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Depending on the situations you anticipate coming across, it would vary. I would highly suggest going for survival contingencies.
If you want a contingency to buff your defenses and survival when attacked or severely wounded, i'd go with contingencies like;
Invisibility (greater)
Mirror Image
Displacement
Blink
Stoneskin
If you want more of a "get out of dodge" when you're about to die contingency, go with;
Fly
Gaseous Form
Beast Shape
Elemental Body
And in the direst of circumstances, you can have a contingency fire off a Teleport to a safe location if you ever fall unconcious.
If you are anticipating going against spells, contingencies such as Globe of Invulnerability (lesser) and Break Enchantment on yourself could prevent you from being the target of fireballs or charms and the like.
Once you hit level 18 (i know, a fair bit away right now) Mislead is an AWESOME contingency that can be set and used in hundreds of different situations.
Break Enchantment and Remove Curse are probably the best 2 I can recommend, aside than that the more effective spells have been mentioned above.
However, other interesting spells could include:
False Life
Water Breathing
Fire Shield
Rage
Protection From Energy
Notice: I'm posting this after being sick for a few days and getting 0 hours of sleep so the following might not be possible/sane.
If you really want to confuse people, you can try some of the following spells:
Contagion: "You want to bite me? Fine! Have a taste of plague! Uh... Guys, I don't feel so good..."
Blind/Deafness: "Hey guys, isn't that a medus-AHHHH!!! I'm Blind!"
Suggestion: (there are just too many fun things here to list just on)
Animate Dead: free pack muel for the party after your gone. results may vary, assuming you can even do this.
Hideous Laughter: For those times when the king tells a joke and it's either you rolling on the floor or your head.
Bleed: for the true emo caster
This is what my character sheet says about contingency currently...
Contingency You have cast the contingency spell upon yourself. Should you ever be made helpless against your will (such as when knocked unconscious, paralyzed, securely bound, or forcefully put to sleep), you are immediately teleported (as per the teleport spell) to the nearest known temple dedicated to your deity. Your person carries upon it a note with detailed instructions for the temple’s priests should you not be in a position to direct them to your aid personally.
...Does that look alright? Or can you come up with something better? I find that the wording isn't overly complex and covers a host of various possibilities while also keeping it from accidentally going off with such simple things like going to sleep at night.
How I'd rule on it were I the DM:
1) Temples may have protections established against people randomly teleporting in unannounced. Just because its a temple to your deity doesn't mean they appreciate people just "popping in"
2) I'd say you have to make all relevant choices and decisions regarding teleport at the time you embed it in the contingency. Meaning, if you go unconscious, the contingency spell doesn't know what is the closest temple, only you do, and you're not conscious to make that decision.
You'd have to 1) specify the temple ahead of time and 2) get clearance from the clerics there to let you tp into a saferoom in the temple.
Should you ever be made helpless against your willThis might exceed the contingency spell trigger abilities in certain situations.
For example, if commanded (via spell) to 'halt' I wouldn't see it being able to tell the difference. Likewise other mental compulsions that you would otherwise wish to trigger it.
I'd check with your DM on what he considers 'observable' via the spell.
If the DM is a bit persnickety then perhaps start that up with magic mouth triggers first so as to keep the situation more neutral.
-James
LOL! I can just see it now:
*magic mouth activates upon bad situation*
"Today is the day you ALMOST caught Archmage Angol Cere--ZAP!"
*magic mouth triggers contingency teleport*
LOL.
In any event, the terms of the contingency can be specific or they can be general, they just can't be overly complex. Having it teleport you to a safe place of your choosing upon being made helpless against your will is hardly complex. Furthermore, it's magic. It can magically tell the difference within the bounds of your stated conditions. So long as the stated triggering condition is clear, there shouldn't be a problem.
Try the following: Trigger companion spell when I touch whomever killed 'Mr Body'.Have we now solved 'Clue'?
There are some limits to what the spell 'knows', and these you might wish to hash out with your DM.
-James
I'd rule it as if I was personally standing there witnessing the situation. Would it be clear to me that the conditions expressed have been met, to trigger the contingency?
Such as "Trigger when i touch the murderer!", since I don't know who the murderer is (as a third party observer or the spellcaster himself) then nothing would trigger. Now if someone suddenly admitted to the murders, and they seemed credible, then the spell would now trigger upon touch, even if it perhaps did not trigger beforehand.
As far as someone using a command - Halt! spell, by observing this clearly doesn't mean the spellcaster is helpless, only that his actions were temporarily interrupted. Should the spellcaster magically freeze in place motionless for more than a few rounds, then the contingency would probably kick in at that point.
As far as someone using a command - Halt! spell, by observing this clearly doesn't mean the spellcaster is helpless, only that his actions were temporarily interrupted. Should the spellcaster magically freeze in place motionless for more than a few rounds, then the contingency would probably kick in at that point.
It most certainly wouldn't take "a few rounds," but would rather trigger instantaneously as a reaction to the trigger (but not as a reaction action).
Ahh, but 'Command - Halt!' doesn't leave you helpless. It magically compels you to stop whatever action you are taking and stand still for one round. You are not bound, mezzed, unconscious, or in any other way helpless or incapacitated. It's just a magical "RED LIGHT! GREEN LIGHT!" spell, so to speak.
I wouldn't rule that as a triggering how you have defined the contingency trigger.
Ahh, but 'Command - Halt!' doesn't leave you helpless. It magically compels you to stop whatever action you are taking and stand still for one round. You are not bound, mezzed, unconscious, or in any other way helpless or incapacitated. It's just a magical "RED LIGHT! GREEN LIGHT!" spell, so to speak.
I wouldn't rule that as a triggering how you have defined the contingency trigger.
Oh. I misread your post. I thought you meant command as in the verbal instruction, not as in the spell.
As such, I also assumed "magically freeze in place" meant something else, such as coming under the effect of a hold person spell.
I have used 4 contingencies so far:
1. When I shout 'poof', cast greater invisibility. Often at start of combat. Saves the need to buff up the first round.
2. When I get below 40hp, cast Resilient Sphere around myself. Very handy when you are the subject of a full attack. You bubble after the 2nd hit or so and there you can stay for a round or 2 buffing/healing and re-entering combat. It's kinda like a paladin from World of Warcraft: when things go the wrong way, bubble up ;-)
3. Cast Dimension Door when I receive the Grappled condition. Monster grabs you, *poof* you're 60ft away.
4. Cast mirror-image whenever I need to roll initiative.
The 2nd one has saved my life 2 times now.
Very cheesy,
SUPER cheesy. :P
Haven't yet played an arcane caster regularly in PF. I think my favorite contingencies would be the following, though:
Dimension door activated by me speaking a certain word (10+CMB+spell concentration checks to cast in a grapple are, in practice, near impossible to make) if lacking regular access to a freedom of movement.
Contingent mirror image on taking 15-20 (level dependent) or more damage from a melee or ranged attack, otherwise.
