Time

Time, in Mage: The Awakening, is the Gross ruling Arcanum of Arcadia. With it a mage may shift his perception beyond the present moment, alter the relative flow of time, and, at higher levels of mastery, move physical objects into the future or past. The Arcanum of Time governs the viewing of the interaction with the flow of time as understood within the Fallen World. Spells within the purview of this Arcanum grant the mage a wide range of abilities influencing such things as knowledge of future events and the ability to see into the past. A mage skilled in the use of this Arcanum can look back in the past or ahead into the future, alter time's flow around them or others, and, in extreme cases, travel backwards and forwards in time, or rewrite her own history. This Arcanum is commonly found in the hands of the Acanthus, whose fortunes usually hang by a thread, and thus require some knowledge of potential outcomes. Time, not Arcadia's Subtle Arcana of Fate (MTAw, allows a mage to see the future (and the past). Such spells, however, are subject to similar rules of sympathy as those used for the Space Arcana: it is much more difficult to view times with which a mage has little connection.

Its associated summoning is the Anachronism and the Exarch who supervises it is the Prophet. Within Astral Space, Time is incorporated through the Aeon called Gloriana Temporae.

Influences

Divination, prophecy, temporal scrying, time travel, time loops, and temporal acceleration/ deceleration.

Nature and Power

The Arcanum of Time is the Gross Arcanum of the Supernal Realm of Arcadia, a realm that also generates the powers of the Arcanum of Fate. The realm of Arcadia is saturated with a feeling of timelessness, not to be confused with timelessness in the sense of temporal stillness; rather, time has a peculiar quality that puts it outside the normal vagaries of Fallen World time. Stories abound of mortals settling down in a cave or spot in the woods to rest, only to wake up and find that decades or even centuries have passed in the material world (see Rip Van Winkle); the Awakened theorize that such experiences come from contact with Arcadia. It seems as though many times exist at once, each at the same time true. To make sense of such altered time, one must have the ability to understand and manipulate time’s flow. This power is also useable in the Fallen World, where even here time is not constant (see Einstein’s theory of special relativity), but still easier to predict and therefore easier to control. The power of the Arcanum of Time is reduced in the Fallen World, but as with all the Gross Arcana, its field of influence remains on this side of the Abyss and the Gauntlet. Time is a concept of great importance to the Awakened. Four of the Pentacle Orders constantly look back to the past, obsessed with the idea of reclaiming their former glory; the other has it eyes fixed firmly on the future, envisaging a world where their ideals of democracy and universal Awakening are made fully manifest. Mages in the modern world live and die over scraps of the past, whether fabricating themselves a grand history or scraping for an Atlantean artifact of untold power significance. The Arcanum of Time gives them a step up in subterfuge and treasure-grabs; it has its uses outside merely the politics, propaganda, and petty squabbles of the Awakened. A mage well versed in the Arcanum of Time has many advantages over their peers in mundane life and Awakened business alike. The abilities possessed by such mages allow them to divine the future with great clarity; an expedient mage should not need to be informed of the advantages of such power, but they are multifarious and often to one’s Wisdom. Likewise, the ability to look into the past confers a great deal of advantages upon the user; one can watch past event to aid research, help find artifact, determine the guilty party in the case of crime committed by Awakened, or simply observe for the sake of amusement. Objects can be sent forward in time, so they’re not available to an enemy currently. The Mage may cause themselves or others to experience an unusual flow of time, making enemies slower, or giving themselves more time to work on a complex task. At the highest levels of mastery, mage can even rewrite her past or freeze a target inside the flow of time.

Common Practices

Initiates (●)

Initiates of Time gain the Mage Sight with respect to the way resonance clings to objects in time it has interacted with, and gain the ability to tell perfect time. The Mage can sense disturbances, knowing any power that has altered time’s natural flow. The mage can gain insight into an event that happened a few seconds ago, now, or will happen soon, and discover whether it’ll be beneficial or harmful to her. She also gains a sense of improved timing, allowing her to act at just the right moment for maximum effect.

