Time Out Rounds

In movies and TV shows, those attending schools or living in towns situated at Hellmouths can usually rely on nick-of-time intervention in the form of a certain stake-wielding cheerleader and her small circle of friends. In the real world, where demons and other beings with misdeeds on their agenda and murder in their hearts show up unexpectedly, a person can spend the rest of their life waiting either for the heroine to finish her homework so she can apply a boot to the south side of the north-bound miscreant, or for said miscreant to give up on breaking down the door and search elsewhere for easier prey.

How do you defend yourself, yet stay within the intent of the law? Put the offender in time out! Time Out Rounds provide a safe and effective way to take the fighter out of the fight. More effective than the socially acceptable behavior modification in the hands of an assertive parent, these rounds can immobilize even the most stubborn foe for minutes, hours, days, even weeks. And, less you scoff at the thought of simply stopping the antisocial behavior, keep in mind that an adversary in Time Out cannot easily resume a rampage... or rather, when able to resume the rampage, nobody remains in the immediate area.

In its CO2 powered semi-automatic paint-ball packaging, the Time Out requires no annoying background check, no firearms permit, and no waiting period to own. The lack of recoil facilitates handling by all but the most gun-shy of individuals. An effective range of 60 feet and penetrating power sufficient to breech a wet paper bag minimize risk of collateral damage to innocent bystanders. And after the confrontation, no bloodshed reduces the post-incident cleanup from the mopping and scrubbing normally associated with high-speed led poisoning to sweeping away the dirt tracked on to the porch, to say naught of costly hospital bills and injury suits claimed against homeowner's insurance. Best of all, the complete lack of deafening report won't disturb the neighbors or attract attention from local law enforcement agencies.

A kinder, gentler world calls for kinder, gentler self defense. So in those moments when diplomacy has failed, after negotiations have proved fruitless, and when the situation has deteriorated to the point of violence, living pacifists recommend the Time Out over plowshares or Holy Swords by a margin of three to one.

Appearing to be a little more than an older model 8-shot paintball gun, the Time Out Paint-pellet Pistol draws little more attention from the mundane world than any other paintball gun. Even after hitting a target, in all but the most extreme cases, the chances of associating starvation and dehydration with a recreational item is remote.

In this rote, Time (see Accelerate Time) separates the person from the time stream, effectively freezing them in place. They will remain so frozen anywhere from 10 seconds to much, much longer.  from anywhere  person with regards to time the timestream rapidly age the physical by days, weeks, or months. Prime provides fuel for the reaction. As a hanging rote, Time also determines the trigger event: impact of the paint-ball. A mage can create one hanging rote per point of Arete, and as a hanging rote, the caster may make 1 magazine (8 shots) per point of Arete. As a talisman, standard creation rules apply. However, the paintball gun (instead of the paintballs) becomes the talisman, providing for a more sustainable weapon.

Time Out fired by anyone other than the caster (hanging rote) must hit the target to go off. (Make your normal firearms roll to hit.) If not used within eight days, they revert back to bright red paintballs.

Focus: Paintball Gun
Damage: Immobilize (8 dice, difficulty 8); Varies by successes; see damage table below

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