Contingencies [Archive] - Wizards Community

Contingencies [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Link182
05-11-05, 07:32 AM Hey all,
I'm currently running a group of 20th level PCs. Which means of course, that their enemies are also about the same level. In that game they run with an NPC that has contingencies that will go off should something happen to his person, etc. (Craft Contingent Spell). Wouldn't the bad guys have the same? My only problem is that I've so many spellcasters, I really don't feel like pouring over their spells and coming up with some crafty contingencies. What type have you all used with your spellcasters?
Vatras
05-11-05, 08:07 AM My group has only one PC with a contingency spell, and thats the cleric :)
He puts it on to have a Heal spell when he drops below a quarter of his health.

If your NPC is a lich, things are easy: he doesnt need any of the stuff, he just has to hide his phylactery well and is safe in the long run.

For other casters there are several options for crafted contingencies: Teleportation to a sanctuary/healer, Heal, damage shields triggered upon an attack, Stoneskin triggered upon an attack, combat buffs triggered by a gesture, etc..

My NPCs dont use much in way of contingency effects. They are dispellable and can be suppressed with an AMF, besides that they cost money. I use rarely a hyperbuffed single BBEG, my villains are often quite "normal", but tend to have lots of guards.
As an example, I have an evil highpriest who is the ultimate cause for the adventure, and his protection is not that he sleeps in his platemail and is tattooed to the max with contingencies, but his personal guard and the wards on his palace. Every round everyone inside suffers a Dispel Good effect, many doors have alarm type spells or other wards, which will call the guards when triggered. The personal guard consists of clerics, who are also entropomancers. One or two entropomancers hidden behind a curtain, only using their entropic field power and counterspelling can wreak havoc even with epic characters, who dont know whats going wrong. As a weapon against intruders into their sanctum, several priests carry gems with trapped souls to be used upon such (which hold monsters strong in melee, like advanced demons). Its a simple set-up and will give epic characters a hard nut to crack (in the specific case the normal guards were 10th level, the personal guards 17th and the high priest 22nd; the PCs were 25th).
Bonzai
05-11-05, 10:07 AM As a lich, I would only have one contingency. That would be Revive undead from Libris Mortis. It would be there in case the phylactery was destroyed before he could reform. This would give him a chance of being rezed one more time. Only draw back would be if the body was dismembered or completly destroyed it won't work.

As for your villians, not all wizards have contingencies up, but the smart ones at least have a teleport spell lined up for when their health drops a certain amount. Also keep in mind that the craft contingency feat is more uncommon than the spell. So I would have a good portion of the wizards have a teleport ready when their health drops to a certain point. This gives the players a chance to kill them out right, or defeat them without doing damage, and keep a lvl of realism. Now a BBEG type npc that you want to keep around for a while is different. Load him up!
Dungeon Master
05-11-05, 12:14 PM What I would do is a contingency to teleport when the caster's ablity to cast spells is supressed/removed. A wizard with low hp can still cast spells, so he can always flee. It's a problem for the wizard when he is stunned, held, silenced, or otherwise unable to cast a spell on his own.
Psifon
05-12-05, 01:45 AM Well, first of all, unless you take the craft contingency feat, you can only have one contingency spell up, and one chain contingency spell up.

However, remember that you can also cast them on your familiar.

what I like to do is have my contingency be tied to another spell effect, so that, for instance, when I cast a fly spell an improved invisibility goes off. This allows me to get one more defensive spell off, on the first round of combat. Same thing with chain contingency.

I give my familiar the teleport contingency, on the theory that he can teleport me out of the combat on a round when I still do a full attack.

Another good contingency is that an antimagic shell goes off when anyone other than me BEGINS to cast a mordenkainen's disjunction. This one at least gives you a fair shot of keeping your magic intact when these spells start flying around.

Remember that you can also use contingent magics like Elminster's Evasion to get that teleport home free card, and bad guy's don't have to worry about the XP cost, since they payed these costs "off stage"

Finally, remember that a greater ring of spell storing let's ANYONE have a contingency of a 4th level spell. Heck, you could even get a higher level contingency with a second ring. Now one trick I like is to have the BBEG pass this thing out among his minions, and give everyone a contingency for free. This is a nice trick because it forces the players to fight all your lieutenants twice
solbergb
05-12-05, 01:29 PM The trouble with teleport contingencies is that they can send the wizard away from the party when he's needed most. Causing the whole party to die except the cowardly wizard.

Teleport contingency on the familiar transports only the familiar (contingencies are personal only, even if the spell allows more targets).

Imbuing a dim door or tp on a familiar is terrific (as is giving him a cloak of montebank if he is a raven).