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTIONRote Spells	ASPECT
Counterspell		123		M:tA	counter Time spells	Composure + Occult + Time	Covert
Momentary Flux		257		M:tA	determine if event was beneficial	Wits + Investigation + Time	Covert
Perfect Timing		258	●	M:tA	add dice to next roll in turn	Intelligence + Composure + Time	Covert
Precise Dating	Life or Matter or Forces 1	204		Myst	determine when target reached it's current form		Covert
Temporal Eddies		258		M:tA	Mage Sight	Wits + Investigation + Time	Covert
Temporal Wrinkles		258		M:tA	detect presence of temporal disturbances	Wits + Occult + Time	Covert
Tempus Fugit		199		GotV	alter target's sense of time	Wits + Academics + Time	Covert
Time Limit		132	●	TotM	item crafting, alternate relinquishment cost - each owner only gets a limited time of usability	Intelligence + Crafts + Time	Covert
Time's Mark	Matter 1 or Life 1 or Time 2	73		TotM	reliably determine object/person's creation/birth date	Intelligence + Investigation + Time	Covert

Apprentice (●●)

Apprentices of Time can grant their perceptions of the lingering effects of resonance to others. The mage may discern lingering effects of the outcome of a very simple undertaking, where only two options are available (flipping a coin/yes or no), gain answers to simple questions about a single facet of the future, or get a more detailed look at the outcome of a single simple action she is performing (turning a single card). The mage can glimpse into their past or that of an object they hold, with precision and clarity. The mage’s powers can shield them against divinations by others into their past or future, or form a more literal shield against attacks by speeding the mage up in time or slowing down incoming attacks. An Apprentice of Time can cast "prepared spells". These spells are prepared in advance and then suspended for a limited time, having no effect until triggered by the caster. The specific trigger is chosen in advance and is generally brief and subtle, making the casting easier, faster, and less obvious.

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Augury		258		M:tA	see the general nature of the future	Intelligence + Occult + Time	Covert
Ephemeral Postcognition	Prime 1	210		Summ	see the past of an ephemeral being		Covert
Flip of the Coin		259	●	M:tA	determine outcome of simple act	Wits + Investigation + Time	Covert
Glimpsing the Future		259	●	M:tA	roll twice for action, taking the better roll	Wits + Investigation + Time	Covert
Library of Time		199		GotV	half Research roll time		Covert
Postcognition		260		M:tA	view past events	Intelligence + Investigation + Time	Covert
Shield of Chronos		261		M:tA	prevent others from viewing through Time	Composure + Stealth + Time	Covert
Temporal Dodge		261		M:tA	Shielding	Dexterity + Athletics + Time	Covert
Temporal Flow		262		M:tA	grant Mage Sight	Presence + Persuasion + Time	Covert
Worst Moment	opt Space 2	68		Ban	predict the best time to attack target, inflict environmental penalties		Covert

Disciples (●●●)

Disciples of Time have the ability to bestow their protection by the forces of time on others. The mage gains more specific knowledge of the future, allowing her to get answers to questions with more than a few simple outcomes. She can speed up her movement in the flow of time, allowing her to move and act far faster than is normally possible. Finally, she can take limited steps back in time, allowing her to re-enact an action she just performed.

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Acceleration		262	(x)	M:tA	increase speed, defense	Stamina + Athletics + Time	Vulgar
Borrow From the Future		144	●	TotM	item crafting, trade future penalties for successes	Wits + Occult + Time	Covert
Divination		263	●	M:tA	gain information about possible future events by asking questions	Intelligence + Investigation + Time	Covert
Falsify Temporal Presence		195		SotT	for Duration of spell, caster's history and future are shown as defined		Covert
Metabolic Suspension	Life 3	196	(x)●	Myst	make self immune to toxins/disease		Vulgar
Prophetic Dream	Mind 3	28		TotM	grant others dreamed Divinations	Presence + Empathy + Time	Covert
Rapid Fire	Forces 2, Life 2, Matter 2	189	(x)	AA	use Autofire with any ranged weapon		Vulgar
Review History	Mind 2, Death 1 or Matter 1	205		Myst	view entirety of dead/broken pieces lifetime		Covert
Shifting Sands		263	(x)●	M:tA	rewind events by one turn	Resolve + Occult + Time	Vulgar
Strike in the Perfect Moment		72		GoG	deprive opponent of Defense in Melee		Covert
Summon Supernal Being		73		Summ	(Acanthus only) call an Anachronism from Arcadia, with difficulty		Covert
Temporal Shift		263		M:tA	grant Shielding	Manipulation + Investigation + Time	Covert
Time Out of Mind	Mind 2	113		FC	accelerate mental state	Intelligence + Science + Time	Covert

