Easier Counterspelling

[Aaron2]

I like counterspelling; two wizards locked in a battle of wills. Just like in Big Trouble in Little China! However, in D&D counterspelling is not very usefull. First you need either the exact same spell or Dispell Magic and then you need to make a Spellcraft check or else you've wasted your action. Here's what I suggest ...

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Any spell can be used as a counterspell. If the counterspell if the same or opposite of the cast spell (Slow for Haste forex) then the counterspell is successful. Otherwise both casters make a Counterspell Check which is 1d20 plus Caster Level plus Spell Level used. If the counterspeller succeeds, the spell is countered otherwise itl goes off as normal.

For more flavor you can rule that for each 5 points the winner wins by, the loser takes 1d6 points of Feedback damage. If there is a tie, both casters take 1d6 points although the spell goes off as normal.

Some spells, like Dispell Magic are better at counterspelling and provide a +2 bonus to Counterspell Checks. Greater Dispell would give a +4 bonus.

Thus is possible for a very high level wizard to counter a bad guy's Fireball with a Read Magic. When this happens, be sure to say, "Your feeble skills are not match for my power!"


Aaron

 

[Spatzimaus]

By the core rules, counterspelling stinks.

Add in Feats from other sources (for example, Reactive Counterspell) and it now becomes more workable.

One easy change we use IMC is related to an older thread: Spell Chains. That is, it's clear all nine Summon Monster spells are in one chain; they're all upgrades of each other. So, you should be able to counterspell a spell in this chain with another spell from the same chain of equal or higher level.
Likewise, Alter Self, Polymorph Self, and Shapechange are in the same chain.

(As a Feat, maybe you could let someone use a lesser spell in the chain to counter a greater one, with a caster level check)

We also use the same rules for item prerequisites. If a flaming sword asks for Fireball, then you can also use DB Fireball or Meteor Swarm, since they're upgrades of the basic Fireball.

 

[ruleslawyer]

I use a simple rule: All primary spellcasters get the Reactive Counterspell feat for free at 1st level. That means that you can counterspell any time during the round in place of a standard action. No readying required. Note that this still hasn't made counterspelling that much more viable IMC; my PC spellcasters are still more likely to just nuke their opponents rather than counterspell. It comes in real handy for devastating spells like disjunction, which the party mage always rushes to counterspell.

 

[Aaron2]

I use a simple rule: All primary spellcasters get the Reactive Counterspell feat for free at 1st level. That means that you can counterspell any time during the round in place of a standard action. No readying required.

Where is this feat printed?


Aaron

 

[ruleslawyer]

Magic of Faerun, IIRC.

 

[Centaur]

Open it up

One possibility would be to allow the player to use any spell of equal or higher level to counterspell. While this means that it is suddenly far easier to counterspell, it also means that he could use up his spells far more quickly and therefore he can't use them in the next encounter.

There is likely all kinds of reasons why this is a bad idea, I just can't think of them right now, so fire away.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

Just a thought.... allow spellcasters one free counterspell action each round (but you can't counter a counter).

Just a thought, no idea how good/bad it is.

 

[Aaron2]

Re: Open it up

One possibility would be to allow the player to use any spell of equal or higher level to counterspell. While this means that it is suddenly far easier to counterspell, it also means that he could use up his spells far more quickly and therefore he can't use them in the next encounter.

That was the initial idea I had. I figured it might be worth it for a wizard to just counterspell some of the high SR monsters, such as greater demons, rather than waste time trying to overcome its SR.

Can you conterspell a spell-like abiliity?

Aaron

 

[Centaur]

Re: Re: Open it up

That was the initial idea I had. I figured it might be worth it for a wizard to just counterspell some of the high SR monsters, such as greater demons, rather than waste time trying to overcome its SR.

Can you conterspell a spell-like abiliity?

Aaron

Counterspelling creatures with High SR sounds like a cool idea. I guess it would be judgement call as to whether or not it was possible. Acording to what I just read in the players handbook, it likely is not, but if you open it up as suggested, then you could allow it.

Remember that many of the higher power outsiders can use their abilities once per round at will. So the wizard will likely run out of spells fairly quickly if the demon is using powerfull effects.

Could be a cool way to counter it's teleport without error ability preventing it from getting away, so the fighters can finish it off.

 

[Aaron2]

Re: Re: Re: Open it up

Originally posted by Centaur
Could be a cool way to counter it's teleport without error ability preventing it from getting away, so the fighters can finish it off.

That's exactly what I was thinking.


Aaron