not asking about the incorrect 24 hr cheese, but can you cast time stop while under the effect of the same spell already?

[David Hopper]

I'm asking this as a GM. I don't mean having it persisted, we all know that does NOT work, but is there an actual rules limit to the number of times you can cast it?

[karkon]

David Hopper wrote:

I'm asking this as a GM. I don't mean having it persisted, we all know that does NOT work, but is there an actual rules limit to the number of times you can cast it?

I would say no as time is already stopped. I can't think of a rule against it though.

[Nightskies]

After a bit of searching, there are no hard limits that I've found. This is what I expected. Out of curiosity, what is it that you intend to do with a lot of repeat casts of Time Stop?

I see no reason why the duration couldn't be overlapped, not stacked, with another casting of it. It doesn't stop time (as the name implies). "In fact, you speed up so greatly that all other creatures seem frozen, though they are actually still moving at their normal speeds... While the time stop is in effect, other creatures are invulnerable to your attacks and spells; you cannot target such creatures with any attack or spell. A spell that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of the time stop have their normal effects on other creatures once the time stop ends."

[David Hopper]

cast a bunch of gate spells, and or buff spells, and then leave the party to deal with the called dudes whilst the BBEG (well his LT in this case) moves elsewhere in the dungeon.

[LazarX]

David Hopper wrote:

cast a bunch of gate spells, and or buff spells, and then leave the party to deal with the called dudes whilst the BBEG (well his LT in this case) moves elsewhere in the dungeon.

You can't cast spells that affect other creatures... that includes summoning them.

[ProfPotts]

Yeah - you'll be wanting to drop a bunch of area spells with durations (battlefield control stuff)...

... Or just a dozen delayed blast fireballs... ;)

[David Hopper]

You can 'summon' you just can't call (which precludes my Gate idea sure)

being able to summon is in the spell description of time stop.

[meatrace]

LazarX wrote:

David Hopper wrote:

cast a bunch of gate spells, and or buff spells, and then leave the party to deal with the called dudes whilst the BBEG (well his LT in this case) moves elsewhere in the dungeon.

You can't cast spells that affect other creatures... that includes summoning them.

Boo, incorrect. You can cast spells that target other creatures or leave them in the area, but they're immune during the duration. Summoning spells don't target anything. Furtheremore they are called out in the spell description as being legitimate use of actions. The summoned creatures are unable to act until the end of the time-stop however.

[Ninjaiguana]

I'm not sure if I'd let you 'nest' time stop spells like they were Russian dolls. However, does anything prevent you readying a cast of time stop with the trigger "when this time stop ends", using one of the actions you have gained through time stop? RAI, it really shouldn't work, the actions should be 'use it or lose it'...but RAW?

Obvious caveat to the above - you could have anywhere between 2 and 5 rounds in the time stop and you don't know how long you have, which makes readying tricky, but not impossible.

[Fozbek]

Ninjaiguana wrote:

Obvious caveat to the above - you could have anywhere between 2 and 5 rounds in the time stop and you don't know how long you have

Says who? Not the spell.

[clawoftiamat]

Core rulebook page 216. If a spell's duration is variable, the duration is rolled secretly so the caster doesn't know how long the spell will last.

[Fozbek]

clawoftiamat wrote:

Core rulebook page 216. If a spell's duration is variable, the duration is rolled secretly so the caster doesn't know how long the spell will last.

Learn new things every day. Thank you. I withdraw my objection.

[ProfPotts]

clawoftiamat wrote:

Core rulebook page 216. If a spell's duration is variable, the duration is rolled secretly so the caster doesn't know how long the spell will last.

Which is the same problem the guy casting multiple time stop spells faces too - since the remaining duration of the time stop counts against the duration of other spells you cast whilst under the effect. So casting multiple time stop spells is either a gamble (can I put off casting the next one until next round?), or has quickly diminishing returns (as the durations get eaten by the duration of the one that's already running)... or both (if the duration rolled for your 'extension' time stop happens to be less than the duration remaining of the spell you already have running). All in all a pretty poor resource-management choice... but we all get desperate at times!

No, better to throw in spells with durations you know will beat that of the time stop when you cast one. IMHO, natch. ;)