Counterspell feat chain [3.5]

[blackmage]

Haven't tried making a feat chain before, so thought I'd give it a whirl for Counterspelling. Improved Counterspell is unchanged from the PHB version, the other four are what I've created. My goal was to make counterspelling rewarding and simple, but I am worried that my feats make counterspelling too good. Is Quick counterspell too strong, should it have another feat prerequisite to tone it down or is the whole idea bad? Is Spell Seal confusing, I tried hard to on the wording but I'm still worried about it. It's goal is to lock a caster out for 1-2 turns on a successful counterspell, are the numbers right for that? Is such a 'silence' effect too powerful? Thoughts welcome!


Improved Counterspell [General]
Benefits: When counterspelling, you may use a spell of the same school that is one or more spell levels higher than the target spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you may counter a spell only with the same spell or with a spell specifically designated as countering the target spell.

Counterspell Focus [General]
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on dispel checks made to counter spells.

Greater Counterspell Focus [General]
Prerequisites: Counterspell Focus
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on dispel checks made to counter spells. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Counterspell Focus.

Quick Counterspell [General]
Prerequisites: Improved Counterspell or Counterspell Focus
Benefits: You may use an immediate action to counter an opponent's spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you must ready an action to counter an opponent's spell.

Spell Seal [General]
Prerequisites: Improved Counterspell or Counterspell Focus
Benefits: When you successfully counter an opponent's spell, they must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + level of spell countered + ability modifier of your primary casting ability) or be prevented from casting spells or using spell-like abilities until the end of their next turn.

[kryan]

Counterspell Focus and Improved Counterspell seem like two different ways to achieve the same thing, as opposed to being improvements on each other. The prereq there seems odd, in that case.

[blackmage]

Counterspell Focus and Improved Counterspell seem like two different ways to achieve the same thing, as opposed to being improvements on each other. The prereq there seems odd, in that case.

Hmm, you are right. Both Quick Counterspell and Spell Seal were written so they could be used with either method of counterspelling, but I also feel they are strong enough to require prerequisites. I'm going to remove the prereq for Counterspell Focus, and change the prerequisite to an either/or for the others. I think that's fine for Quick Counterspell...but Spell Seal I think should have 2 feats as prerequisites. Need an idea for another building-block feat.

[blackmage]

Alright, did a final tweak to Seal Spell. Instead of the convoluted stuff that might let you lock a caster down for several turns, its just 1 turn that they can't cast, no matter what. I have a feeling its the same practical result as the other, but with a lot less rules text to make sense of. And since the potential for multi-turn lockdown is gone, I think its okay to just have 1 prerequisite.

Anyone think they'd get some of these feats for a character they would play? Any DM that would be okay with these in their game (or the opposite)?

[kryan]

I think they're pretty much exactly what Counterspelling needed to be meaningful.

Though I wonder if these become a little too necessary for wizard-duels (arguably a good thing since in the fluff counterspelling is implied to be a major part of it) - the advantage you get between Quick Counterspell and Seal Spell is immense. And if you have the Archmage's Master of Counterspelling, forget it. Though that may be the point.

I think that Seal Spell should involve a second, separate opposed Caster Level check. Simply because the effect is that significant. It would make a Wizard duel go something like this: each casts spells, trying to find the one that the other doesn't have a counter for (or managing to overcome the others' dispel), or trying to shut the other down.

[blackmage]

How about a Will Save?

[kryan]

Also a reasonable choice.

[Shpadoinkle]

If wizards weren't already absurdly overpowered, I'd suggest these be rolled into the wizard as class features.

As it is, though, I like these. Makes counterspelling not horribly stupid.