Paradox Men (5e Class)

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Paradox Men

Much like the tales told of the mysterious "Men In Black", the Paradox Men are myths. What's more, is that instead of dealing with extraterrestrial life, the Paradox Men save the world--and indeed, the entire multiverse--from catastrophic temporal failures, be they as obvious as cascading dominoes, or as subtle as a butterfly's wings. They are an organization that does what they do for no thanks, no praise, no rewards--they do it to save reality as we know it.

How they do these things, nobody knows... until one day, you find a wounded stranger in your home with a mysterious glowing object in hand. Or perhaps someone comes to your door, wearing strange clothes, claiming that they absolutely HAVE to be there--without saying why. Or maybe a particularly familiar grizzled-looking adventurer shows up, wordlessly handing you a puzzle box before disappearing, the moment you look away. Whatever the case, you've begun your initiation into the legend that is: the Paradox Men!

Creating a Paradox Man

A Paradox Man is a manipulator, traveler, and protector of time. However they do it, their temporal abilities can support or enhance their physical abilities.

Photo: Courtesy of Tim Beckley

Where does your time ability stem from? Who was/is your mentor? What were you before you began warping time?

Quick Build

You can make a Paradox Man quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the Sage (p.137 PHB) background. Third, choose Tinker's tools, and 2 martial weapons.

Class Features

As a Paradox Man you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Paradox Man level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Paradox Man level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light and medium armors.
Weapons: All simple weapons and 2 martial weapons of choice.
Tools: Tinker's tools.
Saving Throws: Wisdom and Intelligence
Skills: Any 3 skills.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A martial weapon or (b) 2 simple weapons
• (a) A Diplomat's Pack or (b) A Scholar's Pack
• (a) An Arcane Focus or (b) component pouch
• (a) An Hourglass (or some way of showing the passage of time) or (b) A trinket and one coin of each value (and leather armor)

Table: The Paradox Man

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Spells Known	Cantrips Known	Features	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	0	1	Time Stop, Right Time, Right Place	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	4	2	Spellcasting	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	6	3	Archetype: Delta-mu, Psi-omega, or Sigma-theta	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	8	3	Ability Score Improvement, Slow as a Tortoise	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	10	3	Chaos Theory, Quick as a Hare	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	10	3	Accelerated Entropy	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	10	4	Time Flies When You're Halving Fun, Archetype Feature	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	12	4	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	12	4	(REDACTED)	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	14	4	Time Step, Archetype Feature	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	16	4	Quick as a Hare Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	18	5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	20	5	Memetic Hazard	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	20	5	Time Stop Improvement	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	20	5	Borrowed Weapon, Archetype Feature	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	22	5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	22	5	Temporal Banishment	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	24	5	Temporal Intuition	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	26	5	Ability Score Improvement	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	28	6	Highest Order Of Paradox	4	3	3	3	2

Time Stop

You pause time, allowing you to take a second turn after this one. During your second turn, no one but you may take any action. You can only move yourself and what you have on you; you cannot move a Sentient Being (organic or otherwise). Moving objects outside what is on your person requires double the Strength necessary, as the item is fighting time itself to move. You may use this once per long rest.

Outside of combat, this ability lasts for 30 seconds and has the “Stressed” modifier: during a “stressed” moment (GM discretion), roll for concentration DC15, adding your Wisdom modifier. On a failure, the ability lasts half as long.

Improved Time Stop

At level 14, Time Stop is now usable twice per combat. It lasts for 4 turns and you can attack on all turns. Outside of combat, lasts for one minute.

Right Time, Right Place

Any time before the game starts, roll a 2d6. Add the numbers together, and write it down. At any point during the game, you may add that number once to whatever roll you desire. This ability may not count towards scoring a critical hit, and may only be used once per game session.

Spellcasting

As a Paradox Man you may learn from any spell tree you wish, due to the fact that your spell levels only go up to 5. Your spellcasting modifier is Wisdom, you may prepare a number of spells equal to double your Wisdom modifier + your level. Spell save DC is as normal, using your Wisdom modifier. If a spell requires the use of another attribute to cast, use your spellcasting attribute instead (Wisdom).

Archetype

At the 3rd level, you choose an archetype. Choose between Delta-mu, Psi-omega, or Sigma-theta, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, and 15th levels.

Slow as a Tortoise

Target one figure within 60ft, that target makes a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they are under the effects of the slow spell for one round. You may use this ability a number of times up to your Wisdom modifier before requiring a long rest.

