Contingency Questions

[Gorgon]

Does the spell effect triggered by contingency count as a readied effect. If a caster puts up a contingency of Protection from energy (Fire) triggered whenever they take fire damage does it stop the damage the first time.

If they use Coningency (Death ward) with the trigger whenever they need to make a saving throw versus a death effect, how does it know when a death effect happens. Does it use their knowledge, or is it omniscient. The trigger doesn't sound overly complicated.

I know this has probably been discussed before so any links to other posts would also help.

 

[daemonslye]

Contingency works as described in both of your examples
(fire vs fire resist and death effect vs death ward);
It would be "omniscient" for lack of a better term in these
instances.

However, other types of triggers ("when I shake hands with
Dread Delgath the Magic-User" - and when this occurs, you
are actually shaking hands with a doppleganger) cause these
questions to be raised with rather more, say, discourse.

~D

PHB.p.213: CONTINGENCY:

The conditions needed to bring the spell
into effect must be clear, although they
can be general. For example, a contingency
cast with water breathing might prescribe
that any time you are plunged into or
otherwise engulfed in water or similar
liquid, the water breathing spell instantly
comes into effect. Or a contingency could
bring a feather fall spell into effect any time
you fall more than 4 feet. In all cases, the
contingency immediately brings into effect
the companion spell, the latter being “cast”
instantaneously when the prescribed circumstances
occur.

 

[Li Shenron]

It's definitely instantaneous and independent on your own actions.

Usually I try to set triggers to material situations, just thinking that the spell is not a sentient creature that can make decisions. That means I wouldn't allow to set a trigger "as soon as Mr.Woo speaks" or "as soon as an Evil Wizard speaks" because they exactly raise issues about how does the spell know who's evil, what's a wizard, or who the hell is Mr.Woo?

It may be harsh, but it avoids complications to do so, while allowing weird triggers may lead to use contingency as a detect-anything-you-need spell, particularly when a player says "as soon as I touch the true killer of the king...".

 

[Plane Sailing]

I had a thread on this subject last year (I as specifically thinking of Contingency Antimagic Shell as a pretty good counter to Mordenkainens Disjunction) but there was no consensus of opinion at that time - and I don't mean that there were two sides who disagreed either! Nobody could come up with a definitive answer at that time.

Cheers

 

[Vlos]

Ok, have a Cleric with Time domain which grants Contingency.

Could you have the following Trigger (with Heal Spell).

"Any time I take damage that would render me unconscious or dead activate Heal? (which was spell stored for contingency)."

This sounds legit with the above explanations how it comes into effect before it is cast.

 

[the Jester]

The problem with the 'as soon as I take enough damage' contingency is that, to trigger it, you have to have already taken enough damage to knock you out or kill you, so it might be too late.

I'd say making it contingent on being below 20 hp would be wiser- too often at high levels a single blow can knock you to way past -10. Build in some buffer.

 

[Li Shenron]

Could you have the following Trigger (with Heal Spell).

"Any time I take damage that would render me unconscious or dead activate Heal? (which was spell stored for contingency)."

I think this should be definitely allowed. Possibly the most important reason why Contingency exists is exactly to have a ready spell to "save you at last second" when something bad happens.

Perhaps you can think of Contingency as some sort of "spell of opportunity" but in any case, it works pretty much like a readied action, resolved just before the trigger completes.

 

[RangerWickett]

I want a wizard with a contingency teleport to take him home if he says, "Oh ."