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Every wizard in fifth editionDungeons & Dragonsmanipulates reality to their whim, but only the chronurgy wizard becomes a master of time itself. When you choose this class you may turn time back and force it to unfold in your favor, anticipate battles before they happen, and freeze your enemies – and your own magic – in time.
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The chronurgy wizard comes from the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount and focuses on making the most of every roll you make while playing. There are endless creative ways to use the chronurgy wizard’s features for both yours and your party’s benefit both during combat and outside of it.
Features Of A Chronurgy Wizard
Chronal Shift
When you choose this school of magic atsecond level,you gain the ability toturn back timetwice per long rest. You do this by using your reaction to cause a creature within 30 feet of you toreroll an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
You can use this ability whether the roll is a success or failure, meaning it is versatile and you can use it to give allies a better chance or to give enemies a worse one.
Temporal Awareness
Also atsecond level,youadd your Intelligence modifier to all initiative rolls. This enables you to act quickly at the start of a fight.
Momentary Stasis
Atsixth level,you can use your action topause a creature in timea number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest.
You can use this ability on a creature size large or smaller within 60 feet of you. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If they fail against your spell save DC, they areincapacitated and their speed is zerountil the end of their next turn, or until they take damage.
Arcane Abeyance
Attenth level,you canfreeze a spell in time, allowing yourself or one of your allies to instantly cast it at a later moment.
As long as the spell is fourth level or lower, you can freeze the spell into a size Tiny bead. The bead has an Armor Class of 15, one hit point, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Any creature that holds the bead canuse its action to release the spellinside the bead. This creature becomes the caster, but the spell still uses your spell attack bonus and spell save DC.
If the bead is destroyed or if the spell is not released withinone hour,the bead is destroyed and the spell is lost.
Convergent Future
Atfourteenth level,you gain the ability not only to see into the future, but to manipulate time to bring about an outcome you desire.
When you or a creature within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction tocancel whatever outcome they rolledon the die. Instead, you decide whether the creature rolled high enough to succeed or whether they did not.
Once again, use this for allies toboost their rolls higheror use it against enemies to verify theyfail crucial rolls.
You gain alevel of exhaustioneach time you use this ability, which can only be removed when you finish a long rest.
Best Ability Scores For A Chronurgy Wizard
Intelligenceshould be your highest ability score. You will use Intelligence for yourspellcasting modifier.You also get to add it toinitiative rolls,and it determines how many times you can use yourmomentary stasisfeature. You will need this for pretty much everything.
Taking feats or playing as species that boost your Intelligence is a great way to improve it!
Dexterityis also pretty important. Yourtemporal awarenessfeature boosts your initiative, which is determined by Dexterity. In addition, a highArmor Classis never bad to have as a wizard since you don’t have that may hit points to spare.
Constitutionalso benefits you as a wizard. While this needn’t be your highest ability score, you will want to put points into it toincrease your naturally low hit pointsand protect against the all-too-commonConstitution saving throw.
Wisdomis always nice to have some points in, as this ability score also hassaving throwsassociated with it frequently. However, you won’t use Wisdom for much else.
Charisma and Strengthcan be your lowest scores, asyou won’t need themfor much of anything.
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Best Species For A Chronurgy Wizard
The chronurgist is unique in its ability to manipulate time, so you may not find species which specifically complement your class features. However, you canboost your Intelligence and spellcasting abilitywith several species.
High Elf
Thehigh elfis a tried and true wizard species. High elves gain a one point bonus toIntelligenceand a two point bonus toDexterity.
In addition toproficiency in Perception, advantage on saving throws against beingcharmed,and the inability to be put to sleep, you also gain afree extra wizard cantripwhen you choose this species.
Eladrin
Similar to high elves,eladrinare elves that have a deep connection with the feywild. You can choose your ability score increases for this species, and you should put these points intoIntelligence and Dexterity.
You havedarkvision,advantage on saving throws against beingcharmed, the trance ability, andproficiency in Perception.
In addition, you gain theFey Stepability, which lets youteleport up to 30 feetto an unoccupied space as a bonus action. You associate this ability with a season of your choice, granting you certain benefits.
As a chronurgy wizard, you will be best off with the Winter feature. This feature forces aWisdom saving throwon a creature within five feet of you before they teleport, causing them to befrightened of youuntil the end of your next turn.
The Winter fey step is best because you will usually be using this power toescape melee rangeand it’s best to have extra insurance that whatever you’re escaping from won’t follow you.
Rock Gnome
As a rock gnome, you gain a one-point increase to yourConstitutionand a two-point bonus to yourIntelligence.All gnomes are sizeSmallwith a walking speed of 25 feet. They havedarkvisionand advantage on allIntelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma savesagainst magic.
As a rock gnome, you gainproficiency with tinkerer’s toolsand the ability to create special devices such as a fire starter, music box, a clockwork toy, or something that creates similar effects.
At your Dungeon Master’s discretion, you may be able to use this clockwork device to activate the spells stored via yourArcane Abeyanceability. This would allow you toset off spells remotely or at a great distance.
It’s entirely possible that your Dungeon Master will say no to this because it’s definitely stretching the rules, but it’s worth it to try!
Best Spells For A Chronurgy Wizard
When choosing cantrips and spells, think not only of spells that can benefit you but which would be beneficial for your allies to cast using your arcane abeyance feature.
Description
Dancing Lights
This concentration cantrip lets you createfour bright lights within 120 feet,and move them up to 60 feet as a bonus action.
While pretty situational, this is a greatsignal spelland a good one to give to allies using yourarcane abeyancefeature, so they can signal you if need be.
Fire Bolt
This ranged attack cantrip deals1d10 fire damageto an enemy on a hit.
Every wizard needs astandard damage dealerand this one is as good as they come.
Minor Illusion
This cantrip lets youcreate a sound or image within 30 feetof you as an action. The illusion lasts up to one minute.
This is a great cantrip that relies on people not passing theIntelligence checkto determine that the illusion is not there. Since you can manipulate other people’s checks using yourchronul shiftfeature, you have extra insurance towards making sure this spell works.
Spells
You learnsix first-level spellsat first level and gain two free spells of increasing power with each level.
Find Familiar
Thisfirst-levelspell lets yousummon an animalthat obeys your commands and helps you with ability checks, attack rolls, and scouting.
The greatest feature of a familiar for a chronurgist is thatthe familiar can cast spells using your arcane abeyance feature.
Suggestion
With thissecond levelconcentration spell, you force a creature to make aWisdom saving throw. If they fail, theytake a course of action that you suggest, lasting up to eight hours.
This is a very powerful spell thatrelies on a single Wisdom save.With yourchronal shift and convergent futurefeatures, you have a higher chance of making this spell work every time.
Haste
Thisthird level concentration spell gives a creature a two point bonus toArmor Class, advantage on allDexterity saves, and anadditional actionon each of it turns for one minute.
This is a great spell for you to cast on yourself or your allies, or usearcane abeyanceso your melee fighting allies can cast this on themselves and reap the benefits.
