Contingency: A Spell for Every Occasion

Usable By: Wizard

Spell Level: 6

School: Evocation

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Self

Duration: 10 days

Components: V, S, M (a statuette of yourself carved from ivory and decorated with gems worth at least 1,500 gp)

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.

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

Spells that are really features annoy me; if they’re intended to be features the class just gets, say that, Wizards of the Coast. Contingency is one such spell: if you’ve got a 6th level slot at the end of a day before a long rest, this gives you a “free” lower level spell for the next ten days with any condition you’d like. Every wizard with room in their spell book and prepared list should have Contingency on it, simply because it expands your in-game resources like a class feature would do. You just whatever you want to cast later to only target you, and have shelled out 1.5k gold for the statuette of yourself carved from ivory and decorated with gems.

You have a well of powerful options when working with Contingency. Making a Contingency for Fire Shield when you roll initiative is a pretty tame and regular use case you could have. Greater Invisibility, Haste, Protection from Energy, Protection from Evil and Good, Stoneskin, and Invisibility all stand out as spells you’d be happy to get a free cast of every couple long rests. You can even set the Contingency to simply be a command like saying a series of words you’d never say together normally, or clicking your heels together three times in quick succession. Contingency doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.

There are some potential hiccups with Contingency, specifically regarding the problem of unknown information. Nowhere does Contingency state you need to perceive something occur, or understand it occurs to fire. Conceivably, this can result in Contingency acting divining tool informing you when specific events over any distance occur. Need to know when a city is officially under siege? Contingency can tell you that. Trying to detect whether or not the big bad is Scrying on you? Make a Contingency to fire off a spell when somebody attempts to divine you or a companion’s location! Better yet, figure out exactly when a lich revives, or if they reenter their lair, all with a spell that requires omniscience to function. If you want to use it like this, it does make it more of an information gathering tool than a class resource, but it definitely feels unintended, and I’d talk to your DM about these kinds of uses when considering how you want to use Contingency.

Want more teleportation? Dimension Door works. Want to transform into a big scary monster when you get really injured? Polymorph works too! Any of these can become “free” when you get a day off, all of these are just extra options on top of your regular spell slots available to you, simply by preparing Contingency. There are few reasons not to have this in your spell book. Take it.

5e Spells

Contingency: A Spell for Every Occasion