True. This can by bypassed one contact at a time by editing the contact's text tone. The text tone edit screen has an "Emergency Contact" switch that overrides DND for that contact. AFAIK there's no way to turn on app notifications.
This setup definitely isn't ideal. Just want to share the approach for people who find the tradeoffs acceptable.
FWIW, I tried your exact configuration (but added "Repeat Calls: No") and it's been really useful. I think it's actually worth the trade-off for me. Thanks for sharing! :)
This setup definitely isn't ideal. Just want to share the approach for people who find the tradeoffs acceptable.