Dragon's: Time Hole Pocket Dimension spell

[X'Zanthar]

The spell (In the Dragons & Gods book, pg 14) is a strange one. For one, the effect says the passage of time is nil, but apparently you can move about, do things, even build a kingdom, plant plants in it, have animals, etc. But you do not heal up (unless you regenerate per minute, in which case it is only 10% of that per 4 hours), need to eat, sleep, age, die of blood loss, etc. Even your PPE and magic items do not regenerate.

My question is, do spells, or psionics, things with durations continue without running out? It would seem that they should, and it is not like it would be a game imbalance effect as they would end normally when leaving the dimension.

Getting any ecology going there would be real tough too, as your plants would not grow without magic.

[X'Zanthar]

Actually, the book specifically says:

... There are no additional people, buildings, vegetation, animals, food, or water. However, the spell caster can magically import plants, people, and wildlife and literally build himself a kingdom, whether it be a building or dungeon-like structure, a wilderness, or both.

It doesn't say "plant" plants, or "grow" plants. It says import them. Like when you go to Lowe's in the spring and buy a bunch of flowers and plant them out in front of your house only to have them die by the end of the summer or during the winter. The dragon teleports some plants into the pocket dimension and puts them in the ground and then they just stay that way. Obviously, they don't grow any older just like the dragon doesn't grow older while in the pocket dimension. And the same goes for the animals. They don't eat each other or the plants (or, they only do once, and don't keep doing it) because, just like how wounds stop bleeding and poisons and illness stop progressing, so does an animal's metabolism. They don't get hungry.

As for the duration of spells and psionic powers, the book doesn't specifically say. So I suppose that would be left up to the GM. It's not something I had actually thought of until you asked it. I think if I were the GM I would rule that any spell or psionic power or effect that has a duration (as opposed to a one-time or instant action), would see its duration doubled, but not more than that. Time is slowed down, but on the other hand, as you say, people can still walk around. Which means that, to a certain extent, time does pass. It is just distorted.

I meant planting plants in the ground and figured lack of growth unless via magic

It would take alot of work, and possibly some help, not sure if the animals could handle it. I disagree with the time passes part, as I think the movement is allowed due to the property of the dimension (after several debatessince I last posted), and the healing is mentioned to be due to a beings own magic abilites making it happen. It was suggested that ANY healing should have the same restrictions (and apparently it will be IOG) while there.

[X'Zanthar]

I really want this spell. I know they say dragons don't teach it, but clearly this oath gets broken here and there right? I mean the Chaing-ku must've taught the Atlanteans (and I guess the Aehriman taught the Splugorth?) their tat magic...

This is something I'd at least expect Temporal Raiders to have.

It makes me wonder if there would be aggressively invasive mind-controlling spells or psionics that could break their will, or if you could just bribe a dragon to teach you...

Or barring that, there's always that 'flay their flesh and turn it into a costume and steal their magic' spell from TtGD...

Mind Bond. There is a Splugorth device that uses it for interrogation, I am not sure how that works, if it gets the memories and you ask it questions or if you get the memories.

It is still a quirky spell as far as why it only slow/stops some things.