The Dresden Files > DFRPG

Chronomancy– How To?

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Orion Ultor:
There's a new foe this week, in my friend's game; a Chronomancer Warlock, who'd discovered how to send his memories back to the better part of a day under his own power, more if he used the power of other sources such as storms, leylines, etc. 

The problem is is that we need to figure out how to the same thing, (or at least I do, as GM), and send someone back to the past if they are unable to stop the warlock's spell.

How would I do this from a mechanical viewpoint?

g33k:
Honestly, I would encourage Other Solutions.  Chronomancy violates one of the Laws of Magic, and the Snicker isn't a candybar snack, but the sound of a wardensword going snicker-snack a split-second before you stop hearing anything at all.  I believe the Gatekeeper, Rashid, is canonically able to notice this sort of thing (and will draw the Wardens there to stop it hard).  It's more than possible that the PC's are being observed/tested to see how they react to THIS chronomancer, before the wardens kill him.

Off the top of my head, it seems like extensive pre-planning and a staggered attack is the way to go...  Your REAL attack is planned for the day BEFORE your feint:

* You stage an interaction with him, with a Taken Out level of damage ready to pile on with no notice, but you DON'T carry it out unless he shows some level of being chronomance'd; you are carrying an obvious (but not obviously dangerous) McGuffin.
* The NEXT day, you conduct your "feint," attacking him in a way to make him Chronomance-warn himself; here, the McGuffin needs to be used in a dangerous/scary way.
* If the Warlock, on the 1st day, shows any caution or wariness about the not-obviously-dangerous McGuffin, then He Has Warned Himself, so your future-selves have done the feint; Take Him Out, instantly.This is predicated on the idea that he cannot daisy-chain his chronomancy -- if he just did it, and has a freshly-chronomance'd memory, he cannot just send it off back down the timestream ANOTHER day back (etc etc etc); if he can, you need another plan.

That said... Chronomancy is almost-certainly in the realm of Spirit magic.  Lots and lots of shifts, and specialized knowledge (I wouldn't expect this to be an off-the-cuff thing).

Taran:
Sending your memories back is kind of the same as doing augury in the present, isn't it?  Getting a glimpse of the future?  Divination is not against the Laws.

Lawbreaking aside, I'd just run it like that:  He has foresight.

Knowing what is going to happen in the future is an appropriate skill replacement ritual:
How will this person react when I tell them this? EMpathy skill replacement
What is behind the door?  Investigation replacement
I know they will attack me so I can dodge at the right time: athletics replacement

Or, for longer term spell where you know the outcome of a scene or scenario use a maneuver: 'I know the future' sticky aspect that lasts for as much duration as you need that can be tagged for effect.  It's an aspect that gets attached to the City (not a specific person or scene)

Therefore, they send a person's memory backwards in time.  Now you rp the scene but they already know what is going to happen and they have an aspect to tag or invoke or compel.  Essentially, look at the rules for Cassandra's Tears or Potent Prayer and run the game like that.

khadgar4606:
I am with g33k this violates laws of magic not in lets kill the Hitler before he bacame menace but more like eventually
perfecting simple long term plan as he gains 24 hours to stack the deck back in his favor we know how harry can fix every thing in last 24 hours period when he has all the pieces in his hand unlike this chronomaniac he doesnt have ability to ask his past self to do some things different due situation isn't good currently hell bastard can simply use it to cheat at any were if he wants

Quantus:
I like the idea of modeling this as a type of foresight.  Especially in the case described, a ritual that sends the person back most of a day (correct).  The inclusion of the Butterfly Effect would keep the benefit of this high-level, without it allowing you to dodge bullets or always win at blackjack which could become problematic.  As the Day goes on the benefits would become less and less specific and/or relevant, as the timelines diverge. 

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