Your favorite contingencies

[MerakSpielman]

In that case, what about Chain Contingency: Raise Dead, Teleport, Earthquake. The dragon is alive, long gone, and the cave that the fight took place in is about to collapse.

you can only contigency spells that target you. Earthquake doesn't work, nor do any other spells you might plan to use to damage opponents.

As far as contingencies inturrupting other spells effects, it's not a problem if you phrase the contingency right. Instead of "Activae this Negative Energy Protection if I get hit with a Finger of Death," you would say, "Activate this Negative Energy Protection when an opponent begins casting Finger of Death with me as the target."

Also remember that you can only have one Contingency active at a time. You might not want to burn it for something that specific. That's why teleport is so common. A wizard in my campaign has a contingency to teleport her to a certain temple when she drops to below -5 HP. She has left a sizable deposit there to insure she is Healed or Resurected. THe reason for her unconscious HP limit is because she doesn't want to teleport while the party cleric can still help her out and she might be planning something even though she only has 10 HP left.

Question:
If contingency is tied to events that you don't need to be personally aware of, does that mean you can, say, have a contingency to set off a Ghost Sound of a bell dinging when you come within 50' of a treasure worth x amount or above?
Can you contingency to turn invisible 5 seconds BEFORE you will be visible to an enemy?
etc...

 

[Nifft]

you can only contigency spells that target you. Earthquake doesn't work, nor do any other spells you might plan to use to damage opponents.

Darn! What about Fireball (with appropriate dragon-immune Energy Substitution) targeted at self?

Question:
If contingency is tied to events that you don't need to be personally aware of, does that mean you can, say, have a contingency to set off a Ghost Sound of a bell dinging when you come within 50' of a treasure worth x amount or above?
Can you contingency to turn invisible 5 seconds BEFORE you will be visible to an enemy?

I'd rule that the former is doable, but very susceptable to misinterpretation, while the latter doesn't refer to an event at all, known or unknown to the character.

(The latter is a paradox. Think of it this way: EVENT=PLAYER SEEN. Spell reaches 5 seconds into the past, renders the player invisible. Now, the EVENT never occurs! So, the spell never reached into the past! Paradox.)

-- Nifft

 

[MerakSpielman]

Darn! What about Fireball (with appropriate dragon-immune Energy Substitution) targeted at self?

Nope.
From the SRD:

The spell to be brought into effect by the contingency must be one that affects the character's person (feather fall, levitate, fly, teleport, and so forth) and be of a spell level no higher than one-third the character's caster level (rounded down, maximum 6th level).

My mistake for using the word "target"

I have contimplated making a 6th level spell called "Final Strike". It would be targeted personally, and completely and totally annhialate your own soul to fuel the incredible explosion it creates. Results: small town is now a small crater.
Except that this spell sounds like it should be 8th or 9th level. Damn.

 

[Xarlen]

There was a 2e Red Wizard spell. It consumed their body in the explosion, when they died.

 

[0-hr]

If contingency is tied to events that you don't need to be personally aware of, does that mean you can, say, have a contingency to set off a Ghost Sound of a bell dinging when you come within 50' of a treasure worth x amount or above?
Can you contingency to turn invisible 5 seconds BEFORE you will be visible to an enemy?
etc...

In most cases, spells are assumed to have normal vision and hearing and nothing more. Even in the most generous case, a spell should not have sensory capabilities or knowledge beyond what the caster would have if he or she occupied the same spot and was being normally observant.

 

[Skaros]

In most cases, spells are assumed to have normal vision and hearing and nothing more. Even in the most generous case, a spell should not have sensory capabilities or knowledge beyond what the caster would have if he or she occupied the same spot and was being normally observant.

Any page numbers to support that? Always useful when taking the argument to players or DMs later.

Saying spells have any sensory input like vision or hearing is pretty strange as it is....

-Skaros

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Glyph of Warding, Magic Mouth, Prying Eyes...

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I think my favorite is D-Door or teleport to max range/safe location when surprised. I feel wiz/sor can survive almost anything if they are entering it with thier eyes open. Surprise is a virtual death sentence for wiz/sor types. so contingency, and always keep prepared a clarivoyance spell, and another D-door/teleport to return to the battle.

 

[gfunk]

What book is Chain contingency in?

Tome and Blood

 

[Caliber]

I always thought a targetted Dispel Magic set to go off when Charmed or Dominated was pretty ingenious myself.