Question for the mods

[Eathanos]

Would a time magus be an acceptable charicter to portray if it was done correctly?

Where he would have the ability to slow down time speed up time and jump between time points like an hour into the future or back in time.

If so what would be the limits of these abilities?

Speed up and slow down time or somewhere in between going fro 1/4 time to 4x time?

Being able jump as much as an hour into the past or future?

Would you allow for more then that or would that be the max or even less then that?

[Lord Anglekos]

Any character is possible and acceptable as long as they are level-appropriate, unique and original (in the sense that they do not belong to someone else or to any copyrighted material; i.e. Bleach, Naruto, The Seeker, etc.), and follow the Althanas guidelines. We have many chronomancers on Althanas, as a matter of fact; two of which being moderators themselves (Yari Rafanas and one of Number's alternate accounts).
That being said, the limitations of your abilities as a time mage would fall upon the extent of their usage. For example, perhaps indeed your character could jump an hour into the past or future. This would probably be fine quest-wise, but how would that fall in battle? Could your character, say, in the middle of a duel, when he's about to get killed he reverses the clock back an hour and never goes to the place where he would get killed? This would be a little strong and unfair on the other player you're fighting against, and most likely your time-hopping abilities would be limited to a few seconds to a minute at the very most.
Time is always a tricky subject here on Althanas, and I'm sure another moderator can explain it better. But hopefully you get the jist of it, correct?

[Eathanos]

thats a just of it but what i would like to know is the extent of the abilites you could push it especially at the start. I realise the ability to time jump more then a few seconds would give a grevious over advanatage in battle. I can think of a way to word the ability to make it such that he would be unable to perform drastic time jumps in battle and only be able to do larger ones outside of combat.

Would it be helpful to draw up an outline for a charicter and then work at him to try and find a suitable balance for a charicter like that?

[Relian Tydonus]

Not a mod but I'd like to throw my two cents in, if I may.

A basic way I've seen people limit really powerful techniques so that they aren't overpowering in battle is by saying how long the ability takes to cast. Such as time manipulation, say he can travel hours into the past/future, but he requires 10 minutes of meditation to do so. Then in battle there is no way he could do much while being attacked, besides maybe a few seconds here and there. Also the same with the slowing and speeding time, then as you level up the character you can reduce the time it takes to do the abilities and thus makes them fit the level they are.

Hope this helps :)

[Caden Law]

*Pops in.*

And just to point this out, but we've also had plenty of people time travel.

One of the Big Bads for an old FQ/MQ was a chronomancer.

[Caden Law]

*Pops in.*

And just to point this out, but we've also had plenty of people time travel.

One of the Big Bads for an old FQ/MQ was a chronomancer.

[Rayse Valentino]

Caden's already breaking the timestream folks.

[Yari Rafanas]

Tough question, Eathanos. Time magic is a very tricky field simply because it grants ultimate control of a situation if you use it to its full potential. If you wanted a character who could travel through time, but through an incredibly slow processes or ritual, I can see that as being a possibility. The reason you would want to place the "slow ritual" clause in there would be to prevent powergaming any sort of combat between yourself and another character. Unless you were an extremely high level, I don't think you would get away with approval of a Prince of Persia-esque "Oops, didn't mean to get stabbed. Let's rewind a bit" type of ability. However, if you wanted some Time magic that is a little bit more Final Fantasy-esque, a lot of people have used abilities such as Slow and Haste (or at least their versions of it) in their profiles.

Now, my profile isn't an extremely good example for a level 0 character, but if you'd like a good idea of a level 10 character with a good chunk of chronomancy, take a look at the link below.I clearly label the abilities I consider Time Magic.

http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22655-Rafanas-X

[Elrundir]

Would it be helpful to draw up an outline for a charicter and then work at him to try and find a suitable balance for a charicter like that?
To answer that question, you're certainly always free to do that! In fact, that's what the Realm of Greeting is all about: you and the moderator working together to find a suitable balance for your character. If you submit something that's too powerful, you won't be rejected out of hand; the mod will work with you to tone down the character to something appropriate for his or her level. So don't worry! Write up something and you can work with the mod to fix it up from there.

[Silence Sei]

It's also good and advised to put up a "non-battle disclaimer".

For example, say he can go back or forwards a couple of hours. A good way to prevent powergaming is by saying something like "due to his knowledge the implications of time travel, he will never time hop when facing someone in combat."

Or something to that extent.

[Hallow]

I always think time magic is misunderstood. To travel through time is something most wizards and earnest practiser of the magical arts in any of it's wondrous forms can do. A lowly hedge mage, a high browned arc wizard of the College Arcana, or even a witch, warlock of spirit guide.

To twist and warp and bend time to your will? That is an entirely different matter altogether.

In all reality, you're not going to be permitted to literallly rewind the entirey of time back and forth at your command. The logistics of forcing rewrites and continuity edits on your opponent in a battle situation are simply too unfair and, whilst it sounds like a challenge to me (and certainly an idea for a quest thread, if ever you work something out after all) it's not something you can write into a combat based character.

Limited time magic, however, where you manipulate the time of specific objects or the performance of yourself in a time frame, is something you can work with.

As Yari mentioned, haste and slow effects are a very easy way to make a chronomancer. You can increase agility, dexterity, responses to opponent's attacks and so on and so forth. You can probably manifest healing effects with it too, rewind your own body for the benefits.

Hope there's some nuggets in this rambling somewhere.