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Thoughts on Counterspell rework (ttrpg.network)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've been thinking on some changes for counterspell, for dnd and any other rpg that has counterspell.

My thought is moving counterspell from a spell into a game mechanic.

If a creature casts a spell that you also have the ability to cast that day, you can expend an appropriate spell slot to unravel their spell and counter it.

So just about anyone can counterspell but does limit it to creature that have spell slots. It makes casters think more about encounters that might come up that day and also push them to choose more obscure spells that are less likely to be countered.

Any thoughts? Arguments for or against? Other ideas you've tried?

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[–] Khanzarate 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah, basically what older editions did. I also like that you have to identify it, too, so I keep that in.

If you prepared the exact spell that day, great, you identify it, and can expend a casting of that spell to counter it.

If it's not something you prepared that day but it is something you could've prepared, maybe you recognize it. Free action to roll arcana (or, your spellcasting tradition, for pf2). For games with secret rolls, like pf2, this roll is secret.

However, I also like 5e's counterspell as a preparedness check, so if i feel like some homebrew that day, I add a spell back in. Ive never settled on a good name for it so I'll call it Read Spell here. What this version of the spell does is casting it as a reaction allows the same identification as above, but if it's on your list and is your level, you automatically succeed. If its above your level, or not on your list but the right level, then it grants that roll.

So a level 5 wizard that prepped fireball could counter fireball, expending 1 level 3 slot.

A level 5 wizard with fireball in their book that didn't prep fireball could counter it with a successful arcana check, and therefore could reasonably counter fireball, but isn't guaranteed to be able to, for the same level 3 slot.

A level 5 wizard with fireball in their book that didnt prep fireball but that had the level 1 Read Spell could counter a fireball (or any other lebel 3 or lower wizard spell) guaranteed, and would end up spending that Level 3 slot and the slot for Read Spell.

A level 5 druid (no fireball) couldn't succeed at countering Fireball without Read Spell, but could cast Read Spell to get a chance at that roll.

And a level 3 wizard could also get a chance in the same way, although they'd really only be able to use that if they were like, 3 wizard/2 cleric, something that gives them third level slots without third level spells. Niche, but valid I feel.

Despite this theorycrafting, I've never had a player even take counterspell or my homebrew options, even when they know they'll have a wizard, so this remains untested.