Choose a spell of 5th level or lower that you can cast, that has a casting time of 1 action, and that can target you. You cast that spell--called the contingent spell--as part of casting contingency, expending spell slots for both, but the contingent spell doesn't come into effect. Instead, it takes effect when a certain circumstance occurs. You describe that circumstance when you cast the two spells. For example, a contingency cast with water breathing might stipulate that water breathing comes into effect when you are engulfed in water or a similar liquid.
The contingent spell takes effect immediately after the circumstance is met for the first time, whether or not you want it to, and then contingency ends.
The contingent spell takes effect only on you, even if it can normally target others. You can use only one contingency spell at a time.
If you cast this spell again, the effect of another contingency spell on you ends. Also, contingency ends on you if its material component is ever not on your person.
* - (a statuette of yourself carved from ivory and decorated with gems worth at least 1,500 gp)
So question: Do you have to know about the triggering event? Can I cast Contingency to trigger Darkness if anyone scries on me remotely?
This is a great question. It does not specify that you have to be aware of the condition. You don't even have the option of ignoring if the thing will trigger: "The contingent spell takes effect immediately after the circumstance is met for the first time, whether or not you want it to, and then contingency ends."
I think that is just how the magic works. That's a great use of this spell if you have a rival spellcaster!
This is an excellent use of this spell... However, might I suggest Nondetection over Darkness?
This is extremely useful when paired with the spell Otiluke's Resilient Sphere.
My current wizard has this spell cast with the sphere so that any time he would be knocked unconscious the sphere is instead created. It works like the shield spell or absorb elements essentially, just more powerful.
ORS is Concentration.
Can't maintain Concentration when unconscious.
That would be a sweet combo for not dying, although you are still out of the fight.
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And you would have to reset the contingency every ten days?
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And you would have to reset the contingency every ten days?
simple way to use this
get magic initiate feat pick cleric and cure wounds
cast this spell condition if i drop to 0hp cast cure wounds on me
You're not wrong, but you could just have a cleric or other healer in your party heal you and save 1,500GP.
Spells like this are more for NPCs than players. Sure they're useful, but they're not useful enough to warrant the cost unless your gold supply is whatever the DM says it is.
I think you underestimate its use for players, although it's a great tool for villains too especially to help with action economy. The biggest advantage is I can cast the stored spell without having to spend an action doing it and because it's stored and I'm not casting it now, you can't counter it, only use an action to dispel it. And you can be very specific on the conditions. So for example, I'm a squishy wizard going into a fight with an ancient dragon. I store an otiluke's resilient sphere for just before I get hit with a breath weapon, now I negate an average of 91 damage from that breath weapon. That just did more for my hp than a Heal spell would've and it didn't burn a spell slot on the day I'm fighting the dragon, or anyone's action to do. Or I set a polymorph to go off when I hit 25% hp and would otherwise die, and now instead of being nearly useless and requiring efforts from the cleric to heal, I continue the fight with an extra 136hp and fairly good claw and tail weapons. Not to mention a helpful con mod for those concentration saves. I don't think personally I'd use it for a cure wounds even a 5th level one because there are much better options but still well worth the gold! And by the time you can cast this spell I'd hope you've made enough from slaying numerous boss monsters to get to 11th level you'd be able to afford it a few times over.
Yes, assuming the spell doesn't go off sooner. If it goes off on day 5 then you'd need to recast the next day to have it up. But it does also open up your prepared spells some since you only need it prepared some days!
it says it only effects me, if I use it to cast fireball at 5th level centered on me if I die, would that happen or not?
Yes it would. I would be worried about any allies near you, though.
Is there no limitation to the trigger we can choose? Say, if I were to choose "When receiving an attack that should drop me below 0 HP, cast Polymorph and turn me into a dinosaur" would that count as an acceptable use of the spell?
you set a 'trigger' when you cast the spell, and you choose an 'effect' the 'effect' being a spell you can cast, such as casting say, featherfall or fly if you are more than like 300 ft off the ground and not on a mount/already have fly cast or something. then if you were to fall off a 400 foot cliff or something of the sort, the 'effect' (casting featherfall in this case) happens and the spell will cast featherfall targeting you, saving you from falling to your death
RAW, this spell allows you to learn new information that you aren't supposed to know, and bypasses divination protection because it's an Evocation spell.
"I cast Light on myself when the BBEG on another plane of existence leaves their fortress for longer than an hour."
*wizard lights up over the weekend*
"Guys, it's time to raid the Necro Castle..."
"I cast Feather Fall on myself if the guard on the other side of this closed door wakes up."
etc.
There's no limit on it as written. I would rule as a DM that you can't trigger it upon future events that the player doesn't know is going to happen. So you are at 10 hp and someone swings a longsword at you. It could drop you but it might not. On the other hand if you set it to a dragon breathing a breath weapon at you, you could see them getting set up to do that, and even if you didn't know how much damage you were about to take exactly you could trigger on that. But that's just my ruling. It doesn't put limitations in the text so it's open to DM interpretation.
As a player I also like to put multiple triggers on it such as if I drop to 25 hp or I say X password then it triggers that way I can keep full control over it if I ever want to use it early.
Setting two triggers is pushing the effect. RAW says "[Contingency] takes effect when a certain circumstance occurs"; singular. Now, clarifying intent like in the description is one thing, but setting two completely distinct ways to trigger the spell is pushing it beyond RAW and RAI.
Indeed, going purely by RAW this spell lets you do some utterly broken things. An even worse example than those you already gave: Write each letter of the infernal alphabet on separate pieces of parchment. Cast Contingency set to cast Light if I am touching a piece of parchment with the first letter of Asmodeus' true name written on it. Touch each piece of parchment in turn until I light up. Re-cast Contingency as many times as needed, specifying the second, third, and so on letter of the name. When none of the parchments makes me light up, I have the whole name.
Some other spells that allow you to specify your own trigger say that the triggering circumstance must be something perceptible within a certain distance of the target. That would probably be a good house rule to apply here if players start abusing the loophole.
You can't Cast Raise Dead on yourself, so this example *doesn't* actually work.
You have to be able to Cast the Spell at the time of Casting Contingency too.