Looking for a good 3 spell combo for Chain Continency

[James McMurray]

I don't see why a thought wouldn't work. It is something that occurs, it is even something the wizard would be aware of, which isn't required for contingency.

The two spells wouldn't stack if they were spells that normally wouldn't stack. Or do you mean they shouldn't occur on the same round?

 

[HEL Pit Fiend]

Well, if you're afraid of Harm, you could always put in Kiss of the Vampire, from Magic of Faerun. It makes Inflict spells Heal you, amid other things.

This is interesting. Lets say my wizard has a Contingency to activate (KoV) Kiss of the Vampire when I get hit with a Harm spell. Would the KoV be activated (and go into effect) the very instant my wizard gets hit with the Harm, reversing the Harm to a Heal.... or would the KoV go up the instant after the Harm spell, too late to reverse the Harm spell effect?

My instincts tell me that the KoV would be too late to save my pc from the Harm.

 

[Xarlen]

Well, that's why, when the cleric gets Close enough to start throwing down the Harms, you start taking standard actions to Watch for what he's casting with SPellcraft. Thus, when he starts Casting harm, you Dispel it with a counterspel action, or your Contingency goes up.

 

[DarkJester]

Just have the condition be when you reconize someone casting harm who then proceeds to try to touch you. Shouldn't be hard to identify with an arcane casters spellcraft roll.

 

[Psifon]

I agree that a thought wouldn't work. It is a common game convention that triggering conditions must be audible or visible. Such as with the spell magic mouth.

On the other hand, as a DM, I wouldn't have a problem with having it be a thought. After all, have you ever tried to NOT think of something. I would submit that you can't do it. Any time anyone asked you, "what is your triggering condition for your contingency?" you would involuntarily bring it to mind, and off it goes. There are lots of fun ways I can mess with you with this one, so sure, make it thought triggered

I also see no reason why the two spells can't both be "worn" at the same time. You could even give them the same trigger condition as far as I know.

On the other hand, I would NOT let you use a game mechanic as a triggering condition. "when I reach 10 HP" is not a triggering condition. "When I am incapacitated" or "when I am knocked out" or "when I am immobilized" or even "if I die" are all OK. Be careful of your wording here though, because "asleep" is the same thing as "unconsious"

Anyway, that my 2cp

 

[Xarlen]

Well, a Game mechanic is pretty important. 'When I fail a save' Or 'When I'm the target of a Death attack' can conver to 'When my willpower is breached' or 'When someone has cast a spell that causes Deat'.

Or, 'When I'm below 10 hp' could be 'When I'm pretty close to death!'

 

[Psifon]

Well, a Game mechanic is pretty important. 'When I fail a save' Or 'When I'm the target of a Death attack' can conver to 'When my willpower is breached' or 'When someone has cast a spell that causes Deat'.

Or, 'When I'm below 10 hp' could be 'When I'm pretty close to death!'

Well, a fireball causes death to some people. And you could be pretty close to death just crossing the street. How you word this spell matters, and if your DM is paying attention, he can either rule that it fails or he can cause it to trigger when you don't want it to. This is why my two favorite triggering conditions are:

A command word, like "aardvark" spoken in Draconic or

"When I cast the spell (fill in the blank) the contingency goes off" This last one is good for setting up a defensive routine that you want to save for the BBEG. It can be further refined by specifying a metamagick version of a spell. So "my contingency (improved invisibility) goes off when I cast extended haste" would allow you to still cast a normal haste during other encounters without triggering your contingency.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Well, a Game mechanic is pretty important. 'When I fail a save' Or 'When I'm the target of a Death attack' can conver to 'When my willpower is breached' or 'When someone has cast a spell that causes Deat'.

Or, 'When I'm below 10 hp' could be 'When I'm pretty close to death!'

For Harm, you could say, "If some one attempts a touch attack on me...". Not allowing straight mechanics is not a idea killer. Some spells have a requirement based on levels, like Imprison. The spell states that PCs have no concept of "levels", but can still deduce the value of the component needed. Just use creative, wording to exspress a PC's thoughts. Recognition of the spell being cast on you is the one way I might allow a thought to trigger the Contingency. I also belive that a spell after the fact would be too late. If you have a contingency for Heal if you go below 10 HP, and drop from 11 to -10 in one hit, your dead. The spell fizzles one way or another.

Also, to clairify, I do not belive that Contingency and Chain Contingency should stack. They are too similar IMO.

 

[ZSutherland]

Just to point it out, I think setting the trigger of your Contingency or Chain Contingency to an action on your part, even a free action such as speech or breaking a specific twig (to use another person's example), may be robbing yourself. IMO, the real power of this spell is not a free quickened spell, or even three for Chain. It's the fact that the spells take effect immediately, even if it's not your turn or you are incapable of action. Per the exact rules, you can't take a free action even to speak when it's not your initiative, hence you couldn't set your contingency off except on your turn, by which time, it may be too late.

 

[Ferret]

Chain':Move earth, set to dig a small hill and then a ditch, Shape tone to put spikes going inward, then mislead, and make your double out side. Contingincy I'm trapped: darkness.