ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

Temporal Explorer escorts suck from two directions. On the one end the rewards aren't great. They offer a tree that produces, but does not reduce, paradox. They offer a passive from that tree that isn't very good. They offer +2 to a stat that many classes have no interest in. The betray rewards are better, but if there's anyone you should want to not betray it's an alternate version of yourself.

On the other end they have Dust to Dust as their only active talent. A beam. A beam that they target through you all -- the -- freaking -- time. No other escort tries to kill you.

I can't suggest a good fix for the rewards. None of the chronomancy trees with reduction are general utility, though making their +2 stat will would at least make the stats more generally useful, but please find them a non-beam attack talent or give them an AI that avoids friendly fire. I know there is one because some of the wilder summons are friendly fire averse with breath weapons.

Precognition really ought to grant Spacetime Tuning when you get it.

I'm still not sure why that talent doesn't come with any tree.

Otherwise, I'm just of the opinion that Spin Fate needs a buff in general.

Regardless, I agree with the sentiment; Temporal Explorers are very useless unless you're AM. (Then they're great. Dream Walk's nice.)

Add Defence to Spin Fate please.

For what it's worth (I agree that you need spacetime tuning, or some other method of paradox reduction, which is preferably to simply scrapping them) Precognition is an awesome potential reward, especially to provide a safety net for vaults, if you lack arcane eye. Or aren't familiar with what you're facing. Or just want to see how bad that next room of enemies can get. Plenty of uses (better still in the ID, where things can go bad so fast.)

However, you CAN reduce the paradox from it. There are a few artifacts that can lower paradox when used. And one of them is guaranteed (Rune of the Rift). Beyond that, there's a sword that has a use ability for a beam that does damage and lowers paradox. (Rethread talent? Can't recall it's name)

Beyond that, IIRC, paradox resets on level, so used sparingly, precognition at least is a quite effective talent, for a given set of uses at least.

As for the betrayal rewards, almost anyone can enjoy the benefits of an effectively free phase door in dream walk. And any will user can get at least a few benefits off the dreaming tree, for a gimmick build. Though I agree that betraying yourself is something of a queasy moment. (Right up there with killing Celia, and Orc Genocide.)

The escort shooting you, however, can be something of an issue, and I see no reason that EVERY escort isn't friendly fire aware. I don't think this is the only one that does it, though it's likely one of the most dangerous. For that matter, things like hydras and other allied creatures should be equally aware of friendly fire. Though this might further limit there usefulness, which is questionable. (Eh, debate for another day.)