I find Power Surge way too effective - every Wizard is Counter-spelling literally everything, so the extra damage is almost always going to take place as well. Throwing it on Arcane Deflection just means you get to channel Power Surge AND use Deflecting Shroud at the same time ... That’s 36 extra damage in a round.
Definitely not balanced with that homebrew.
I don't understand how you're arriving at 36 extra damage a round. You can only use one Power Surge a round and that damage is Wiz lvl/2.
If we assume that for some reason this wiz is countering spells every round @ lvl 6 with a combat lasting 5 rounds, that's only a maximum of 5 uses of Power Surge. That's 15 damage over the course of combat IF it hits with every spell and IF they are only blasting (which realistically a wiz with such good concentration defense will not do). Your barbarian companion, if he hits (which he should be with Reckless), would do a minimum of 20 dmg with just his bonus damage from Rage @ lvl 6.
Overpowered, no? Does it compete with another feature from the class, yes. Is it basically a ribbon, yes. My homebrew opens up choices for PCs rather than make them fight against their own class.
At level 6, a wizard had three third-level spell slots. So:
1: The wizard can't counterspell indefinitely. 2. If he tries, he can't use his third-level spell slots on anything else (e.g. Fireball) 3. Counterspelling requires your reaction, so you cannot use your Arcane Deflection any longer.
Especially focusing on that second part, you're trading off a fireball (8d6 damage) for half your wizard level (3 damage) on another spell. That's far from overpowered.
I find Power Surge way too effective - every Wizard is Counter-spelling literally everything, so the extra damage is almost always going to take place as well. Throwing it on Arcane Deflection just means you get to channel Power Surge AND use Deflecting Shroud at the same time ... That’s 36 extra damage in a round.
Definitely not balanced with that homebrew.
I don't understand how you're arriving at 36 extra damage a round. You can only use one Power Surge a round and that damage is Wiz lvl/2.
If we assume that for some reason this wiz is countering spells every round @ lvl 6 with a combat lasting 5 rounds, that's only a maximum of 5 uses of Power Surge. That's 15 damage over the course of combat IF it hits with every spell and IF they are only blasting (which realistically a wiz with such good concentration defense will not do). Your barbarian companion, if he hits (which he should be with Reckless), would do a minimum of 20 dmg with just his bonus damage from Rage @ lvl 6.
Overpowered, no? Does it compete with another feature from the class, yes. Is it basically a ribbon, yes. My homebrew opens up choices for PCs rather than make them fight against their own class.
At level 6, a wizard had three third-level spell slots. So:
1: The wizard can't counterspell indefinitely. 2. If he tries, he can't use his third-level spell slots on anything else (e.g. Fireball) 3. Counterspelling requires your reaction, so you cannot use your Arcane Deflection any longer.
Especially focusing on that second part, you're trading off a fireball (8d6 damage) for half your wizard level (3 damage) on another spell. That's far from overpowered.
Even more so if you take base spell slots into account (like you did). I just assumed optimal ability to counterspell via magic or something that would allow 5 uses of counterspelling.
I agree that War Magic is a great dip, but find that it's overall just an average subclass. My players in that specific campaign were also not the munchkin type and preferred to not multiclass so I though homebrewing Arcane Surge helped to keep the wizard from not feeling so overshadowed by his martial cohorts. Obviously, he was in terms of DPR but it made the player happy and no one at the table batted an eye -- most agreed with the homebrew.
You can't boost Deflecting Shroud with a Power Surge. And if you use Deflecting Shroud you can't Counterspell.
It was in response to the previous request saying that Arcane Deflection (and therefore Deflecting Shroud) should enhance Power Surge as a way of balancing this class. If those worked together, it ramps this class up way too much.
I find Power Surge way too effective - every Wizard is Counter-spelling literally everything, so the extra damage is almost always going to take place as well. Throwing it on Arcane Deflection just means you get to channel Power Surge AND use Deflecting Shroud at the same time ... That’s 36 extra damage in a round.
Definitely not balanced with that homebrew.
I don't understand how you're arriving at 36 extra damage a round. You can only use one Power Surge a round and that damage is Wiz lvl/2.
If we assume that for some reason this wiz is countering spells every round @ lvl 6 with a combat lasting 5 rounds, that's only a maximum of 5 uses of Power Surge. That's 15 damage over the course of combat IF it hits with every spell and IF they are only blasting (which realistically a wiz with such good concentration defense will not do). Your barbarian companion, if he hits (which he should be with Reckless), would do a minimum of 20 dmg with just his bonus damage from Rage @ lvl 6.
