The contingency spell

[AsheItachi]

The spell contingency (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/contingency) says it cast an immediate spell upon initiation of said event. Now lets say that a wizard has Dimension Door cast with contingency that hes struck with melle does he get a free DD or does he set how fat upon casting the spell? Like does he have to say 75 feet south? and it has to go that static area.

[Flickerdart]

The contingent spell only comes into being when the contingency is triggered. As such, it is not possible to make any decisions about it before the spell itself has gone off. "Go 75 feet south" is an effect of casting Dimension Door, not a condition placed upon its casting (such as selecting a target would be).

[Jeraa]

It does say you have to cast both spells at the same time. It could very well be interpreted that you have to make any decisions about the spell immediately, but the effect only happens once the contingency is triggered.


You can place another spell upon your person so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting contingency. The contingency spell and the companion spell are cast at the same time. The 10-minute casting time is the minimum total for both castings; if the companion spell has a casting time longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.

[jedipotter]

The rules here are a little vague, but it does say the spell happens ''immediately''.

I've always ruled you have to ''set'' the spell when it's cast in the contingency. So you don't get the ''effect of casting the spell'', you get ''the pre-set spell. So you might set Dimension Door to happen ''when pigs fly'' and move the caster 100 feet north.

[Elkad]

I've always played it had to be preset.

But "If I am grappled while not wearing a pink hair ribbon, D-Door me 800' straight up" is valid.

If you go far underground or decide to engage in some recreational grappling with the local princess, put your hair ribbon on.

[kellbyb]

If you go far underground or decide to engage in some recreational grappling with the local princess, put your hair ribbon on.

Is that what they're calling it now?

[Lathund]

Is that what they're calling it now?

Yes, that's what the kids are calling it these days. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0740.html)

[Flickerdart]

It does say you have to cast both spells at the same time. It could very well be interpreted that you have to make any decisions about the spell immediately, but the effect only happens once the contingency is triggered.
You cast it, but it doesn't come into effect. The teleportation is part of the effect. You cannot possibly take some of the effect (making the decision) without the rest of it (arriving at the place) unless there is explicit rules text to that effect, like on potions.

[Hiro Quester]

My last Bard/Sublime chord character always used it to activate under the condition "if I take damage and have less than 15% of my hit points, and my party cleric cannot get to me in one turn".

I used it to cast teleport to a safe place: our party cleric's temple, which would always had a healer on hand and with which I had a standing (pre-paid retainer) agreement. They (or I) would immediately heal me, and then I could cast another teleport to get back to the party.

Later on, when I purchased a scroll of instant refuge that took care of teleporting me there, I used contingency to cast revivify (which I cast from a scroll). That contingency-cast revivify was one of the triggers that set off the instant refuge.