Adept (●●●●)

An Adept of Time can use the fourth level of mastery to predict the events of the near future with exact precision, allowing her to anticipate every move anyone nearby is just about to make (they’d make a killing in Las Vegas). The mage's ability to divine the further future increases to the point where she can, not only ask questions about what is coming to pass, but also ask to how to alter these events or stop them or even if they should be stopped from happening. The mage can briefly ‘stutter’ forward in time, appearing a few seconds into the future, or allow another to do the same. One can make other creatures experience a disrupted flow of time, making them act more slowly than they normally would, or briefly slip into an area of subjective time where the temporal flow is faster or slower than on the outside.

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Chronos' Curse		264	(x)●	M:tA	slow target and reduce Defense	Manipulation + Occult + Time - Composure	Vulgar
Create Potentiality		212	(x)●	Summ	retroactively add successes on casting to failed non-magical roll		Vulgar
Erase History		133		L:tS	remove a piece of time to prevent scrying		Covert
Eternal Object	Matter 1	133		GoG	prevent object from being altered in any way		Covert
Metabolic Suspension		196	(x)●	Myst	make self immune to toxins/disease		Vulgar
Metabolic Suspension	Life 4	196	(x)●	Myst	make others immune to toxins/disease		Vulgar
Precognitive Ordeal		47	●	GoG	gain Willpower by suffering foreseen attacks	Wits + Occult + Time	Covert
Present as Past		264	(x)●	M:tA	predict actions of others perfectly	Intelligence + Occult + Time vs Composure + Gnosis	Vulgar
Prophecy		264		M:tA	gain information about possible future events by asking questions	Intelligence + Occult + Time	Covert
Temporal Pocket		265	(x)	M:tA	step into altered time flow	Wits + Occult + Time	Vulgar
Temporal Stutter		265	(x)●	M:tA	push self or target forward in time	Wits + Occult + Time	Vulgar

Master (●●●●●)

Masters of Time are granted the ability to catapult objects into another time, to avoid capture by enemies or make them available when their intended recipient is prepared to wield them. One can temporarily cease the time flow around a person, freezing them in the middle of whatever they were doing (even if they were falling to the ground) until the spell ends. One’s powers can warp local time, creating pockets of unusual temporality in which time moves slower or faster than it does on the outside. Finally, the mage can rewrite her personal history, changing the events of one’s past (though only temporarily) to give oneself a completely different set of capabilities (though the history of her soul cannot be changed; all magical traits remain the same).

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Duplicate		189	●●	AA	loop time so that one action happens twice	Resolve + Occult + Time	Covert
Faerie Glade		265	(x)●	M:tA	alter speed of time flow in area	Wits + Occult + Time	Vulgar
Future Legacy	opt Space 2	267	(x)	M:tA	shunt object to future time	Presence + Investigation + Time	Vulgar
Legacy of Power	Fate 2, Prime 2	202	(x)	SL	store Mana in timestream for future use	Manipulation + Subterfuge + Time	Vulgar
Metabolic Suspension		196	(x)●	Myst	make others immune to toxins/disease		Vulgar
Rewrite History		267	(x)●	M:tA	alter your Skills and Attributes	Manipulation + Investigation + Time	Vulgar
Stop Time		267	(x)●	M:tA	freeze time around a target	Intelligence + Occult + Time vs Composure + Gnosis	Vulgar
Temporal Lifeline		113	(x)●	FC	mark a point in time to return to up to 24 hours later	Wits + Science + Time	Vulgar