Overpowered, no? Does it compete with another feature from the class, yes. Is it basically a ribbon, yes. My homebrew opens up choices for PCs rather than make them fight against their own class.
Sorry, that was based on a level 18 wizard. Here’s the problem: War Magic doesn’t need any boosting. At the aforementioned level 18, here’s what happens:
You either get hit or need to save - you can use Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection. If Arcane Deflection gave you a Power Surge, you would get an extra 9 damage on your next spell, plus up to 27 damage from your Deflecting Shroud immediately. There is no scenario where you wouldn’t choose that, and Power Surge then becomes maxed out more easily and provides a near-constant 9 damage for every spell cast. That’s WAY more than you think - and entirely not needed in any way to balance an already potent archetype.
Don’t compare to Barbarians. That’s just silly and not an apples to apples comparison.
It’s an extra 9 damage for EVERY spell that hits. That’s crazy good for every low-level markets like Magic Missile. At level 18 you can have unlimited magic missiles via Spell Mastery which now gives you an auto-hit 3d4+10 (17.5 Ave) damage spell (in addition to the 27 damage each round you get to Deflect). For no spell slot usage. All day.
At level 6, it looks balanced. But if you play higher level campaigns it’ll spiral out of control once you get Deflecting Shroud and Spell Mastery. And if you consider later on that a higher AC build of a War Mage means it’ll be even more devastating.
Not sure where you think you’re fighting against your own class. So you have multiple reactions - is that so bad for some reason? If you don’t want to duplicate, then don’t use this class, but I enjoy having the option of Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection depending on the situation.
I have played countless hours with my War Mage in AL and found it very gamebreaking, all the way up to level 20. For that reason alone beyond all other theorycrafting, I’m not a fan of the change. YMMV
I find Power Surge way too effective - every Wizard is Counter-spelling literally everything, so the extra damage is almost always going to take place as well. Throwing it on Arcane Deflection just means you get to channel Power Surge AND use Deflecting Shroud at the same time ... That’s 36 extra damage in a round.
Definitely not balanced with that homebrew.
I don't understand how you're arriving at 36 extra damage a round. You can only use one Power Surge a round and that damage is Wiz lvl/2.
If we assume that for some reason this wiz is countering spells every round @ lvl 6 with a combat lasting 5 rounds, that's only a maximum of 5 uses of Power Surge. That's 15 damage over the course of combat IF it hits with every spell and IF they are only blasting (which realistically a wiz with such good concentration defense will not do). Your barbarian companion, if he hits (which he should be with Reckless), would do a minimum of 20 dmg with just his bonus damage from Rage @ lvl 6.
Overpowered, no? Does it compete with another feature from the class, yes. Is it basically a ribbon, yes. My homebrew opens up choices for PCs rather than make them fight against their own class.
At level 6, a wizard had three third-level spell slots. So:
1: The wizard can't counterspell indefinitely. 2. If he tries, he can't use his third-level spell slots on anything else (e.g. Fireball) 3. Counterspelling requires your reaction, so you cannot use your Arcane Deflection any longer.
Especially focusing on that second part, you're trading off a fireball (8d6 damage) for half your wizard level (3 damage) on another spell. That's far from overpowered.
You’re all balancing this at level 6. Trust me, it’s totally balanced at level 6.
But not later on around Tier3/4, if you’re not Counterspelling every chance you get, you’re doing it wrong. I’d give up a level 6 spell slot for Counterspell any day to prevent some Archmage from casting even a magic missile. One spell can turn the tide and so you don’t take ANY chances at higher levels.
Fireball is also overpowered at level 6, but decidedly middling as you hit the higher tiers. Let’s assume, 14th level. Someone casts Fireball at you? Counterspell. Now you’re doing 7*3 damage back, and an extra 7 on your next turn. That’s 28 damage. You better believe I’m wasting those Counterspells every single time.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Yup, they just use their reaction during their own turn.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Then you realize that D&D and MTG are developed by the same company.
I find Power Surge way too effective - every Wizard is Counter-spelling literally everything, so the extra damage is almost always going to take place as well. Throwing it on Arcane Deflection just means you get to channel Power Surge AND use Deflecting Shroud at the same time ... That’s 36 extra damage in a round.
Definitely not balanced with that homebrew.
I don't understand how you're arriving at 36 extra damage a round. You can only use one Power Surge a round and that damage is Wiz lvl/2.
