Round V is OVER

[Saeviomagy]

You mean like the Disciple of the Sevenfold Veil Prestige Class (because neither IC nor DotSV are actually totally lame for a PC, but both are great for NPCs)?

DotSV is a class which gives you abilities that
1. Work on any foe
2. Can be used offensively to shape the battlefield
3. Are cool
4. Are in addition to your normal spellcasting

IC is a feat which
1. Only works on a foe who is currently casting a spell
2. Requires you to know that the foe will cast a spell up front
3. Doesn't work on most monstrous foes, because they use SLA's or SU abilities instead
4. Has no offensive capability
5. Sucks up your normal casting and spell selections to fuel

Having run a character with both improved counterspell and reactive counterspell in a campaign, I found that in 12 whole levels, there were precisely 2 foes that it had any effect whatsoever against. Furthermore, by spending either improved counterspell or reactive counterspell on skill focus (concentration) instead, I would have taken my foe out of the combat on the first round instead of leaving him around to soak up all the rest of my actions and spells in counterspelling him, which would have in turn led to my being far more effective against the other foes present.

That's what my evaluation is based on. The fact that 90% of the time the feat does nothing, and the other 10% of the time, something else would be more effective.

 

[Rystil Arden]

DotSV is a class which gives you abilities that
1. Work on any foe
2. Can be used offensively to shape the battlefield
3. Are cool
4. Are in addition to your normal spellcasting

IC is a feat which
1. Only works on a foe who is currently casting a spell
2. Requires you to know that the foe will cast a spell up front
3. Doesn't work on most monstrous foes, because they use SLA's or SU abilities instead
4. Has no offensive capability
5. Sucks up your normal casting and spell selections to fuel

Having run a character with both improved counterspell and reactive counterspell in a campaign, I found that in 12 whole levels, there were precisely 2 foes that it had any effect whatsoever against. Furthermore, by spending either improved counterspell or reactive counterspell on skill focus (concentration) instead, I would have taken my foe out of the combat on the first round instead of leaving him around to soak up all the rest of my actions and spells in counterspelling him, which would have in turn led to my being far more effective against the other foes present.

That's what my evaluation is based on. The fact that 90% of the time the feat does nothing, and the other 10% of the time, something else would be more effective.

DotSV requires you to take *two* worthless feats before you can enter at level 10 though. Matters *a lot* for PCs but not much for NPCs

 

[Saeviomagy]

DotSV requires you to take *two* worthless feats before you can enter at level 10 though. Matters *a lot* for PCs but not much for NPCs

Yeah, but improved counterspell is a useless feat with no payoff... matters a lot for anyone.

 

[darkelfo]

QUIT POSTING IN THIS THREAD!!! There, I said it.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yeah, but improved counterspell is a useless feat with no payoff... matters a lot for anyone.

You just admitted its useful for NPCs...

 

[Steverooo]

Shield Proficiency
Martial Weapon Proficiency

I'm with GlassJaw on these two feats. It's like the Heavy Weapon Prof. feat. Just take a level of fighter, get these two feats as class abilities, and get another feat. Why would you not just take a Fighter level instead?

Because, if you don't keep your Fighter levels within +/-1 of your other class levels, you suffer a 20% Experience Penalty? (Unless you're a Dwarf... or your "other" levels are your race's Favoured Class.)