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When someone casts time stop (in this case an Archmage), they take turns while everyone else is stopped in time:

You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself. No time passes for other creatures, while you take 1d4 + 1 turns in a row

Suppose that a bless spell was already in effect when the Archmage used time stop. The bless spell usually lasts for 1 minute (or 10 rounds). Would the extra turns from time stop count towards the duration of the bless spell?

I am assuming (possibly wrongly) that the answer may depend on who cast the bless spell and who are the targets. The main point that I want to know is what factors, if any, are used to determine whether the spell's duration is affected. I have considered this (non-exhaustive) list of factors:

  1. Whether the spell was cast by the Archmage (assuming he has the ability to cast the spell) or someone else.
  2. Whether it is affecting only the Archmage, only other characters or both.

So which of these (or other) factors are used to determine whether the extra turns one takes during time stop would affect the duration of the bless spell?

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    \$\begingroup\$ This question has been discussed in this meta: How should I split/improve this question so it is not too broad? \$\endgroup\$
    – Sdjz
    Jul 18, 2018 at 11:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ Were both Bless and Time Stop spells cast on the same target? Or it was one target blessed and the Time Stop was cast on the Bless caster? \$\endgroup\$
    – enkryptor
    Jul 19, 2018 at 15:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ @enkryptor The question is about all those cases really (as suggested in the meta) \$\endgroup\$
    – Sdjz
    Jul 19, 2018 at 15:20

3 Answers 3

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The bless spell is not interrupted

The key to the answer is:

You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself.

For everyone else, delta t is zero.

No time passes for other creatures

Turns / rounds each last six seconds -- six seconds elapse from the beginning of someone's turn and the beginning of their next turn. From this game mechanic, we can say that the usual delta t from round to round is six seconds. Spells with duration of a minute can be modeled as being on a counter in this case: you count down one for each turn/round elapsed.

For everyone who is not the archmage, their time / turn / round counter remains where it was when time stop went into effect. Since no time is passing for them, the durations of their spells are, compared to the archmage's frame of reference, extended. The archmage's delta t keeps moving. For the other characters, they don't notice a difference since for them time stopped.

The bless spell's duration depends on the caster

In the case of bless, a concentration spell, the duration is keyed to the character who cast it, which is also the character who is concentrating on it. If it is a character who is not the archmage, their delta t is zero so their duration counter resumes on their next turn. (That is after time stop ends). Their spell still lasts a minute for them because time (and the counter) stopped for everyone but the archmage. That would provide the archmage with a few extra rounds / turns of the bless spell's magical effects.

If the archmage cast bless (from a ring of spell storing) it's duration would keep decreasing since time/turns are ticking away for the archmage.

@Medix2 asked for clarification in a comment:

If bless were cast by somebody else, but cast on the Archmage, would they benefit from it?

The answer is: yes. Nothing in the time stop spell says that it stops the effects of other spells. Bless, once it takes effect, keeps on taking effect until the spell ends (or concentration ends). Nothing in its text says otherwise.


Concentration
Some spells require you to maintain concentration in order to keep their magic active. If you lose concentration, such a spell ends. (Basic Rules p. 79)

In plain English, you in those two sentences is the caster of a spell requiring concentration. Unless you lose concentration, the spell does not end.

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Short Answer: Since Time Stop only affects creatures, and with no reference to other spells, the duration any other spells (including bless) would continue to count down while the Time Stop caster would spend their turns.

9th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself. No time passes for other creatures, while you take 1d4 + 1 turns in a row, during which you can use actions and move as normal. This spell ends if one of the actions you use during this period, or any effects that you create during this period, affects a creature other than you or an object being worn or carried by someone other than you.

In addition, the spell ends if you move to a place more than 1,000 feet from the location where you cast it.

According to the description of 5th Edition's Time Stop Spell, Time Stop doesn't speed up the caster to be able to perform multiple actions in a reduced amount of time. The spell specifically slows down all creatures it effects so only to their perspective, the caster is moving incredibly fast. This means that to the caster and anyone else outside the influence of Time Stop, time is proceeding at a normal pace. This also means that creatures affected are essentially losing rounds, not turns, as the caster is spending a turn normally, and then the affected creatures just simply don't have the time to make any actions. Keep in mind that the spell ends prematurely, if any creature is affected in any way by the caster during Time Stop's duration.

Also, the spell's description only references creatures. This means that all objects, magical artifacts, spells, and anything that is not a creature, are not affected by Time Stop. This means that they also proceed through time at a normal pace.

This means that any spell that has a duration, continues to count down, and perform normally as the caster takes their 1d4+1 normal turns. Keep in mind, that any duration spells cast before Time Stop will continue to affect their zones of influence. Damage spells will continue to damage creatures as well, including the spell caster. And finally if any spells' duration would expire during the spell casters "bonus" rounds, then that spell would expire normally, and effected creatures will have to wait until Time Stop ends to notice.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'd argue that whether the caster speeds up or not is entirely a matter of perspective. Speed, at least in this case, is relative. If I had to adjudicate an absolute ruling one way or the other, though, I'd have to say speeding up the caster seems more plausible: range is self and the description says "stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself" - there's no numerical limit here - it is referencing every other individual anywhere! I know this is a 9th level spell, but that would have been some seriously OP stuff right there! \$\endgroup\$ Jul 20, 2018 at 1:22
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No time passes during the Time Stop

Time Stop has a duration of instantaneous, during which you take 1d4+1 turns in a row. Mechanically, no rounds (or any other forms of time) pass during these turns, for you or for any other creature. Thus, no time is counted against the duration of Bless as well as any other spells you have on you, whether you cast them or not.

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