My DM and I are trying to figure out what sort of action is to use the Counter-Summons ability of the Riftwarden prestige class.
Counter-Summons (Su): A Riftwarden can ready an action to use a summon monster spell or spell-like ability as a counterspell, even though the casting time for a summon monster spell is 1 full round. When used this way, the summon monster spell is treated as though quickened to a swift action via the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, though its spell level is not increased, and it can be used only to counterspell. When used to counterspell, a summon monster spell can counter any conjuration (summoning) spell or spell-like ability of its level or lower, including an outsider’s summon ability.
Normally readying an action is a standard action, but is this a case where specific trumps general? I suppose my question is why it specifically mentions it's a swift action if it can only be used as a standard action anyways?
Thank you.
The ready action is standard as normal. The action that is triggered by the ready action is swift casting the counter spell.
Then my next question is why is that tidbit about being a swift action even included? If readying an action is already a standard action, then why bring up the swift action bit at all?
Normally a Summon monster spell is a full round action and would not work with a readied action, so by turning it into a swift action it works with readied actions
I suppose it stops you from needing to cast defensively. But, it is strange that they made it a swift action, as now it takes a standard + swift to use instead of just a standard.
So wait, could I use a different swift action on my turn in addition to readying a counter-summon? Or what if I used an immediate action before my next turn; would that mean I'd be unable to counter-summon? If so it makes no sense to me that to ready a standard action uses solely a standard action and to ready a swift action uses both your standard and your swift.
So wait, could I use a different swift action on my turn in addition to readying a counter-summon? Or what if I used an immediate action before my next turn; would that mean I'd be unable to counter-summon? If so it makes no sense to me that to ready a standard action uses solely a standard action and to ready a swift action uses both your standard and your swift.
Indeed. You use both your swift and standard action in a round to do this. Using your swift action to counter-summon means you cannot do another swift action that round. If you made an immediate action the round before you cannot make a swift action counter-summon.
Why is this beneficial? Because normally it would be impossible to counter-spell a summon spell. Why? Because it has a 1 round casting time (which is longer than a full round action, it last from your turn to the start of your next turn). You couldn't ready an action to counter spell a summon because it can't be done quickly enough. This abilitiy allows you to do so.
Though it is a terrible ability in reality. Your standard and swift action and spell slots can be put to better use than countering summon spells. Like cast a spell and a quickened spell which will disable the enemy and prevent them from casting altogether.
Counter spelling in general is more of an npc thing than a pc thing. This is really just a DM's way of putting your party's summoner in his place from time to time.
Sure a pc can take it too. But unless your entire campaign is centered around fighting a very specific kind of enemy, it's not going to come up often enough to be worth using it.
It now occurs to me that an enemy group made up of all kinds of summoners could be kind of fun. Maybe only good for small table sizes though as fights could get very long.