Stuff that revives you (the Heal example, and things like Stalwart Pact) is better, stuff that undoes dangerous stuff (eg improved blink when grappled) is also good. One of the most reliable is an empowered false life, for when you take "real" damage. It essentially doubles the hp of the false life, and raw hp are one of the more reliable defenses in D&D when you are as mobile as an arcanist usually is (no arcanist should have to suck up a full attack if he can still cast spells and/or has buffs running)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Link182 05-11-05, 07:32 AM	Hey all, I'm currently running a group of 20th level PCs. Which means of course, that their enemies are also about the same level. In that game they run with an NPC that has contingencies that will go off should something happen to his person, etc. (Craft Contingent Spell). Wouldn't the bad guys have the same? My only problem is that I've so many spellcasters, I really don't feel like pouring over their spells and coming up with some crafty contingencies. What type have you all used with your spellcasters?
Vatras 05-11-05, 08:07 AM	My group has only one PC with a contingency spell, and thats the cleric :) He puts it on to have a Heal spell when he drops below a quarter of his health. If your NPC is a lich, things are easy: he doesnt need any of the stuff, he just has to hide his phylactery well and is safe in the long run. For other casters there are several options for crafted contingencies: Teleportation to a sanctuary/healer, Heal, damage shields triggered upon an attack, Stoneskin triggered upon an attack, combat buffs triggered by a gesture, etc.. My NPCs dont use much in way of contingency effects. They are dispellable and can be suppressed with an AMF, besides that they cost money. I use rarely a hyperbuffed single BBEG, my villains are often quite "normal", but tend to have lots of guards. As an example, I have an evil highpriest who is the ultimate cause for the adventure, and his protection is not that he sleeps in his platemail and is tattooed to the max with contingencies, but his personal guard and the wards on his palace. Every round everyone inside suffers a Dispel Good effect, many doors have alarm type spells or other wards, which will call the guards when triggered. The personal guard consists of clerics, who are also entropomancers. One or two entropomancers hidden behind a curtain, only using their entropic field power and counterspelling can wreak havoc even with epic characters, who dont know whats going wrong. As a weapon against intruders into their sanctum, several priests carry gems with trapped souls to be used upon such (which hold monsters strong in melee, like advanced demons). Its a simple set-up and will give epic characters a hard nut to crack (in the specific case the normal guards were 10th level, the personal guards 17th and the high priest 22nd; the PCs were 25th).
Bonzai 05-11-05, 10:07 AM	As a lich, I would only have one contingency. That would be Revive undead from Libris Mortis. It would be there in case the phylactery was destroyed before he could reform. This would give him a chance of being rezed one more time. Only draw back would be if the body was dismembered or completly destroyed it won't work. As for your villians, not all wizards have contingencies up, but the smart ones at least have a teleport spell lined up for when their health drops a certain amount. Also keep in mind that the craft contingency feat is more uncommon than the spell. So I would have a good portion of the wizards have a teleport ready when their health drops to a certain point. This gives the players a chance to kill them out right, or defeat them without doing damage, and keep a lvl of realism. Now a BBEG type npc that you want to keep around for a while is different. Load him up!
Dungeon Master 05-11-05, 12:14 PM	What I would do is a contingency to teleport when the caster's ablity to cast spells is supressed/removed. A wizard with low hp can still cast spells, so he can always flee. It's a problem for the wizard when he is stunned, held, silenced, or otherwise unable to cast a spell on his own.
Psifon 05-12-05, 01:45 AM	Well, first of all, unless you take the craft contingency feat, you can only have one contingency spell up, and one chain contingency spell up. However, remember that you can also cast them on your familiar. what I like to do is have my contingency be tied to another spell effect, so that, for instance, when I cast a fly spell an improved invisibility goes off. This allows me to get one more defensive spell off, on the first round of combat. Same thing with chain contingency. I give my familiar the teleport contingency, on the theory that he can teleport me out of the combat on a round when I still do a full attack. Another good contingency is that an antimagic shell goes off when anyone other than me BEGINS to cast a mordenkainen's disjunction. This one at least gives you a fair shot of keeping your magic intact when these spells start flying around. Remember that you can also use contingent magics like Elminster's Evasion to get that teleport home free card, and bad guy's don't have to worry about the XP cost, since they payed these costs "off stage" Finally, remember that a greater ring of spell storing let's ANYONE have a contingency of a 4th level spell. Heck, you could even get a higher level contingency with a second ring. Now one trick I like is to have the BBEG pass this thing out among his minions, and give everyone a contingency for free. This is a nice trick because it forces the players to fight all your lieutenants twice
solbergb 05-12-05, 01:29 PM	The trouble with teleport contingencies is that they can send the wizard away from the party when he's needed most. Causing the whole party to die except the cowardly wizard. Teleport contingency on the familiar transports only the familiar (contingencies are personal only, even if the spell allows more targets). Imbuing a dim door or tp on a familiar is terrific (as is giving him a cloak of montebank if he is a raven). Stuff that revives you (the Heal example, and things like Stalwart Pact) is better, stuff that undoes dangerous stuff (eg improved blink when grappled) is also good. One of the most reliable is an empowered false life, for when you take "real" damage. It essentially doubles the hp of the false life, and raw hp are one of the more reliable defenses in D&D when you are as mobile as an arcanist usually is (no arcanist should have to suck up a full attack if he can still cast spells and/or has buffs running)