Temporal Stasis — Stopping Time in a Living Body
Transmutation · Arrested time · Eighth-level magic
The condemned commander stands motionless in a chamber of polished stone. Neither age nor blade can reach him. A century later, someone has found the spell that can make time begin again.
At a Glance
| Spell | Temporal Stasis |
|---|---|
| Legacy spell level | Sorcerer/Wizard 8; Transmutation |
| Target | One touched creature; melee touch attack required |
| Legacy duration | Permanent, until removed by another effect |
| Cost | Diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire powder worth at least 5,000 gp |
| Resisted by | Fortitude save and Spell Resistance |
| Modern alternative | Sequester is only a partial thematic match: willing target, invisibility and vulnerability to damage |
A Life Suspended
The subject of Temporal Stasis ceases to age, move or change. A captured assassin cannot escape, an old king can survive a succession crisis, and a witness may wake generations after the crime they observed. The spell does not merely slow a creature: it fixes the entire condition of its body until the magic is removed.
Such a prison is not identical to Imprisonment. Temporal Stasis is placed on the touched creature where it stands, and it can be ended by successful dispelling or by the older Freedom. Imprisonment instead buries a victim in a hidden sphere and has a special recovery procedure.
Rules by Edition
Temporal Stasis — D&D 2024
No official D&D 2024 spell named Temporal Stasis.
Published partial alternative: Sequester, Level 7 Transmutation (Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (gem dust worth 5,000+ GP, consumed)
Duration: Until dispelled
Touch an object or a willing creature. The target becomes Invisible and cannot be targeted by Divination spells, magically detected or remotely viewed using magic. An affected creature enters suspended animation: it is Unconscious, does not age and needs no food, water or air. The caster can specify an ending condition that occurs or is visible within one mile, and the spell also ends if the target takes any damage.
Example: A willing queen chooses to sleep unseen until a promised signal is given near her chamber. A blade that damages her ends Sequester: this does not reproduce the older spell’s complete protection from harm.
The 2024 Sequester spell has no hostile-target Fortitude save, no permanent damage-proof stasis and no automatic power to entomb a creature. To imprison an unwilling victim, use the distinct ninth-level Imprisonment spell with its own saving throw, prison form and release condition.
Temporal Stasis — D&D 2014
No official D&D 2014 spell named Temporal Stasis.
Published partial alternative: Sequester, 7th-level Transmutation (Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (powder of diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire worth at least 5,000 gp, consumed)
Duration: Until dispelled
Touch a willing creature or an object. The target becomes Invisible and cannot be targeted by Divination spells or perceived through scrying sensors created by those spells. A creature enters suspended animation, for which time ceases to flow and it does not age. The caster may name a condition for ending the effect within one mile of the target. Any damage to the target also ends the spell.
Example: A willing explorer sleeps for a hundred years awaiting a signal. If the sealed crypt floods and something harms the subject, the spell ends. This is unlike the legacy Temporal Stasis spell, which protects the subject from harm during its permanent suspension.
The 2014 text does not explicitly grant the 2024 version’s Unconscious condition or listed immunity to magical detection generally; apply this edition’s published wording. Neither version can be cast on an unwilling enemy using the old 8th-level hostile touch procedure.
Temporal Stasis — Pathfinder 1e
Official Pathfinder 1e spell.
School: Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M (diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire dust worth 5,000 gp)
Range: Touch
Target: One creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster must succeed on a melee touch attack. If the subject fails its Fortitude save and its Spell Resistance is overcome, it enters permanent suspended animation. Time ceases for the subject: it does not age, its bodily functions virtually stop, and no force or effect can harm it while the magic persists.
Removal: A successful Dispel Magic or Freedom can end the stasis. The duration is permanent, not an ordinary minutes-per-level buff.
Example: An eighth-level foe is immobilised until a later dispelling or Freedom spell releases them. The caster still has to touch the creature and overcome its Fortitude save and Spell Resistance; simply naming the target is insufficient.
Temporal Stasis — D&D 3.5e
Official D&D 3.5e spell.
School: Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M (diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire dust worth at least 5,000 gp)
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Make a melee touch attack. The target may negate the spell with a successful Fortitude save, and Spell Resistance applies. Otherwise the subject is fixed in suspended animation, without aging or bodily activity. No force or effect can harm it while Temporal Stasis continues.
A successful Dispel Magic or Freedom can remove the suspension. The 5,000-gp collection of powdered gemstones is required at casting, so imprisoning many captives entails repeated expenditure.
Example: An archmage touches a hostile officer and successfully completes the spell. The officer remains exactly as they were until the spell is removed; no separate underground cell or secret prison site is created.
What Is Happening Right Now?
A court archivist has discovered an apparently living traitor standing motionless in a sealed chapel. The traitor’s armour bears a crest no longer used by the reigning dynasty. The party must determine whether releasing the prisoner will uncover a massacre or bring its architect back into the world.
Adventure Hooks
The King’s Silent Witness
A woman in stasis can identify who murdered a royal heir. The spell has kept her safe for generations, but a faction wants the enchantment left untouched rather than risk her testimony.
The Gem Dust Debt
An alchemist stole precious gem dust to imprison a political rival. Its owner demands the cost back, and the magistrate wants the wizard prosecuted for trapping someone who could not defend themselves.
Related Magic
Sequester hides and suspends a willing target but has different duration and damage rules. Imprisonment is a deeper form of confinement. Freedom can undo this legacy stasis without requiring the special original-site procedure reserved for Imprisonment and Maze.
Sources and Licensing
The legacy spell is Open Game Content under the Open Game License v1.0a. Rules references: D&D 3.5e Temporal Stasis, Pathfinder 1e Temporal Stasis, D&D 2024 Sequester and D&D 2014 Sequester. The original site used a stock science-fiction time-machine photograph that is not being reused as a new fantasy hero. Game examples and descriptive material are original.
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