Contingent Resurrection?

[NeoSeraphi]

Say you're a mystic theurge and some other theurge PrC. Say you have an effective wizard CL of 15 and an effective cleric level of at least 12. Would it be possible, then, to cast contingency, and put a contingent raise dead on yourself, with the conditional "If I die, cast this on me?"

[Zaranthan]

Certainly. But why would you use raise dead, when the contingency guarantees that you qualify for revivify and it's lovely no-level-loss?

EDIT: I just noticed that revivify is cheaper, too. 1k instead of 5k.

[NeoSeraphi]

I thought revivify was a druid spell? :smallconfused: Though I guess it would still work if you were a druid/wizard instead of a cleric/wizard.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I thought revivify was a druid spell? :smallconfused: Though I guess it would still work if you were a druid/wizard instead of a cleric/wizard.

Revifity is a cleric spell. You are probably thinking of Last Breath, which is as Reincarnation but with the one round limit.

[Mystify]

You can, but it might not be a good idea. It means that whatever killed you is still there, and if it killed you once it may be able to do it twice. Revivify is much less risky, as you don't loose a level and its fairly cheap, but contingent resurrection is just asking for an extra level lost.

[FearlessGnome]

This might be a case where Craft Contingency has more to offer than the spell. Just ressurecting yourself is going to leave you in the same situation that got you killed. Throwing in a contingent teleport as well will up your chances of averting death.

[FMArthur]

So... Dying safely with crafted contingecies:
Major Image of your body suddenly combusting and burning down to ash, occurring relatively quickly so that there isn't time to mess with it as it happens.
Teleport the body somewhere safe. This happens from beneath the illusory body you made and isn't visible from outside. Hopefully you have baggy enough robes for your illusion to believably cover whatever position you fall into.
Revivify.
Any healing spell.

[FearlessGnome]

Aand this is why non-casters don't like casters. :smallbiggrin:

Can be countered, of course, but you have to be expecting it.

[FMArthur]

Just be sure none of those contingencies depend on one another. It would really suck to get held back by Anticipate Teleportation or something on that Revivify!

[Campbellk8105]

I use contingent revivify. Then have another contingent set so when revivify goes off, the second contingent casts a Heal spell.

Or, nearly the same procedure, contingent resonance, when resonance ends, contingent revivify, contingent Heal.

[Ernir]

Aand this is why non-casters don't like casters. :smallbiggrin:

Can be countered, of course, but you have to be expecting it.

This is also a benign example of why you don't allow Craft Contingent Spell. :smalleek:

[blazingshadow]

make the condition: 5 minutes after i die

that way the only way the enemy will be there when you revive is if you are in it's lair/fortress

[Tenno Seremel]

Alternatively (psionic)…

Get Genesis & use that.
Scribe psionic tattoo: Inducer - Psionic Plane Shift (preferably Elocater's) - relay - Psionic Revivify - relay - Body Adjustment (preferably Psychic Warrior's).
Throw Capacitor, Circuit Breaker and Transducer on top of that.

[Tyndmyr]

make the condition: 5 minutes after i die

that way the only way the enemy will be there when you revive is if you are in it's lair/fortress

You don't want to delay. Bloody-minded adversaries might utilize ways of preventing you from resurrecting, like turning you undead.

[ericgrau]

Contingent word of recall (cleric 6) or greater teleport (wizard 7) directly to a friendly NPC cleric's home or your current quest giver's home.

[Phosphate]

Contingent Dimension Lock

Bam you're dead.

[ericgrau]

Among other issues, doesn't target the caster. Contingent widened silence OTOH is a nice way for a theurge to keep foes from escaping with teleports, though now you don't have room for a defensive contingency and it doesn't work on SLAs nor Sus.

[Hirax]

Contingent last breath is a great ad hoc way to be immortal. Stab yourself one year after becoming venerable and suddenly you're in the prime of your youth again.

[Tenno Seremel]

Contingent Dimension Lock

Bam you're dead.

Allows Spell Resistance so there are ways around that.

[Mystify]

Contingent last breath is a great ad hoc way to be immortal. Stab yourself one year after becoming venerable and suddenly you're in the prime of your youth again.
And as a caster, you don't care about the physical stats of whatever body you get, and your mind is intact.

[ericgrau]

Contingent Magic Jar while wearing a few dummy gems in addition to the focus. By the time your foes figure it out (if they figure it out) you'll easily be able to possess a foe and keep fighting. After the fight is over you have a few hours to cast your contingent revivify and attempt to return to your destroyed body. Then, bam, back to life, because you didn't actually die until you attempted to return.

[Stegyre]

Contingent last breath is a great ad hoc way to be immortal. Stab yourself one year after becoming venerable and suddenly you're in the prime of your youth again.
Are we thinking of the same spell? The spell description in Complete Divine says nothing about restoring you to "the prime of your youth." :smallconfused:

Nevermind: I see that the description in Spell Compendium is radically different.

