The Time Thief
A Roguish Archetype
This is an adaptation of the Pathfinder class, originally written by Owen K. C. Stephens for Rogue Genius Games.
The time thief does just what her name suggests: she steals bits of time. Mostly she steals boring, unneeded time from her own future, saving tiny split-seconds she can use to make her life easier in the present. As her powers grow, the time thief can learn to manipulate bigger slices of time, giving her more options to enhance her actions or even alter the timeline of enemies and allies alike. Most of the time thief's effects are subtle to outside observers, seeming to be more good fortune and preternatural speed than control over time. But it’s clear to anyone who seen a time thief dash past a charging horse, leap onto a narrow ledge, and flip over a guard’s crossbow bolt that a time thief has some kind of temporal power.
Indeed, while the powers of the time thief are very similar to magic, they are neither arcane nor divine in nature. A time thief develops a natural power to alter time, more akin to a dragon’s breath or the ability of fey than to mortal spellcasting. Rather than gathering and shaping magical energy, the time thief can take, save, change, and deal out slices of time itself. For most time thieves, this is a natural talent discovered at an early age (often at some time of great stress), and honed through years of practice.
Time Management
Starting at 3rd level, you can interact with any number of objects or features of The Environment for free during your turn.
Temporal Mastery
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn talents that are fueled by special dice called temporal dice. These dice represent snippets of time stolen from your future, and the talents are you ability to use that stolen time to your advantage.
Temporal Talents. You learn three temporal talents of your choice, which are listed under "Temporal Talents" below. Many temporal talents enhance an attack or ability check in some way. You can use only one temporal talent per attack or ability check.
Some temporal talents have prerequisites; you must meet all of the listed requirements to be able to select the talent, and if you no longer meet the requirements you cannot use the talent.
You learn two additional temporal talents of your choice at 9th, 13th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new temporal talents, you can also replace one temporal talent you know with a different one.
Temporal Dice. You have four temporal dice, which are d8s. A temporal die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended temporal dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another temporal die at 9th level and one more at 17th level.
Saving Throws. Some of your temporal talents require attack rolls, or require your target to make a saving throw to resist the talent's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Talent Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Bolt Time
Starting at 9th level, you can accelerate your perceptions and reactions so that you can easily react to an incoming projectile. You can cast haste on yourself once without expending a spell slot or using components. While the spell is active, as a reaction when targeted by a ranged weapon attack, you may cause the attack to miss automatically. You regain use of this ability after finishing a long rest.
Time Runner
At 13th level, you can move through spaces in time. At any time during your turn, you can instantly move your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks, cannot be perceived, and does not trigger traps during your move. You may use the Dash action during this movement to cover more distance. At the end of the movement, time catches up with you and any events that would have been triggered by your passage occur -- for instance, if you stepped on a trap's trigger, the trap would go off after you have finished moving.
You can use this ability once, and regain use of it after finishing a short or long rest.
Time Killer
At 17th level, your mastery over personal time reaches its peak. You no longer age physically, and cannot be aged by artificial means. Your body reverts to its physical prime; if you were suffering any adverse physical effects from aging, those effects are removed. You cannot die of old age.
Your temporal dice turn into d10s. In addition, when you roll initiative and have no temporal dice remaining, you regain 1 temporal die.
Temporal Talents
Back to the Future
You can briefly fling yourself into your own future to see the consequences of your actions. You can cast augury once as an action without requiring any components. You regain the use of this ability after a short or long rest.
Borrowed Time
(Prerequisite: 9th-level rogue)
As an action, you can draw further into your future and recover two spent temporal dice. This comes with a cost: the next time you recover temporal dice after a short rest, you recover one fewer die. Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long rest.
Butterfly Effect
(Prerequisite: 13th-level rogue)
You can step back into your past and make a minor change, but one that causes a cascade of changes that work in an ally's favor. You can expend a temporal die as a reaction to give the temporal die as a bonus to one ally's attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. You don't need to see the ally, but you have to be aware that they are performing the action in question at the moment you use this talent.
