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Message: <blockquote data-quote="reichtfeld" data-source="post: 720726" data-attributes="member: 10264">I've recently grown interested in the topic of counterspelling and dispelling magic when thinking about the progression I have planned for a current character or for future character concepts.  The reading that I've done has raised a few questions.1) Can greater dispelling be used to counterspell in the same way as dispel magic?  I would think so, since it is a graduated version of the spell, but I read a feat in MGP's The Quintessential Wizard that had the bonus affect of allowing the recipient to use greater dispelling in that capacity.  I would like to think that benefit from the feat is moot.2) Are there published feats that add a bonus to caster level checks for dispelling magic in the same sense that Spell Penetration adds a bonus to overcome SR.  Spell Girding (from Magic of Faerun) adds a penalty to enemies' dispel attempts, so I'm wondering if there's an opposite sort of feat.  If there aren't published feats, could I get feedback on these two that I homebrewed?Spell Sundering [General]  Your ability to dispel magic is especially potent, overcoming spell strength more readily than normal.    Benefit: You gain a +2 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks made to identify a spell that you wish to counter.  If after successfully identifying a spell you elect to counter it with dispel magic, you gain a +2 competence bonus to your caster level check to defeat the spell.Improved Spell Sundering [General]  Your benefit to dispel magic is especially potent, overcoming spell strength more readily than normal.    Prerequisites: Spell Sundering    Benefit: You gain a +4 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks made to identify a spell that you wish to counter.  If after successfully identifying a spell you elect to counter it with dispel magic, you gain a +4 competence bonus to your caster level check to defeat the spell.  Both of these bonuses supercede (are not cumulative with) the bonuses from Spell Sundering.The idea for the Spellcraft bonus came from the aforementioned MGP feat, Spell Hawk.  Because a bonus to caster level checks for use of dispel magic or greater dispelling caps out at +10 and +20 for each of the spells respectively, then at higher levels the benefit is negated.  ie a 16th level wizard with Improved Spell Sundering rolls his caster level check at 1d20+20 with greater dispelling, that bonus is capped at 1d20+20 when the same wizard is level 17 or higher.  Rather than bend the rules for either dispel and have the bonus ignore the +10 or +20 caps, I figured a Spellcraft bonus would help offset the feats' eventual loss of utility.  Or would they be better off simply ignoring the caps?3) Could anyone familiar/experienced with the feat Counterspell Riposte from FFG's Path of Magic book tell me whether they consider or have found the feat to be balanced or imbalanced in their experience?  The whole OGL thing confuses me and I don't know if I'm allowed to reprint the text of the feat here, but it is essentially a metamagic feat that adds a +2 adjustment to a prepared spell and allows it to be used as an AoO/free action after a successful counterspell.  I think the premise is real neat and on initial appearance it seems to be balanced.  Since Quicken Spell is a +4 modifier to cast as a free action, I think a +2 adjustment for Counterspell Riposte seems fair due to its utility restrictions.  After all, a quickened spell can be used at the caster's discretion, but a caster has to prepare herself to counterspell and the +2 adjustment is essentially wasted if the spell never gets the chance to be used after a successful counterspell.  Has this proven to be any sort of problem in playtesting?4) Are there any published feats that allow a wizard to effectively hijack an enemy's spell and redirect it at the caster or perhaps other targets?  I think everyone has to agree that this would represent the ultimate in counterspelling mastery, when a mage could reweave the magic of an opponent's spell to use it as their own instead of simply negating it.  If no such feat or feats currently exist, would anyone have recommendations on the prerequisites and specific rules for such a feat?  I don't really think such a feat would be out of line with consideration to the PHB's 7th level abjuration Spell Turning, granted it had the right rules specifications and prerequisites.  Spell Turning reflects the first 7 to 10 levels of spells or spell-like effects targeted at the recipient back upon the caster.  Is there any errata or FAQ that stipulates whether this includes harmless/beneficial spells as well or if the caster can opt not to reflect a spell, or is this left to the realm of house rules?  Luckily, touch spells are unaffected and won't keep a cleric's well-timed cure spell from bouncing back, but otherwise any buffs will have to be done before casting Spell Turning.  While the spell certainly has its limitations and restrictions, it effectively uses a 7th level spell to negate and reflect an equivalent spell or combination of spells.Counterspelling requires the use of either the same spell (equal trade), a higher level spell of the same school (in the case of Improved Counterspell, a penalty), or a dispel magic (which, with an advance in caster level check vs. the enemy can be a huge benefit when counterspelling much higher-level spells).  I think that the use of a feat, feat progression, and/or requirements helps to balance out the utility of being able to reflect spells with a successful counterspell.  Perhaps one feat simply turns the spell upon its caster, while an improved feat allows the counterspeller to fully hijack the spell and select an area or target of their choice?5) Are there any prestige classes that are dedicated to counterspelling or have a predisposition toward performing as excellent specialized counterspellers?  I'm thinking that if there aren't any, perhaps a reflective/vindictive counterspelling ability, as mentioned above, might be balanced in the context of a PrC benefit if it is too strong as a feat.I would greatly appreciate feedback on any or all of these issues.  Perhaps in the soon or distant future I can enjoy playing a master counterspeller to strike fear into the hearts of enemy casters.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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