Most Time Mages focus on manipulating time itself, whereas the Manipulator uses it to bend magics currently happening, both allied and enemy spells.
Manipulator is an archetype of Time Mage.
Manipulation Pool and Rods of Manipulation
A Manipulator gains a pool of points for several of their Abilities. This pool has a maximum of 3 + the Manipulator's Intelligence modifier.
A Manipulator begins play with two rods, staves or similar pillars of metal that float around them. They cannot be moved other than by the Manipulator moving them as detailed below, or by being the target of a bull rush (A Rod of Manipulation has a bull rush CMD of 10 + Time Mage class level.). The Rods can also be sundered, with a sunder CMD of 10 + The Time Mage’s Intelligence modifier. If broken, the rods can be replaced at a cost of 50 gil per level, which can be reduced as per mundane crafting rules, using any craft that works on metal. The rods have hardness equal to ½ the Time Mage’s level, and 5 HP per level.
The Manipulator, outside of combat, may have both float in his space without hindering himself. In combat, it is a swift action to move either or both rods. The maximum they can move either or both rods in one swift action is 50 feet. This can be split as the Manipulator themselves wants between both rods. The rods can not go more than 10 feet per Manipulator level away from the Manipulator or one another.
The Manipulator may use a variety of effects and abilities involving the rods, unlocked at different levels, and powered by his Manipulation Pool.
At 1st level, the Manipulator, as a standard action, may spend a point from their Manipulation Pool to allow themselves or an ally, until the Manipulator’s next turn, to cast a spell into one rod and out through the other. They still require line of sight, and calculate range from the second rod as the spell’s maximum range minus the distance from the caster to the first rod. This can be a beneficial or offensive spell, but can only be done once per round regardless of how many spells are cast.
At 5th level, the Manipulator may spend two points to perform any Rods of Manipulation action as a move action, instead of one point as a standard.
At 10th level, the Manipulator may use any of his other abilities from Rods of Manipulation with an additional cost of two points to apply to every spell until their next turn, not just one spell.
This replaces Probability Manipulation, and any unedited features use Manipulation Pool charges in its place.
Bolster Magic
At 3rd level, the Manipulator, as a standard action, may spend a point from their Manipulation Pool to generate a beneficial field between the two rods. The next spell that an allied caster casts through the field rolls an additional die of healing or damage on the target. The spell is unaffected if the spell level of the allied spell is higher than the highest level of spell the Manipulator can cast.
Bolster Magic replaces Manipulate: Projectile.
Bolster Resistance
At 9h level, the Manipulator may spend one point from their Manipulation pool, as a standard action, to create a field of protection against magic between the two rods. If the two rods are on the same point, it creates a 15 feet bubble of the same effect. Until the Manipulator’s next turn, any spell that passes through the field acts as if targeting something with Spell Resistance equal to 10 + the Manipulator’s class level. The Manipulator may double the cost of the barrier to allow allied healing and beneficial spells through.
This replaces Manipulate: Metal