If we assume that for some reason this wiz is countering spells every round @ lvl 6 with a combat lasting 5 rounds, that's only a maximum of 5 uses of Power Surge. That's 15 damage over the course of combat IF it hits with every spell and IF they are only blasting (which realistically a wiz with such good concentration defense will not do). Your barbarian companion, if he hits (which he should be with Reckless), would do a minimum of 20 dmg with just his bonus damage from Rage @ lvl 6.
Overpowered, no? Does it compete with another feature from the class, yes. Is it basically a ribbon, yes. My homebrew opens up choices for PCs rather than make them fight against their own class.
Sorry, that was based on a level 18 wizard. Here’s the problem: War Magic doesn’t need any boosting. At the aforementioned level 18, here’s what happens:
You either get hit or need to save - you can use Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection. If Arcane Deflection gave you a Power Surge, you would get an extra 9 damage on your next spell, plus up to 27 damage from your Deflecting Shroud immediately. There is no scenario where you wouldn’t choose that, and Power Surge then becomes maxed out more easily and provides a near-constant 9 damage for every spell cast. That’s WAY more than you think - and entirely not needed in any way to balance an already potent archetype.
Don’t compare to Barbarians. That’s just silly and not an apples to apples comparison.
It’s an extra 9 damage for EVERY spell that hits. That’s crazy good for every low-level markets like Magic Missile. At level 18 you can have unlimited magic missiles via Spell Mastery which now gives you an auto-hit 3d4+10 (17.5 Ave) damage spell (in addition to the 27 damage each round you get to Deflect). For no spell slot usage. All day.
At level 6, it looks balanced. But if you play higher level campaigns it’ll spiral out of control once you get Deflecting Shroud and Spell Mastery. And if you consider later on that a higher AC build of a War Mage means it’ll be even more devastating.
Not sure where you think you’re fighting against your own class. So you have multiple reactions - is that so bad for some reason? If you don’t want to duplicate, then don’t use this class, but I enjoy having the option of Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection depending on the situation.
I have played countless hours with my War Mage in AL and found it very gamebreaking, all the way up to level 20. For that reason alone beyond all other theorycrafting, I’m not a fan of the change. YMMV
This makes sense. As the campaign didn't progress past 8th I never got to see these types of interactions.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Yup, they just use their reaction during their own turn.
. . . Dang, it's even in the Sage Advice section.
(Tangent incoming)
I don't care for that ruling; at my own table, I wouldn't let a player counterspell a counterspell. To me, that seems like casting a spell while you're already casting a spell.
That said, it wouldn't actually come up because I don't like to have my enemies use things that take away a player's turn. I tend to use that stuff sparingly, because it can suck the fun right out of the room for you, as a player, to lose your turn and fail saving throws over and over. If it makes an encounter just a little too easy on the players, I can live with that. Throw another mook or two into the mix to keep them sweating. But losing your turn and having to wait for 10 minutes for another chance to fail a saving throw is a real killjoy.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
What are you even talking about? I already told you that the suggestion above was that Arcane Deflection should trigger Power Surge and I said that was a bad idea... why are your knickers so twisted?
Yes, you can Counterspell a Counterspell. That’s like level 1 Wizard strategy. How does that change anything I said before?
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Yup, they just use their reaction during their own turn.
. . . Dang, it's even in the Sage Advice section.
(Tangent incoming)
I don't care for that ruling; at my own table, I wouldn't let a player counterspell a counterspell. To me, that seems like casting a spell while you're already casting a spell.
That said, it wouldn't actually come up because I don't like to have my enemies use things that take away a player's turn. I tend to use that stuff sparingly, because it can suck the fun right out of the room for you, as a player, to lose your turn and fail saving throws over and over. If it makes an encounter just a little too easy on the players, I can live with that. Throw another mook or two into the mix to keep them sweating. But losing your turn and having to wait for 10 minutes for another chance to fail a saving throw is a real killjoy.
I kind of like it because casters really don’t have anything to stop them otherwise. As a DM it’s sometimes the only way you would get a spell off because a single caster could just lock down Halaster for a couple rounds if he really wants to. As a player it makes me consider ranges (>60 ft away can’t counter), subtle spells, or breaking line of sight to cast.
Fireball is also overpowered at level 6, but decidedly middling as you hit the higher tiers. Let’s assume, 14th level. Someone casts Fireball at you? Counterspell. Now you’re doing 7*3 damage back, and an extra 7 on your next turn. That’s 28 damage. You better believe I’m wasting those Counterspells every single time.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
What are you even talking about? I already told you that the suggestion above was that Arcane Deflection should trigger Power Surge and I said that was a bad idea... why are your knickers so twisted?
