Persist Time Stop (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Introduction

Time stop is a domain spell of the Planning domain, and by using divine metamagic persist spell you can make time stop last for 24 hours! Time stop has a very clearly stated duration, and it is not instantaneous -- it is 1D4+1 rounds of apparent time for you and can definitely be persisted.

References

PHB, Complete Divine, Spell Compendium

Game Rule Components

Time Stop, Time/Planning Domain

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): As high as Cha and Wis as possible, get Cha to at least 18, and Wis to at least 19

Race (Templates): Any

Starting Racial Traits: Any

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Cleric 1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Extra Turning, Extend Spell	Turn Undead	Planning Domain
2nd	Cleric 2	+1	+3	+0	+3
3rd	Cleric 3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Persistent Spell
4th	Cleric 4	+3	+4	+1	+4
5th	Cleric 5	+3	+4	+1	+4
6th	Cleric 6	+4	+5	+2	+5	Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)

You continue taking the levels in cleric until you can cast time stop.

Highlights

Time Stop has a range of personal and a non-instantaneous duration (1d4+1 rounds) so persist can be added onto it to make it able to last 24 hours long! Imagine the possibilities, cast the spell, then spend 24 hours to dig a giant hole to bury the enemies in. Plus if you only spend 14-15 hours doing stuff, you can grab 8 hours of sleep and prepares your spells and cast it again before the first one ends!

Munchkin-Size Me

Go ahead and take Divine Metamagic (Extend Spell) in order to double the amount of buffs you can keep persistent on yourself as well. You'd only have to cast a 48 hour buff every other day.

Seriously you can't take it much further than this. Maybe add "spontaneous cast domain spell" from PHB2

Any time spent in a Time Stop still ages characters 1:1 just as much as they would if they has spent the same time not Time-Stopped.

Optionally, using the Player's Guide to Faerun, you could make a Wiz14/Incantrix3, then try to really pump the Spellcraft skill. Cast Time Stop normally, then within, make a DC63 Spellcraft check to make it Persistent.

make sure to take some duration-area-damage spells so that once the time stop is over your opponents will find themselves surrounded by fire, ice, poison, swarms and what-not.

Side Notes

Perhaps it is better to get the effect by making a sorcerer 1/wizard 4/Ultimate magus 10/ Spell addict 5 (total spellcasting levels of wizard 18 and sorcerer 12) and use the ultimate magus' Augmented Casting. It is not easier and does not come at an earlier level, but a wizard/sorcerer is more likely to find better use for that time (having more spells useful for the situation).

Limitations

I can't think of any. Besides DMs who may not let you use Persist and Divine Metamagic even though they are official feats.

DM Counters

There is an epic feat called spell stowaway that if you take it, allows you to act as if a spell with the range of personal that an enemy cast also affected you.

A well read DM may have a Quarut (Fiend Folio Pg: 102) enter the realm to attempt to kill the PC, as Quarut's are inevitables designed specifially to stop spellcasters that abuse the following spells: limited wish, miracle, temporal stasis, time stop, and wish.

Miscellaneous

It is way too OP, but I propose this instead:

Start as Wizard and get Extend Spell, which makes your spells last twice as long. Get 10th level spell slot as soon as posible (I think you need epic level for this, and definietely > 17). You'll also need 20+ int. Use that 10th level slot to store extended time stop (works better than empowered!). Get a level of Archmage and trade a 5th level spell slot and 10th level spell slot to be able to cast Extended Time Stop twice per day as a spell-like ability.

Ability to cast 4-10 turn Time Stop twice a day is quite powerful, but you need to be epic level and sacrifice 1 feat and 1 Archmage level for this. I'm not counting extend spell because it is quite useful for buffs.

You can do that multiple times, up to 4 for Wizard and up to 5 for Sorcerer (5 is maximum level for Archmage), each time sacrificing a feat for another 10th level spell slot and one level of Archmage.

To munchkin-size you can add more spell slots (11th, 12th, 13th, and so on) and more metamagic feats prior to taking a level in Archmage, but that would require an insanely high level. Extend, Empower, Maximize, Quicken and Intensify Spell could be used here. Extended Intesified Time Stop is lvl 18, but lasts 15 (or 20 depending on GM) turns! If you are willing to go this far, you might as well sacrifice an epic feat and 18th level spell slot for extended time stop at will as a spell-like ability.

To make it even more OP negotiate with your GM the possibility of researching "Timelessness" spell (whenever someone in your proximity casts Time Stop it works for you as well) and creating magic items with constant "Timelessness" for everyone in your party. At the very least every spellcaster in your party of Epic level should take Spell Stowaway [Epic, Time Stop].

You can also "downsize", and get a lavel of Archmage at 17nth level while learning Time Stop for the first time.

To squeze even more out of your Time Stops, use haste (Extended haste is very useful in its own right). It gives one partial action per turn. Most people use it for an extra attack at maximum BAB, but for a wizard it is more useful to combine 2 partial actions into one action and cast extra spell at the beginning of your next round. That extra spell can be easilly disrupted if you take damage, but not under Time Stop :) . You get 3 spells per 2 rounds, so 6 in 4 rounds, 9 in 6, 12 in 8 and so on. Oh, and don't forget to use Quicken Spell. It requres a spell slot 4 levels higher, but is still good for low level buffs, magic missle and the like. IMO combining haste, time stop and quicken spell is pushing it, but if your GM allows it, and you manage to cast time stop that lasts 4 rounds while hastened, you can cast 6 high level spells and 4 qickened spells. If your GM says haste does not work under Time Stop, use it to cast 3 Time Stops in 2 normal rounds instead.

You could also get an item with Time Stop once a day, or even a few of them.

A staff with Time Stop that costs 10 charges should also be affordable. To Munchkin-size get a feat that allows you to use metamagic by burning extra charges and either get a staff with time stop that costs 9 charges for extra extend spell, or one with around 40 charges per time stop to get maximize extend empower and maybe quicken almoust for free. Use efficient quiver to store them and be prepared to quickly burn through hundreds of thousands of gold worth of staves.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Optimized Character Builds