Counterspell. Has anyone even seen it used in their game!?

arbados

Explorer

• Jun 24, 2002

• #1

I have been DMing the 3rd edition rules pretty much since the beginning. I have an 8th level wizard/3rd level bard as well as an 8th level cleric in the group who have the potential to do this. so far it has never been done! To be honest, as the DM I have never used it as well. In discussion with my players their response is usually something along the lines of "The best defense is a good offense". Nobody wishes to wait around to counter an opponents spell when they have a nice arsenal of their own which they can cast prior to the enemy (they have to ready an action and await their enemy to cast, etc.). The people I play with are all very experienced and we play what I would call a sensible game.

I understand their point and play my npc's by the same philosophy when the battle is in its height. I understand that it might be best suited if there were numerous npc's where as a sorcerer could stand in the rear preparing to counterspell the players spells.

I am just curious as to what experiences other players/DM's have had with this (if any).

 

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Rybaer

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #2

Well, in the year and a half my game has been running, this has only happened once. The wizard, hiding out invisible during an unexpected fight with a couple hill giant druids, spent most of the fight keeping out of the way. The party was trying to keep their spells in reserve for a planned ambush of an arch-enemy. When things started to get a bit hairy, though, and the tougher of the two druids started laying down some nasty spells, he finally held an action to counterspell.

The spell he countered was a "Spike Growth" I believe, which might have allowed the giant to escape. As it was a druid spell, he had to use the Dispell Magic countering approach.

Other than that, neither the party nor any NPC has done any countering. To be fair, though, they haven't faced that many opposing spellcasters either.

 

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Geoff Watson

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #3

It's been used a few times in my campaign. The PCs usually try the 'ready a magic missile to disrupt the casting', but there has been a few times where that wouldn't work (SR or shield, so they tried counterspelling instead.

Geoff.

 

Crothian

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #4

In 5 campaigns it has yet to happen. I once had my bard ready an action for a counterspell. Coincidentally the cleric did something else. I think the DM did that because of my readied action. I never tried that again.

 

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Arundl

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #5

As a player, rather than counter-spelling, I usually prepare an action to cast a damaging spell at the caster when he starts casting. It doesn't automatically cause the spell to fail, but I got to do damage to the caster and cause him to make a hard concentration check (depending on the damage). Even something as simple as a magic missle will on average cause 17 points of damage and a DC 28 concentation check at 10th level. Not bad. Better than waiting to counterspell IMHO.

 

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darkfnord

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #6

It certainly doesn't happen every session, but I have definitely seen it used multiple times in a single game.

Matt

 

T

The Furious Puffin

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #7

Some times.

In a really close combat agaist a spell caster it was used constantly. The party was really worried that the opposition, a wizard, was going to use a damaging area of effect spell.

As everyone was quite beat up by this point, one area of effect spell would kill them. The parties wizard and cleric both covered, while everyone else attempted to kill the wizard as fast as possible.

However, in the general course of things only one dispel is used, a quick targetted one at the start, in an attempt to strip buff spells.

 

Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

• Jun 24, 2002

• #8

I allow Counterspelling to be done reactively, pretty much like an AoO - It can be an instant reaction if you make the spellcraft check to see what is coming down.

Even so, nobody has done it yet!

 

Eternalknight

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #9

Been playing on average once a week since 3rd edition came out and I have yet to see it once. I think Plane Sailing's idea is a good one.

 

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Ziggy

First Post

• Jun 24, 2002

• #10

My 9th level wizard has used it a few times (using Dispel Magic), but not every session. Without the FR feats counterspelling is probably a bit too difficult, but with reactive counterspelling it is very useful.

.Ziggy