[Hirax]

Are we thinking of the same spell? The spell description in Complete Divine says nothing about restoring you to "the prime of your youth." :smallconfused:

Nevermind: I see that the description in Spell Compendium is radically different.

Yep, the tricky part is finding a way to cast it if you're not a druid.

[Curmudgeon]

Contingent last breath is a great ad hoc way to be immortal. Stab yourself one year after becoming venerable and suddenly you're in the prime of your youth again.
I don't see that in the spell description. The spell says:
Last breath restores life to a recently deceased creature, creating a new body for the returning spirit to inhabit. Either the body is exactly the same as your old one (just new), or you're a mewling infant (the newest independent body). There's no "young adult" option in the spell.

[tyckspoon]

I don't see that in the spell description. The spell says: Either the body is exactly the same as your old one (just new), or you're a mewling infant (the newest independent body). There's no "young adult" option in the spell.

"This spell functions like Reincarnate." There's your young adult body.

[Mystify]

I don't see that in the spell description. The spell says: Either the body is exactly the same as your old one (just new), or you're a mewling infant (the newest independent body). There's no "young adult" option in the spell.

It specifies that it functions like reincarnate, and reincarnate specifies young adult.

[Hirax]

I don't see that in the spell description. The spell says: Either the body is exactly the same as your old one (just new), or you're a mewling infant (the newest independent body). There's no "young adult" option in the spell.

"This spell functions like reincarnate (PH 270), except that the reincarnated creature receives no level loss, no Constitution loss, and no loss of spells. The creature has –1 hit points (but is stable)."

No part of your quote overwrites the mechanics of reincarnate.

[FearlessGnome]

Keep reading. A few sentences further on it says "This spell functions like "reincarnate..."

Three ninjas. Ok then...

[Hirax]

It's also worth pointing out that there are nonsensical ramifications of ruling that last breath doesn't put you in a young adult body. If you're a 600 year old elf and get put in a human body, then are you dead again for being beyond a human's maximum age?

[Curmudgeon]

That's what I get for starting with the Spell Compendium version, then switching to the Complete Divine version to see what was different (a lot!) and then never finishing reading the Spell Compendium text. I apologize to all of you for my oversight.

[Chronos]

Yep, the tricky part is finding a way to cast it if you're not a druid.The solution to this is the same as the solution to everything else involving divine spellcasting: Play an Archivist.

[Campbellk8105]

Or a ring of spell storing

[Fitz10019]

Although playing a ring of storing would probably be really boring.

[TuggyNE]

Although playing a ring of storing would probably be really boring.

... This idea intrigues me, and I wish to hear more. :smallamused:

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Standard plan? Contingent revivify (death) plus contingent heal and vigor (permanently resurrected).

Backup plan? Contingent revenance (dead for more than six seconds) plus breath of life and heal (revenance expires).

Long term plan? Contingent last breath (die of old age) plus mass cure light wounds and limited wish (reincarnated).

Of course, I usually bend over backwards to play arcane healers.

[Mystify]

... This idea intrigues me, and I wish to hear more. :smallamused:

Sandwich trick into a ring of storing.

[Curmudgeon]

Sandwich trick into a ring of storing.
If you're thinking to use Polymorph Any Object on anything twice, note that there's no exception to the stacking rules for that spell. Casting PAO twice gives you exactly the same result as casting it once, including the duration calculation.

[Mystify]

If you're thinking to use Polymorph Any Object on anything twice, note that there's no exception to the stacking rules for that spell. Casting PAO twice gives you exactly the same result as casting it once, including the duration calculation.

What does that have to do with anything?

[Curmudgeon]

What does that have to do with anything?
The Psionic version of the Sandwich Trick starts with the desired finished form, which is transformed via Polymorph Any Object into an animal. That won't work because of this proviso of the spell:
Target: One creature, or one nonmagical object of up to 100 cu. ft./level You can't transform a Ring of Spell Storing because it's a magic object.

An alternate version of the Sandwich Trick uses Polymorph Any Object twice, under the (incorrect) assumption that that would alter the duration to Permanent. This would allow transforming a creature into a ring, and then adding the magical properties later. Since the original version of the Sandwich Trick is a complete non-starter, I thought you might be referring to this other approach.

So, what process were you actually referring to?

[Mystify]

The Psionic version of the Sandwich Trick starts with the desired finished form, which is transformed via Polymorph Any Object into an animal. That won't work because of this proviso of the spell: You can't transform a Ring of Spell Storing because it's a magic object.

An alternate version of the Sandwich Trick uses Polymorph Any Object twice, under the (incorrect) assumption that that would alter the duration to Permanent. This would allow transforming a creature into a ring, and then adding the magical properties later. Since the original version of the Sandwich Trick is a complete non-starter, I thought you might be referring to this other approach.

So, what process were you actually referring to?
sandwich trick into a normal ring, then have it enchanted with spell storing.