Abjuration / Counterspelling

[Rosin]

Hello there! this is my first time posting in these forums so please be gentle.

Currently a friend of mine is running a pathfinder game, I am playing a wizard but instead of playing my usual "Necromancer/Enchanter" Wiz I have decided that I want this one to be all about Abjuration and Counter-spelling. Sadly this is not my forte so I was hoping to get some advice on how I could maximize my characters potential.

[JHFizban]

I'm playing a Wizard with Abjuration/Counterspell specialty school right now, but I don't have much advice since he's only just now turned 6th level and hasn't dispelled/countered a single spell yet.

So I'm also curious to see what can be done to get some mileage out of the concept of a master of counterspelling. Counterspell Mastery will make it a reactive ability a limited number of times per day, but otherwise you wind up having to ready an action to counterspell.

The Arcane Savant prestige class eventually gets Dispelling Mastery, allowing spontaneous conversion to Dispel Magic and Greater Dispel Magic, but going that route makes you lose pure Wizard levels and so your Counterspell Mastery will be fewer times per day overall.

I'd like to know what ways there are to increase the caster level check to dispel/counter. I'm not up to speed on what methods (if any) there are to boost those checks, as that would seem to be the key problem with counterspelling - it isn't particularly reliable against casters who are close to your level.

Good gaming!

[Thaliak]

JHFizban wrote:

I'd like to know what ways there are to increase the caster level check to dispel/counter. I'm not up to speed on what methods (if any) there are to boost those checks, as that would seem to be the key problem with counterspelling - it isn't particularly reliable against casters who are close to your level.

You could boost your caster level with the appropriate spell. Spell Specialization (Dispel Magic) would increase your caster level by 2. Once you reach Level 15, you could take Spell Perfection (Dispel Magic) to double that bonus. Spell Perfection has the side effect of allowing you to apply a single metamagic feat to the spell for free. In conjunction with Quicken Spell, that could be useful for removing enemy buffs.

Insanely dedicated abjurers could take Spell Focus (abjuration) to qualify for Varisian Tattoo, which would increase the caster level of all their abjuration spells by 1. With Spell Perfection, the bonus would increase to 2.

Spell Focus (abjuration) would qualify the abjurers to take Greater Spell Specialization (Dispel Magic), which would allow them to convert any prepared spell to Dispel Magic.

The magic trait Gifted Adept and the regional trait Secret of the Impossible Kingdom will give an additional +1 to caster level.

The orange ioun stone increases the user's caster level by 1.

Hero points can be used to gain a luck bonus to d20 rolls or reroll a failed dispel check.

Alternately, you could try to avoid the caster check by using the identified spell. An arcane bond wizard could use his once-a-day cast any spell to counter a spell he knows with no chance of failure. So could a caster with the feat Greater Spell Specialization and Spell Specialization in the appropriate spell or any spell of the same school that is at least one level higher. A wizard with Heighten Spell and Preferred Spell, another feat that allows spontaneous casting, could achieve a similar effect.

You can't take immediate actions if you're flat-footed, so if you want to use the Abjurer's immediate action counterspell against an enemy spellcaster's first spell, make sure you have a high initiative.

[Artemis Moonstar]

*takes notes*

Sorry to twist this thread to my own ends, you'd think I'm an enchantment specialist... But I've got a sorcerer with Abjuration/Counterspelling in mind. So, dot....

And, if anyone has any advice for sorcs using the abjuration/counterspell theme, I'd greatly appreciate it (and not wasting forum space with a new thread).

That said... Does anyone know how an Abjuration specialist would fare in PFS? Wizard or Sorc.

[Elaserdar]

If your DM allows conversion of 3.5 feats Reactive Counterspell is your best friend. As stated, you will likely want a good initiative so improved init is great (don't forget about your perception though). And Counterspell mastery already gives improved counterspell, so it is an easy feat to pick up at 7th level.

_ wrote:

Reactive Counterspell

( Player's Guide to Faerûn, p. 42)
[General]
You can react quickly to counter spells cast by opponents.
Prerequisite: Improved Initiative (PH) , Improved Counterspell,
Benefit
Once per round, you can counterspell an opponent's spell even if you have not readied an action to do so. This counterspell action takes the place of your next turn. You can't use this feat when you are flat-footed.
Normal:Without this feat, you must ready an action each round that you wish to use a counterspell.

At higher levels (15), don't forget about the glory that is Parry Spell.

_ wrote:

Parry Spell

You can throw an enemy spell back at its caster.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 15 ranks, Improved Counterspell .
Benefit: Whenever you successfully counter a spell, it returns back to its caster. This works exactly like the spell turning spell.

If you are playing a mythic game, Eldrich Breach and Flexible Counterspell are delicious. Eldrich breach takes the success chance of a 50/50 dispel check and makes it more like 80%. Get a few CL boosting bonuses in (or just use greater dispel) and you can have a near guaranteed dispel / counter.

_ wrote:

Eldritch Breach (Su)[/b]

You are adept at breaching magical defenses and overcoming resistance to your magic. When attempting a caster level check to dispel an effect, overcome spell resistance, or otherwise determine whether your magic affects a target (such as with knock or neutralize poison), roll twice and take the higher result.

Out of your immediate action counterspells per day? As long as you have mythic power you are good to go with Flexible Counterspell.

_ wrote:

Flexible Counterspell (Su)[/b]

Your mythic power enhances your ability to counter others' spells. As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to attempt to counter a spell. This ability otherwise works like readying an action to counter a spell, except instead of using the exact spell or dispel magic, you can instead expend a spell or spell slot of a level equal to or higher than the target spell.

Want to really make an enemy caster hate life? Mix Dweomer Retaliation (spell from Cheliax, empire of devils) with the Dazing Spell metamagic feat. You will get temp hit points, they take damage, they make a will save or are Dazed for 3 rounds, and if you beat them (by a lot) in a concentration check you get the spell back...

_ wrote:

Dweomer Retaliation

School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 immediate action
Components V
Range Long (400 f. + 40 f./level) Target one creature you counterspelled since your last turn
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

You may only cast this spell immediately after successfully counterspelling an opponent. Drawing upon the residual energy of the countered spells, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the level of the countered spell plus your Charisma or Intelligence modifier (for sorcerers and wizards, respectively); your counterspelled opponent takes damage equal to this amount.

If the countered spell was at least 4th level, you and your opponent make opposed concentration checks. If you beat your opponent by 10 or more, you retain this spell (or its spell slot, if you are a sorcerer) as if you had not cast it.

_ wrote:

Dazing Spell (Metamagic)

You can daze creatures with the power of your spells.
Benefit: You can modify a spell to daze a creature damaged by the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they become dazed for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw, a successful save negates the daze effect. If the spell does not allow a save, the target can make a Will save to negate the daze effect. If the spell effect also causes the creature to become dazed, the duration of this metamagic effect is added to the duration of the spell.
Level Increase: +3 (a dazing spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
Spells that do not inflict damage do not benefit from this feat.

[Mathieu Legault-Forest]

How would Dweomer retaliation work with dispel magic. In the case you make the concentration check because the spell was level 4 or more, would you retain the spell the enemy casted, or dispel magic, or none of the above?