The above example you gave is both not how the rules work nor what the thread is about; could you clarify for the sake of us all?
Fireball is also overpowered at level 6, but decidedly middling as you hit the higher tiers. Let’s assume, 14th level. Someone casts Fireball at you? Counterspell. Now you’re doing 7*3 damage back, and an extra 7 on your next turn. That’s 28 damage. You better believe I’m wasting those Counterspells every single time.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
What are you even talking about? I already told you that the suggestion above was that Arcane Deflection should trigger Power Surge and I said that was a bad idea... why are your knickers so twisted?
The above example you gave is both not how the rules work nor what the thread is about; could you clarify for the sake of us all?
MoeMasu homebrewed allowing Arcane Deflection giving Power Surges, which I called unbalancing. Then you jumped in and started arguing about me not understanding the rules without reading any of the previous posts. The fireball comment was a direct response to another comment about fireball.
Are you not able to see the conversation that MoeMasu and I were having or unable to see the quoted comments? That may be the best place to start your queries.
I did read the thread, which is why I'm concerned about other users thinking your example about using Counterspell to trigger the Deflecting Shroud damage is how the class actually works, when it isn't.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
What are you even talking about? I already told you that the suggestion above was that Arcane Deflection should trigger Power Surge and I said that was a bad idea... why are your knickers so twisted?
Yes, you can Counterspell a Counterspell. That’s like level 1 Wizard strategy. How does that change anything I said before?
Ummm, do you realise that you can't Counterspell a Counterspell if the initial spell is not a cantrip?
As per the rules says:
You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.
So, if Wizard A cast Fireball and Wizard B cast counterspell, Wizard A cannot counterspell Wizard B simple because he casted Fireball, which is not a cantrip, even if he has its reaction to do so.
"Can you also cast a reaction spell on your turn? You sure can! Here’s a common way for it to happen: Cornelius the wizard is casting fireball on his turn, and his foe casts counterspell on him. Cornelius has counterspell prepared, so he uses his reaction to cast it and break his foe’s counterspell before it can stop fireball."
And now you know. :)
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At level 6, a wizard had three third-level spell slots. So:
1: The wizard can't counterspell indefinitely.
2. If he tries, he can't use his third-level spell slots on anything else (e.g. Fireball)
3. Counterspelling requires your reaction, so you cannot use your Arcane Deflection any longer.
Especially focusing on that second part, you're trading off a fireball (8d6 damage) for half your wizard level (3 damage) on another spell. That's far from overpowered.
Even more so if you take base spell slots into account (like you did). I just assumed optimal ability to counterspell via magic or something that would allow 5 uses of counterspelling.
I agree that War Magic is a great dip, but find that it's overall just an average subclass. My players in that specific campaign were also not the munchkin type and preferred to not multiclass so I though homebrewing Arcane Surge helped to keep the wizard from not feeling so overshadowed by his martial cohorts. Obviously, he was in terms of DPR but it made the player happy and no one at the table batted an eye -- most agreed with the homebrew.
You can't boost Deflecting Shroud with a Power Surge. And if you use Deflecting Shroud you can't Counterspell.
It was in response to the previous request saying that Arcane Deflection (and therefore Deflecting Shroud) should enhance Power Surge as a way of balancing this class. If those worked together, it ramps this class up way too much.
Sorry, that was based on a level 18 wizard. Here’s the problem: War Magic doesn’t need any boosting. At the aforementioned level 18, here’s what happens:
You either get hit or need to save - you can use Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection. If Arcane Deflection gave you a Power Surge, you would get an extra 9 damage on your next spell, plus up to 27 damage from your Deflecting Shroud immediately. There is no scenario where you wouldn’t choose that, and Power Surge then becomes maxed out more easily and provides a near-constant 9 damage for every spell cast. That’s WAY more than you think - and entirely not needed in any way to balance an already potent archetype.
Don’t compare to Barbarians. That’s just silly and not an apples to apples comparison.
It’s an extra 9 damage for EVERY spell that hits. That’s crazy good for every low-level markets like Magic Missile. At level 18 you can have unlimited magic missiles via Spell Mastery which now gives you an auto-hit 3d4+10 (17.5 Ave) damage spell (in addition to the 27 damage each round you get to Deflect). For no spell slot usage. All day.