Outside of combat, the effects of this ability last for an hour.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Chaos Theory

At 5th Level When you are damaged by an attack, you may expend a first level spell slot & your reaction to make your opponent redo the entire attack, negating all effects of the first attack hit (works on magical attacks also).

Quick as a Hare

At 5th Level, you speed time for yourself making your own movements lightning fast (Creators' Note: This is not 'haste'!). You may use this once per 3 long rests and it lasts a number of minutes equal to double your Paradox Man level. You may end this at any time you choose.

While rushed, add 10 ft. to your move speed. Gain advantage on any physical saves as well as physical attacks. You have the benefits of the extra attack ability while rushed. Anything done on your turn takes half the time it normally would take (physical-related actions are relegated to "bonus actions", e.g. quaffing potions and the like). Casting time is dropped by half, to a minimum of "Instant".

Improved Quick As A Hare

At level 11, you may target 1 additional player with this ability. It also recharges after every 1 long rest.

Accelerated Entropy

You bring the full power of time down upon the armor or weaponry of your opponent. When using this ability, choose an object: that object ages several thousand years instantaneously, causing any non-metal or stone parts to crack and weather, and any metal parts to rust and chip. Any armor this affects is reduced to +1 for AC, and if a targeted weapon is used, the owner must roll a d4 for every hit: on a 1 or 3, it breaks. Objects return to their normal state after one round (or one minute), and any objects broken while aged stay broken when they revert to normal (e.g. a sword snapped in half does not regrow the rest of the sword). Useable only once per short rest.

Time Flies When You're Halving Fun

At level 7, your party's “Rest” times are halved (a short rest becomes half an hour, a long rest becomes 4 hours).

(REDACTED)

Your eyes glow with a white light, softly at first, but stronger in intensity, until it becomes a blinding flash. Humanoids and creatures that make eye contact at this time will forget you were ever even there (this also works against those who use magic to see, those who are blind, and those who do not have eyes). As long as you do not take any hostile action directly against them, they will cease to remember you existed and will not engage you. If a creature wants to remember you, it must make an Intelligence saving throw against DC20, and they must make this save every time they wish to re-remember. After the first failure, if the creature wishes again to remember, the roll must be made against your spell save DC.(Once per long rest)

Time Step

At 10th Level You take a step out of time and move, then come back into the present--what looks to the uninitiated as "teleporting". You may "teleport" up to your move speed a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier plus one per short rest. Using this ability does not cause Attacks of Opportunity.

Memetic Hazard

At level 13, your mere visage can be used as a weapon. As a bonus action, if you're able to look your target in the eyes, target is stunned for one round. This ability can be used twice before needing a short rest. This ability does not work on creatures without eyes (e.g. skeletons). If they are merely blind (re: still has eyes, but cannot use them) this effect still works. For creatures with more than one set of eyes, or creatures that have eyes that are magically enhanced for seeing, the effect is doubled (stunned for two rounds). This can be used in conjunction with (REDACTED).

Borrowed Weapon

At 15th Level You can borrow a weapon from yourself, out of time. If you take a weapon from your Past: Deal the normal damage for a weapon of its type, plus 2d10 force damage. If you take it from your Future: Deal the normal damage for a weapon of its type, plus 2d10 psychic damage.

Temporal Banishment

At level 17, once per long rest you may attempt to banish a creature to a void without time. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save dc. A failing save negates all spells and magics the creature is making or has made, and banishes them to a timeless void for 2 rounds (because a creature of time cannot be in timeless space). If the creature successfully saves, they do not get banished, but all spells or magics still stop.

Temporal Intuition

You know what is going to happen, and act accordingly—however, you don’t know what happens after that, and cannot therefore prepare for it. If you make an attack roll against an enemy and you miss, or if you roll a saving throw and fail, you can use this feature to automatically succeed. However, using this feature causes your next saving throw or attack roll to fail.

Highest Order Of Paradox

At level 20 you can briefly tear the fabric of time. You target one creature that is 10 ft from you, and they need to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Upon failure, they are erased from all time. You can only use this once per day. USE WITH CAUTION!

Delta-mu (Δμ)

Creators of fantastical machines that traverse time; nicknamed “Hardware” or “Backwards Doctors”.

Quick Math

Starting at 3rd level, any time you would use your Intelligence for a roll, you may use this ability to re-roll any number of dice that show a 1. If you use this ability, roll a d20; on a 1, no matter what you rolled, all dice become as if you rolled a one for each of them. You can use this any number of times, but the more you use it, the higher the difficulty becomes (e.g. if you decided to use it again, your “fail” rolls on the d20 become 1 and 2; if you use it a third time, the “fail” rolls become 1, 2, and 3, etc.).