Imperial Practices

Archmasters are rare but not unheard of. They don’t follow the same rules as the other ranks. Archmasters become Avatars of the Arcanum they studied, living embodiments of the Watchtower their power comes from. They become conduits for power and are no longer barred from their power by the Abyss and so aren’t subject to Paradox. They take on the physical characteristics of their Arcanum. They should be addressed as Arcs (i.e. an Arc of Death). Archmasters can cast all the spells from Initiate to Master, without using any Mana, and in any preferred duration. They effectively gain the powers of a God, including limited immortality (e.g. they stop getting older, and become immune to all diseases), but they’re still human beings and as such can be killed just like anybody else should they become careless. They still suffer penalties of their Inferior Arcanum; a mage can’t over come that until he/she has become an Arc of that inferior Arcanum. Archmasters no longer belong soley to the planet of their birth; they become citizens of the cosmos, so their concerns must move beyond their home planet to the wider Universe. Archmasters of Time have looked fully in the face of time itself. They have learned the final and most fundamental truth about time and space; it may be fluid and inconstant, but it is one large piece. It is human beings who tend to cut it into consumable pieces; years-months, days-weeks, etc. Because, of this revelation, many Seekers have a serenity about them that is reflects in their gentle eyes. Archmasters may shunt objects into the past and future. One can rewrite the histories of both themselves and others, changing their very souls. One can distort time so much that a scene from the past or future becomes manifest. And this isn’t to speak of the most speculated upon power of archmastery; time travel. An Arc of Time can walk back in time like most people walk down hill. Because if time is one piece and is equal to space, then the journey through time should be a simple as turning a corner. Another ability of an Arc is to be able to hide between the moments, or outside of time itself.

Archmastery 6 (●●●●● ●)

Bypassing Mage Armor or other defensive magics by automatically probing for weak points.

Altering history — the mage specifi es either the root change or the outcome, and the spell determines all the required or resulting changes to the timeline.

Archmastery 7 (●●●●● ●●)

Claim an unoccupied Chantry, incorporating it into the caster’s soul. “Adoption” of orphaned sub-souls using the Arcanum used in their creation. Create an Artifact that casts spells of the Arcanum. Create a Demesne of the Arcanum. Create or alter Legacies with attainments based on the Arcanum. Create Proximi with spells of the Arcanum as powers. Alter whether the targeted Arcanum is Ruling, Common or Inferior for a targeted mage. Alter how many spells of the Arcanum a mage may maintain spell control over, or how they affect spell tolerance. Alter the spell factors, target and other details of a spell of the Arcanum.

Alter the laws of temporal sympathy. Alter the temporal “position” of an Iris, allowing for time travel. Change a being’s rate of aging or permanently slow a target’s perception of time.

Removal of a Legacy with attainments based on the Arcanum. Removal of a supernatural ability governed by the Arcanum (such as Mind to remove a vampire’s ability to use the Dominate Discipline). Dispelling an Imperial Spell cast using the Arcanum. Removing a mage’s ability to use the Arcanum. Destruction of an Artifact based on the Arcanum.

Returning a person or object to a state it was in at some point in the past. Rendering something unchanging and indestructible by removing its interaction with Time. Removing the interaction between a target and the laws of temporal sympathy.

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Imperial Dispellation		38		IM	dispel Imperial Death spells		Not listed

Archmastery 8 (●●●●● ●●●)

Create a Chantry rooted in the material world. Create an Ochema that lacks the Imperial Practices or possesses archmastery of the Arcanum used. Create a portal to the Supernal Realm that has the Arcanum used as a Ruling Arcanum.

Create an ananke. Create a Chantry rooted in a specific Time, so that entry is barred to beings not capable of time travel.

Archmastery 9 (●●●●● ●●●●)

NAME	OTHER ARCANA	PAGE	REQ	SOURCE	DESCRIPTION	ROTE POOL	ASPECT
Transfiguration		39		IM	gain complete control over the Arcana		Not listed