Players have posted on the forum many times that counterspelling-related feats are either brokens or disabled.
It's a shame because these are features unique to BGTSCC, they were created by Rasael I guess, have required some scripting works, and add an interesting tactical dimension for pure spellcasters.
Besides, I will have taken archimage class for my PC, if the Counterspelling had worked well. But when I read the current bugs, I preferred to focus on other prestige classes.
Here are all feats related to Counterspelling:
- Improved Counterspelling. Broken.
- Reactive Counterspelling.
- Epic Counterspelling. Disabled.
- Mastery Counterspelling. Disabled.
To compile a comprehensive bug report, I would have to do a series of counterspelling tests myself. But that is not possible. Nevertheless, by peeling the feedback of the players, here is a summary of the situation:
Wiki page on Counterspelling : https://wiki.bgtscc.net/index.php?title=Counterspelling
Wiki page on Counterspelling Mechanics : https://wiki.bgtscc.net/index.php?title ... _Mechanics
Counterspelling :
- All the part of the code allowing an opposite spell (for example Slowness) to counteract an opposite spell (Haste) does not work at all.
- What works is to use spells from the Magic Dissipation lineage (like Greater Dispell Magic) to try to counter a spell.
In fact, only the Mordenkainen Disjunctions are really effective. Other dissipations have a caster level cap too limited to know efficiency.
Faced with a caster of equal level, the success rate is 50% (which is not a lot, it's a probably of 1/2 to use a Mordenkaian Disjunction, spell level 9, for nothing).
Improved Counterspelling :
- The feat does not work at all. Which makes sense, since thwarting with an opposite spell, does not work.
- Normally, the gift should allow the counterspeller to automatically choose a higher level spell, if it does not have the exact opposite spell. Here's an example on the wiki:
Reactive Counterspelling :For example; an aggressor casts Bigby's Interposing Hand. You don't have Bigby's Interposing Hand (level 5) memorized, but you do have Bigby's Forceful Hand (level 6) memorized. The Bigby's Forceful Hand will automatically counter the spell. It is good to keep several common spells memorized as well as several high level dispels.
- According to the words of the players, this gift works. It can automatically target all hostile spellcasters at visual range. The first to use a spell, will be automatically targeted by the counterspeller, to try to cancel his fate.
I'm not sure I fully understand how this works, but that's another subject.
Epic Counterspelling :
- This feat was disabled because when it was activated, all enemies' spells were countered, with 100% success, and without counterspelling from the Counterspeller ! ^^
In theory, this gift gives the character the ability to cast as many counterspell per turn as desired. Useful for neutralizing a whole group of casters.
Off course this feat has been disabled.
Mastery Counterspelling :
- These are, unique to the archimage's class prestige, has been disabled. I do not know why. No doubt it was buggy, but I do not know how.
It allows on paper that any direct hostile spell (eg, magic bullet) that has been successively thwarted, is not only canceled, but most importantly, returned to the enemy's head.
Which is very classy for a magician !
It is unfortunate that Counterspelling's donations are dysfunctionals. Because it's typically the kind of features that would allow a pure spell caster to differentiate himself from the gish (gish priest/druid/magician, who currently can do anything a magician can do except have a high DC level).
But to do this, thse Counterspelling feats should first been debugued, and review a bit their design I think. A lot of work.
Hoping to have been useful,
Agog.
