Time Stop

Time Stop - also known as Negate Time - is perhaps the most powerful spell of all.

Spell Description
Many consider the spell Time Stop as cheating, but this doesn't reduce its usefulness. Casting this spell makes everyone outside of the caster and companions stop in their tracks for several moments - from the caster's perspective of course. That's enough to either flee the battle site, or to kill the enemies that are now unable to defend themselves against the caster and party. Only the very high requirements prevent this spell from being used too often.

History
In earlier ages, the effects of this spell were duplicated by various magical articles, as well as the wizard enchantment Altair during the time of Exodus. With the Age of Enlightenment, the modern spell came into use. In Ultima IX, this spell rapidly drained mana, so that the effect from the viewpoint of the caster only lasted a few seconds. Once mana was used up, time returned to its normal flow.

Lore






Ultima Saga
After touching the temporal curtain created by Balthan at the end of The Forge of Virtue, Jordan is blinded by magic. The spell scrolls used to construct the time wall are An Tym, Xen Corp and Vas Lor. Balthan had been illuminating scrolls of Eighth Circle magic when Blackthorn took his master Felespar, including "spells that could freeze time".

Quote

 * The magician sank slowly to his knees. "I used three scrolls: An Tym, to slow time; Xen Corp, to kill; and Vas Lor, great light to bind them otgether and because it was the only scroll I had left. I don't know what happened to the Xen Corp--" The gleaming wood fell from Balthan's fingers, "--but it's the other two that are blinding you."

- from The Forge of Virtue (Ultima Saga)


 * "Balthan admits he used an An Tym scroll to negate time. An Tym is an illusion--the power of time cannot be negated--but, as Anabarces meant it to be cast, An Tym surrounds the spellcaster with an anomaly in which time--perceived as movement--stands still. The illusion does not last long but, as I'm sure your swordmasters taught you, a single moment can be the difference between life and death--"


 * "This illusion's lasted three weeks."


 * "Our clever friend has found a way to make An Tym last longer by reducing the anomaly to the size of a dust mote--That is what you did, isn't it?"


 * Balthan moistened his lips. "Smaller."

- from The Temper of Wisdom (Ultima Saga)

Trivia

 * In Ultima IX, while being a fouth circle spell, it's only found near the end of the game.
 * Using the Arms of the Magi makes the spell a bit more useful in Ultima IX.
 * The spell is broken in Ultima VII Part Two, always fizzling out. It still worked in the 1.07 Beta. This perhaps is intentional, as it could be used to circumvent triggers.