If Apprentices are the Chronologists Guild's students, Paradox Wardens are its antibodies. A Warden does not merely study the flow of time; they patrol its banks, hunting down the causality-breakers, the paradox-cultists, and the reckless tech-duelists who fracture reality for a quick advantage.
Most Paradox Wardens are former apprentices who survived their "hollow year"—a mandatory field posting in a high-distortion Rift zone. Those who return often bear the physical marks of their service: hair bleached white by chronal radiation, eyes that reflect events a split-second before they happen, or Tomenti thought-tendrils that twitch in sync with unseen Metronomes. They wear heavy, armored robes woven with stabilization filaments, shielding them from both blaster fire and temporal shear.
In the field, a Warden is a terrifying presence. They do not run; they edit their position, stepping between seconds to bypass cover. They do not argue; they silence dissent by freezing the air around a target’s throat. Their signature weapon is the Warp-Staff, a heavy, tuning-fork-topped polearm that serves as both a spell focus and a bludgeon. When a Warden plants their staff, the debate is over: the timeline will be corrected, by force if necessary.
The Paradox Warden has shed the apprentice’s hesitation. Their Tomenti thought-tendrils constantly phase in and out of reality, tasting the "weather" of the timeline. They wear armored robes woven with stabilization filaments and carry a Warp-Staff that doubles as a spell focus and a melee weapon. Unlike the Junior Tuners who fix machines, the Warden fixes events—often by force.
Paradox Walker Scholar 6
Role: Timeline Enforcer, Anomaly Containment, Combat Caster
Paradox Wardens are the "heavy hitters" sent when subtle adjustments fail. They lead teams of apprentices to close major Rifts or hunt down rogue time-travellers. In a social setting, they are intimidating and intense, viewing every conversation as a potential branching path that needs pruning. They respect power and conviction but have zero patience for those who treat time carelessly.
Perception +12 Darkvision +2 to Seek
Anchoring Rule: The apprentice is anchored by the presence of their Pulse Rule. This additional grounding in reality grants them a +2 circumstance bonus to both Perception checks and Will saves against illusions and holograms.
Languages: Common, Tormenti(Kasathan)
Adaptable Culture: This Tomenti apprentice has the ability to adapt to a culture given at least a day to assume an edict or anathema from that culture, this grants them a + to the culturally relevant lore skill.
Quick Identification: The apprentice leverages years of study to quickly Identify magical Items
Recognize Spell; You use a reaction to identify a spell as it is being cast.
Skills: Academia Lore +9, Arcana +9, Chronomancer Lore +17, Crafting +13, Diplomacy +14, Nature +9, Occultism +15 , Piloting +7, Society +13
Gear: Arc Pistol, Armored Coat, Tactical Pulse Rule, Advanced Baton , Spell Gem (Level 3), Chronologist's Badge (Expert Authorization)
Augmentations: Tactical Darkvision Capacitor
Str +1, Dex+ 3, Con +3, Int +5, Wis +4, Cha +1
AC 22 (Armored Robes); HP 88 Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +15
Speed: 30 ft. (see Rewind Step)
Centered Demenor: This Apprentice has fostered a seasoned countenance that allows them to shake off three instances of frightened at the end of the turn. gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Will saves against fear effects and a +3 circumstance bonus to your Will DC against attempts to Demoralize you until the start of your next turn
Speed 25 ft.
Melee Fist +8 [+4/+0] (Agile, Finesse), Damage 1d6+5 bludgeoning
Ranged Arc Pistol +10 [+5/+0](1d8+6 Electricity)
Melee: Advanced Baton +13 (1d8+3 bludgeoning + 1d6 force)
Ranged: Temporal Bolt +15 (2d6+4 force, range 60 ft., inflicts Slowed 1 on critical hit)
Melee Strike: Warp-Staff +13 (1d8+3 bludgeoning + 1d6 force)
Ranged Strike: Temporal Bolt +15 (2d6+4 force, range 60 ft.; critical hit inflicts Slowed 1)
Temporal Field: [reaction] At the first signs of hostility, the Chronomancer establishes a 20 square foot area of warped time. An enemy creature that uses a move action inside your quantum field takes a 5-foot status penalty to its Speed during that action. Allies gain a +5-foot status bonus to Speed during move actions that are used inside their quantum field. By spending one action the walker can expand this field to a 40ft radius; this field will continue to grow by 5 ft for each turn it is sustained upto a Temporal field with a 70 ft radius.
