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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gez" data-source="post: 2211496" data-attributes="member: 1328">I thought about something along those lines for counterspell house rules, but haven't implemented anything yet:Counterspelling (aka spell duel) is an action that takes several rounds. You can initiate one as a swift action, but maintaining it is a standard action. When a spellcaster casts a spell, you can use a swift action to spend one spell slot of equal or higher level than the spell slot he used to cast his spell in order to initiate the counterspelling. If you are a spontaneous spellcaster, you must know of a spell of the same school as the countered spell, of a level no higher than the spell slot you used for counterspelling. If you prepare spells, the spell you spend must be of the same school. In both cases, if you have improved counterspell, this limitation doesn't apply. (The dispel magic line of spells also ignore this limitation -- a sorcerer knowing dispel magic can counterspell any 3rd-level or lower spell from any school.) You and the opponent caster then both make opposed Spellcraft checks, adding the spell slot's level as a bonus. (This does give an advantage to wizards, who are better at counterspelling than most.  Especially abjurers who have a +1 class bonus to this roll. Sorcerers also have an asset in that they're more likely to be able to counter than preparing spellcasters.) If one spellcaster wins the opposed roll by 10 or more, then he can choose to dissipate the spell energy harmlessly, or to unleash it where he wants (in that way, it is possible to hijack another spellcaster's spell and turn it against him). With the Consume Spell feat, it is possible to instead absorb it to replenish a lower-level slot, which is nifty as well. If neither beat the opponent by a wide enough margin, then the counterspelling is maintained to the next round. Both of the spellduelists' initiative counts are synchronised by the spellduel, so they act on the same round (use the lowest of both initiatives). Maintaining a spellduel is a standard action for each duellist. If you are unable or unwilling to perform that action, your opponent automatically wins the duel. Both duelists must continue making opposed Spellcraft checks. Both can use a swift action to expend one of their prepared spells or spell slots in order to get a bonus equal to the spell slot's level to the check, however this is not necessary once the duel is engaged. Once again, a tie (difference smaller than 10 between both results) result in the spellduel maintained to the next round. If you are distracted while maintaining a counterspell, you must succeed at a Concentration check (DC depending on distraction), just like casting a spell. Furthermore, any move action you do on that round is a distracting task with a minimum DC of 5 (use the normal DC if it is higher for this task, like riding a mount). If you fail the Concentration check, then your opponent automatically succeeds at the next spellduel check. (It's better to make your move action after maintaining the spellduel, that way your eventual failure won't be after the next round.) Range: Spellduel, aka counterspell, can only be engaged or maintained if you are no more than 5 feet per Spellcraft rank from the opposed spellcaster. If one spellcaster is out of range but not the other (thanks to a difference in skill ranks between both), the one out of range loses the spellduel. If both becomes out of range between two Spellcraft checks (for example, one of the mages moved away or was teleported away), then the original spellcaster wins the spellduel.</blockquote>

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