D&D 5E Identify a spell as it is cast?

[Saeviomagy]

Can't you just make it up?

Sure... but things like that are why I pay money to buy games. Making up somatic and verbal components for every spell, writing them down and distributing them to players so they can go into things eyes-wide-open isn't something I want to have to spend time on, and would be vastly simplified if it had been done in the first place. The fact that it's only done patchily while material components are in every spell just suggests nobody really thought the whole thing through.

 

[aco175]

I generally just let them know what is coming at them. If the casters wish to counter than that's fine. I know that the mage would know if a fireball is coming at him more than a fighter would, but the knowledge is not going to matter to the fighter- that's what his saving throw if for. One of the mage's powers is to counter if they want/can. Most of the extra rolling to determine what the spell is delays the game and I feel that it is not needed.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sure... but things like that are why I pay money to buy games. Making up somatic and verbal components for every spell, writing them down and distributing them to players so they can go into things eyes-wide-open isn't something I want to have to spend time on, and would be vastly simplified if it had been done in the first place. The fact that it's only done patchily while material components are in every spell just suggests nobody really thought the whole thing through.

I get where you are coming from.

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[GX.Sigma]

Here's how I do it as DM. Say for example the evil wizard is casting fireball:

DM: "The evil wizard casts fireball. Dexterity saves, everyone."
Player: "I counterspell!"
DM: "Okay."

Doing it any other way would require me to wait for the player to decide whether or not to cast counterspell before I get on with resolving the original spell. Who has time for that?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Here's how I do it as DM. Say for example the evil wizard is casting fireball:

DM: "The evil wizard casts fireball. Dexterity saves, everyone."
Player: "I counterspell!"
DM: "Okay."

How could it be so... simple?

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