Question about ready actions and the delay changing your initiative.
I will often have players roll initiative and have 2 or more end up going on the same initiative. I think i once had the entire party going on 12. I would just have them roll off or use their dex mod to determin order of actions.
Lets say a caster going on 15 decides to wait until the enemy mage goes, so he can counterspell. On 9 the NPC starts casting fireball, the player makes his spellcraft and counters with his own fireball.
Now the NPC is still on 9 for the next round, and the player counterspelled on 9 with the NPC, so they are both on 9 correct?
That’s the way I have been using it, but will the player or the NPC act first?Specifically will the player have the opportunity to spellcraft and counterspell the NPC round after round, effectively shutting-down the NPC caster?
Yes. Mind you, that's been a possibility for a long time now. The NPC can always do something else, like use a magic item, aid another, attack the PC wizard, or what have you. It's not really a great use of the PC's actions, as 1 PC is more-or-less negating one opponent. The other 6 guys can proceed to pound the rest of the party;)
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Specifically will the player have the opportunity to spellcraft and counterspell the NPC round after round, effectively shutting-down the NPC caster?
Readied actions occur just prior to the action they counterspell so it would delay the casters initiative to JUST before the targeted creature. Meaning if they continue to ready actions to counterspell then they can do so at the cost of their own turn and spell slots of course.
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Casting to counterspell is a readied action. Thus it takes place before the spell is cast. Your caster's initiative is now just before that of the enemy mage (we note it 9- and 9 in my group).
The PC can shut down the NPC if he has all the correct spells. Of course, since the counterspell is a standard action, he is also shutting himself down.