Contingency spells? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Contingency spells? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ubasrawr
07-25-07, 03:07 PM So I see a lot of references to contingency spells ...

but i am unaware which spell they refer to.

especially for the typical pvp fighter vs wizard battle people always through out these contingency spells to escape a close battle

what do you do? quicken spells? cause i am unaware of spells besides quicken spells that allow you to act on another persons turn and not provoke AOOs unless you are casting defensively.

might want to let me in on those spells? or method of casting them?
lukelightning
07-25-07, 03:14 PM Contingency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm).

There is also a feat in some book (Complete Arcane?) that lets you craft contingent spells as if you were making a magic item. Some people deem this broken, but I don't have any experience with it.
FLAvatar
07-25-07, 03:15 PM http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm

is a good place to start

edit to still add something of (marginal) value: Craft Contingent Spell is indeed from Complete Arcane. I actually think it is less broken than the spell, but YMMV
Ubasrawr
07-25-07, 03:52 PM wait so does contingency continue to cast the companion spell repeatedly until the duration ends or is changed with another contingency spell?

cause it just says cast when the conditions are met?
lukelightning
07-25-07, 03:55 PM Once the conditions happen the contingent spell goes off once. So basically it's a one-use thing (but you can re-cast contingency later and store another spell). The spell goes off automatically and doesn't take an action.
Ubasrawr
07-25-07, 04:28 PM so how do players/dm turn this spelling into something godly that saves wizzies out of every situation?

a single dimension door doesn't save the day ... well ok it might if the fighter has nothing that can reach the wizzy afterwards but still...

also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..."
the companion spell being dimension door

and the fighter grapples and hits on the grapple, does he finish his grapple check or does the spell just go off and leaves the fighter standing ther dumb found with an attempted grapple?
Morwen
07-25-07, 04:44 PM so how do players/dm turn this spelling into something godly that saves wizzies out of every situation?

For instance:

"When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Heal spell goes off."

or

"When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Plane Shift spell goes off."

There's plenty of other neat uses, too. One of the best is Revivify, from PHB2 or SC (don't remember which one right now).
Ubasrawr
07-25-07, 04:54 PM For instance:

"When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Heal spell goes off."

or

"When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Plane Shift spell goes off."

There's plenty of other neat uses, too. One of the best is Revivify, from PHB2 or SC (don't remember which one right now).

Ok plane shift i can understand, but heal? heal is divine ... not arcane ... and this is definitely an arcane spell ...

unless you are a cleric with Magic domain .... then it's just plain stupid
Witch
07-25-07, 05:04 PM As said, Craft Contingent Spell is a feat that allows you to do it with any spell.
Morwen
07-25-07, 05:06 PM Right, sorry. The examples are based on the Craft Contingent Spell feat. A cleric with that feat could provide you with a Heal contingency, for instance.

Anyway, for a pure Wizard with the Contingency spell, these two are good options:
Teleport, to get away from a bad situation.
Break Enchantment, to break free from anything covered by that spell.
ServanWolf
07-25-07, 05:23 PM I would use True Ressurection on my contigency spell :)

oke you must be cleric with magic domain or simply buy a scroll with the spell on it...but you trigger that spell with (if im dead), and then you come back to life at full hp during that your enemy is damaged
Morwen
07-25-07, 05:26 PM I would use True Ressurection on my contigency spell :)

6th-level spells are the maximum :)
DaidojiTaidoru
07-25-07, 05:47 PM Contingency (the spell) comes in 2 flavors of broken. Offensive and Defensive. This should be noted because around the time the Wizard gets Contingency long distance movement is simple. This means a party's adventures tend to be more like a modern day spec ops strike team. Port in with buffs up and guns blazing and destroy everyone before the minute per level spells drop off. Of course villians can (and will) return the favor. Thus survival goes often to the most paranoid.

Defensive contingencies (set to counter nasty SoL spells, or ambushes in general) allow the wizard to go home (or create some other safe haven) and prep his spells properly for a fight. This means that not only does the wizard end up with the best spells for the fight, but he gets to set terms as well.

Offensive contingencies are designed for when bursting into someone else's place in order to counter their contingencies or to get another spell off as a free action. Having a dimensional anchor go off when the enemies try to port out is probably the only way to keep your enemies contingencies from going off.

In short its a sub game that usually decides the tides of battle in single person (solo caster vs anything) encounters. And non mages don't get to play.

also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..."
the companion spell being dimension door

and the fighter grapples and hits on the grapple, does he finish his grapple check or does the spell just go off and leaves the fighter standing ther dumb found with an attempted grapple?