Temporal Matrix: [one action] with an activation action, the apprentice can cast ranged spells into their Quantum Field
Predictive Positioning: [reaction] If an Apprentice Chronomancer is wounded. They can teleport up to 25ft into an unoccupied space within their quantum field.
Occult Spellcasting +16; DC24; cantrips: Detect Magic, Guidance, Injury Echo, Read Aura, Seek the Time; 1st: Fleet Step, Force Barrage, Soothe, True Strike; 2nd: Augury, Dispel Magic, Soothe, Temporal Bullets; 3rd; Haste, Hypercognition, Soothe, Time’s Edge, Warp Spells: initial: Warp Time
Abilities
Rewind Step (Reaction):
Trigger: The Warden is hit by an attack.
Effect: The Warden steps back into their own immediate past, teleporting 10 feet to a space they occupied at the start of their turn. If this movement places them out of reach or range of the triggering attack, the attack misses. (Recharge 1d4 rounds).Stitch Reality (2 Actions):
The Warden slams their staff down, targeting a 15-foot burst within 30 feet. All creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 24 Will save or be Immobilized for 1 round as local time hardens around them like amber.Paradox Gaze (Aura):
10 ft. emanation. Enemies starting their turn in the aura feel dizzy as they perceive multiple potential futures overlapping. They take a -1 status penalty to Will saves.
The Paradox Warden is a figure of intense authority and latent danger. Influencing them is not about making friends; it's about proving you are not a threat to the timeline.
Influencing a Paradox Warden
Traits: Intimidating timeline enforcer, ruthless pragmatist, Tomenti seer
Perception: +17 (Master; senses causal ripples)
Will: +15
Discovery:
Perception DC 24: Notice that their eyes focus on things a split second before they happen, or that they never stand with their back to a "future" exit.
Occultism or Chronomancer Lore DC 22: Recognize the specific stabilization glyphs on their robes as marks of a "Weft-Walker"—someone authorized to kill to protect the timeline.
Influence Skills and DCs
Influence Thresholds
Resistances
Frivolity: Jokes, pranks, or wasting time increase all DCs by 4. To a Warden, time is a finite resource they are bleeding to protect.
Chaos: Any character with a Chaotic alignment or a reputation for recklessness takes a -2 penalty to all checks.
Temporal Tampering: If the party suggests using time travel to "fix" a mistake, the encounter immediately ends, and the Warden may become hostile.
Weaknesses
Shared Trauma: Mentioning the "Hollow Year" (their survival training in the Rift) or the burden of foresight lowers Diplomacy and Occultism DCs by 2.
Law & Order: Demonstrating strict adherence to a code or hierarchy (even a non-Guild one) grants a +1 circumstance bonus.
Evidence: Presenting hard physical proof of a paradox (like a duplicate item) grants an automatic Influence Point as their professional interest overrides their suspicion
Non-Combat Applications
Crime Scene Reconstruction: A Warden can "scrub" a room’s timeline to replay holographic echoes of events from the last hour, making them unparalleled investigators.
Negotiation Enforcer: Their presence alone adds weight to Guild demands; they can literally show a stubborn captain the consequences of their refusal by projecting a "bad future" illusion.
Metronome Stabilization: While Junior Tuners fix the machine, Wardens fix the air around it, suppressing wild magic zones so repairs can happen safely.
Societal Impact
The arrival of a Paradox Warden usually means the local Guild chapter has lost patience. They are the "bad cop" to the Journeyman Tuner’s "good cop." In black markets, the mere rumor of a Weft-Walker in the sector causes illegal chrono-tech prices to crash as smugglers dump their inventory to avoid detection. They are respected, feared, and often lonely figures—burdened by the knowledge of a thousand potential disasters they have silently averted.
Adventure Hooks
The Edited Man: A Warden hires the party to capture a thief, claiming the target stole a dangerous artifact. In reality, the Warden is trying to catch a version of themselves from a divergent timeline.
Hard Time: The party is detained by a Warden for a crime they haven't committed yet. They must escape custody or prove that the Warden’s predictive model is flawed.
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