What do you generally do with Contingency?

[Frosty]

Ok, so you've got Contingency, and let's say you can put up to 5th level spells in your contingency, what would you put in there as a wizard? Freedom of Movement on a failed grapple check? Fly if your Fly is dispelled? Celerity when you're targeted by an enemy caster?

What does a lower-level batman do with his one Contingency?

[The_Werebear]

If someone with hostile intentions that they are acting on moves within 50 feet of me without me noticing, cast teleport, moving me 1200 feet straight up. Note, that for this to be sucessful, you must always remember to have feather fall prepared.

If an projectile is fired at me, activate Windwall circling around me.

If I die, cast Magic Jar and seize control of another's body. You can then seize another's body. Even if you do die when the spell ends, you can sure take everyone around out with you. Plus, you might be able to find your friends and arrange a resurrection before the spell ends. Note, not all DM's might interpret the spell as I do.

[Chosen_of_Vecna]

1) Since you are level 15 you should probably have Elemental Body Air up so that you can be constantly flying, making things like Teleport 1200ft straight up generally okay.

2) It depends on your DMs interpretation of the omniscience of Contingency. Either it knows everything, or it know what you know. This is an important distinction.

3) I personally have mine set up to cast Repulsion/Dimension Door/Ray Deflection or some similar defensive spell in a situation in which it becomes useful. (IE Ray deflection if targeted by a harmful ray attack/Repulsion if whatever I am using for flight is dispelled, ect.)

[Funkyodor]

It depends on how the Wizard player and the DM interpret Contingency (since it involves direct DM interaction). If he deems it too complicated it can fail even if the conditions were met, or too generic then he can be a boop head to set it off all the time.

Of note: The companion spell is cast along with Contingency, and the conditions you set will trigger that spell. You don't get to mess with the particulars of the companion spell within the contingency (I.E. teleport must have a fixed destination, not direction and distance).

Short duration party buffs, curative spells (if dual caster progressed), and other spells that affect the caster are good ideas to Contingency.

[Fishy]

"If I try to cast Feather Fall and both of my feet on the ground: Something-something-something."

[Frosty]

Elemental Body? Is that a good buff? Is it some sort of Polymorph type spell? I've got Fly and all that stuff up already.

[Azerian Kelimon]

Also, keep this contingency around, just in case. Use Craft Contingent spell.


"If I ever save a catgirl from being physics crushed, greater teleport me to the vat of sonic energy specifically prepared for such an event".

No, seriously. 46 DC Will saves...

[Talya]

Of note: The companion spell is cast along with Contingency, and the conditions you set will trigger that spell. You don't get to mess with the particulars of the companion spell within the contingency (I.E. teleport must have a fixed destination, not direction and distance).

Dimension Door would work, however. (A level 15 dimension door has a range of 1000 ft, not 1200, but close enough.

[Frosty]

I hate pre-triggering though. Well, speaking is a free action...so what if I key my contingency spell to go off if I every say the phrase "We are FUBAR!" and have it teleport me back to a safe haven or something?

[Talya]

Free action or not, you'd have hard time getting your DM to let you away with that out of turn...however, if you had an immediate spell like Nerveskitter (best because you can cast it flatfooted), Ruin Delver's Fortune, or Featherfall, you could trigger a contingency based on those being cast at any point in a battle, even out of turn.

[Frosty]

I'll say it's a free action I can only on my turn OR if I had an extra action like from Celerity for example.

[blacksabre]

I choose to give leeway into how it works with my players unless they go cheese..
To make sure it does not get out of hand, pay close attention to the description and function of the contingent spell..

For example, the dimension Door scenerio IMHO will not work the way specified in this thread..
Since the companion spells is cast at the same time as Contingency, all variables are decided then, not when the trigger event occurs..

From the decsription when the spell is cast,
"You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range"

This means you must choose the location when you cast DD and Contingiency..Since the Range is Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level), this is perfectly ideal for when you are in your on keep, home etc..but not when you are out adventuring..
If the trigger evet occurs, and you are out of range of the target location when you cast the spell, the DD fails and the Contigiency is used too.

[Triaxx]

I like to set it as a counter attack. 'If I am struck by an arrow, center Cloud Kill on the attacker.' Or 'If I am struck by an arrow, cast Magic Missile at the nearest enemy target.'

Occasionally I'll decide to go defensive with, 'During the surprise round, cast Haste on as many friendly targets in range as possible.'

[Chosen_of_Vecna]

I like to set it as a counter attack. 'If I am struck by an arrow, center Cloud Kill on the attacker.' Or 'If I am struck by an arrow, cast Magic Missile at the nearest enemy target.'

Occasionally I'll decide to go defensive with, 'During the surprise round, cast Haste on as many friendly targets in range as possible.'

Except you can't do any of those because the Contingencied spell can only effect you.

@Frosty, Elemental Body is an hour per level buff that gives you immunity to stunning, crits, SA, poison, disease, a couple other effects, and a bonus based on the element chosen, which for Air is a 60ft perfect fly speed. If you are persisting fly with Incantatrix it isn't that important, but it is far superior to Overland Flight. It's in the SpC.

[sikyon]

This is what you do:

Contingency trigger: I cast feather fall. This is an immediate action, I can do it on someone else's turn. I can even do it in an enemy's surprise round with foresight. At lower levels I may also Contingency to a specific should I can use in a free action, AND I am not more than 600 feet underground.

Contingent effect: I dimension door 600 feet directly up.

Benefits: I cast feather fall to fall slowly as my trigger, and then I'm in the air falling down, so I can do whatever I want in that period of time. I basically just bought myself many rounds to either DD back down or blast away from up high. I can cast fly on myself and maneuver around, polymorph myself into a flying creature and attack from above or any other such thing. In any event, I now have enough time. With foresight this prevents me from ever having the drop gotten on me. Obviously, if I wander underground then I change my contingency. If something suddenly tries to do that then I DD up.

From the decsription when the spell is cast,
"You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range"

This means you must choose the location when you cast DD and Contingiency..Since the Range is Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level), this is perfectly ideal for when you are in your on keep, home etc..but not when you are out adventuring..
If the trigger evet occurs, and you are out of range of the target location when you cast the spell, the DD fails and the Contigiency is used too.

Wrong. Please post the full quote in the future.

You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction.

At time of casting: Direction: Up.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

For example, the dimension Door scenerio IMHO will not work the way specified in this thread..
Since the companion spells is cast at the same time as Contingency, all variables are decided then, not when the trigger event occurs..

You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction.

The emphasized text would seem to indicate that an acceptable value for this "variable" can be set in relative terms to your current location. In other words, when you cast dimension door, you can simply specify "100 ft. behind me," or something similar. No matter where you happen to be when you cast it or the spell is triggered, you wind up 100 ft. behind your current location. (Of course, "Behind" is even more relative than usual on the battle mat, given the lack of combat facing.)

[blacksabre]

I agree with all that..should have been more clear on what i was trying to say

If players start being cheesy and use the contingency as the "invulnerable" can't be touched in any situation mode. I start making DM rulings like that to keep them in line if they start spreading cheese.

Again, I would allow DD as a contingecy in general, but if Mr nacho is trying to metagame everything.....

[Frosty]

But you never know whether you'll be in-doors or out. Dimension dooring 1000 ft upwards seems to not be good all the time.

[sikyon]

But you never know whether you'll be in-doors or out. Dimension dooring 1000 ft upwards seems to not be good all the time.

So what if you're indoors? Are you going to go inside a 1000 ft tower?