Fighter sits there looking at empty space while the wizard decides whether to leave and come back when victory is 100% assured or waste the silly man in the can.
KrisTheGreat
07-25-07, 06:09 PM I am in agreement with Contingency (the spell) comes in 2 flavors of broken. and it only continues into epic with epic contigency which allows for even more powerful strike team like tactics what i have done with my crew has a half caster system meaning that no pc can ever be more than one half of any caster (anything with only 4th lvl spls is not subject to the limit) what this does is extends the campaign allowing for dms and players to have more well rounded characters that are for more fun to play in the epic campaign
bigbythewise
07-25-07, 09:42 PM Try a Chain Contingency spell from the Tome and Blood. It works the same as the Contingency but you can store up to three spells. .)
Ubasrawr
07-26-07, 01:37 PM way to broke...

i mean absolutely broken ....

especially if you can even intercept/break/escape a grapple check in the middle of it's action ...
lukelightning
07-26-07, 02:29 PM so also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..."
the companion spell being dimension door

The problem with dimension door in a contingency is that you have to set all the parameters of the spell when the contingency is set. So you have to so something like "dimension door me 100 feet north if I am hit." You can't set it up in such a way that you decide the target location when the contingency is triggered.
bkdubs123
07-27-07, 02:10 PM So, I was wondering this he other day. Can a player permanency a contingency? Say... can a player cast Greater Blink with contingency with the trigger of "whenever I am targetted with hostile action" and then permanency the effects? Or does that simply make the contingency last forever, but still go away when discharged?
Morwen
07-27-07, 06:26 PM Permanency has an extremely limited list of spells it can be applied to: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm

Contingency isn't one of them :)
Sarlax
07-28-07, 01:05 AM Permanency has an extremely limited list of spells it can be applied to. Contingency isn't one of them :)
However, if you use the PHB instead of the SRD: "The DM may allow other selected spells to be made permanent."

