5
\$\begingroup\$

The 5th-level Sor/Wiz spell greater anticipate teleportation [abjur] (Spell Compendium 13) delays by 3 rounds the arrival of a creature that attempts to teleport into the affected area. The 9th-level nomad power time regression [psychoportation] (XPH 138) allows the nomad to "regress apparent time 1 round into the past[, the power] regress[ing] time to the point along the time stream just prior to your previous turn, undoing the effects of everyone else’s actions in the meantime."

Does a creature that has been delayed for 3 rounds by the effect of greater anticipate teleportation who then manifests time regression replay its last round (which was about 3 rounds ago), the last actual round of the game (while the creature was absent), or something else?

True Story: The nomad teleported into a room that was warded by a greater anticipate teleportation effect. Over the course of the 3 rounds during which he was absent, one PC was killed, another PC was rendered unconscious but stable at −3 hp, and the last PC was prevented from entering the room by the 150 ft. of solid rock in the way (multiple passwall spells were simultaneously suppressed whilst he was within the magically created passage). Then the foes departed with the dead and unconscious bodies of the downed PCs. When the PC who was affected by the greater anticipate teleportation effect returned to the room, instead of the din of battle, he found the room largely empty except for a dead beholder. He manifested his time regression power. (He wasn't metagaming: the wraith cohort of one of the downed-and-missing PCs—who was spying nearby—quickly informed the nomad of what had transpired.) After some discussion, I allowed the time regression effect to start from the nomad's last round (in other words, like, 4 rounds ago in real game time) because using the power costs 1,000 XP, and the player'd been sitting on the power for, like, ten sessions, having saved it for just such an occasion (sort of, anyway). So for our table's gentlemen's agreement, this was the right call, but I'm curious if the rules agree.

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
3
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ It's a very short hop, but can't pass up an opportunity to use the [time-travel] tag! \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Nov 24 '16 at 19:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ Is it possible to expand the question a little bit by going from Greater Anticipate Teleportation to Things that make one or more creatures deal with more or less rounds or something to that effect? The only other thing I can think of (because I have not had the pleasure of using a lot of the D&D 3.5e Sourcebooks) is Time Stop, since that similarly messes with who acts for how many rounds. \$\endgroup\$
    – Javelin
    Nov 24 '16 at 21:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Javelin Possibly. The number of magical effects that actually cause time not to pass for a character is, I think, incredibly rare, but I'd be happy to open the question wider if more effects are founds. (For instance, time stop counterintuitively accelerates the caster rather than halting the universe, and imprisonment is merely suspended animation.) \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Nov 25 '16 at 1:40
4
\$\begingroup\$

The spell refers to "round" as a singular thing throughout the entire spell. It says:

the previous round

only you retain knowledge of what happened during the round that is being replayed

During the round that you live through a second time

This would suggest that it can only do one turn. The only thing that casts some doubt is the line

The power regresses time to the point along the time stream just prior to your previous turn

However, that seems meant to show exactly where the power will drop you. I expect they mean directly before your previous initiative count, not just before the last turn you actually took.

Note that if you allow rolling back to the last turn taken, this power can be an abused to roll back an indefinite amount of time if the Nomad is willing to have his allies place him in some kind of Statis with the orders to "roll back time as soon as you come out". I doubt this is intended. Likewise it can revert back through death if you cast it instantly when you are brought back to life. There are many effects that cause you to not perform anything during a round.

Reading it as being limited to a single 6 second round seems the only reasonable reading of it. Anything else will cause all sorts of weirdness.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
5
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ These are good points, and the death thing in particular gave me pause. It might be hair-splitting, but I think a dead creature may still get turns , yet the creature's dead condition prevents the creature from taking actions. :-) \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Nov 25 '16 at 1:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ The same argument can be made for a creature in stasis or being delayed by anticipate teleport, though. It's hard to argue that you don't take turns when being delayed, but you do get turns while disintegrated; in both cases you're not really there. \$\endgroup\$
    – Erik
    Nov 25 '16 at 6:47
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ I know it's hard to argue so I won't try very hard, but the effect of a greater anticipate teleportation (GAT) delay is to remove everything. Unlike maze, temporal stasis, or outright disintegration, the GAT effect causes the creature for 3 rounds to pretty much cease to exist anywhere! (Even death means many a creature's soul is doing stuff, and time is still passing at a measurable external rate for the creature.) Just sayin' that there might be a difference--and analogies could be harder to draw--between the GAT effect and other effects. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Nov 25 '16 at 11:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ And that, boys and girls, is how you add save-game points to your D&D sessions. \$\endgroup\$
    – nijineko
    Nov 28 '16 at 19:38
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ The question becomes whether the spell mechanics operate on a caster-subjective level, or a universe-objective level. I vote the former as it is unlikely the caster can affect the entire universe. Personally, I would allow them to do so. If they began using it repeatedly, enter god of time and a fun little side-quest relating to them stretching and tearing the fabric of space-time due to overuse. ^^ Makes for more memorable sessions. \$\endgroup\$
    – nijineko
    Nov 28 '16 at 19:44

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .