The Temporal Bloodline
Hello everyone and welcome to another fantastic edition of Best in Class, where we bring you the best in class features, archetypes, and prestige classes. In an effort to make sure that all classes are equally represented, we would like to take a moment and create something for sorcerers, who we haven’t really talked much about this year. As sorcerers don’t lend themselves particularly well to new archetypes, I’ve decided to create a new bloodline, instead. Generally, sorcerer bloodlines focus on the idea that you derive your power from an ancestor or heritage. This is an idea we have already explored a lot this year (as those of you who own a copy of A Necromancer's Grimoire: Sorcerous Lineages will no doubt be aware), so I’ve decided to look at another way in which one might achieve sorcerous power.
New Sorcerer Bloodline
Temporal Bloodline
You were affected by a spell or other magical effect which removed you, for at least a moment, from the normal time stream. You might have been held in stasis or trapped outside of time itself, or pushed forward or backwards through time. Whatever the case, you survived the encounter, and your magical blood does not come from your ancestors, but rather are side-effects of this unusual temporal situation. You have now been touched by magic and have a limited ability to influence time.
Class Skill: Knowledge (history).
Bonus Spells: true strike (3rd), rope trick (5th), haste (7th), dimension door (9th), permanency (11th), analyze dweomer (13th), greater teleport (15th), temporal stasis (17th), time stop (19th).
Bonus Feats: Combat Casting, Extend Spell, Improved Counterspell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Spell Focus.
Bloodline Arcana: You may increase the casting time of any spell with a casting time of 1 standard action to 1 full-round action. If you do, increase the effective caster level of that spell by +2. Alternatively, you may decrease the casting time of any spell with a casting time of 1 round to 1 standard action. If you do, decrease the effective caster level by -2.
Bloodline Powers: Your experience of leaving the normal time stream has gifted you with the ability to manipulate it to your benefit, and as you grow in power you learn new ways to use this unique talent.
Temporal Acceleration (Su): Beginning at 1st level, you can briefly exit the normal flow of time in order to accomplish a task at impossible speed. As a swift action, you may make an additional move action. You can do anything with this move action that you could normally accomplish with a move action. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Phase Out (Su): Beginning at 3rd level,you can shift out of time and space for a brief time each day, effectively disappearing from reality. While in this state, you remain aware of your former surroundings but can take no action to affect them, nor can you be harmed, detected, or otherwise affected by creatures in that reality while you are using this ability. You can use this ability for a number of rounds each day equal to your Charisma modifier, which need not be consecutive. While out of phase in this fashion, you cannot move, cast spells, use supernatural abilities, or act in any way, other than to end the effect. Activating or ending this ability is an immediate action.
Temporal Exile (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you can attempt to force another character out of phase with time for a short while. You must successfully touch the target in order to use this ability, which requires a melee touch attack if the target is unwilling. If you successfully touch the target, he must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier) or be affected as though by your phase out bloodline power, ceasing to be part of reality for 1d4 rounds. The target may not choose to end this ability prematurely. You intuitively know how long it will be before the target returns. You can use this ability once per day at 9th level. At 13th and 17th levels, you gain an additional daily use of this ability.
Accelerate (Su): Beginning at 15th level, you can accelerate so greatly that you can accomplish twice what a normal man could in the same amount of time. Once per day, as a full-round action, you may perform two full rounds’ worth of actions (two standard actions and two move actions, or two full-round actions, etc). This is very tiring, however, and after using this ability you are exhausted for 1 round and fatigued for 1 minute. At 18th level, you can use this ability one additional time each day.
Temporal Refuge (Sp): Beginning at 20th level, you have the ability to greatly increase your speed, effectively exiting the time stream and allowing you to act free of the rest of the world. Once per week, you can accelerate your personal time. This ability functions identically to the spell time stop, except that you are able to act for 1 hour’s worth of apparent time, instead of 1d4+1 rounds of apparent time.