Renewal pact - free protection?

[Callum]

The duration of renewal pact is "permanent until triggered". Doesn't this mean that everyone in the party has a contingent panacea on them all the time (more or less)? Am I missing something here?

[Douglas]

The entire party will have contingent Panacea on them provided that:
A) They have someone able to cast it.
B) They have had sufficient down time since the last time it was triggered.
C) They are willing to pay the 500 gp material component cost for each casting.

Also, it does have a one round delay rather than being instant, and that substantially reduces its usefulness - especially against daze effects, which usually wear off after one round anyway.

[Benly]

The entire party will have contingent Panacea on them provided that:
A) They have someone able to cast it.
B) They have had sufficient down time since the last time it was triggered.
C) They are willing to pay the 500 gp material component cost for each casting.

Also, it does have a one round delay rather than being instant, and that substantially reduces its usefulness - especially against daze effects, which usually wear off after one round anyway.

By the time you can cast Renewal Pact, 500 GP per person is pretty trivial. By the same token, though, as a seventh-level spell it's a bit much to try to always keep one on everyone every day. It's a great insurance policy to put up when you get the chance, and the long duration and low cost means you should probably start each adventure with Renewal Pacts up, but it's not exactly "everyone always has contingent Panaceas".

[Callous]

XP, not GP : )

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Yes, if you tend to have small numbers of big encounters with down time in between. Otherwise, it may not be worth the cost for something that can get blown on the sickening aura of a relatively non threatening encounter.