As a DM, I probably wouldn't allow it, as this allows the player to effectively gain extremely good at-will spell-like abilities. IE, permanent Contingent Cure Critical Wounds every time you're struck in battle, permanent Contingent Teleport whenever you say the word "bamf," etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ubasrawr 07-25-07, 03:07 PM	So I see a lot of references to contingency spells ... but i am unaware which spell they refer to. especially for the typical pvp fighter vs wizard battle people always through out these contingency spells to escape a close battle what do you do? quicken spells? cause i am unaware of spells besides quicken spells that allow you to act on another persons turn and not provoke AOOs unless you are casting defensively. might want to let me in on those spells? or method of casting them?
lukelightning 07-25-07, 03:14 PM	Contingency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm). There is also a feat in some book (Complete Arcane?) that lets you craft contingent spells as if you were making a magic item. Some people deem this broken, but I don't have any experience with it.
FLAvatar 07-25-07, 03:15 PM	http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm is a good place to start edit to still add something of (marginal) value: Craft Contingent Spell is indeed from Complete Arcane. I actually think it is less broken than the spell, but YMMV
Ubasrawr 07-25-07, 03:52 PM	wait so does contingency continue to cast the companion spell repeatedly until the duration ends or is changed with another contingency spell? cause it just says cast when the conditions are met?
lukelightning 07-25-07, 03:55 PM	Once the conditions happen the contingent spell goes off once. So basically it's a one-use thing (but you can re-cast contingency later and store another spell). The spell goes off automatically and doesn't take an action.
Ubasrawr 07-25-07, 04:28 PM	so how do players/dm turn this spelling into something godly that saves wizzies out of every situation? a single dimension door doesn't save the day ... well ok it might if the fighter has nothing that can reach the wizzy afterwards but still... also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..." the companion spell being dimension door and the fighter grapples and hits on the grapple, does he finish his grapple check or does the spell just go off and leaves the fighter standing ther dumb found with an attempted grapple?
Morwen 07-25-07, 04:44 PM	so how do players/dm turn this spelling into something godly that saves wizzies out of every situation? For instance: "When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Heal spell goes off." or "When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Plane Shift spell goes off." There's plenty of other neat uses, too. One of the best is Revivify, from PHB2 or SC (don't remember which one right now).
Ubasrawr 07-25-07, 04:54 PM	For instance: "When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Heal spell goes off." or "When I drop below 25% of my maximum hit points, a Plane Shift spell goes off." There's plenty of other neat uses, too. One of the best is Revivify, from PHB2 or SC (don't remember which one right now). Ok plane shift i can understand, but heal? heal is divine ... not arcane ... and this is definitely an arcane spell ... unless you are a cleric with Magic domain .... then it's just plain stupid
Witch 07-25-07, 05:04 PM	As said, Craft Contingent Spell is a feat that allows you to do it with any spell.
Morwen 07-25-07, 05:06 PM	Right, sorry. The examples are based on the Craft Contingent Spell feat. A cleric with that feat could provide you with a Heal contingency, for instance. Anyway, for a pure Wizard with the Contingency spell, these two are good options: Teleport, to get away from a bad situation. Break Enchantment, to break free from anything covered by that spell.
ServanWolf 07-25-07, 05:23 PM	I would use True Ressurection on my contigency spell :) oke you must be cleric with magic domain or simply buy a scroll with the spell on it...but you trigger that spell with (if im dead), and then you come back to life at full hp during that your enemy is damaged
Morwen 07-25-07, 05:26 PM	I would use True Ressurection on my contigency spell :) 6th-level spells are the maximum :)
DaidojiTaidoru 07-25-07, 05:47 PM	Contingency (the spell) comes in 2 flavors of broken. Offensive and Defensive. This should be noted because around the time the Wizard gets Contingency long distance movement is simple. This means a party's adventures tend to be more like a modern day spec ops strike team. Port in with buffs up and guns blazing and destroy everyone before the minute per level spells drop off. Of course villians can (and will) return the favor. Thus survival goes often to the most paranoid. Defensive contingencies (set to counter nasty SoL spells, or ambushes in general) allow the wizard to go home (or create some other safe haven) and prep his spells properly for a fight. This means that not only does the wizard end up with the best spells for the fight, but he gets to set terms as well. Offensive contingencies are designed for when bursting into someone else's place in order to counter their contingencies or to get another spell off as a free action. Having a dimensional anchor go off when the enemies try to port out is probably the only way to keep your enemies contingencies from going off. In short its a sub game that usually decides the tides of battle in single person (solo caster vs anything) encounters. And non mages don't get to play. also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..." the companion spell being dimension door and the fighter grapples and hits on the grapple, does he finish his grapple check or does the spell just go off and leaves the fighter standing ther dumb found with an attempted grapple? Fighter sits there looking at empty space while the wizard decides whether to leave and come back when victory is 100% assured or waste the silly man in the can.
KrisTheGreat 07-25-07, 06:09 PM	I am in agreement with Contingency (the spell) comes in 2 flavors of broken. and it only continues into epic with epic contigency which allows for even more powerful strike team like tactics what i have done with my crew has a half caster system meaning that no pc can ever be more than one half of any caster (anything with only 4th lvl spls is not subject to the limit) what this does is extends the campaign allowing for dms and players to have more well rounded characters that are for more fun to play in the epic campaign
bigbythewise 07-25-07, 09:42 PM	Try a Chain Contingency spell from the Tome and Blood. It works the same as the Contingency but you can store up to three spells. .)
Ubasrawr 07-26-07, 01:37 PM	way to broke... i mean absolutely broken .... especially if you can even intercept/break/escape a grapple check in the middle of it's action ...
lukelightning 07-26-07, 02:29 PM	so also what happens if say ... the condition is "If i am hit ..." the companion spell being dimension door The problem with dimension door in a contingency is that you have to set all the parameters of the spell when the contingency is set. So you have to so something like "dimension door me 100 feet north if I am hit." You can't set it up in such a way that you decide the target location when the contingency is triggered.
bkdubs123 07-27-07, 02:10 PM	So, I was wondering this he other day. Can a player permanency a contingency? Say... can a player cast Greater Blink with contingency with the trigger of "whenever I am targetted with hostile action" and then permanency the effects? Or does that simply make the contingency last forever, but still go away when discharged?
Morwen 07-27-07, 06:26 PM	Permanency has an extremely limited list of spells it can be applied to: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm Contingency isn't one of them :)
Sarlax 07-28-07, 01:05 AM	Permanency has an extremely limited list of spells it can be applied to. Contingency isn't one of them :) However, if you use the PHB instead of the SRD: "The DM may allow other selected spells to be made permanent." As a DM, I probably wouldn't allow it, as this allows the player to effectively gain extremely good at-will spell-like abilities. IE, permanent Contingent Cure Critical Wounds every time you're struck in battle, permanent Contingent Teleport whenever you say the word "bamf," etc.