Is craft contingent spell to powerful?

[wildstarsreach]

Craft contingent spell from Complete Arcane allows you to have multiple contingencies in effect on your person at one time at the cost of some gold and experience at a rate a 100 gold x caster level x spell level. You are limited to a number of contingencies on your person equal to your caster level.

Does this seem unbalanced for the cost of a feat? Obviously the cost is prohibited but for a relatively small amount of money you can pretty well ensure that you will have something prepared for nearly any situation. I'm not sure what to think.

I ask because I took this feat in a short-term game for my character without really putting much thought into it. Now, looking at it a couple sessions in I could really see how I could be using this a ton if the campaign were to be a continual one (Which it isn't, so this is just theoretical).

I've had experience watching a warforged with an artificer cohort use this to excellent effect. Maybe with a standard caster such as a sorcerer, this feat would be balanced but when you can get virtually any spell especially divine and arcane as the artificer can, this can become problematic. The player didn't overly abuse this but was very effective in it's use. He could have been horrendously worse in his use thereby.

 

[Felix]

Sure, but....Show me the calculation.

A calculation as a DM?

[thought bubble]
What's the probability that Nail will be unbearably smug when he survives the big fight because I let him have this QVC Three-In-One Ring of Counterspells?

100%
[/thought bubble]

"Sorry Nail, but this item just doesn't fit the flavor of my campaign world."

[EDIT] ....and, let's keep the context in mind: this was for high level play. At high levels, yer loaded with wealth.

To be sure, but expensive is still expensive. And if you spend 50,000gp (or whatever) on a Ring of Can't Be Dispelled, you arn't spending 50,000gp on something else that also makes you more powerful.

 

[Nail]

"Sorry Nail, but this item just doesn't fit the flavor of my campaign world."

Player: "Ackkk..... yer cramping the flavor of my PC, Mr. DM!"

 

[Vegepygmy]

The thing about Craft Contingent Spell is that a single targeted greater dispel magic can ruin your whole day.

Not if your crafted contingency is greater dispel magic that triggers to counter other greater dispel magics.

That's cute, but it doesn't work. "Once triggered, a contingent spell takes immediate effect upon the bearer (or is centered in the bearer’s square if the spell affects an area)." To counter a spell, you have to target the creature casting the spell, which you cannot do with a crafted contingent spell.

What does work, though, is a crafted contingent spell turning triggered by a greater dispel magic targeted on you. But that only works once (and is a pretty expensive insurance policy).

 

[airwalkrr]

Not if your crafted contingency is greater dispel magic that triggers to counter other greater dispel magics.

Technically, that doesn't work. CCS requires the spell be one that targets you (and some interpret this to mean items in your possession as well, meaning a CS magic weapon would be ok).

 

[airwalkrr]

That's cute, but it doesn't work. "Once triggered, a contingent spell takes immediate effect upon the bearer (or is centered in the bearer’s square if the spell affects an area)." To counter a spell, you have to target the creature casting the spell, which you cannot do with a crafted contingent spell.

What does work, though, is a crafted contingent spell turning triggered by a greater dispel magic targeted on you. But that only works once (and is a pretty expensive insurance policy).

It makes for an interesting conundrum when the BBEG has used CCS to make place several fireballs on his person, which are set to explode when he dies, just as a way to spite the PCs.

 

[wildstarsreach]

That's cute, but it doesn't work. "Once triggered, a contingent spell takes immediate effect upon the bearer (or is centered in the bearer’s square if the spell affects an area)." To counter a spell, you have to target the creature casting the spell, which you cannot do with a crafted contingent spell.

What does work, though, is a crafted contingent spell turning triggered by a greater dispel magic targeted on you. But that only works once (and is a pretty expensive insurance policy).

Here's the master of the craft contigent spell in our game.