D&D 5E (2024) An Optional Counterspell Metagame

[the Jester]

I was thinking this

Countercantrip​

Abjuration cantrip (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

Casting Time: Reaction, which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet of yourself casting a spell with Verbal, Somatic, or Material components
Range: 60 feet
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous

You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a cantrip. The creature makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the dissipates with no effect, and the action, Bonus Action, or Reaction used to cast it is wasted.

A cantrip that counters only cantrips. You'd still need to choose it as one of your cantrips.

An at-will counter to spellcasters' go-to resource with no expenditure of resources? No thanks. Cantrips are too important to simply get stomped on with no cost to the stomper (and the opportunity cost of choosing a cantrip counterspell does not matter a dingo's kidneys when you're an npc built to mess with pcs).

 

[Minigiant]

That is part of the 'problem', but the issue of adding stuff is not that you add one option, you add one thing that can interact with countless other things, the more you add, the worse it gets. This was my biggest issue with 3e where we as a group decided to allow everything officially released.

An example of the counter cantrip: You can suddenly counter all the Warlocks attacks with just one infinitely usable cantrip. Now imagine a first level caster countering a Feather Fall. I would say it would unhinge the entire spellcasting system in D&D and with it everything else as well.

Yes.

There is a thin line between making something good enough that you'll be worth the spell slot bad enough, that it doesn't completely hose the target.

Like if I make a counterspell for a Goblin Hexer that switches a spells target or fizzles it, I have to do something like let the PC concentrate on the spell to wrestle back control.

 

[Rainbow Scissors]

I would go the opposite way. Get rid of Counterspell as a spell.

Instead, allow appropriate spells (either the same spell or something else that the DM feels would work) to be used to counter other spells. For example, you could attempt to counterspell Fireball with either your own knowledge of Fireball or Control Flame.

Of course, this would require being able to recognize the spell being cast so that you could choose an appropriate spell. For that, you could treat it like a passive perception check that is based upon Arcana. Then there would be some sort of opposed roll.

"Counterspell" then becomes a feat (Improved Counterspell) instead of a spell:
"Improved Counterspell - add +1 to your choice of INT, WIS, or CHA; if you did not already have proficiency Arcana, you gain proficiency and may choose to base your passive Arcana on your choice of INT, WIS, or CHA; you have advantage on opposed caster checks for the purposes of counterspell."

 

[Savage Wombat]

I would go the opposite way. Get rid of Counterspell as a spell.

Instead, allow appropriate spells (either the same spell or something else that the DM feels would work) to be used to counter other spells. For example, you could attempt to counterspell Fireball with either your own knowledge of Fireball or Control Flame.

Of course, this would require being able to recognize the spell being cast so that you could choose an appropriate spell. For that, you could treat it like a passive perception check that is based upon Arcana. Then there would be some sort of opposed roll.

"Counterspell" then becomes a feat (Improved Counterspell) instead of a spell:
"Improved Counterspell - add +1 to your choice of INT, WIS, or CHA; if you did not already have proficiency Arcana, you gain proficiency and may choose to base your passive Arcana on your choice of INT, WIS, or CHA; you have advantage on opposed caster checks for the purposes of counterspell."

I was just thinking about this. You could also allow a character to counter a spell with a thematically-appropriate anti-spell - like blocking firebolt with ray of frost.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't think anyone gets to have an opinion on Counterspell Sub-Games unless they have played an entire tournament season of Magic: The Gathering where the Top Deck was a Deck that was full of kill- and counterspells that won the mirror match by reshuffling the entire graveyard into the deck again and making your opponent run out of cards quicker than you or pushing through a single creature token threat by counterspelling their counterspell which they also counterspelled most of the time.

Don’t threaten me with a good time! I miss interactive metagames…

 

[fuindordm]

I voted for exotic counterspells. As a rare spell for players to learn or an occasional monster ability, it could be fun.

It's the same problem as psionic combat and hackers in cyberpunk -- when you create a subgame that only one player at the table can participate in, it's boring for everyone else.
Also, the spirit of Vancian casting in D&D used to be that if a caster completes their spell, you're cooked. So an important combat objective was always to interfere with spellcasters.

Would you want a subsystem that lets the fighter "stop time" for everyone else so that they can enter a dueling minigame with an enemy fighter? Probably not in D&D, but maybe in a game like 7th Sea inspired by the 3 Musketeers that de-emphasizes squad combat.

Cheers!