Counter-Spells?

[delta]

At Gygax's table, could magic-users interrupt another magic-user's spell? For example: Magic-user A starts casting a fireball; but magic-user B prevents this from happening, by spontaneously using dispel magic or something similar.

Now, this is not something that ever occurred to me as a possibility in decades of gaming, until 3E D&D spelled it out as a specific combat option for magic-users. However, in retrospect I do see language throughout classic books that uses that phrasing, and could be interpreted that way. E.g., Chainmail Fantasy p. 31: "The stronger magician can successfully cast a counter-spell with a two dice score of 7 or better...". AD&D PHB , p. 47, Dispel Magic: "It will destroy magic potions... remove spells cast upon persons or objects, or counter the casting of spells in the area of effect."

So: Would Gygax let a caster spontaneously use dispel magic to interrupt another's spell, or not? Was this a common tactic?

[Finarvyn]

Dunno how Gary did it but I have used the counterspell rules from Chainmail in some of my early OD&D games. I don't remember much about my rules for that since it's been so long.

5E has a spell actually called "counterspell" and it's at 3rd level. Counterspell will automatically diffuse any spell of levels 1-3 and can defeat higher level spells with a die roll. In 5E you can overcast, so if you know a wizard is throwing a 6th level spell (for example) you could overcast counterspell at 6th level for automatic success. The downside is that it does use up a spell slot, which may be a precious commodity.

[tetramorph]

I tried to do this with a more Judges-Guild style simultaneous round with phases based on weapon length, etc.

Too much. So I've gone back to initiative, but still with phases.

I would be willing to play test the choice to attempt counter spell at the loss of your highest memorized spell.

But I doubt the players would ever choose it.

I still like the idea.

[chicagowiz]

I have been using Counterspells since 2009, it's been great fun - for both NPCs/monsters and players. They always forget until I use it against them... then they're all about it.

It was directly taken from Chainmail and some discussions from around this forum.

oldguyrpg.blogspot.com/2008/12/from-chainmail-to-od-counterspells.html