Quick action spells and spellcraft

[Devronq]

I thought i remember reading somewhere that you cant counterspell a swift or immediate action spell and that you cant use spellcraft to identify it, or maybe it was just a larger DC? Can someone confirm this for me please and thankyou.

[Crake]

Identifying a spell being cast by verbal or somatic components is a flat 15+spell level, regardless of casting time. There's nothing in the counterspell rules that say that a faster cast time spell cannot be counterspelled (since it was published in the PHB, immediate and swift actions didn't exist, but quickened spells seem to be likewise counterable). As long as the character has readied an action, they've already spent their action (a standard action) and thus, by the game rules, when their action triggers, it is done so immediately, interrupting whatever action triggered it, despite how small or short the action is.

[erikun]

Identifying a spell as it is being cast is a spellcraft roll that takes no action, so can be done with swift and immediate actions. (SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spellcraft.htm))

To cast a counterspell, you ready and action to counter a spell being cast. Readying an action is something you do on your turn, and the readed action triggers and completes before your opponent's action happens - meaning you get the counterspell off before they finish casting their spell, even if it is swift or immediate. (SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#counterspells))

There is nothing in the wording of swift actions or immediate actions that state that a swift/immediate casting of a spell cannot be countered. (SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#swiftActions)) In fact, because a readied action always take place before the triggering action, and a readied action would take place before a swift/immediate action normally - this is how you can interrupt a spell being cast, including a quickened spell - there is no reason to think that you cannot counterspell a swift or immediate spell being cast. There's certianly nothing listing in the rules linked preventing it.

[Crake]

Is it possible you're misremembering the rule that swift and immediate action spells don't provoke attacks of opportunity which could potentially disrupt the spell?

[Devronq]

Hmm well obviously i remembered wrong nut thanks for clarifying.