Suggestions for my Contingency

R

Rackhir

Explorer

• Mar 7, 2007

• #1

I'm running a Wiz6/Alienist6 in Shilsen's campaign and I'm looking for suggestions on what I should use my Contingency for.

Here's the character.
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=182305

What have you found to be the most useful spells to have trigger and how do you phrase your triggering conditions?

He's got access to essentially all PHB spells up to lv 6 and can contingency up to a 4th lv spell.

 

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Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

• Mar 7, 2007

• #2

Because being grappled is a pretty bad one, something like 'fire shield if grappled' or 'dimension door me 5ft away if grappled' or 'gaseous form if grappled' have been fairly common ideas that I've seen.

A good all-purpose one might be 'minor globe of invulnerability if a 3rd level or lower spell is going to affect me' (although you might need to discuss with the DM what is allowed in terms of condition - there have been big debates about contingencies sensing abilities before!

Less difficult to arbitrate are things that might make a spell essentially a free action when you need it like 'protection from evil when I wink' or something similar.

 

Someone

Adventurer

• Mar 7, 2007

• #3

Triggering conditions depend on circumstances.

If you don't expect trouble, like when you're travelling or walking through a peaceful city, then you want conditions as broad as possible, since it's likely that if you have an encounter it'd be the only one you'll have, thus allowing you time to cast Contingency again. "As soon as I'm attacked" is a good one (with a Displacement, Blink or Improved invisibility spell firing) or "when I'm going to suffer damage from acid, fire, electricity, cold or sound" with a Protection from elements spell.

If you expect a lot of trouble, like when you're going to enter a dungeon, then options are to buy an insurance from deadly conditions or attacks you foresse and fear. In these cases the wording is much more restrictive. Examples would be being grappled, as Plane Sailing points out, or if you know a lich lives(?) in the dungeon you may want to phrase the Contingency to "When a lich is within 50 feet of me" or "When I'm grappled."

Another option is to link the contingency to something you do, making it work like an immediate action. Since you can speak at any time, not only on your turn, linking the contingency to something like "when I say 'jumping bigfoots'" can also be very useful.

 

heirodule

First Post

• Mar 7, 2007

• #4

False Life if my HP fall below 10% of my total health

If I am prevented from taking actions by a magical effect, break enchantment. (takes care of stunning and being turned to stone)

 

R

Rackhir

Explorer

• Mar 7, 2007

• #5

heirodule said:

False Life if my HP fall below 10% of my total health

If I am prevented from taking actions by a magical effect, break enchantment. (takes care of stunning and being turned to stone)

Click to expand...

We'd have a winner with the Break Enchantment (it is a great idea), if it weren't 5th lvl. But I will keep it in mind for when Nameless hits 15 (which won't be for a at least a year or more most likely).

 

W

Wish

First Post

• Mar 7, 2007

• #6

It all depends on what you want to do with it, really. Most of the common ones have been covered, but some others I've seen include the following. (Not all of these will be directly relevant to you, but they may spark ideas.)

Divine Power when I make a melee attack (for a cleric using miracle for contingency).

Greater blink if I draw my sword.

Magic Circle vs Evil if I fall under mental control or possession.

Magic Circle vs Evil if any of my companions attack me. (This one was anticipating that a companion might be mind controlled.)

Fly if I fall more than 10 feet.

See invisibility if any attack originates within my line of sight but I can't see the foe. (Or something like that, I don't know the exact wording.)

Freedom of movement if my movement would be constrained by any circumstance that freedom of movement would prevent. (Clerics played by lawyers...)

 

lukelightning

First Post

• Mar 7, 2007

• #7

Disguise self to appear fully clothed if anyone enters the room while I'm bathing.

 

Deset Gled

.

• Mar 7, 2007

• #8

lukelightning said:

Disguise self to appear fully clothed if anyone enters the room while I'm bathing.

Click to expand...

"Cast Wind Wall when I sneeze."

You should have seen the look on that Pepper Dragon's face.

 

R

Rackhir

Explorer

• Mar 7, 2007

• #9

lukelightning said:

Disguise self to appear fully clothed if anyone enters the room while I'm bathing.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, illusion is a banned school. He'd have to use Alter Self.

In any case, people walking in on him while he's naked is the least of his concern. Though the other person might find it quite distressing. Especially given recent "changes" due to a visit to Xoriat.

 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2007

Delemental

First Post

• Mar 7, 2007

• #10

The one I use, the effectiveness of which will depend on your campaign style:

Polymorph into the form of a doppleganger if I am dying (between -1 and -9).

The polymorph gives me an automatic healing (gain hp as if you'd rested for a day) which will stabilize me and may even bring me back into positive. I chose doppleganger because if the enemy is still present, I can try the "I'm not the real PC, he hired me to play him to fool you! Ha!" bluff. Since dopplegangers revert to their true form when they are knocked out, the fact that I 'revert' to that form when I go down is consistent with the bluff, and getting the doppleganger's +4 racial bonus to Bluff helps pull it off.

Even if you're in a game where the doppleganger bluff would never work, using polymorph as a contingency isn't a bad choice. You still get the free healing, and can pick some other form that might help you survive (like a high AC monster).