Counterspell Build?

[Childeric, The Shatterer]

So looking at the PRD materials, it looks like there's not a lot of good options to make a decent counterspell build from. Is there perhaps something (archtypes, feats, etc...) in some of the non-PRD splat books to enhance this type of build?

Basically, Is a counterspell build even viable in Pathfinder, or is it pretty much a waste of time and energy?

[Weables]

waste of time and energy. you're better off disabling the person who can cast the spell in the first place, otherwise youre wasting your action to do something that may or may not happen from 1 enemy among many.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

IIRC Ravingdork made a Master Dispeller build he was quite fond of. You could probably find it by searching in his profile.

[Nathan Monson]

You could try the Arcanist, they can get immediate action couterspells through exploits; unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that you cant apply counterspell feats to it.

I am toying around with a counterspell Summoner Build; the eidolon beats up enemy casters, and I stop them from doing things. I have yet to play with it though, so I cant tell you how well it works.

[citricking]

Arcanist can counterspell as an immediate action. Also dispel focus and greater dispel focus improve your chances of dispelling with dispel magic.

[Quandary]

Arcanist, as mentioned.
Also, Magician Bard gets immediate action Dispel effect from Performance.
(+ CL boost, Improved Counterspell bonus feat, wizard spell access and more)

Using Variant Channeling, Magic Domain gives scaling CL boost, so use Quick Channel + Counterspell/Dispel away...

[avr]

An archer or gunslinger with the Overwatch Style line would be the way to go IMO. Counterspell by forcing nasty concentration checks.

Edit: possibly an eldritch archer magus with dispelling strike? They might be short on feats for this though.

[master_marshmallow]

Exploiter Wizards seem like the best choice.

I have a player who runs one that deals with counterspelling quite well.

[SmiloDan]

I had success with a 3.5 druid using Improved Counterspell. He was able to trade out 4th level flamestrikes for enemy fireballs and lightning bolts.

But it was more like a surprise trick than a primary strategy. And it worked well with a druid because he had the animal companion and summoned creatures to be active on my turn while the druid was relatively passive, waiting for the enemy spellcasters to cast spells.

[Childeric, The Shatterer]

So something with a pet so you can still dish out some damage, or Arcanist (perhaps with the occultist archtype?),Interesting.

@master_marshmallow: I don't think giving up arcane school and arcane bond is worth the trade-off for a handful of exploits.
@Quandary: I hate bards, so thanks but no thanks.
@avr: I'm looking for caster anti-casters, not non-caster anti-casters.

Thanks for the info guys (&/or gals as the case may be), even info I don't intend to use is still useful to know about.

[Ravingdork]

The best way to make a dispeller is to find ways of boosting your caster level. If you can't beat the dispel check, you're wasting everyone's time and probably should have readied a fireball or scorching ray instead of dispel magic to kill the opponent's spell.

Feats, like the following, can help to maximize your caster level, otherwise improve your ability to dispel, or add great rider effects when you successfully dispel:

• Additional Traits (outlander: lore seeker)
  
• Destructive Dispel
  
• Dispel Focus
  
• Dispel Synergy
  
• Greater Dispel Focus
  
• Greater Spell Specialization
  
• Improved Counterspell
  
• Spell Perfection
  
• Spell Specialization
  
• Varisian Tattoo
  

Various class abilities and other abilities can also prove quite useful, such as those from the abjurer wizard school (or counterspell subschool), or the flexible counterspell mythic archmage ability.

Fuzzy-Wuzzy wrote:

IIRC Ravingdork made a Master Dispeller build he was quite fond of. You could probably find it by searching in his profile.

Indeed! The mighty Master of Magic, Sela Kurn, has no mortal equal in the arcane arts!

At 15th-level, he can automatically dispel any spell effect from a caster 9 levels higher (CL 24) on a roll of a 1. If he has a prisoner in his magical robe, it's 11 levels higher (CL 26). If mythic, he rolls twice.

Sela Kurn - 15th-level human abjurer
Sela Kurn - 15th-level human abjurer (archmage/guardian 10)

An overview of Sela's abilities:

Having discreetly discussed their assault they wasted no more time. Aros kicked in the door. The thick oak wood proved to be no match for his might and gave way easily, revealing a small study room beyond, barely lit by a small hooded lantern. Strewn everywhere were papers, parchments, scrolls, and old books. On the far end of the room was a small desk and chair. A tall, figure with a large plumed hat and long ornate robes stood by the desk, peering over a dusty old tome, his back to them. Knowing the evils this man was capable of, the intruders wasted no time. Karen unleashed two lightning fast blasts of fire, each one hot enough to melt solid stone. They soared across the room and exploded mere feet from the scholar's back. The room flickered brightly for a moment as the flames wrapped and coiled around the old man, trying to reach him with their deadly hot tendrils to no avail.

Before the raging hellfire was even halfway to its intended target Sandrain had already called for a fell curse to fall upon the wicked soul before him. A ripple of divine power emanated through the air between his holy symbol and his intended target. Just as the fire exploded about the room, so did his power. Sandrain collapsed to his knees screaming in agony, clutching at his eyes as fountains of blood began to poor from their dessicated ruin. The vile fiend had somehow turned his god's might against his own servant, forever blinding him.

Kressel was next. She called forth the powers of the natural world, augmenting the terrible mold that had slowly encroached upon the small library over the years. A choking cloud of lethal spore began to form, but the cloaked figure muttered something she did not comprehend, and just as quickly and quietly as it had formed, so too did it dissipate harmlessly.

Acting in near unison with his comrades, Aros charged, sword in hand. He never made it. The protective ward that Sandrain had placed on him before their breach shattered and turned against him, driving shards of magical energy into his flesh causing him to stagger in pain. He dropped his sword to the floor as his body was continually wracked with waves of horrific spasms. Though he could barely move, Aros could clearly see that the others had been similarly incapacitated by the Vizier's fell power.

The brief spell battle had charred the walls, obliterated an untold number of ancient works, and destroyed the lantern--plunging the area into darkness, but where a few ember motes still burned. Only then, did Sela Kurn turn away from his studies to face them. His glowing blue eyes fought back the shadows, creating an eerie effect on his countenance.

"I believe," he said in a disturbingly cold tone, "that you have all made a grave error."

The Master of Magic's arcane chants and the horrific screams of their fellows was the last thing any of them would ever hear...

The mechanics behind the scene:

As would any good abjurer, Sela knew the intruders were coming long before they arrived at his door. A simple alarm spell saw to that.

Karen's empower intensified maximized fireball and quickened maximized empowered fireball were each turned away by Sela's globe of invulnerability, burning not but the paper and wood about them.

The cleric, Sandrain, recognizing Sela's abjuration, used a heightened blindness spell and bypassed the ward entirely, but was turned back via spell turning instead.

The samsaran druid, Kressel, hoped to use cloudkill against him, targeting his weak save, but Sela Kurn counterspelled it as an immediate action.

By the time Aros was able to charge, it was already Sela's turn to act. He cast a quickened greater dispel magic in an area, bringing it down upon the whole party, dispelling several of their buffs and turning their own magic against them, causing them to become stunned and also lowering their saving throws against his next attack.

Whatever spell or spells he used next to dispatch them, I leave up to your imagination.

May you all find inspiration in his magnificence!