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Well, that just about sums it up. What are your favorite uses for the spell Contingency? A couple that come to mind immediately are Greater Invisibility when dropped below 50% hp or made helpless, Dimension Door when grappled, Magic Circle Against Evil on a failed save against a compulsion, magic jar when unconscious, or Remove Paralysis when paralyzed or staggered.
I know you guys have to have better ideas than those. I need some great ideas to pitch to the party for why I need a 1500 gp ivory statue of myself.

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I really like the create undead idea, but this is Carrion Crown and my wizard follows pharasma, so... it might make things a little tense between himself and the church if he shows up to tithe one day as a wight.
Given the choice between these two:
Improved Invisibility on <X% health
or
Magic Circle against Evil on mind control
Which do you think is better?
Still looking for more great ideas, though.

Arcane Toolbox |

Some random ones that i think would be cool would be:
-Polymorph (hydra when grappled)
- (elemental when hit with a particular type of damage)
- when dropped in water (gain a swim speed and allow your self to breath and cast unencumbered underwater)
- ext.
-Dispel/ greater, dispel (when hit with an debuff of a particular school)
-phantom steed (when you say "mount up")
-A Heightened light or daylight spell (when in magical darkness)
As mentioned before quick buffs, evading melee combat, and fall back for dieing are wonderful ways to use this spell.

Corlindale |
Remember that it has to target yourself, so some of the suggestions offered won't work by the rules (summon monster, wall of force, phantom steed).
Remember that simply speaking a specific word can be the trigger, so you could simply use it as a way to get your favourite buff up as a free action when in a tough combat.
Greater Invisibility is a good choice, probably going to come up more often than Magic Circle. Dimension Door might be even better for surviving, though, if they know what square you're in they still have a decent chance of hitting you with the rest of that full-attack that triggered the contingency spell.

Remco Sommeling |

Personally as a GM I would not allow a predescribed condition to be something that uses out off game terminology like 20 or 50% health or failing a saving throw, but other GMs might handle things differently.
I assume it has to be a 4th lvl or lower spell, I don't know what level your caster is, which might affect which spells you can pick.
True Strike
gaseous form
Greater False life, stoneskin, dimension door, mnemonic enhancer, fireshield.
Wreath of Blades, break enchantment.
Mislead
restoration
Breath of life, cleanse
heal

Ravingdork |
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I've used the following before:
You have cast the contingency spell upon yourself. Should you ever die, you immediately come under the effect of a breath of life spell.
OR
You have cast the contingency spell upon yourself. Should you ever be made helpless against your will (such as when knocked unconscious, paralyzed, petrified, securely bound, or forcefully put to sleep), you are immediately subjected to magic jar, allowing you to possess nearby entities and continue the fight.
OR
If ever targeted or caught in the area of a spell or effect that deals energy damage, you become subject to a protection from energy spell against the incoming energy type. This effect comes into effect fast enough to prevent some or all of the incoming damage. Effects that cause energy damage, but don’t specifically target you (such as deliberately walking into a fire), do not activate this contingency.
Author's Note: Many people have argued that one must pick the energy type when setting up the contingency.
OR
You have cast the contingency spell upon yourself. Should you ever be made helpless against your will (such as when knocked unconscious, paralyzed, petrified, 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.

Remco Sommeling |

Corlindale wrote:And yet, speaking a command word for an item is a standard action.
Remember that simply speaking a specific word can be the trigger, so you could simply use it as a way to get your favourite buff up as a free action when in a tough combat.
Which might involve actually focusing on the item, speaking a strings of command words in 6 seconds apparently won't work.

Chengar Qordath |

Remember that it has to target yourself, so some of the suggestions offered won't work by the rules (summon monster, wall of force, phantom steed).
Yeah, I goofed there. Replace Wall of Force with Resilient Sphere, which is just about as useful for protecting against incoming bad news.

Kachû |
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My necromancer has two opposition schools. When casting contingency I try to involve those schools (enchantment, illusion); since I usually don't have those spells at hand (those are double slots spells). It's nice to have a mirror image contingent on a transformation. Since transformation costs 300gp to cast (potion of bull strength required), I don't cast it often. But when I do it does the job.

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My necromancer has two opposition schools. When casting contingency I try to involve those schools (enchantment, illusion); since I usually don't have those spells at hand (those are double slots spells). It's nice to have a mirror image contingent on a transformation. Since transformation costs 300gp to cast (potion of bull strength required), I don't cast it often. But when I do it does the job.
You sir truly are a necromancer.
1 Lifetime Post and just to necromancy a almost 4 year old thread.

Kachû |
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Kachû wrote:My necromancer has two opposition schools. When casting contingency I try to involve those schools (enchantment, illusion); since I usually don't have those spells at hand (those are double slots spells). It's nice to have a mirror image contingent on a transformation. Since transformation costs 300gp to cast (potion of bull strength required), I don't cast it often. But when I do it does the job.You sir truly are a necromancer.
1 Lifetime Post and just to necromancy a almost 4 year old thread.
Time... so subtle. Still some questions always remain valid. Those are called evergreen topics. Anyway, that's how my friend the druid calls them.

I3igAl |

I prefer the spell on NPCs.
Having 1-2 contingencies ready even with simple spells like Stoneskin, Invisibility will make the final villain last a lot longer and allow him to concentrate on offensive spells from the beginning.
Globe of invulnerability is quite nice here, since the final boss is likely going to be a few lvls ahead of the players, whixch makes this spell rather hard to bypass.
On monsters like dragons you can combine it with an Antimagic Field and just pounce on the party, which will have problemes defending without any spells. Combine with Stand Still and Combat Reflexes to make escaping extra hard.
One could also use it on his Familiar via Shared spells or on the Animal Companion from the Sylvan bloodline and perform some tricks this way.

Zinoth of Chaos |

The Deathless spell is an underappreciated spell, and incredibly useful choice for this. At this level its easy to craft a Flawed Pale Orange Rhomboid Ioun Stone or two and set the Deathless spell to trigger upon returning to your body. This lets your party have a bit more time to heal you if they are in combat. If you get the Extra Contingency feat as well, you can set that to hit for Greater False Life so you get consciousness as well to heal yourself or finish dealing with the encounter.

Childeric, The Shatterer |
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Halfling sorcerer 12/barbarian 1. Contingency set to trigger Enlarge Person when she "wolfs-out" into hybrid form. Causing her to transform from a 3' halfling into a 9' raging werewolf, that's now charging at the enemy.
Not the most "optimized" use, but the look on the DM's (and imagined look on the NPC's) face was priceless.

Ryze Kuja |

Set up Magic Jar and hide your body somewhere really good. Set up a Contingency to teleport your Host Body back to your body if your Host Body is reduced below 0 hp from any means.
Or set up a Contingency to teleport your body to your Host Body, so you can wake up and continue fighting.
Dealer's choice :)

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I'm a little late, but this thread was Necro'd after four years of inactivity once. Time for me to do it again! RAISE THREAD!
I just happened to be researching what to Contingency with my high level Arcanist and this thread was very useful! I don't really like the Teleport option as that takes me completely out of the encounter. I do like the Resilient Sphere suggestion, though. It might trap me for a moment, but at least I'm still in the encounter.