D&D (2024) Is Counterspell less frustrating now?

[Clint_L]

So, are you saying you don't like anything that paralyzes, stuns, silences, sleeps, or otherwise incapacitates or puts a stop to someone's plans?

So much this - there are such worse fates than counterspell. When counterspelled, even if it succeeds, you can still move and take a bonus action. Your opponent has no reaction left, which is significant for a BBEG, and has burned at least a third level spell slot, often higher. All that happened is your spell got blocked.

What about when a fighter waits fifteen minutes for their turn only to have their attacks stopped by a shield spell? Or the many, many other ways plans get foiled? Those are all part of the challenge, and the challenge is what makes it fun. As DM, I think it is great when the players manage a clutch counterspell, and I sell it hard.

 

[Azzy]

So much this - there are such worse fates than counterspell. When counterspelled, even if it succeeds, you can still move and take a bonus action. Your opponent has no reaction left, which is significant for a BBEG, and has burned at least a third level spell slot, often higher. All that happened is your spell got blocked.

What about when a fighter waits fifteen minutes for their turn only to have their attacks stopped by a shield spell? Or the many, many other ways plans get foiled? Those are all part of the challenge, and the challenge is what makes it fun. As DM, I think it is great when the players manage a clutch counterspell, and I sell it hard.

Or anyone with the confusion spell cast on them.

 

[Vaalingrade]

If they're going to keep the save, it needs to be Legendary Resistance proof, or you're never going to get to counter anything that actually matters to counter. The three DM Auto-Cheats just mean they get off whatever they want.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

If they're going to keep the save, it needs to be Legendary Resistance proof, or you're never going to get to counter anything that actually matters to counter. The three DM Auto-Cheats just mean they get off whatever they want.

Or the heroes have to tease out those legendary saves with their alpha strikes. If they are kitty-footing the beginning of the fight, hoarding their saveable debuffs for later, there is no reason for the villain to use up those legendary saves.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Or we could just not have Legendary saves and instead do the work to design boss monsters that don't require literally wasting time and resources.

That would be nice.

Either way, none of that actually matters when the baddie opens up with a spell that hoses everyone because they're fresh full of unfairness on the first round.

 

[Mistwell]

nevermind

 

[Mistwell]

If they're going to keep the save, it needs to be Legendary Resistance proof, or you're never going to get to counter anything that actually matters to counter. The three DM Auto-Cheats just mean they get off whatever they want.

I think that's rather the point. The intent is to allow legendary resistance to bypass it. It's not an auto-cheat, that's what legendary resistance is supposed to do!

 

[Vaalingrade]

I think that's rather the point. The intent is to allow legendary resistance to bypass it. It's not an auto-cheat, that's what legendary resistance is supposed to do!

And it shouldn't, is my point. Just no-selling three things for no reason other than the designers don't want to design a boss monster.

 

[Mistwell]

And it shouldn't, is my point. Just no-selling three things for no reason other than the designers don't want to design a boss monster.

Why shouldn't it? It's one of the more popular additions with 5e, it's what makes solos work, I don't see a lot of complaints like yours, do you? That IS part of the design of the boss monster along with lair actions.

 

[Maxperson]

I think it's self-evident. You're just saying "NUH UH" to spells. That's not interesting or engaging. The smarter your players are, the more specifically they'll target it to powerful or interesting spells (and vice-versa with DMs who are targeting PCs). It doesn't add depth or anything it just results in rounds where nothing happens for a caster. And the only people who can do it are other casters.

Yep. And it gets silly when PC counters NPC, NPC counters the counter, 2nd PC counters the counter countering the counter. Three times like that is not rare and I've seen as many as 5 counterspells countering each other.

I just got rid of the spell from my game after the last campaign. It will never see the light of day again in a game that I run.