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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 7003197" data-attributes="member: 53980">It really depends on the campaign. In a previous campaign of mine, including the Flameskull that was a recurring villain, there were maybe half a dozen encounters with enemy spellcasters. Had there been a caster with Counterspell in the party for those encounters, they admittedly would have most likely been significantly easier (the only casters were a druid and a paladin, IIRC). But this was a campaign that went to 19th level and had (I'd guess) somewhere between 100 and 200 encounters. A spell that makes 3 - 6% of the encounters in the campaign significantly easier, but is doing nothing more than taking up a prepared/known spell slot the rest of the time, it fairly tame in my opinion. Additionally, consider that it isn't available to every class; it's only on the sorcerer, warlock and wizard spell lists. It uses up a 3rd level prepared/known spell, and being that 3rd level spells are pretty good even at higher levels, another good spell is unavailable to you. It uses up a 3rd level or higher spell slot, which are pretty limited. If you're counterspelling every round, you're going to burn yourself out of resources fast. Finally, it uses your reaction. If you've already used your reaction, then you can't use it. If you're saving your reaction (to cast Shield against an attack you think is coming) then you can't use it. Overall, it has a significant opportunity cost for something you will only be using in the occasional encounter.Admittedly, if you're playing in a campaign where spellcasters are common (such as set within a school for wizards) then you might consider restricting counterspell on the basis of being "too good". On the other hand, in a campaign where the DM favors melee brutes counterspell is junk and web is king. It will vary from campaign to campaign, but for the average game where the DM varies the encounters I would say (IME) that counterspell is fine.</blockquote>

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