Time Stop
Level 9 · Transmutation
- Utility
Carried by sorcerer and wizard, Time Stop operates at the 9th level of the transmutation school. Cast time: Action. Range Self, components V, duration instantaneous. Effect: You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself.
Stat Block
- Level
- 9
- School
- Transmutation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Self
- Components
- V
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself. No time passes for other creatures, while you take 1d4 + 1 turns in a row, during which you can use actions and move as normal. This spell ends if one of the actions you use during this period, or any effects that you create during it, affects a creature other than you or an object being worn or carried by someone other than you. In addition, the spell ends if you move to a place more than 1,000 feet from the location where you cast it.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
Time Stop is Transmutation — the school of change applied to time itself. The caster takes 1d4 + 1 turns in a row during which no time passes for other creatures and other creatures don't take damage. The spell ends if the caster targets another creature or any object being worn or carried by another creature.
Class Fit
- Sorcerer: Sorcerers reach Time Stop at character level 17. The known-spell budget at tier 4 is so brutal that most Sorcerer builds choose between Wish and Time Stop, not both.
- Wizard: Wizards add Time Stop to the spellbook at level 17. The canonical use is buffing before a boss fight — Shield, Mage Armor, summon a Simulacrum, drop Wall of Force, and end the spell with the caster mid-attack.
Tactical play (Doungim editorial)
1d4+1 turns of solo actions. Cast self-buffs (Mirror Image, Mage Armor, Stoneskin, Globe of Invulnerability) during the freeze; emerge with a wall of defenses.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Time Stop
- What level spell is Time Stop?
- In D&D 5e, Time Stop is classified as a level 9 spell of the Transmutation school. Available classes: Sorcerer, Wizard.
- What is the range of Time Stop?
- As a self-target spell, Time Stop affects only the caster.
- What components and casting time does Time Stop need?
- For Time Stop: the components are V, casting is a normal Action.