Multi-Tool

It’s the Swiss Army Knife for the Delta-mu, a definite must-have for the time traveler in ANY age! It looks like a standard Swiss Army Knife, but holds an impossible number of options. Starting at level 3, any attempt made to fix or break an object or objects becomes easier by +1, or reduces the DC by 2. The Multi-Tool cannot be broken permanently; any damage done will automatically repair itself after 2d4 minutes.

At Higher Levels: at level 7, you can cast knock or shatter at-will using the knife, two uses per day. At level 11, the DC for any Tinker Tool is dropped by 10, and you gain proficiency in "Survival" and "Investigation" (if you already have these, their bonuses are doubled).

Bigger On The Inside

Starting at 10th level, you are able to make a puzzlebox that is able to hold one (1) extra use of a Paradox Man feature. Building this box takes 3 days: 2 days making the box, and one day’s use of the feature you desire (pre-long or short rest). The moment you store the desired feature, you cannot use either the box or the feature until you are refreshed. Using the feature in the box can only be done once per long rest.

Clockwork Grenade

At level 15: you can make a small grenade out of clock parts and infuse it with temporal essence. The entire creation takes one turn, or 10 minutes. It hits any creature within a 20 ft sphere upon detonation. For grenades that were made in ten minutes: the grenade deals 5d10 force damage and anyone that fails a Dexterity saving throw is also slowed. For grenades made in one turn, the grenade deals 2d10 force damage to anyone failing the saving throw.

Psi-omega (Ψω)

Those who are naturally gifted at the manipulation of time; nicknamed “Software” or “Psych Inmates”.

In The Space Between Seconds

Starting at 3rd level, any time you would be hit, you may choose to use this feature. You pull yourself backwards a split second from reality, then snap back—making any hit an automatic miss. After you use this feature you must make a Constitution saving throw against your own spell save DC. If you fail, you don't do anything on your next turn--shifting your own atoms to move in such a way is physically challenging. You may use this 2 times per every long rest.

Afterimage

Meditating upon the flow of time, you come upon a startling realization that movement through time is like swimming through water--and through hard work, you can become a better swimmer. Starting at 7th level, you are able to move fast enough to enable a second attack. If you use the "Clock Stop" feature in conjunction, you may attack twice more in any part of the allotted time. Can only be used once per long rest.

Planar Slash

Through tempering your rage and inherent magical connection with time itself, you are able to manifest temporal energies through your hands. Starting at 10th level, you may slash into an opponent (ethereal construct weapon: claws) for 5d10 elemental damage of your choice. You may use this as many times as half of your Paradox Men level, every long rest.

Travel the Planes

A story your mentor told you about a cat that could walk through walls comes roaring back into your head; suddenly it clicks into place, how it was able to do this. Starting at 15th level, you know the dimension door spell and may cast it once per turn.

Sigma-theta (Σθ)

Adept at acquiring and using temporally-gained knowledge; nicknamed “Users” or “Honest Politicians”.

Uncertainty Principle

At level 3: The more your enemy knows, the more damage they take. Add your enemy's Intelligence mod to your attack damage.

Schrödinger’s Conundrum

At level 7: you understand that whenever something happens, there is also an alternate reality where it doesn’t happen. If a hit lands on you, you may activate this ability. Roll a D4—on a 2 or 4, the hit misses, but on a 1 or 3, take twice the damage.

Self-Encouragement

At level 10, you go back in time and subtly nudge yourself to become better—or maybe you go forward in time to acquire genetic enhancers to give to yourself in the past. Add +1 to three Attributes. Cannot be the same Attribute, cannot be used to raise an Attribute higher than 20.

Potential to Kinetic

At level 15, your Borrowed Weapon ability changes. Instead of borrowing a weapon from yourself in either the future or past, you borrow potential energy and change it to kinetic—in essence, blasting your enemies with your own stolen momentum. Your total Speed is reduced by 10 feet for an entire encounter whenever you use this feature, but your weapon deals 4d10 energy damage instead 2d10 force or 2d10 psychic.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Paradox Men class, you must meet these prerequisites: have a mentor (the person who introduced you into the organization), Wisdom 15, Intelligence 15

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Paradox Men class, you gain the following proficiencies: Tinker's Tools

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