. Permanent. Prepare every boost you know, use them outside of combat, then Adaptive Style them away, all of them permanent.

EDIT: Hrm... well, nevermind, what I said isn't exactly true, but you can't use an effect like this and balance it around the extremely fuzzy notion of "until the end of the encounter." What happens when the stance is used outside of combat?

What about only allowing it to extend one effect? That would keep it more balanced (although still abuseable to some degree.)

As for out of combat........ Perhaps instead it should be more along the line of this:
This stance doubles the duration of any single beneficial effect of spell. You may change the target of this by switching to a different stance and switch back to this stance, however this influx of time cause by rapidly switching to and from this stance causes the original targeted effect to end upon the immediate return to this stance (unless it has already ended due to its duration returning to normal).

[Curious]

Now I can play the Prince of Persia.

Also, was it your intention to make Sands of Time Approach an automatic hit?

[ErrantX]

Distorted Clock is WAAAAAAAY broken. Was it your intention to hand out free Persistent Spell (but better) for every possible effect the character can think of, including non-spell effects? Drink a potion of Enlarge Person, boom, permanent. Drink any number of potions. Permanent. Prepare every boost you know, use them outside of combat, then Adaptive Style them away, all of them permanent.

EDIT: Hrm... well, nevermind, what I said isn't exactly true, but you can't use an effect like this and balance it around the extremely fuzzy notion of "until the end of the encounter." What happens when the stance is used outside of combat?

DM's allow stances out of combat? *boggles* Seriously, I've actually never heard of that. When players say "I'm always in Absolute Steel Stance" I laugh and say you strike a pose where ever you go?

Well, do you have any suggestions? I'm open for ideas.

What about only allowing it to extend one effect? That would keep it more balanced (although still abuseable to some degree.)

As for out of combat........ Perhaps instead it should be more along the line of this:
This stance doubles the duration of any single beneficial effect of spell. You may change the target of this by switching to a different stance and switch back to this stance, however this influx of time cause by rapidly switching to and from this stance causes the original targeted effect to end upon the immediate return to this stance (unless it has already ended due to its duration returning to normal).

Now that has some merit there. Thank you for the suggestions!

Now I can play the Prince of Persia.

Also, was it your intention to make Sands of Time Approach an automatic hit?

No... not at all in fact. I pondered over why you'd think that and I changed the wording a bit to make it less seem that way. And heck yeah, Prince of Persia all the way!

-X

[Ziegander]

DM's allow stances out of combat? *boggles* Seriously, I've actually never heard of that. When players say "I'm always in Absolute Steel Stance" I laugh and say you strike a pose where ever you go?

That's your own houserule, then. It is explicitly stated as allowed on pg. 38 of Tome of Battle, "A stance remains in effect indefinitely and is not expended. You enjoy the benefit your stance confers until you change to another stance you know as a swift action. You can remain in a stance outside of combat situations, and you can enjoy its benefit while exploring or traveling."

I don't have any suggestions, because the spirit of the effect seems to be incredibly broken, and I don't know of any way to change the effect without radically altering the spirit of the effect. :-/

[ErrantX]

That's your own houserule, then. It is explicitly stated as allowed on pg. 38 of Tome of Battle, "A stance remains in effect indefinitely and is not expended. You enjoy the benefit your stance confers until you change to another stance you know as a swift action. You can remain in a stance outside of combat situations, and you can enjoy its benefit while exploring or traveling."

I don't have any suggestions, because the spirit of the effect seems to be incredibly broken, and I don't know of any way to change the effect without radically altering the spirit of the effect. :-/

Quite a conundrum then. Yeah, hrm. Meh, that saddens me. I've also read through the ToB a hundred times if I've read it once and I can't recall ever seeing that until today when I double checked it. It doesn't change that I think its goofy, but I guess it's moot as now Distorted Clock is terribroken. Any suggestions for another level 1 stance?

-X

[Ziegander]

Any suggestions for another level 1 stance?-X

Not sure, but I'll try thinking about it.

[Stycotl]

Any suggestions for another level 1 stance?

-X

first of all, sweet discipline. can't wait to read it more in depth. but as to the first level stance conundrum, just take inspiration from either the blood in the water tiger claw stance, or from a binder's vestige abilities that only work once every 5 rounds or so.

something like:

As magic is a fickle thing, influenced by time, it wanes in power as the sands glitter through the hourglass of existence. The Riven Hourglass adept halts this progression within his own person, and is capable of sustaining abilities that would normally only last a few minutes. While in this stance, the initiator can extend one beneficial spell, ability, or effect by 5 rounds. Effects with a duration of instantaneous or permanent cannot be affected by this stance.

or by 1 round per 3 initiator levels; or for the rest of the encounter, but with the stipulation that if you go more than one minute without making a combat attack or damage roll, the effect ends; or something similar.