I hear Contingency is a cool spell you know. As I said, casters always win initiative.
It's also a 6th level spell. Frankly, the casters should have the game well broken by that point. Plus, you'd better have that contingency worded
just right, because otherwise it won't kick in before you roll initiative. (And no, you can't say, "when I roll initiative", because that's strictly metagame.)
Yes, but that's absurd enough I refuse to take that into consideration
Nonetheless, that is the RAW.
Actually, that's wrong. Rules Compendium is cool like that.
Fair enough - I'd checked the DMG for the rule, but not the RC. So, I stand corrected.
Nonetheless, a
wand of nerveskitter remains of limited utility for a party - whoever holds the wand still only gets
one Immediate Action, so he can cast it on himself or one ally, but not all. Though yes, that would mean the Wizard (almost) always wins initiative, provided he always has that wand in-hand.
(On the other hand, I consider that immediate-action
wand of nerveskitter every bit as absurd as you do the fact that RAW makes the spell unusable. So I guess it's fair enough for me to void that, no?)