Déjà Vu
(Prerequisite: Steady Hand talent, 13th-level rogue)
You can instantly look back on past events, or even those in the near future, giving yourself the benefit of hindsight and introspection. When you make an ability check using Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can spend a temporal die to reroll the check. Add the temporal die to the check result, then choose to use the new result or the original.
Entropy
(Prerequisite: 9th-level rogue)
You can force the burden of time on an enemy. As an action, expend a temporal die to make a ranged spell attack on an enemy you can see within 60 feet. If you hit, the target takes necrotic damage equal to your Sneak Attack dice plus your temporal die; this damage bypasses resistance.
Extra Attack
(Prerequisite: 9th level rogue)
By spending a temporal die, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn.
Faster Than Sight
When you move, you can expend one temporal die, rolling the die and adding the number rolled to your AC and Dexterity saves until you stop moving. Your speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn.
Old Wounds
As an action, you can expend a temporal die to accelerate natural healing in yourself or another creature you touch. The target recovers hit points equal to what you roll on the temporal die plus half your rogue level.
One Step Ahead
(Prerequisites: Back to the Future talent, 17th-level rogue)
You can project your senses into your immediate future. As an action, you can expend a temporal die to cast foresight on yourself; the spell's duration is a number of rounds equal to your roll on the temporal die.
Personal Time
(Prerequisite: Faster Than Sight talent, 9th-level rogue)
You can take a risky action, and if it doesn't go well just rewind. At the start of your turn, you can expend a temporal die to go into Personal Time. Take your turn normally, making a separate note of the results -- any attack rolls, saving throws, and other effects.
At the end of your turn, if you decide to keep the results, they apply normally. If, instead, you decide you don't like the results of your turn, you can choose to rewind it -- you go back to the start of your turn, and all actions taken have no effect. You are considered to have used your move for the turn, and no other creatures have any memory of the actions you first attempted.
If you get knocked unconscious or killed while in Personal Time, you automatically revert to the beginning of the turn.
Retroactive
(Prerequisite: Steady Hand talent, 13th-level rogue)
You can attempt the same physical task over and over, instantly hopping back to the start of the attempt until you get it perfect. When you make an ability check using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, you can spend a temporal die to reroll the check. Add the temporal die to the check result, then choose to use the new result or the original.
Steady Hand
You can briefly rewind to erase mistakes caused by distractions. As part of an action requiring an ability check, you can expend a temporal die to add the number you roll on the die to the check result.
Steal Fate
You can steal a crucial moment from someone else's future. As a bonus action, you can expend a temporal die and select a creature you can see within 30 feet; that creature applies your temporal die as a penalty to a single attack roll, ability check, or saving throw made within the next minute. You choose when to apply the penalty; you must be able to see the target at the time you make this choice.
Time Bandit
(Prerequisite: Borrowed Time talent, 13th-level rogue)
Add one to your maximum number of temporal dice.
Time Cross
(Prerequisite: Steal Fate talent, 9th-level rogue)
You can use your time-stealing powers to take away crucial moments of success from your enemies. Expend a temporal die and select one enemy you can see within 60 feet; the target must make an Intelligence save or have disadvantage on all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. The target can attempt a new Intelligence save at the end of each of its turns (it does not suffer disadvantage on this save).
Time Dilation
(Prerequisite: 9th-level rogue)
You are able to displace yourself from the timeline. You can cast blink once without expending a spell slot or using components. Instead of vanishing into the Ethereal Plane, you are effectively removed from existence (though you are still aware of your surroundings). You regain use of this ability after finishing a short or long rest.
Time Stop
(Prerequisite: 17th-level rogue)
By expending a temporal die, you can cast time stop. After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Time to Kill
(Prerequisite: 13th-level rogue)
You slow things down to line yourself up for the perfect strike. By spending a temporal die while making a weapon attack, you may add your Sneak Attack dice to the damage roll even if otherwise denied the option. This uses your Sneak Attack for the turn.
Time to Spare
You have more time to react to situations than anyone else. At the start of an encounter, you can expend a temporal die and add the die to your initiative check. In addition, if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren't incapacitated, spending the die on this ability allows you to act normally on your first turn.