Two Contingency Questions

[lall]

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[Calibus]

Isn't contingency only work with spells 5th level or lower that can target yourself? IE. Using haste when you get bloodied. or waterbreathing when you get submerged in water. Wish would be op.

[RickAllison]

Isn't contingency only work with spells 5th level or lower that can target yourself? IE. Using haste when you get bloodied. or waterbreathing when you get submerged in water. Wish would be op.

I think he was meaning Wish --> Contingency, rather than Contingency --> Wish.

[This be Richard]

1. If I use Wish for Contingency, am I okay never having the material component on my person?
I would say yes. Wish removes the "need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components." Contingency might end on you "if its material component is ever not on your person," but if the need for material components is removed, there's nothing to carry.


2. Can the trigger for Contingency be "Someone/something is about to drop my guy to zero hit points or less"? For example, if a baddie shoots a fireball and drops me to -20 hit points, do we hit the rewind button and the contingent spell goes off right before the fireball is shot?
I would say no. Contingency "takes effect when a certain circumstance occurs." To me, that means the trigger would need to be something that actually happens.

[MaxWilson]

One fun thing for a Life Cleric 1/Wizard X (fantastic tank BTW) to do is to Contingency: "Cure Wounds V (Self) whenever I drop to zero HP." It won't prevent you from dying to insta-kills but it is otherwise mostly like a long-term Death Ward.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I would say no. Contingency "takes effect when a certain circumstance occurs." To me, that means the trigger would need to be something that actually happens.

The question is, would you say "someone makes an attack that is potentially strong enough to kill me" is an event in itself, or do you have to wait for the attack and damage to be rolled? Or do you consider the strength and accuracy of the attack to be determined before it is actually made, in which case there's a 'gap' between the dice being rolled and the attack actually landing where a Contingency could be triggered. Really, it's got to be the individual DM's call. I wouldn't allow "when I would be dropped to 0HP" as a trigger (because it's too meta), but I would allow "when I could be dropped to 0HP" and "when I am dropped to 0HP" (obviously).

[Vogonjeltz]

1. If I use Wish for Contingency, am I okay never having the material component on my person?

2. Can the trigger for Contingency be "Someone/something is about to drop my guy to zero hit points or less"? For example, if a baddie shoots a fireball and drops me to -20 hit points, do we hit the rewind button and the contingent spell goes off right before the fireball is shot?

1. Yes

2. No. Contingency requires something have happened to you. It's not predictive nor retroactive.