At level 6, it looks balanced. But if you play higher level campaigns it’ll spiral out of control once you get Deflecting Shroud and Spell Mastery. And if you consider later on that a higher AC build of a War Mage means it’ll be even more devastating.
Not sure where you think you’re fighting against your own class. So you have multiple reactions - is that so bad for some reason? If you don’t want to duplicate, then don’t use this class, but I enjoy having the option of Shield, Counterspell, or Arcane Deflection depending on the situation.
I have played countless hours with my War Mage in AL and found it very gamebreaking, all the way up to level 20. For that reason alone beyond all other theorycrafting, I’m not a fan of the change. YMMV
You’re all balancing this at level 6. Trust me, it’s totally balanced at level 6.
But not later on around Tier3/4, if you’re not Counterspelling every chance you get, you’re doing it wrong. I’d give up a level 6 spell slot for Counterspell any day to prevent some Archmage from casting even a magic missile. One spell can turn the tide and so you don’t take ANY chances at higher levels.
Fireball is also overpowered at level 6, but decidedly middling as you hit the higher tiers. Let’s assume, 14th level. Someone casts Fireball at you? Counterspell. Now you’re doing 7*3 damage back, and an extra 7 on your next turn. That’s 28 damage. You better believe I’m wasting those Counterspells every single time.
Ok well a) it sounds like you're being fed idiot mages who aren't adjusting to your counterspell range and vision and/or aren't counterspelling your counterspell and b) you've been playing it wrong this whole time.
Arcane Deflection is what procs the Deflecting Shroud's 7*3 damage. Not Counterspell.
. . . Surely you can't Counterspell Counterspell. That would be ridiculous.
Yup, they just use their reaction during their own turn.
Then you realize that D&D and MTG are developed by the same company.
This makes sense. As the campaign didn't progress past 8th I never got to see these types of interactions.
. . . Dang, it's even in the Sage Advice section.
(Tangent incoming)
I don't care for that ruling; at my own table, I wouldn't let a player counterspell a counterspell. To me, that seems like casting a spell while you're already casting a spell.
That said, it wouldn't actually come up because I don't like to have my enemies use things that take away a player's turn. I tend to use that stuff sparingly, because it can suck the fun right out of the room for you, as a player, to lose your turn and fail saving throws over and over. If it makes an encounter just a little too easy on the players, I can live with that. Throw another mook or two into the mix to keep them sweating. But losing your turn and having to wait for 10 minutes for another chance to fail a saving throw is a real killjoy.
What are you even talking about? I already told you that the suggestion above was that Arcane Deflection should trigger Power Surge and I said that was a bad idea... why are your knickers so twisted?
Yes, you can Counterspell a Counterspell. That’s like level 1 Wizard strategy. How does that change anything I said before?
I kind of like it because casters really don’t have anything to stop them otherwise. As a DM it’s sometimes the only way you would get a spell off because a single caster could just lock down Halaster for a couple rounds if he really wants to. As a player it makes me consider ranges (>60 ft away can’t counter), subtle spells, or breaking line of sight to cast.
The above example you gave is both not how the rules work nor what the thread is about; could you clarify for the sake of us all?
MoeMasu homebrewed allowing Arcane Deflection giving Power Surges, which I called unbalancing. Then you jumped in and started arguing about me not understanding the rules without reading any of the previous posts. The fireball comment was a direct response to another comment about fireball.
Are you not able to see the conversation that MoeMasu and I were having or unable to see the quoted comments? That may be the best place to start your queries.
I did read the thread, which is why I'm concerned about other users thinking your example about using Counterspell to trigger the Deflecting Shroud damage is how the class actually works, when it isn't.
Not sure how else to phrase it.
Ummm, do you realise that you can't Counterspell a Counterspell if the initial spell is not a cantrip?
As per the rules says:
So, if Wizard A cast Fireball and Wizard B cast counterspell, Wizard A cannot counterspell Wizard B simple because he casted Fireball, which is not a cantrip, even if he has its reaction to do so.
Counterspell CAN be used to counter Counterspell. Spells cast as a reaction don't count against the number of spells you can cast per round.
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
From Sage Advice:
"Can you also cast a reaction spell on your turn? You sure can! Here’s a common way for it to happen: Cornelius the wizard is casting fireball on his turn, and his foe casts counterspell on him. Cornelius has counterspell prepared, so he uses his reaction to cast it and break his foe’s counterspell before it can stop fireball."
And now you know. :)