With all due respect to Mike Mearls, he is wrong. The action economy in 5th Edition is beautifully designed, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
It is cast on your turn if you're counter-countering to protect your own spell.
1. You cast a spell on your turn.
2. Saruvoldeminster casts counterspell to stop you.
3. You counterspell the counterspell, allowing the spell from #1 to take effect normally.
All this happens in a single turn, and is perfectly normal spell-dueling tactics, unless the spell you cast in #1 is a bonus-action spell. In that case, you can't do #3 because counterspell is not a cantrip.
Anyway, this whole debate is proving my point about the bonus action rules being hacky and clunky. If the folks on this board are confused, what hope is there for Joe Average Player?
We have everyone more-or-less agreeing again. I utterly fail to see what good another edition would bring, other than Hasbro making more money from everyone buying new copies of the core books. Even that is a mixed blessing, since doing that constantly turns off buyers. First edition AD&D lasted from 1978 (when the DMG was at last out) to 1989, second edition from 1989 to 2000, then third from 2000 to 2008. Granted that fourth was a failure and the plug pulled on it early, we're talking about ten years between editions. So please, no new editions until 2024.There is no need for a new edition, it's part of the appeal of this version that it can incorporate elements from all previous editions pretty well.
We have everyone more-or-less agreeing again. I utterly fail to see what good another edition would bring, other than Hasbro making more money from everyone buying new copies of the core books. Even that is a mixed blessing, since doing that constantly turns off buyers. First edition AD&D lasted from 1978 (when the DMG was at last out) to 1989, second edition from 1989 to 2000, then third from 2000 to 2008. Granted that fourth was a failure and the plug pulled on it early, we're talking about ten years between editions. So please, no new editions until 2024.
I feel like the way 4E's action economy was broken down would fit 5E pretty well.
Instead of bonus actions, bring back Minor actions. Then allow trading actions down, but not up. For example, an action can be turned into either a move or a minor. A move can be turned into a minor. A minor cannot be turned into a move. A move cannot be turned into an action.
Thats a thing 5E improves on over 4th. Multiple bonus actions would break 5E.
It is cast on your turn if you're counter-countering to protect your own spell.
1. You cast a spell on your turn.
2. Saruvoldeminster casts counterspell to stop you.
3. You counterspell the counterspell, allowing the spell from #1 to take effect normally.
All this happens in a single turn, and is perfectly normal spell-dueling tactics, unless the spell you cast in #1 is a bonus-action spell. In that case, you can't do #3 because counterspell is not a cantrip.
Anyway, this whole debate is proving my point about the bonus action rules being hacky and clunky. If the folks on this board are confused, what hope is there for Joe Average Player?