Can Warlock Invocations be Counterspelled?

[Matdeception]

Greetings and Salutations, all.

New member here with a curious question to ask concerning Counterspell and a Warlocks Invocations.

Earlier today I was attending a wedding of one of my long time gamer friends, when my current Sunday Game GM comes up to me and strikes up a conversation. It eventually turns down to my belief that Warlocks are overpowered, in a sense, and his inevitable counter.

He explained a 6th level Wizard could destroy a warlock through the use of Counterspell, he'd just need to pick up a few feats. I believe he mentioned the feats as being 'Improved Initiative' and 'Improved Counterspell', but I could be wrong.

So I'm curious, is it possible to actually counter a Warlock's Invocations?

Page 170 of the players handbook, 3.5, states you need to use a spell exactly like the one being cast in ordered to counter (With some exceptions, such as Haste versus Slow).

Page 180 of the same book, under special Abilites, literally states Spell-Like Abilities can not be used to counterspell, nor be counterspelled.

Of course, we run into a bit of differing information here.

Warlocks Invocations, as described in the Complete Arcane book page 7, are spell like abilities. The difference between the Players Handbook's definition of Spell like Abilities, and the Complete Arcanist's expalantion of Warlock Invocations is the fact Warlock Invocations are subject to Arcane Spell failure, and are Somantic, (I believe verbal as well, but I can't find the page it explains that on.) where as normal Spell-like Abilities are not.

I'm asking this because I lack the books that have information on the feats he listed, or to be percise, on any feats dealing with 'Counterspelling' and have no means of finding out as it stands.

Another question I have concerns Druids. Is there a Third level spell (Supposedly found in the Complete Druid book, or so I was told) that allows the Druid to become 'Immune' to a type of energy attack for ten minutes after it's been hit with it? Such as Acid, it gets hit and is then immune to it for Ten minutes, ditto with fire, cold, ect. ect.?

Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

 

[boolean]

I'm asking this because I lack the books that have information on the feats he listed, or to be percise, on any feats dealing with 'Counterspelling' and have no means of finding out as it stands.

Both Improved Initiative and Improved Counterspell are in the PHB and SRD.

You are correct. Spell-like abilities cannot be counterspelled. Invocations are SLAs (with a couple of extra limitations, like the addition of a somatic component). Therefore, invocations cannot be counterspelled.

In a wizard vs. warlock situation, the wizard could use a readied action to disrupt the warlock's invocation, forcing the warlock to make a concentration check or lose their action.

 

[Matdeception]

Both Improved Initiative and Improved Counterspell are in the PHB and SRD.

Well hell, you're right. Damn, I should have checked to make sure if they were in there or not. My GM has said they were in some other book, so I didn't bother to check. Bah.

You are correct. Spell-like abilities cannot be counterspelled. Invocations are SLAs (with a couple of extra limitations, like the addition of a somatic component). Therefore, invocations cannot be counterspelled.

In a wizard vs. warlock situation, the wizard could use a readied action to disrupt the warlock's invocation, forcing the warlock to make a concentration check or lose their action.

Now that makes sense. From my view point, the only real danger any medium level Warlock and beyond has to worry about in terms of spell interruption is when they become grappled, since you can't cast Invocations since they require Somantic gestures, and you can't do that while face to face with a grappling bastard.

Maybe Hideous Blow, but I doubt it highly.

Anyway, thanks again.

 

[Rvdvelden]

On the other hand, even if a wizard could counterspell a warlock's invocations, the wizard would eventually run out of counterspells, the warlock wouldn't run out on invocations.

 

[Darklone]

Warlocks are pretty dead when grappled.

That reminds me of that poll these days.... with the nice option that counterspelling needs a rework.

 

[Kurotowa]

Now that makes sense. From my view point, the only real danger any medium level Warlock and beyond has to worry about in terms of spell interruption is when they become grappled, since you can't cast Invocations since they require Somantic gestures, and you can't do that while face to face with a grappling bastard.

That's why Sudden Still and Flee the Scene are a popular combination in some circles. Though to be honest, I did that with my Warlock PC and only used it a single time all campaign. True, it got me out of a vampire's grip, but it's still a low return on a feat. Most of the time a smart Warlock will be keeping well out of range for any grapple.

 

[Particle_Man]

Sudden Still is a very good feat for a Warlock to have. When you need it, you *really* need it.

If you have a nice DM, you can ask for a houseruled "Still Spell-Like Ability" for 3x/day goodness (The feat doesn't exist, but that is, I think, because most Spell-Like Abilities are "Stilled" by default, so would be superfluous).

 

[Kurotowa]

If you have a nice DM, you can ask for a houseruled "Still Spell-Like Ability" for 3x/day goodness (The feat doesn't exist, but that is, I think, because most Spell-Like Abilities are "Stilled" by default, so would be superfluous).

That'd be less useful, because you'd have to lock it into a single invocation when you took the feat. The main upside to Sudden Still is that you can apply it and as needed. If you need to Baleful Utterance some manacles off, plan to Flee the Scene out of the vampire's grip, or just want to throw out an invocation without making any visible sign of it, Sudden Still is there for you. I'd rate it as a handy feat for a Warlock, but not so essential it's must-take.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

don't warlocks have in invocation (invisibly) that when dispelled, does damage?

 

[stonegod]

don't warlocks have in invocation (invisibly) that when dispelled, does damage?

Dispelling != counterspelling.

Invocations can be dispelled (though they'd just come back one action later).
They cannot be counterspelled.