Percivellian
First Post
In order to perhaps increase how often counterspelling shows up in our game, a fellow player and I did some brainstorming about how it could be changed to be a little easier to use. Some of the following information is already RAW, with some little clarifications thrown in. We're planning on presenting these rules to our soon-to-be-DM, but I figured I'd run them past the ENworld minds first, in case they need some ironing out.
A counterspell of equal (or higher) level and same school automatically counters successfully.
Spellcraft check 10+spell level to determine school of magic.
Spellcraft check 15+spell level to determine spell.
If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks when dealing with a spell or effect from your specialty school. You take a –5 penalty when dealing with a spell or effect from a prohibited school (and some tasks, such as learning a prohibited spell, are just impossible [nothing new here]).
You must be able to clearly see and/or hear the casting in order to make a Spellcraft check. If a spell has both somatic and verbal components, and either your sight OR hearing are impaired, the Spellcraft check is made with a -5. This applies to Silenced spells (-5), Stilled spells (-5), and Silenced AND Stilled spells (can't make check). If, say, clear sight is missing, but hearing is not impaired, and the spell only has a verbal component, then no penalties apply.
You cannot counter spells with a casting time of a free action.
Meta-magic spells would also require a higher than normal level spell to counter them. For example, a Maximized Fireball would require a 6th-level evocation spell to counter, as opposed to a 3rd-level evocation spell.
Dispel magic as a counterspell would still work normally.
Are there any glaring issues/possible problems that arise out of this? As always, thank you for your input.
~Percy
A counterspell of equal (or higher) level and same school automatically counters successfully.
Spellcraft check 10+spell level to determine school of magic.
Spellcraft check 15+spell level to determine spell.
If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks when dealing with a spell or effect from your specialty school. You take a –5 penalty when dealing with a spell or effect from a prohibited school (and some tasks, such as learning a prohibited spell, are just impossible [nothing new here]).
You must be able to clearly see and/or hear the casting in order to make a Spellcraft check. If a spell has both somatic and verbal components, and either your sight OR hearing are impaired, the Spellcraft check is made with a -5. This applies to Silenced spells (-5), Stilled spells (-5), and Silenced AND Stilled spells (can't make check). If, say, clear sight is missing, but hearing is not impaired, and the spell only has a verbal component, then no penalties apply.
You cannot counter spells with a casting time of a free action.
Meta-magic spells would also require a higher than normal level spell to counter them. For example, a Maximized Fireball would require a 6th-level evocation spell to counter, as opposed to a 3rd-level evocation spell.
Dispel magic as a counterspell would still work normally.
Are there any glaring issues/possible problems that arise out of this? As always, thank you for your input.
~Percy
