Contingency Suggestions?

[Elder-Basilisk]

By that level, go for an empowered mirror image. 1.5 times the images, 1.5 times the fun.

Mirror image, great defensive spell to prevent targeting and save you in melee. This use turns the contingency into a free action MI you can do whenever you want, great for getting your defense up quick in a fight.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I had previously dismissed Contingency from my list of "useful spells for the sorcerer to choose" with his mere 3 x 6th level spells.

However, the ability to cast it on several different occasions depending upon whether you are travelling long distance or preparing for a particular encounter could actually give an excellent defensive or utility option to the class who is denied quicken spell.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Heal if you're under a 30%(20%?) of HP maybe?

You can go for specific protection--"freedom of movement if I am grappled"

Contingency
...
You can place another spell upon your person so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting contingency. (my underlining)

Unless your wizard is a mystic theurge, has mucho levels in cleric, or through some house rule has access to divine spells, he ain't going to be casting a contingent heal or freedom of movement on himself. Otherwise, I agree with Elder-Basilisk's analysis.

My two personal favourites are:

Defensive: Dimension door to opposite side of furthest visible ally if grappled or rendered helpless. (Can be a two-edged sword, depending on exactly where furthest visible ally is, but other specifications of the end-point of the dimension door are equally or more problematic).

Offensive: Polymorph into annis hag when subject to a bull's strength or mass bull's strength. For those wizards who can't help but liking tearing their opponents limb-from-limb.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Plane Sailing]

Unless your wizard is a mystic theurge, has mucho levels in cleric, or through some house rule has access to divine spells, he ain't going to be casting a contingent heal or freedom of movement on himself. Otherwise, I agree with Elder-Basilisk's analysis.

Krafen did specify this in his original post

He also has access to the Protection Domain through Arcane Disciple and has enough Wisdom to cast 6th level divine spells.

An interesting question is how precisely would anyone allow something like "heal" to be specified? I know one excellent DM has used it as "heal me when I reach 1hp", and the heal goes off in the middle of applying damage - so if he was on 3hp, was struck for 30 damage the heal would go off as he reached 1hp and the rest of the damage then applied.

Regards

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Defensive: Dimension door to opposite side of furthest visible ally if grappled or rendered helpless. (Can be a two-edged sword, depending on exactly where furthest visible ally is, but other specifications of the end-point of the dimension door are equally or more problematic).

Some DMs, such as myself, do not allow the effects of the contingent spell to be variable, only the trigger. So, for instance, you could determine what might trigger the Dimension Door, such as "when grappled" or "when helpless." (Grappled or helpless is two conditions, which I disallow.) However, I do not allow Dimension Door's specifics to be determined at the time it goes off. They have to be determined at the time the contingency is cast. i.e. "to opposite side of furthest visible ally" is unacceptible. "300 feet east" is acceptible. Generally, teleport is a better spell for contingency than dimension door, since you can specify a place far away that is always going to be the same.

Offensive: Polymorph into annis hag when subject to a bull's strength or mass bull's strength. For those wizards who can't help but liking tearing their opponents limb-from-limb.

Again, you'll need to ask your DM whether he allows "or" statements when phrasing your contingency.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Again, you'll need to ask your DM whether he allows "or" statements when phrasing your contingency.

"When subject to a strength enhancement".

Geeze.