One of the crafters of magic who entered our Lost Magic contest provided us with a time-oriented spell that you might find interesting. Take a peek at Michael McCarthy’s thicken time spell.
Thicken Time
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of cornstarch)
Range touch
Area 30-ft. radius sphere centered on a point in space
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude partial (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
The air around you grows thick and viscous, impeding not only motion, but desire to act. While within the radius of this spell, the faster a creature tries to move, the slower it moves, while creatures innately slow find their reactions enhanced.
In effect, all creatures within the spell’s effect have their initiatives reversed. All creatures within the area act, instead of on their normal initiative, at 20 minus their original initiative. After this spell is cast, initiative continues from the caster’s new initiative.
Creatures leaving the area or creatures in the area when the spell effect ends must make a Fortitude saving throw or become staggered for 1 round, as their body catches up to normal time. Creatures attacking through the edge of the spell’s area are unaffected.
“while creatures innately slow find their reactions enhanced.” just so I understand, an innately slow creature, a zombie or golem that typically reacts last in the round, would have “normal” initiative?
I think it needs a little bit of clarification on how it handles haste, slow, stasis, and timestop (and I can easily just see reversing the first two, the other two I’d want to do something cool), but otherwise, it’s a brilliant spell!